30S 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  20,  1898. 
plants  are  established  in  the  new  soil  pinch  them  back  to  two  leaves  to 
-form  bushy  plants,  and  as  the  roots  commence  to  coil  round  the  bottom  of 
-the  pots  transfer  to  a  larger  size,  using  a  mixture  of  good  fibrous  loam 
two  parts,  leaf  soil  one  part,  and  abundance  of  silver  sand.  Place  the 
plants  back  in  the  same  position  as  before,  and  attend  to  the  stopping  of 
the  young  growths,  as  every  bit  of  well-ripened  wood  will  flower.  Great 
•care  must  be  exercised  in  watering,  never  letting  the  plants  during  the 
growing  period  want  for  water.  To  overdo  it,  however,  is  just  as 
injurious,  causing  them  to  make  weak,  sickly  growths. — A  Journeyman. 
ITo  be  continued.) 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Cucumbers. — Autumn  fruiters  are  now  in  full  bearing.  The  plants 
must  not  be  overcropped,  therefore  cut  the  fruit  when  it  attains  a  useable 
size,  also  remove  any  ill-shapen  and  surplus  fruit.  Go  over  the  plants  at 
least  once  a  week  for  the  removal  of  bad  leaves,  stopping  and  tying  the 
growths,  laying  in  no  more  wood  than  can  have  light,  cutting  away  the 
superfluous  shoots.  Winter  fruiters  do  best  if  allowed  to  advance  well  up 
i  he  trellis  before  stopping  them,  removing  all  side  growths  on  the  stem  up 
■the  trellis,  then  train  the  shoots  right  and  left  of  the  stem,  not  too  closely, 
as  well  developed  foliage  is  very  important,  particularly  in  winter  fruiting 
plants.  Remove  all  male  flowers,  and  cut  off  tendrils  a6  they  appear.  Add 
fresh  warmed  soil  as  often  as  the  roots  have  fairly  covered  the  sides  of 
i  he  ridges  or  hillocks,  and  if  they  need  vigour  use  a  little  soot,  and  an 
occasional  dusting  on  the  bed  of  superphosphate  will  tend  to  improve  the 
substance  of  the  whole  plant. 
Maintain  a  temperature  of  70°  on  mild,  65°  cold  nights,  70°  to  75°  by 
•slay  artificially,  advancing  to  80°  or  90°  with  sun  heat.  Admit  a  little  air 
at  the  top  of  the  house  on  all  favourable  occasions,  but  avoid  admitting 
-cold  air,  and  never  lower  the  temperature.  It  is  better  to  shut  off  the 
top  heat  for  a  few  hours  when  the  sun  is  powerful,  than  ventilate  the 
house  when  the  wind  is  strong  or  very  cold,  for  it  dries  the  air  and  causes 
a  chill.  The  plants  will  not  need  syringing  except  on  very  fine  days, 
when  a  light  damping  is  beneficial,  but  the  paths  and  walls  should  be 
damped  in  the  morning  and  afternoon  on  bright  warm  days  shortly 
before  midday,  keeping  the  evaporation  troughs  charged  with  liquid 
manure.  Water  the  beds  whenever  they  become  rather  dry,  not  allowing 
the  plants  to  get  distressed  or  flag,  but  before  the  foliage  is  limp  afford  a 
thorough  supply  of  that  element  or  warm  liquid  manure.  The  water 
given  to  the  roots  must  be  of  the  same  temperature  as  the  mean  of  tr.e 
house,  and  the  soil  used  for  covering  the  roots  should  be  inside  some  time 
to  be  warmed  before  placing  it  over  the  roots. 
Figs. — Early  Forced  Trees  in  Pots. — Trees  that  are  to  be  forced  to 
afford  a  supply  of  ripe  fruit  at  the  close  of  April  or  early  in  May  must  be 
started  by  the  middle  of  November,  and  will  now  need  to  have  the  wood 
brushed  over,  using  an  approved  insecticide  at  a  temperature  of  130°.  A 
■mild  bottom  heat  is  almost  a  necessity  to  a  successful  swelling  and  ripen¬ 
ing  of  the  early  crop,  but  the  pots,  unless  small,  must  not  be  plunged  in 
the  fermenting  beds.  Provide,  therefore,  pedestals  of  loose  bricks  on 
which  to  stand  the  pots,  so  that  their  rims  will  be  a  little  higher  than  the 
■pit  edge,  and  the  pit  can  then  be  filled  with  Oak  or  Beech  leaves  pressed 
down  firmly.  If  the  pit  is  not  more  than  3  feet  deep  a  third  of  stable 
litter  may  be  added,  and  the  leaves  and  litter  should  be  thrown  into  a 
heap,  moistened  if  necessary,  and  turned  once  or  twice  so  as  to  thoroughly 
mix  them  and  induce  gentle  fermentation.  Overheating  must  be  avoided, 
the  heat  in  the  early  stages  never  exceeding  70°  to  75°  at  the  base  of  the 
pots,  nor  more  than  60°  to  65°  about  them  until  growth  takes  place. 
Suitable  varieties  for  forcing  very  early  are  St.  John’s  (Tresfer),  Early 
Violet,  and  Angelique  (Madeleine).  Black  Provence  and  White  Ischia 
are  also  useful.  Pingo  de  Mel,  Brown  Turkey,  and  White  Marseilles 
are  unequalled  for  forcing  so  as  to  produce  fruit  from  trees  in  pots  in  late 
April  or  early  in  May,  and  they  are  large  and  good  in  flavour. 
Early  Forced  Planted-out  Trees. — When  in  borders  and  intended  for 
affording  ripe  fruit  at  the  end  of  May  or  earl}'  *n  June,  and  being  started 
at  the  new  year,  they  must  now  be  untied  from  the  trellis  and  pruned. 
Trees  restricted  to  small  borders  in  a  firm  condition  will,  from  their  short- 
jointed  and  sturdy  growth,  require  little  more  than  thinning  out  the 
shoots  where  too  crowded,  and  cutting  away  the  growths  that  have  reached 
the  extremity  of  the  trellis  and  become  bare  of  fruitful  wood.  Those  not 
having  the  roots  restricted  will  require  hard  pruning  at  the  upper  part  of 
the  trellis,  allowing  room  for  the  growth  of  the  successional  branches; 
but  severe  pruning  only  induces  stronger  and  less  fruitful  growths.  Such 
trees  should  be  lifted,  and  have  the  roots  confined  to  narrower  well-drained 
borders  of  firm  soil.  Remove  the  surface  soil  d>wn  to  the  roots,  pick  out 
all  the  old  soil  from  amongst  them  carefully,  and  supply  a  top-dressing  of 
Iresh  loam  with  some  old  mortar  rubbish  intermixed.  Ventilate  freely  at 
all  times,  except  when  frost  prevails,  and  at  such  times  heat  should  only 
be  used  to  exclude  it,  though  the  trees  will  not  take  any  harm  unless  the 
weather  is  very  severe. 
Succession  Bouses. — When  the  leaves  have  fallen  prune  the  trees  and 
well  wash  them  with  a  soapy  solution,  which  will  do  much  to  dislodge  the 
insects,  and  after  the  woodwork  and  walls  have  been  scalded  with  hot 
water,  keeping  it  off  the  trees,  the  latter  may  be  dressed  with  an  insecti¬ 
cide  and  the  walls  limewashed.  Complete  any  root-pruniDg,  lifting  and 
laying  the  roots  in  fresh  compost.  Fig  trees  with  the  roots  restricted  are 
more  manageable  and  fruitful  than  those  with  an  unlimited  rooting  area  ; 
therefore  lift  and  severely  root  -prune  any  unfruitful  trees,  and  restrict  the 
roots  to  moderately  sized  borders,  making  the  soil  firm,  and  employ  good 
loam  with  a  sixth  of  old  mortar  rubbish  and  a  similar  proportion  of  road 
scrapings,  good  drainage  being  paramount. 
Late  Bouses. — The  trees  should  have  wood  cut  out  that  has  borne 
fruit  and  is  no  longer  required,  and  any  trees  having  a  tendency  to  over¬ 
luxuriance,  or  that  cast  their  fruit  instead  of  swelling,  should  be  lifted,  and 
have  the  roots  confined  to  borders  of  limited  extent.  When  the  leaves 
fall  the  trees  should  be  loosened  from  the  trellis,  and  being  tied  together, 
they  must  be  made  sate  against  frost  by  placing  a  little  straw  amongst 
them,  and  covering  the  bundles  with  the  latter  or  mats,  for  trees  in  cool 
houses  suffer  nearly  as  much  from  frost  as  those  against  walls  outdoors. 
The  roots  near  the  collar  are  better  with  a  slight  protection  of  dry 
material. 
THE  KITCHEN  GARDEN. 
Asparagus. — A  few  frosty  nights  have  hastened  the  maturation  of 
the  top  growth,  and  when  these  are  yellow  they  should  be  cut  down 
to  within  4  inches  of  the  soil  and  burnt.  The  ground  ought  to  be 
cleared  of  weeds,  and  the  surface  lightly  stirred.  In  the  case  of  light 
and  moderately  retentive  soils  the  beds  may  be  covered  with  3  inches 
of  half-decayed  manure  and  a  little  soil  spread  over,  but  this  treatment 
would  be  wrong  in  the  case  of  the  heavier,  clayey  soils.  If  the  plants  are 
3  inches  or  so  below  the  surface,  frosts  will  not  hurt  them,  but  they  are 
liable  to  injury  from  excessive  cold  and  moisture  combined  — the  result  of 
covering  heavily  with  manure  in  the  autumn. 
Forming  Asparagus  Beds. — Naturally  well  drained,  free  working  soils 
will  produce  good  Asparagus  without  any  special  preparation  for  the 
crop,  but  cold  clayey  soils  are  not  suited  to  Asparagus  culture,  and  care 
must  be  taken  in  preparing  the  sites  accordingly.  The  work  of  prepara¬ 
tion  may  be  commenced  during  a  dry  time  in  the  autumn.  Beds  of  4  feet 
w-ide  and  raised  well  above  the  surrounding  level  answer  well  in  the  case 
of  cold  positions  and  heavy  soils.  Only  the  best  of  the  surface  soil  should 
be  thrown  out  on  each  side  and  saved,  the  bared  subsoil  being  dug  and 
wheeled  away  in  frosty  weather.  A  single  pipe  drain  may  be  run  down 
the  centre  of  each  bed,  sinking  this  below  the  subsoil.  Cover  with  brick 
ends,  coarse  mortar  rubbish,  clinkers  or  coarse  ballast,  and  on  this 
drainage  wheel  various  accumulations  of  a  nature  to  steadily  decay  and 
yet  retain  its  porosity.  This  collecting  may  go  on  through  the  winter 
and  early  spring  months,  when  the  various  materials  should  be  forked 
over,  mixed,  levelled,  and  made  comparatively  firm.  The  upper  layer  to 
be  formed  by  adding  to  the  reserved  soil  leaf  soil,  fine  morf  ar  rubbish,  sand, 
ashes  from  a  garden  ‘-smother’'  or  slow  fire,  decaying  stable  manure, 
or  any  other  material  that  will  lighten  and  otherwise  fit  it  for  the  pro¬ 
duction  of  superior  Asparagus  in  large  quantities  and  for  many  years  in 
succession. 
Broccoli  and  Cauliflowers. — The  earliest  Broccoli  and  lato  Cauliflowers 
are  now  hearting  in  in  a  satisfactory  manner,  and  their  value  was  never 
more  fully  appreciated.  It  is  somewhat  early  to  lift  and  store  fully  grown 
plants  in  cold  pits  and  frames  with  a  view  to  having  a  good  supply  after 
those  left  in  the  open  have  succumbed  to  frost,  but  we  sometimes 
experience  wintry  weather  in  October  and  the  early  part  of  November, 
and  this  ought  to  be  prepared  for.  To  save  the  hearts  from  frost,  cover 
those  developing,  whether  large  of  small,  with  leaves  snapped  off  old 
stumps  already  cut  over,  and,  in  addition,  tie  the  outer  leaves  into  a  cone, 
this  affording  additional  protection. 
Brussels  Sprouts. — Only  where  the  rainfall  during  the  summer  was 
above  the  average  through  the  country  generally,  or  where  moisture 
could  be  supplied  to  the  plants  occasionally,  are  good  breadths  of 
Brussels  Sprouts,  caterpillars  notwithstanding,  to  be  seen.  The  by  no 
means  uncommon  practice  of  removing  all  the  lower  leaves  prematurely 
ought  to  be  discontinued,  as  it  has  a  paralysing  effect  upon  the  produc¬ 
tion  of  a  heavy  crop  of  close  sprouts.  When  the  lower  leaves  turn 
yellow  remove  them  to  the  rubbish  heap  Nor  ought  the  tops  to  be  cut 
for  early  use,  as  these  act  as  a  protection  and  nurse  for  the  later  formed 
sprouts.  Instead  of  snapping  the  earlier  sprouts  off  close  to  the  stems, 
and  in  many  cases  removing  some  bark  with  them,  cut  them,  and  leave  a 
stump  standing  out  clear.  About  these  stumps  will  form  a  profusion  of 
small,  late,  and  most  probably  valuable  sprouts. 
Forcing  Rhubarb. — Thanks  to  the  dry  weather  Rhubarb  matured 
early,  and  should  therefore  be  ready  for  forcing,  if  desired,  earlier  than 
usual.  Any  variety  may  be  forced,  but  the  early  red-stalked  forms  are 
the  quickest  to  give  young  stalks,  and  are  to  be  preferred  this  side  of 
midwinter.  If  the  clumps  are  lilted  and  placed  direct  in  a  rather  strong 
heat  they  may  yet  fail  to  start  satisfactorily.  They  would  do  better  if 
first  subjected  to  a  frost  or  frosts.  The  requisite  number  of  clumps 
should  be  partially  cleared  of  soil  and  introduced  into  heat  after  exposure 
to  frost. 
Garden  Refuse. — Rubbish  of  all  kinds  accumulates  very  fast,  and  in 
straggling  heaps  is  apt  to  become  a  nuisance.  Properly  treated  it  may 
be  converted  either  into  a  good  manure  or  reduced  to  ashes,  in  which 
condition  it  is  a  great  improver  of  soils.  If  it  is  to  be  rotted  down  with 
or  without  the  aid  of  quicklime  commence  at  one  end  of  the  heap,  fork  it 
over,  throw  out  stones  and  the  like,  also  everything  of  a  woody  nature, 
and  place  that  retained,  which  will  be  the  greater  proportion,  into  a  large 
square  heap.  Here  it  may  remain  till  early  in  next  year,  when  it  should 
be  re-turned,  mixed,  and  if  one  cartload  of  fresh  lime  is  well  incorporated 
