November  7,  1895^ 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
447 
if  fermenting  materials  are  not  used,  cover  with  a  good  thickness  of 
leaves,  with  lights  over  to  throw  off  rain  or  snow. 
Houses  for  Starting  in  Dece'iahtr. — The  pruning  ought  to  have  been 
attended  to  as  soon  as  the  leaves  were  all  down,  and  it  must  not  be 
further  delayed,  as  it  induces  rest,  and  the  Vines  are  not  so  liable  to 
bleed.  Dress  the  cuts  with  styptic  or  knotting  as  a  safeguard.  In 
pruning,  two  buds  are  ample  for  affording  useful  bunches,  but  Vines 
that  do  not  afford  bunches  as  large  or  so  freely  as  desired  should  be 
allowed  more  eyes,  three  to  six,  according  to  their  vigour.  Yet  with  the 
wood  stout  and  short-jointed  the  close  pruning  will  afford  the  most  satis¬ 
factory  results,  as  what  is  gained  in  size  of  bunches  by  long  pruning  is 
frequently  lost  in  size  of  berry,  compactness  of  bunch,  and  good  finish. 
A  medium  sized  bunch  of  well-coloured  thoroughly  ripened  Grapes  is 
always  appreciated.  Dress  the  Vines,  cleanse  the  house,  having  all  in 
readiness  and  good  order  for  a  start  at  the  proper  time. 
Figrs. — Early  Forced  Trees  in  Pots,  —There  is  this  great  advantage 
in  Figs  in  pots — namely,  that  their  fruits  can  be  had  at  a  time  when 
choice  kinds  are  not  plentiful.  Trees  started  now  will  ripen  the  first 
crop  late  in  March  or  early  in  April.  Success  depends  on  suitable 
varieties,  the  thorough  ripening  of  the  wood,  and  their  not  having 
carried  late  crops.  St.  John’s  and  Pingo  de  Mel  are  two  good  Figs  for 
hard  forcing  in  pots,  as  they  do  not  cast  the  young  fruit  like  many 
other  varieties,  and  make  sturdy  short-jointed  shoots,  so  that  they  are 
compact  in  habit,  bear  freely  in  a  comparatively  small  space,  and  ripen 
quickly.  Well  prepared  trees  in  10  or  12-inch  pots  afford  a  good  supply 
of  fruit.  Kipened  wood  is  imperative.  They  succeed  well  in  low  pits 
on  a  mild  hotbed  of  fresh  leaves,  the  chief  points  being  to  place  the 
trees  close  to  the  glass,  but  not  touching,  and  force  slowly.  When 
Fig  trees  in  pots  are  forced  year  by  year  they  start  with  little 
excitement  at  the  usual  time,  and  bear  excellent  crops.  The  trees 
should  be  sprinkled  twice  a  day  in  bright  weather,  employing  fire 
heat  to  maintain  a  temperature  of  50°  at  night,  55°  by  day,  and  with 
sun  heat  60°  to  65°.  The  heat  about  the  pots  should  not  exceed  the 
latter  temperatures  at  the  commencement,  and  during  the  early  forcing 
stages  supply  but  little  moisture  at  the  roots.  The  growths  should  be 
pinched  at  about  the  fourth  leaf,  as  this  concentrates  the  nutriment  on 
the  fruits  and  they  swell  correspondingly. 
For  affording  fruit  in  late  April  or  early  in  May  and  from  that  time 
to  September  no  variety  is  more  useful  than  Brown  Turkey,  it  is  still 
the  best  all-round  Fig  for  pots  or  planting  in  restricted  borders,  and  its 
second  crop  is  better  than  the  first.  It  should  not  be  started  before 
December — about  a  month  later  than  St.  John’s  and  Pingo  de  Mel,  as 
it  will  not  bear  the  hard  forcing  of  those  varieties,  which  are  also 
better  for  not  being  started  till  December,  when  they  will  ripen  the 
fruit  in  April,  and  the  quality  is  better.  White  Marseilles  is  an 
excellent  Fig,  and  a  good  white  companion  to  Brown  Turkey,  but  it 
does  better  planted  in  restricted  borders  than  in  pots,  therefore  the 
small  White  Ischia  may  be  grown,  as  it  forces  well  and  the  flavour  is 
delicious.  Black  Ischia  also  forces  well,  but  it  is  comparatively  inferior 
in  quality  to  the  white. 
Early  Forced  Planted-out  Trees.  —  Brown  Turkey  and  White 
Marseilles  are  unrivalled  for  restricted  borders.  Negro  Largo  is  also  an 
excellent  Fig  when  cramped  at  the  roots,  and  in  its  second  crop  perhaps 
the  best  of  all.  Untie  the  trees  from  the  trellis  and  prune  them.  This 
consists  in  cutting  back  those  shoots  that  have  reached  the  extremity  of 
the  trellis,  or  limit,  to  where  the  succeeding  ahoots  start.  Remove  any 
elongated  spurs,  reserving  such  as  are  short-jointed  and  fruitful,  thinning 
the  growths  where  too  crowded,  retaining  a  proper  amount  of  fruitful 
wood  on  every  part  of  the  tree.  The  house  should  be  thoroughly 
cleansed,  washing  the  woodwork  with  softsoap  and  a  brush,  limewashing 
the  walls  with  quicklime  and  sulphur,  washing  the  trees  with  soapy 
water,  and  afterwards  dressing  with  an  insecticide.  In  securing  the  trees 
to  the  trellis,  allow  room  for  the  growth  of  the  branches.  Fork  the  surface 
of  the  border  slightly,  remove  the  loose  material,  and  apply  a  top- 
dressing  of  turfy  loam,  with  a  fourth  of  well-decayed  manure  intermixed, 
and  a  similar  amount  of  old  mortar  rubbish,  not  supplying  more  than  a 
couple  of  inches  thickness.  Ventilate  freely  at  all  times,  except  when 
frost  prevails,  which  is  best  excluded,  or  employing  no  more  artificial 
heat  than  is  absolutely  necessary. 
Pines. — At  this  time  of  year  young  plants  are  apt  to  become  drawn 
and  weak  through  the  moisture  so  prevalent  during  the  autumn  months. 
As  growth  advances  in  young  plants  they  should  be  placed  so  as  to  obtain 
all  the  light-  possible,  the  growth  then  becomes  sturdy  and  solidified. 
To  effect  this  the  plants  should  be  placed  near  the  glass,  which  must  be 
kept  clean.  Owing  to  decomposition  the  beds  of  fermenting  materials 
subside  considerably  ;  fresh-made  beds  of  leaves,  even  when  well  trodden, 
are  apt  to  settle  rapidly.  Tan  does  not  sink  to  anything  like  the  same 
extent,  but  in  either  case  attention  must  be  promptly  given  to  raising 
the  plants,  so  that  they  may  have  the  full  benefit  of  light,  and  in  doing 
this  take  care  not  to  chill  them,  or  allow  them  to  become  overheated  at 
the  roots.  This  is  important,  for  chilled  plants  start  into  fruit 
prematurely,  and  those  burned  at  the  roots  become  sickly.  More  injury 
arises  from  the  plants  being  carelessly  shifted  than  many  are  aware. 
Prepare  new  beds  when  necessary.  Tan  is  the  best  material  for  afford¬ 
ing  bottom  heat  to  Pines,  but  Oak  and  Beech  leaves  are  durable,  and 
the  heat  from  them  is  milder  and  lasts  longer. 
Arranging  Pine  Plants. — It  is  a  good  practice  to  assist  the  plants 
at  this  time  of  year  according  to  their  requirements  respectively  for  the 
winter.  Fruiting  plants  need  the  best  places  for  swelling  their  fruits 
properly  at  a  time  when  the  natural  means  will  not  afford  much 
assistance.  The  fruiting  plants  must  have  a  night  temperature  of  65°, 
and  70°  to  75°  by  day  from  artificial  means,  losing  no  opportunity  of 
admitting  air  at  80°,  closing  at  that  temperature.  Successional  plants 
require  a  night  temperature  of  60°  to  65°  in  the  daytime  from  fire  heat, 
advancing  from  sun  heat  to  75°  or  more,  but  air  must  be  admitted  between 
70°  and  75°.  Suckers  or  stock  not  in  fruiting  pots  must  not  be  brought 
forward  too  rapidly,  as  they  are  not  prepared  to  make  growth  until  well 
rooted  and  have  formed  a  sturdy  base.  They  will  progress  satisfactorily 
in  a  night  temperature  of  55°  to  60°,  and  60°  to  65°  in  the  daytime,  but 
avoid  chills  or  anything  likely  to  cause  a  stunted  growth. 
As  regards  moisture,  fruiting  plants  require  a  genial  atmosphere  at 
all  times,  therefore  sprinkle  such  surfaces  as  paths  and  walls  when  they 
become  dry,  and  the  plants  will  need  syringing  in  a  light  house 
two  or  three  times  a  week  during  bright  weather.  Succession  plants 
will  only  require  sprinkling  occasionally,  as  they  will  derive  moisture 
from  the  fermenting  beds.  Suckers  will  have  sufficient  moisture  in 
pits  without  recourse  to  syringing. 
PLANT  HOUSES. 
Chrysanthemums. — Where  large  blooms  are  grown  they  need 
unremitting  attention  to  prevent  the  blooms  from  damping.  Several 
methods  have  been  tried  to  prevent  this  evil,  which  quickly  destroys  a 
season’s  work.  We  have  tried  light  tiffany  over  the  blooms  inside,  and 
then  outside  the  house,  but  in  spite  of  these  efforts  damping  took  place. 
For  some  years  past  a  different  system  has  been  followed,  with  the 
greatest  immunity  from  damping.  The  plants  are  given  a  light  airy 
structure,  and  the  ventilators  at  the  top  and  bottom  are  never  closed, 
not  even  during  frost.  A  little  heat  is  maintained  in  the  pipes  during 
dull,  sunless  days,  as  well  as  at  night,  and  with  this  treatment  we  rarely 
have  a  bloom  spoiled  from  damping.  The  gentle  warmth  is  an  advantage 
rather  than  otherwise,  for  it  appears  to  assist  the  Japanese  varieties  to 
lengthen  out  their  petals  and  thus  build  up  large  bold  flowers.  There  is 
one  drawback,  the  flowers  scarcely  last  so  long,  and  aphides  are  liable  to 
make  their  appearance  in  the  blooms.  These  can,  however,  be  readily 
destroyed  by  slight  fumigations.  Mildew  made  its  appearance  while  the 
plants  were  outside  to  a  greater  extent  than  has  been  the  case  for  many 
years  past.  If  not  stamped  out  this  increases  rapidly  after  housing,  the 
energy  of  the  plants  being  soon  used  up  and  the  flowers  are  only  poor  in 
consequence.  A  cheap  and  reliable  remedy  is  to  use  just  as  much  soft- 
soap  as  renders  the  water  soft,  say  1  oz.  in  four  gallons  of  water,  and  a 
3-inch  potful  of  flowers  of  sulphur.  The  plants  should  be  laid  on  their 
side  and  thoroughly  syringed.  It  should  be  left  on  for  three  or  four 
bright  days,  then  syringed  off  with  clean  water,  and  all  trace  of  mildew 
will  disappear. 
Carnations. — Heat  certainly  destroys  Carnations,  but  if  blooms  are 
needediduring  the  months  of  November,  December,  and  January,  when  we 
have  little  sun,  the  plants  must  be  gently  forced.  They  need  a  light  airy 
house,  and  gentle  warmth  in  the  pipes  must  be  given  if  the  blooms  are 
to  open.  Conditions  neaijy  approaching  those  when  they  bloom  outside 
must  be  maintained.  Very  often  if  the  temperature  is  too  low  Margaret 
Carnations  will  not  open  ;  a  low  temperature  brings  the  roots  to  a 
standstill,  and  the  flower  buds  go  blind  in  consequence.  To  pre/ent 
this  gentle  warmth  is  necessary  to  maintain  root  activity  and  induce  the 
flowers  to  open.  E  ven  if  the  plants  are  spoiled  by  such  forcing  there  is  but 
little  loss,  as  they  are  easily  raised  and  grown.  When  brought  forward 
in  batches  the  plants  continue  to  grow  and  flower,  the  latter  being  most 
useful  for  cutting  purposes.  Miss  Joliffe  will  bear  gentle  forcing,  only 
the  blooms  come  somewhat  lighter  in  colour.  They  are  nevertheless 
acceptable  and  much  admired.  The  constitution  of  the  plant  by  forcing 
is  somewhat  weakened,  and  it  is  not  wise  to  obtain  stock  from  those 
subjected  to  this  treatment.  They  should  be  thrown  out  after  they 
cease  flowering,  and  young  stock  should  be  grown  to  replace  them. 
Souvenir  de  la  Malmaison  that  were  layered  early  will  be  sturdy  plants 
in  4-inch  pots  full  of  roots.  These  should  not  be  checked,  but  placed  at 
once  into  6-inch  pots.  Drain  liberally  and  pot  firmly.  These  do  well 
in  good  fibry  loam,  one-fourth  leaf  mould  and  coarse  silver  sand.  They 
must  be  watered  with  care,  and  allowed  to  grow  under  cool,  airy 
treatment.  Such  kinds  as  Uriah  Pike  that  were  layered  early  in  frames 
and  are  now  well  established  in  6-inch  pots  may  be  subjected  to  gentle 
warmth,  when  they  will  spindle  and  produce  flowers.  All  later  plants 
of  these  and  other  kinds  that  are  wanted  for  forcing  into  bloom  may,  if 
well  established  in  3  or  4-inch  pots,  be  placed  in  6-inch  and  plunged 
in  cool  pits.  All  young  stock  of  Miss  Joliffe  that  has  been  raised  by 
layering  outside  for  another  season  should  be  lifted  and  potted  without 
further  delay. 
Freeslas. — The  earliest  plants  should  be  dwarf  and  sturdy,  and  if 
they  have  been  well  looked  after  will  be  showing  their  flower  spikes. 
When  these  are  visible  the  plants  will  bear  gentle  forcing  without 
injury,  and  will  soon  come  forward  into  bloom.  All  later  plants,  as 
they  come  out  of  the  plunging  material  and  turn  green,  should  be 
arranged  close  to  the  glass  on  shelves,  where  a  little  ashes  or  other 
moisture-holding  material  has  been  placed.  If  given  cool  airy  treatment 
they  will  grow  strong,  and  in  due  time  flower  profusely.  Few  plants 
are  more  highly  appreciated  in  rooms  when  well  done  or  the  flowers  in 
a  cut  state. 
Pelargoniums. — The  earliest  of  these  should  be  sturdy  little 
plants,  well  rooted,  with  three  or  four  shoots,  just  starting  from  where 
they  were  pinched.  They  should  be  placed  in  5-inch  pots,  and 
arranged  on  a  shelf  close  to  the  glass  in  a  cool  airy  house.  If  needed 
for  early  flowering  the  shoots  should  not  be  pinched  again.  Old  cut¬ 
back  plants  potted  some  time  ago  need  careful  watering.  Those  not  yet 
repotted  should  be  done  at  once.  These  plants  must  be  kept  perfectly 
cool,  carefully  watered,  and  potted  firmly  in  a  compost  of  good  fibry 
loam,  one-seventh  of  decayed  manure  and  sand. 
