r'  October  10, 1895 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
.339 
of  fruit  until  the  end  of  November.  Many  winter  Cucumbers  fail 
towards  the  close  of  the  year,  or  before,  by  cropping  them  too 
early  in  the  season.  Early  cropping,  whether  the  plants  are  in¬ 
tended  for  spring,  summer,  autumn,  or  winter,  is  one  of  the 
gravest  mistakes.  It  is  a  general  custom,  and  a  very  bad  one,  for  it 
practically  destroys  the  vigour  of  the  plant  for  a  long  time.  With 
winter  Cucumbers  this  practice  must  be  strictly  avoided.  The 
plants  should  cover  a  good  portion  of  the  trellis  before  they  are 
allowed  to  fruit.  If  this  is  done,  and  the  fruits  that  appear  are 
removed  until  the  middle  of  November,  they  will  with  moderate 
cropping  afterwards  yield  a  supply  during  the  winter. 
To  give  the  plants  every  chance  of  doing  well  sturdy  examples  in 
5-inch  pots  must  be  placed  out  at  once.  If  plants  are  not  raised 
seed  may  be  sown  at  once,  but  no  attempt  should  be  made  to  fruit 
them  before  the  middle  of  December,  though  temporary  plants  may 
be  placed  amongst  them  to  yield  a  few  fruits  until  the  others  gain 
strength.  For  winter  work  the  plants  should  not  be  placed  nearer 
than  3  feet,  and  allowed  to  extend  up  the  trellis  about  4  feet  before 
they  are  pinched.  Every  attention  must  be  paid  to  them  from  the 
time  they  are  planted,  so  that  the  growth  they  make  is  short-jointed 
and  of  the  sturdiest  description.  This  can  be  accomplished  by 
ventilating  liberally  whenever  the  weather  is  fine. 
A  moist  close  atmosphere  that  will  encourage  soft  quick  growth 
must  be  avoided  from  the  first.  If  this  is  done  they  will  attain 
considerable  strength  by  the  time  the  leader  is  pinched.  The 
laterals  should  be  removed  to  the  lowest  wire,  and  then  allowed  to 
extend  until  they  meet,  when  the  points  of  the  shoots  should  be 
removed,  the  laterals  being  at  least  16  inches  apart,  so  that  ample 
room  will  be  left  for  training  the  sub-laterals  on  which  the  fruit  is 
to  be  taken.  It  will  be  necessary  as  these  are  laid  in  to  remove 
some  of  the  main  leaves  to  give  the  foliage  of  the  sub-laterals  room 
to  develop.  As  a  rule  they  will  show  fruit  at  the  first  joint,  and 
should  be  pinched  one  joint  beyond,  all  the  fruits  being  removed 
but  one.  Some  of  the  sub-laterals  will  need  removing  to  prevent 
crowding,  and  this  is  best  done  as  soon  as  they  start  from  the 
laterals.  All  growths  afterwards  may  be  pinched  at  the  fruit,  and 
not  one  joint  beyond.  By  this  means  the  wood  can  be  removed 
from  time  to  time  as  the  fruit  is  cut,  and  thus  afford  ample  room 
for  fresh  fruiting  shoots .  After  the  plants  commence  fruiting  they 
must  not  be  overcropped.  If  too  many  fruits  show  remove  them 
directly  it  can  be  ascertained  that  the  required  number  will 
swell.  It  must  be  remembered  that  each  fruit  takes  more  than 
double  the  length  of  time  to  swell  than  is  the  case  during  genial 
weather.  It  is  often  necessary  during  bad  weather  to  fertilise  the 
flowers,  and  if  this  takes  place  the  strain  on  the  plants  is  very 
much  increased. 
The  soil  for  winter  Cucumbers  is  important.  In  the  summer 
they  are  not  particular,  but  in  the  winter  the  soil  must  be  of  such 
a  nature  as  to  avoid  a  quick  soft  growth.  It  should  be  composed 
chiefly,  if  not  entirely,  of  good  fibry  loam.  This  depends  on  its 
fertility.  If  it  is  rich  it  may  be  used  alone  ;  if  not,  one-seventh  of 
manure  may  be  added.  Some  loams  are  poor,  and  such  that  we 
are  in  the  habit  of  getting  must  be  enriched  with  manure  for 
Cucumbers  both  during  the  summer  or  winter.  The  soil  must  be 
well  warmed  before  planting  ;  and  here  it  may  be  mentioned  that 
the  structure  used  must  be  thoroughly  cleaned.  This  is  not  only 
necessary  at  the  commencement,  but  those  residing  in  the  neigh¬ 
bourhood  of  towns  will  find  it  requisite  to  wash  the  glass  outside 
frequently.  Winter  Cucumbers  do  not  need  so  much  soil  as  might 
be  given  with  safety  during  the  spring  or  summer.  Two  bushels 
for  each  plant  will  be  ample,  with  attention  to  top-dressing  them 
from  time  to  time  as  they  need  it.  Frequent  top-dressing  is 
infinitely  better  for  winter  Cucumbers  thau  having  to  resort  to 
feeding.  After  the  plants  commence  fruiting  a  little  Clay’s  fer¬ 
tiliser  sprinkled  on  the  surface  of  the  soil  will  be  found  better  than 
stimulants  in  a  liquid  state. 
The  amount  of  water  needed  during  the  winter  is  considerably 
less  than  during  the  more  genial  months  of  the  year.  They  must 
be  kept  as  near  as  possible  in  an  intermediate  condition.  Great 
care  must  be  exercised  in  this  matter  ;  too  much  water  is  as 
detrimental  as  too  little.  Do  not  supply  water  at  a  lower 
temperature  than  that  at  which  the  bottom  heat  is  maintained. 
The  syringe  may  be  used  freely  at  first  on  all  fine  occasions,  but 
it  must  be  gradually  discontinued,  and  may  be  needed  only  on 
bright  days  during  the  months  of  November  and  December.  It  is 
not  difficult  to  keep  plenty  of  moisture  in  the  atmosphere  during 
these  months  without  reverting  to  the  syringe,  which  one  is  often 
tempted  to  use  after  bright  sunshine,  but  if  it  is  not  done  early  in 
the  day,  or  is  followed  by  sunless  weather,  the  operation  does  more 
harm  than  good.  The  atmosphere  can  be  kept  moist  by  damping 
available  spaces,  but  too  much  moisture  in  the  air  during  the 
winter  will  soon  prove  as  ruinous  to  the  plants  as  cold.  In  an 
atmosphere  overcharged  with  moisture  the  plants  soon  fail,  they 
give  very  little  warning  ;  first  they  flag  under  bright  sunshine,  and 
if  they  are  examined  the  tissues  will  be  found  to  be  in  a  state  of 
decay . 
The  house  should  be  liberally  ventilated  at  first  to  insure  a 
sturdy  growth,  and  as  the  season  advances  air  must  be  admitted 
with  great  care  and  caution.  No  ventilation  would  be  needed  after 
the  end  of  October  if  it  was  not  for  the  condensed  moisture  that 
becomes  deposited  at  night  on  the  glass  and  wood  of  the  house. 
A  “  chink  ”  of  ventilation  early  in  the  day  quickly  dispels  the 
moisture  that  hangs  about  the  woodwork,  which  is  much  better  for 
the  plants  than  being  subjected  to  a  constant  drip  throughout  the 
greater  part  of  the  day.  If  the  rafters  are  grooved,  or  even  have 
a  strip  of  zinc  on  them,  this  condensed  moisture  can  be  carried 
away  without  subjecting  the  plants  to  a  shower  bath  daily.  It 
is  a  good  plan  to  supply  the  house  with  canvas  blinds,  which  keep  the 
house  many  degrees  warmer,  and  prevent  to  a  very  large  extent 
the  condensation  of  moisture  that  would  oth^^rwise  take  place. 
Telegraph,  Cardiff  Castle,  and  All  The  Year  Round  are  good 
for  winter  growing.  A  cross  between  the  first  and  Paragon  results 
in  a  good  useful  variety  for  the  winter.  It  is  questionable  if  any 
surpass  Telegraph  for  this  purpose. — W.  B, 
FLOWERS  IN  SEASON, 
How  time  flies !  We  seem  hardly  able  to  keep  pace  with  it, 
and  the  seasons  appear  all  too  short  to  perform  the  many  and 
complicated  duties  connected  with  the  gardener’s  occupation.  It 
seems  but  yesterday  since  the  Journal  pages  were  devoted  to  gems 
of  the  spring,  and  in  writing  about  the  flowers  of  the  early  months 
of  the  year  there  appears  to  be  something  fresh,  hopeful,  invigo¬ 
rating  ;  perhaps  it  is  because  we  have  the  whole  season  before  us. 
There  is  freshness  about  spring  flowers  because  they  come  in  their 
simple  beauty  after  months  of  dreariness  and  stagnation  ;  and  so  it 
is  with  the  pen  that  describes,  and  endeavours — often  with  futile 
results — to  paint  in  black  and  white  their  many  charms  and  virtues. 
The  writers,  like  the  flowers,  are  fresh  and  eager  after  the  dreary 
season,  so  that  the  earliest  beautifiers  of  the  earth  are  sometimes 
apt  to  receive  a  larger  share  of  attention  than  those  which  follow 
in  greater  variety  and  abundance  later  on. 
But  stay  ;  surely  that  gem  of  the  summer,  the  queenly  Rose,  is 
by  no  means  neglected.  Certainly  not,  as  never  was  it  so  popular 
as  at  the  present  day.  In  spite  of  this,  there  are  scores  of  others 
all  adding  their  share  to  the  summer’s  display  ;  some  old  perhaps, 
others  more  recent ;  but  often — yea,  too  often — “  born  to  blush 
unseen.”  With  many  enthusiasts  of  the  flower  garden  autumn 
specimens  seem  to  receive  more  admiration  than  those  which  bloom 
at  an  earlier  date.  Why  is  it  ?  Well,  it  seems  to  me  that  it  is  because 
they  are  the  last  of  the  year,  and  any  morning  now  we  may  expect 
to  find  them  black  and  woe-begone  through  the  ravages  of  frost. 
Is  it  not  the  knowledge  that  soon  all  will  be  over  that  endears  our 
affection  so  much  to  the  flowers  of  the  autumn  ?  Again,  how  they 
help  to  shorten  the  dreary  season,  when  Nature  is  kind  enough  to 
withhold  frost  till  late  ;  November  for  instance.  Seasons  might 
be  recorded  when  a  sharp  night  in  September  or  early  October  has 
laid  waste  the  flower  garden.  How  drear  the  prospect  then,  and 
how  long  the  winter  seems. 
Every  reader  will  doubtless  know  what  it  is  to  walk  through 
the  gardens  on  the  morning  after  the  first  frost,  even  though  we 
may  have  been  expecting  it  for  some  weeks.  Dahlias  and  other 
flowers  that  but  yesterday  were  bright  and  cheerful  hang  their 
heads,  and  the  whole  scene  seems  surrounded  by  an  air  of  dreary 
emptiness,  with  nothing  more  to  look  on  or  hope  for  until  spni^  s 
bright  days  come  round  again.  It  is  such  thoughts  as  these  that 
make  us  cling  so  tenaciously  to  autumn  floweis,  and  while  they 
are  still  with  us  a  few  notes  concerning  them  may  not  be  out  of 
place.  .  ^  j.  ■  j 
Those  who  dwell  in  the  country  with  gardens  at  their  doors 
have  no  difficulty  in  study  ng  flowers  of  all  kinds  and  at  aU 
seasons,  and  thanks  to  modern  enterprise  Londoners  are  not  much 
worse  off  in  that  respect,  for  have  they  not  spacious  parks— the 
people’s  gardens — in  every  district  where  flowers  of  many  kinds 
may  be  seen  blooming  in  their  several  seasons  by  anyone  who  cares 
to  take  the  trouble  to  go  and  look  ?  Some  critics  are  saying  that 
London  parks  are  overdone  with  flowers,  but  that  is  a  point  on 
which  I  do  not  intend  to  argue,  beyond  adding  that  the  thousands 
who  daily  go  to  see  and  admire  them  prove  that  they  are 
appreciated.  North,  east,  south,  or  west,  no  matter  what  locality, 
each  is  possessed  of  one  or  more  of  these  public  gardens,  and  it 
was  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  autumn  flowers  that  the  writer  recently 
wandered  into  Dulwich  Park,  situated  in  a  southern  suburb  just 
outside  the  canopy  of  London  smoke.  Facaous  for  its  superb 
collection  of  rock  plants  and  alpines,  spring  is  perhaps  the  tune  to 
see  Dulwich  Park  to  perfection,  though  visitors  will  readily  admit 
that  it  is  by  no  means  the  only  season  of  interest. 
