July  25, 1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
93 
nightfall,  and  when  the  day  ia  likely  to  be  dall  omit  the  morning 
syringing.  Directly  the  fruit  commences  ripening  cease  syringing,  but 
afford  air  moisture  by  damping  the  paths  and  borders  in  the  morning 
and  afternoon,  ventilating  rather  freely  in  the  daytime,  and  sufficiently 
at  night  to  insure  a  circulation  of  air. 
Late  Houses. — In  order  to  assist  the  swelling  of  the  fruit  observe 
the  conditions  advised  in  the  preceding  paragraph.  If  wanted  to 
accelerate  the  ripening  ventilate  rather  freely  in  the  early  part  of  the 
day  and  up  to  1  p.m.,  then  keep  the  heat  obtained  by  reducing  the 
ventilation  so  as  to  secure  80°  to  85°,  and  at  about  4  p.m.  close  the  house, 
syringing  well,  and  no  barm  will  come  if  the  mercury  rise  to  90°, 
ventilating  about  6  p.m.,  so  as  to  let  the  pent*up  moisture  escape  and  the 
temperature  gradually  cool  down.  Keep  the  shoots  tied  down  as  they 
advance,  allowing  no  more  than  are  necessary  for  next  year’s  bearing  or 
for  furnishing  the  tree.  Let  all  have  space  for  development,  with  full 
exposure  of  the  foliage  to  light  and  air.  Keep  laterals  stopped  to  one 
leaf,  also  retain  growth  to  attract  the  sap  to  the  fruit.  If  there  are  any 
gross  shoots  which  push  laterals  from  the  leaf  buds,  cut  them  back  to 
where  the  buds  remain  intact,  or,  if  likely  to  derange  the  equilibrium  of 
the  tree  and  the  equalisation  of  the  sap,  cut  them  off  altogether,  as  they 
only  tend  to  promote  gumming,  imperfect  setting,  and  certain  casting  of 
the  fruit  in  stoning.  Draw  the  leaves  aside  or  away  from  the  fruit, 
raising  it  from  the  lower  side  of  the  trellis,  and  let  it  have  as  much  light 
as  possible,  the  sun  acting  directly  on  the  apex.  This  will  be  uppermost 
when  the  fruit  is  put  up  for  sale  or  dished,  hence  the  necessity  of  having 
the  chief  colouring  there,  and  as  the  colour  is  so  is  the  flavour. 
Unheated  Houses  or  Wall  Cases. — Where  there  are  early  varieties  in 
these — such  as  Alexander,  Waterloo,  Early  Louise,  Early  Beatrice,  and 
Early  Rivers — the  fruits  are  ripening* or  ripe;  these  should  not  be 
syringed,  but  the  trees  must  not  lack  water  at  the  roots,  and  the  borders 
should  be  damped,  as  moisture  is  necessary  for  the  health  of  the  foliage. 
Afford  top-dressings  of  the  advertised  fertilisers  washed-in,  or  supply 
liquid  manure  from  tanks  properly  diluted.  House  sewage  may  be  used 
for  this  purpose,  and  its  unpleasant  smell  may  be  subdued  by  using  1  Ib.  of 
sulphate  of  iron  to  every  100  gallons,  mixing  well  a  few  days  before  use. 
This  will  convert  the  sewage  into  a  more  or  less  double  sulphate  of 
ammonia  and  iron,  the  latter  being  ammoniated,  and  then  it  loses  any 
deleterious  properties  it  might  otherwise  have  in  the  somewhat  larger 
amount  given.  Iron  is  an  essential  plant  food,  but  often  worse  than 
useless  in  the  soil  for  lack  of  nitrogenous  matter  for  ammoniation. 
Even  without  the  direct  application  of  the  sulphate  the  sewage  causes 
the  foliage  to  assume  a  dark  glossy  hue,  and  this — the  amount  of 
chlorophyll  in  the  leaves — practically  determines  the  colour  (when 
properly  exposed  to  light)  and  quality  of  the  fruit. 
Keep  the  growths  thin,  every  shoot  having  space  for  development 
and  proper  exposure  to  light  and  air.  Syringe  about  7  P.M.,  the 
house  having  a  little  air  constantly  ;  increase  the  ventilation  with  the 
advancing  temperature,  contriving  to  have  it  full  at  75°,  or  if  it  is 
desired  to  accelerate  the  ripening  keep  through  the  day  at  80°  to  85°, 
but  always  with  ventilation,  and  close  early  to  maintain  the  temperature, 
but  not  to  raise  it  above  90°.  Syringe  again  in  the  afternoon  about 
5  P.M.  This  attended  to,  and  the  operation  being  effective,  there  will 
not  be  any  red  spider,  the  roots  being  properly  supplied  with  water  and 
nourishment.  Timely  thinning  increases  the  size  of  the  fruits  retained, 
and  having  been  attended  to  early  the  fruit  is  a  good  size  by  the  time 
the  stoning  is  completed,  when  the  final  thinning  should  be  given.  It 
is  a  mistake,  however,  to  leave  many  more  for  stoning  than  will  be 
ultimately  allowed  to  ripen,  for  it  is  really  the  stoning  that  is  the 
exhausting  process. 
Cucumbers. — The  growths  should  be  thinned  as  occasion  requires, 
looking  the  plants  over  twice  a  week,  it  being  easy  to  rub  off  a  starting 
shoot  in  the  wrong  place  or  for  which  there  is  not  room,  and  the  points 
of  unruly  growths  may  be  nipped  off  without  prejudice.  It  is  different 
when  the  manipulations  are  distant,  then  the  amount  of  trimming  is 
considerable,  the  wounds  are  correspondingly  large,  and  the  foliage 
impaired  by  the  previous  crowding  and  afterwards  sudden  exposure. 
This  is  how  Cucumbers  are  weakened  and  less  able  to  contend  with  their 
enemies.  Remove  exhausted  growths  to  make  room  for  young  bearing 
shoots.  Keep  the  shoots  well  stoppel  to  one  joint  beyond  the  fruit,  or  at 
the  fruit  if  the  plants  are  vigorous  and  showing  no  signs  of  exhaustion. 
Always  allow  weakly  plants  more  extension,  and  crop  them  lightly. 
Remove  bad  leaves  as  they  appear,  always  having  an  eye  to  the  first 
speck  of  abnormality  on  the  foliage,  whether  caused  by  red  spider, 
thrips,  white  fly,  or  mildew.  These  pests  have  an  abhorrence  of  sulphur, 
especially  the  fumes,  which  are  given  off  more  or  less  under  the  solar 
heat  acting  on  surfaces  coated  with  the  flowers.  Mildew  spores  are  just 
now  very  abundant  in  the  atmosphere,  and  are  settling  on  Plantains  and 
Dandelions ;  indeed,  many  of  these  are  already  white  with  the  over¬ 
spreading  mycelium,  erect  hyphse,  and  shed  conidia.  Have  an  eye, 
therefore,  to  Cucumber  plants,  preferably  dusting  a  little  sulphur  on  the 
plants,  or  where  the  sun  can  act  on  it,  as  a  precautionary  measure. 
Maintain  a  steady  root  action  by  necessary  bottom  heat,  and  give  due 
attention  to  watering  two  or  three  times  a  week.  The  bottom  heat  should 
be  80°  to  85°,  top  heat  70°  at  night,  75°  by  day,  80°  to  85°  with  sun, 
closing  early  to  increase  to  90°,  95°,  or  100°.  Syringe  in  the  afternoon 
of  hot  days,  avoiding  late  syringing,  for  the  foliage  should  be  dry  before 
sunset  so  as  to  not  be  unduly  prej  adiced  by  incumbent  water.  Commence 
ventilating  early,  it  being  important  that  the  foliage  he  dry  before  the 
sun  acts  powerfully  upon  it.  Shade  so  as  to  prevent  scorching  and 
flagging.  The  plants  for  autumn  fruiting  should  now  or  soon  be  placed 
on  hillocks  or  ridges  moderately  firm,  maintaining  a  moist  genial 
atmosphere,  and  they  will  soon  grow  sturdily  and  show  fruit  abundantly. 
THE  KITCHEN  GARDEN. 
Bndlve. — A  good  supply  of  well  grown,  properly  blanched  Endive 
is  usually  fully  appreciated  during  the  autumn  and  winter,  and  if  more 
ia  prepared  than  is  needed  for  salads,  it  can  be  cooked  as  a  vegetable. 
Any  sown  much  before  the  present  time  ia  apt  to  run  to  seed  prema¬ 
turely,  but  the  plants  raised  from  the  middle  of  July  till  the  middle  of 
August  can  usually  be  depended  upon  for  doing  good  service.  The 
Moss  Curled  is  the  first  ready  for  use,  but  does  not  keep  well  or  stand  a 
moderately  severe  frost.  A  good  selection  of  Green  Curled  and  the 
Improved  Broad-leaved  Batavian  are  what  can  be  confidently  recom¬ 
mended,  the  last-named  more  nearly  approaching  a  Lettuce,  and  keeping 
better  than  any  other  variety.  Sow  in  drills  a  foot  apart,  watered 
prior  to  sowing  if  the  ground  is  dry.  Any  that  have  already  been  raised 
should  be  thinned  out,  and  some  of  them  transplanted,  the  others 
remaining  6  inches  apart  where  sown.  They  will  grow  and  press 
against  each  other,  blanching  of  hearts  being  the  result  without  further 
trouble.  That  is  the  easiest  way  of  providing  early  Endive. 
Bettuce. — In  the  autumn  the  Cos  Lettuces  fail  to  blanch  well,  but 
are  often  wanted  for  mixing  with  Endive.  As  a  rule  larger  breadths 
than  usual  should  be  sown  now,  and  again  early  in  August,  and  one  of 
these  may  give  a  capital  supply  of  Lettuce  for  late  cutting.  The 
remainder  of  the  seeds  of  white  or  green  Cos  varieties  might  be  sown 
and  a  portion  of  Brown  Cos,  with  still  more  of  All  the  Year  Round  or 
other  hardy  Cabbage  variety.  It  is  the  latter  type  that  can  be  most 
depended  upon,  as  they  are  frequently  good  when  the  Cos  varieties  are 
indifferent.  Prepare  the  sites,  sow  the  seeds,  and  do  the  necessary  trans¬ 
planting  much  as  advised  in  the  case  of  Endive. 
Winter  Splnacb. — More  often  than  not  really  good  crops  of  winter 
Spinach  are  not  obtained  owing  to  undue  delay  in  sowing  the  seeds.  If 
the  plants  are  to  be  serviceable  during  the  winter  they  must  be  nearly  or 
quite  fully  grown  before  severe  frosts  set  in.  For  this  important  crop 
the  ground  cannot  be  too  well  prepared  by  cleaning  and  smashing  the 
lumps,  and  a  surface  dressing  of  soot,  or  if  the  ground  be  rich,  lime 
would  be  beneficial.  These  dressings  should  not  be  dug  in,  but  only 
lightly  forked  into  the  surface.  Ground  newly  cleared  of  early  or  second 
early  Potatoes,  and  for  which  it  was  well  manured,  ought  to  suit  winter 
Spinach  admirably.  For  the  earliest  sowing  the  rows  should  be  15  inches 
apart.  If  after  drawing  the  drills  these  are  found  to  be  dry,  thoroughly 
moisten  them  and  sow  the  seeds.  V  ictoria  is  a  very  fine  variety  and 
suitable  for  present  sowing,  with  Longstander  for  succession. 
Parsley. — ^There  is  a  never  failing  demand  for  this,  and  every 
effort  should  be  made  to  keep  up  the  supply.  Where  the  early  sowings 
have  not  done  well,  only  patches  of  plants  showing  in  places,  advantage 
should  be  taken  of  a  showery  time  to  transplant  some  of  these,  raising 
them  out  of  the  ground  with  a  fork,  the  aim  being  to  save  the  strong 
tap  root.  Those  disturbed,  but  not  wholly  lifted,  to  be  refixed  and 
watered.  It  is  not  too  late  to  sow  more  seeds.  Sometimes  it  happens 
that  the  smaller  or  younger  plants  survive  frosts  that  destroy  the  extra 
fine  plants.  The  commoner  forms  are  the  hardiest,  extra  fine  curled  or 
“double”  Parsley  being  the  first  to  succumb.  It  will  be  quite  useless 
to  sow  on  dry  ground,  therefore  well  moisten  the  seed  drills. 
Vegretable  Marrows. — These  have  done  remarkably  well,  and  are 
cropping  freely.  Those  nearly  or  quite  on  the  level  have  felt  the  drought 
less  than  those  on  raised  beds  or  heaps  of  manure.  Instead  of  allowing 
the  earlier  fruits  to  attain  a  great  size  only  to  be  thrown  away  keep 
cutting  them  as  fast  as  they  are  large  enough  for  use,  and  that  whether 
they  are  wanted  or  not.  Unless  this  is  done  many  of  the  fruit  now 
showing  will  probably  turn  yellow  and  drop  off.  Quite  small  fruit 
cooked  and  served  as  grown  are  far  superior  to  those  sliced  and  denuded 
of  seeds. 
Tomatoes  Under  Glass. — Plants  trained  up  the  roof,  and  nearly 
cleared  of  their  first  heavy  crops,  may  be  made  to  produce  ripe  fruit  in 
abundance  next  autumn  and  winter.  Remove  much  of  the  old  foliage, 
allow  side  growths  to  form  on  the  main  stems,  and  reserve  a  portion  of 
these  for  laying-in  and  cropping.  If  plentiful  stop  these  growths  a  joint 
beyond  where  a  cluster  of  fruit  is  set,  but  if  somewhat  scarce  allow  them 
to  extend,  and  train  irregularly  with  a  view  to  having  the  roofs  thiniy 
covered  with  fruiting  growths.  Closely  remove  all  superfluous  side 
shoots.  The  plants,  whether  rooting  in  pots,  boxes,  or  ridges  of  soil, 
should  have  some  of  the  latter  removed  from  the  roots,  and  a  top 
dressing  of  fresh  fibrous  loam  and  manure  applied  at  once,  a  free 
circulation  of  warm  dry  air  is  a  good  antidote  for  atmospheric  diseases 
of  a  fungoid  nature.  A  house  newly  cleared  of  Melons  or  Cucumbers 
would  be  just  the  place  for  a  winter  crop  of  Tomatoes,  and  young  plants 
ought  to  be  ready  for  planting  now.  The  crops  must  be  set  on  the 
plants  before  the  days  become  short  and  dull,  otherwise  they  will  most 
probably  be  very  light.  First  give  the  house  a  thorough  cleaning  in 
order  to  get  rid  of  insect  pests,  and  freshen  up  the  soil  previously  used 
for  either  Melons  or  Cucumbers  for  the  Tomatoes.  Plant  15  inches 
apart,  and  train  to  a  single  stem  up  the  roof.  Nothing  is  gained  by 
disposing  them  more  closely  together,  but  on  the  contrary,  the  greatest 
weight  of  fruit  is  grown  by  those  more  thinly  planted.  Frogmore 
Selected,  Sutton’s  Al,  and  Ham  Green  Favourite,  are  among  the  best 
for  present  planting. _ _ 
TRADE  CATALOGUES  RECEIYED. 
W.  Cutbush  &  Sons,  Highgate. — Buli  List. 
W.  B.  Hartland,  Cox\.— Daffodil  and  Tulip  List. 
J.  Peed  &  Sons,  West  Norwood. — Buli  Catalogue. 
G.  Petrick,  Ghent. — Plant  Catalogue. 
