February  4,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
103 
are  well  strung  up,  require  little  thinning.  Small-berried  sorts,  such  as 
all  the  Frontignans  and  Black  Prince,  may  be  left  fairly  close  ;  Alicante, 
Black  Hamburgh,  Buckland  Sweetwater,  Golden  Queen,  Mrs.  Pearson, 
and  Trebbiano  require  more  room;  while  Gros  Colman,  Appley  Towers, 
Madresfield  Court,  Gros  Maroc,  and  Cooper’s  Black  (the  last  two  are 
quite  distinct  here,  Maroc  being  larger  in  the  berry  and  never  carrying 
tbe  bloom  of  Cooper’s  Black,  both  growing  in  the  same  house),  which 
are  from  4  inches  to  5  inches  in  circumference,  must  be  severely  thinned  ; 
also  Canon  Hall  Muscat,  which  has  berries  as  large  as  Orleans  Plums. 
To  the  question,  Why  do  so  many  fail  to  grow  good  Grapes  1 — by 
good,  1  mean  Grapes  fit  to  win  prizes  at  our  leading  shows — I  answer 
want  of  attention  in  ventilation,  watering,  and  not  keeping  the  growths 
pinched  back.  Never  let  the  thermometer  rise  much  in  the  morning 
without  admitting  a  little  air,  and  never  admit  much  at  a  time.  Up  to 
the  time  of  the  colouring  of  the  berries  you  will  be  constantly  putting 
air  on,  and  taking  it  off,  especially  during  March  and  April  to  keep  the 
temperature  steady. 
With  regard  to  watering  the  borders  those  inside  must  never  get  dry. 
Give  a  little  artificial  manure — Thompson’s  or  Wood’s  Ls  Fruitier  are 
good — before  finishing  watering,  to  be  gently  washed  down.  Outside 
borders,  except  in  dry  summers,  require  less  water,  especially  if  covered 
with  leaf  mould  or  some  other  retentive  material.  As  with  inside 
borders  we  give  a  little  artificial  manure  when  watering  the  outside 
borders,  which  we  find  does  good  even  when  watering  with  liquid 
manure  from  farmyard. 
And  now  a  few  words  on  stopping  the  laterals.  In  this  important 
duty  we  must  be  guided  by  the  distance  between  the  Vine  and  by  the 
variety.  Varieties  that  show  bunches  at  tbe  third  or  fourth  leaf  may  be 
stopped  two  leaves  beyond  the  first  bunch,  while  those  that  show  bunches 
beyond  the  fourth  leaf  stop  one  leaf  beyond  the  bunch  ;  also  those  that 
are  long  jointed,  for  instance  Cooper’s  Black,  stop  all  laterals  at  the 
-first  leaf,  and  if  there  is  not  room  pinch  out  all  sub-laterals.  Always 
remember  that  one  well-deve’oped  leaf  is  worth  half  a  dozen  crowded 
leaves. — W.  T.,  Ireland. 
Observation. 
A  few  lines  on  the  above  subject  may  be  of  interest,  and  at  the 
same  time  c  nvey  a  lesson  to  young  gardeners.  Observation  ;  what  is 
it  ?  A  dictionary  will  tell  us  “  it  is  the  art  of  fixing  the  mind  on 
anything.”  How  do  we  observe  ?  It  should  be  with  a  combination  of 
eye  and  brain,  but  it  is  to  be  feared  it  is  more  often  with  the  former 
alone.  We  see  something  done,  and  think  no  more  about  it.  That  is  a 
mistake.  We  should  strive  also  to  understand,  so  as  to  be  able  to  do  it 
ourselves. 
What  are  we  to  observe  ?  Firstly  the  kitchen  garden — the  one  great 
branch,  and  at  the  same  time  perhaps  the  most  neglected.  Could  we 
but  devote  part  of  our  spare  time  to  the  study  of  it,  we  should  not  only 
derive  pleasure,  but  benefit  in  after  life.  Why  not  make  a  daily  round 
of  the  kitchen  garden,  carefully  noting  the  routine  of  work,  make  a 
note  of  the  time  of  sowing  seeds,  and  as  tbe  crops  come  to  maturity 
note  that  as  well  ?  What  a  study  one  could  get  out  of  Brassicas  alone, 
or  the  Pea  for  instance  !  Tnen  there  is  another  branch — outdoor  fruit 
culture.  How  greatly  we  could  benefit  ourselves  by  studying  the  various 
ways  of  planting,  training,  grafting,  and  pruning,  also  observing  the 
different  varieties  as  they  ripen  in  their  season.  And  again  there  is  the 
forcing  of  various  roots,  such  as  Asparagus,  Rhubarb,  and  Seakale  ;  also 
Mushroom  growing — all  too  much  neglected  by  us.  Then  again,  whac 
can  be  gained  from  visits  to  the  flower  garden  ?  Tbe  different  kinds  of 
bedding  in  their  season  and  the  various  styles,  for  we  must  not  limit 
ourselves  to  observing  one  garden  only.  The  Rose  garden  in  itself 
would  form  a  most  delightful  course  of  observation.  The  pleasure 
grounds  too,  what  could  we  not  learn  from  them  ?  Would  not  the  study 
of  Coniferse,  and  various  shrubs  and  trees,  yield  both  pleasure  and 
instruction  ? 
The  glass  department  demands  much  thought.  There  are  the  various 
kinds  of  plants,  all  worthy  of  observation.  And  fruit  culture  under  glass 
is  perhaps  a  greater  subject  still.  Take  a  house  from  the  time  of  starting 
to  the  ripening  of  the  crop,  look  at  the  various  stages  of  growth  and 
their  requirements.  There  is  air  giving,  how  observant  we  must  be  in 
that.  And  temperatures,  too  ;  we  are  told  by  one  very  able  writer  that 
this  alone  is  one  of  the  hardest  lessons  a  young  gardener  has  to  learn. 
Writing  of  temperatures  brought  the  stokehole  to  my  mirui.  We 
should  always  do  our  best  to  have  our  fires  clear,  and  the  surround¬ 
ings  of  the  boiler  as  neat  as  circumstances  will  permit. — S.  S. 
[This  contribution  on  “  Observation”  in  the  present  series  leads  us  to 
say  that  a  great  lack  of  that  valuable  acquisition — intelligent  observa¬ 
tion — has  been  revealed  by  several  correspondents.  In  our  issue  of 
December  31st,  1896,  page  632,  we  gave  what  we  thought  clear 
instructions  for  the  guidance  and  benefit  of  earnest  young  gardeners. 
The  majority  have  followed  those  instructions  in  the  most  admirable 
way  ;  but  a  considerable  minority  have  either  not  read  them  or  soon 
forgotten  what  they  did  read.  The  result  is  that  we  have  many  con¬ 
tributions,  and  most  of  them  good,  which  cannot  be  published.  Some 
are  written  on  both  sides  of  the  paper,  others  are  too  crowded  for  revision, 
while  several  have  failed  to  write  their  names  and  addresses  on  their 
MS.  All  the  conditions  mentioned  are  simple,  and  compliance  with 
them  is  necessary  for  purposes  of  publication.  In  the  case  of  accidental 
omissions  on  the  part  of  writers  of  notes  which  have  not  appeared,  if 
the  subjects  are  quoted,  also  names  and  addresses  supplied,  the  MSS. 
shall  be  examined.  We  repeat  that  every  young  gardener  who  aspires 
to  become  a  credi'able  writer  should  attentively  read  and  preserve  the 
article  above  referred  to.] 
WOKK/outheWEEK. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Cherry  House. — The  Cherry  is  very  impatient  of  undue  warmth 
in  the  early  stages  of  growth,  particularly  when  the  ventilation  is 
indifferently  provided.  This  is  a  vital  point  as  regards  crop,  therefore 
commence  ventilating  at  50°,  allowing  an  increase  of  15°  from  sun  heat 
with  proportionate  ventilation,  closing  the  house  at  50°,  45°  beiDg 
sufficient  by  day  artificially,  and  40°  at  night.  The  trees  advanced 
slowly  from  December  are  now  unfolding  their  buds,  those  previously 
forced  being  in  blossom,  and  will  need  attention  in  fertilising  the 
flowers  on  fine  days,  using  a  camel’s-hair  brush,  bunch  of  feathers,  or 
rabbit’s  tail  mounted  on  a  small  stick.  Where  the  flowers  are  not 
expanded  it  is  advisable  to  fumigate  the  house,  so  as  to  make  sure  that 
the  trees  are  free  from  insects,  repeating  at  intervals  of  a  day  or  two. 
Examine  the  border  to  see  that  there  is  no  deficiency  of  moisture, 
affording  a  thorough  supply  of  water  when  necessary.  Trees  in  pots 
will  require  more  frequent  attention.  Any  alterations  in  the  way  of 
introducing  fresh  trees  must  be  completed  without  delay,  and  taking 
precautionary  measures,  so  that  shading  may  be  applied  to  such  trees 
whenever  sunshine  is  powerful,  and  in  order  to  promote  the  re-establish- 
ment  of  the  trees  they  should  be  lightly  sprinkled  more  frequently,  and 
other  surfaces  moistened,  but  avoid  making  the  soil  sodden. 
Cucumbers. — Young  plants  being  now  ready  for  transference  to 
the  hillocks  in  the  Cucumber  house,  which,  having  been  thoroughly 
cleansed  and  the  soil  placed  in  a  few  days  previously  to  become  warmed, 
they  should  be  planted.  Press  the  soil  firmly  about  each  plant ;  place 
a  stick  to  each  and  secure  it  to  the  first  wire  of  the  trellis.  If  bright 
sunshine  occur  shade  lightly  in  the  middle  of  the  day  to  prevent 
flagging,  and  after  the  plants  become  established  it  can  be  discontinued, 
subjecting  the  plants  to  the  full  influence  of  the  sun.  Keep  the  night 
temperature  at  65°,  5°  less  on  cold,  but  5°  more  on  mild  nights,  and  70° 
to  75°  by  day,  with  80°  to  99°  from  sun  heat,  closing  e^rly  in  the  after¬ 
noon,  with  plenty  of  atmospheric  moisture  on  fine  days.  Plants  in 
bearing  will  need  copious  supplies  of  liquid  manure  in  a  tepid  state. 
Crop  lightly,  and  keep  the  plants  clean.  Avoid  over-watering,  keep  the 
foliage  thin,  remove  bad  leaves  and  exhausted  growths,  stopping  others 
one  or  two  joints  beyond  the  fruit  as  space  allows,  maintaining  a  succes¬ 
sion  of  young  growths  for  bearing. 
Cover  the  lights  of  dung-heated  frames  with  double  mats  at  night, 
the  linings  of  the  beds  being  attended  to  weekly  or  fortnightly,  according 
to  the  state  of  the  weather,  keeping  a  supply  of  well  mixed  manure 
and  leaves  in  readiness  for  that  purpose.  (See  Melons.) 
rigs. — Earlies t  Forced  Trees  in  Pots — Pinch  out  the  points  of  the 
shoots  when  they  have  made  five  leaves.  Maintain  a  steady  temperature 
of  65°  to  60°  at  night  and  65°  by  day,  advancing  to  75°  with  sun  heat, 
closing  early  and  allowing  an  advance  to  80°  or  85°.  In  dull  weather  a 
little  extra  heat  early  in  the  day  will  allow  of  ventilation,  if  only  for  an 
hour  or  two,  to  give  a  cnange  of  air,  which  tends  to  solidify  the  growth. 
Keep  the  bottom  heat  steady  at  70°  to  75°,  introducing  fresh  leaves  as 
required.  Red  spider  must  be  kept  down  by  syringing,  but  always  early 
in  the  afternoon,  to  allow  the  leaves  to  become  dry  before  night.  In 
dull  weather  it  is  better  to  damp  the  paths  than  to  keep  the  plants  con¬ 
stantly  dripping  with  water,  which  hinders  evaporation  and  prevents 
the  elaboration  of  the  sap. 
Early  Forced  Planted-out  Trees. — As  these  are  growing  maintain  a 
temperature  at  night  of  65°,  and  60°  to  65°  by  day,  with  a  rise  of  5°  to 
10°  from  sun  heat.  Syringe  twice  a  day  on  bright  days,  but  in  dull 
weather  morning  syringing,  with  damping  in  the  afternoon  will  be 
sufficient,  ventilating  freely  on  all  favourable  occasions,  as  a  weakly 
growth  cannot  afterwards  be  made  stout  nor  thin  foliage  become  thick, 
therefore  strive  for  sturdy  growth,  well  developed,  thick  leathery 
leaves  from  the  commencement.  A  little  partially  decayed  lumpy 
manure  placed  on  the  border  will  attract  the  roots  to  the  surface,  whilst 
not  depriving  the  soil  of  air,  and  water  in  a  tepid  state  should  be  given 
as  nece-sary,  bat  avoid  overwatering  in  the  early  Btages,  especially  with 
liquid  manure. 
Second  Early  Forced  Trees.— Where  there  is  more  than  one  Fig  house 
with  the  trees  planted  out  the  second  may  now  be  started,  and  these  will 
give  a  first  and  second  crop  of  Figs.  The  trees  bearing  on  the  extension 
growths  produce  grand  fruits,  those  having  borne  and  become  bare  being 
cut  out  so  as  to  give  place  to  sturdy  well-furnished  growths,  thinly 
disposed  and  kept  clean.  Bring  the  border  into  a  thoroughly  moist 
state  by  repeated  supplies,  if  necessary,  of  tepid  water  or  liquid  manure. 
Syringe  the  trees  occasionally,  damping  the-  paths  twice  a  day. 
A  temperature  of  50°  at  night  and  55°  by  day  is  sufficient  to  commence 
with,  advancing  to  65°  from  sun  heat,  ventilating  freely  on  all  favour¬ 
able  occasions. 
Melons.— A  brisk  bottom  heat  is  necessary  in  the  cultivation  of 
early  fruit,  and  it  should  be  durable.  In  houses  hot-water  pipes  are 
unquestionably  the  best,  but  for  pits  and  frames  fermenting  materials 
are  relied  on,  and  with  good  results.  S  able  litter  and  an  equal  propor¬ 
tion  of  Oak  or  Beech  leaves  should  be  thrown  together  about  a  fortnight 
before  they  are  required,  thoroughly  incorporating  them,  and  if  dry 
they  must  be  moistened.  In  a  few  days  they  will,  if  sufficiently  moist 
