344 
JOURNAL  OR  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  19,  1899 
WOKK.F0IlTHE  WEEK.. 
Ill  ^ 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Vines. — Early  Forced  in  Pots. — Where  thin-skinned  Grapes  are  required 
in  late  March  or  early  in  April  the  Vines  must  now  be  started,  or  placed 
in  position  so  that  forcing  in  earnest  may  commence  with  November. 
Some  growers  have  a  prejudice  to  Vines  in  pots,  but  they  produce  fruit 
little  inferior  in  size  of  bunch  or  berry  to  that  borne  by  early-forced, 
planted  out  Vines,  and  it  is  generally  better  in  quality  through  the 
conditions  of  cultivation  being  more  favourable.  Especially  is  this  the 
case  where  there  is  the  convenience  of  affording  bottom  heat.  Success  is 
then  certain,  the  canes  being  sufficiently  strong,  thoroughly  ripened,  duly 
rested,  and  of  suitable  varieties.  Of  sweet  Grapes  none  excels  Black 
Hamburgh  and  Foster’s  Seedling ;  of  musk  Grapes  Madresfield  Court 
and  White  Frontignan. 
The  materials  for  affording  bottom  heat  ought  to  be  in  due  course  of 
preparation,  two  parts  tree  leaves  and  one  part  stable  litter  being  most 
suitable.  To  begin  with,  the  heat  about  the  pots  should  not  exceed  65®, 
augmenting  it  by  bringing  up  the  fermenting  materials  to  the  level  of  the 
pots,  so  as  to  raise  it  to  70°  or  75°  when  the  Vines  are  in  leaf.  Only 
supply  enough  water  to  keep  the  soil  moist  in  the  early  stages,  as  excess 
tends  to  render  the  soil  sodden  and  sour,  hindering  root  action,  and 
sometimes  resulting  in  bad  colouring  and  shanking  ot  the  Grapes.  Vines 
in  pots  not  intended  for  early  forcing  should  be  placed  under  cover,  an 
open  shed  with  a  north  aspect  being  suitable,  and  the  pots  protected  with 
hay  or  straw  from  frost. 
Early  Forcrd  Houses. — Where  thin-skinned  Grapes  are  required  by 
April  or  early  in  May  preparations  must  9b  made  for  starting  the 
Vines  next  month  or  not  later  than  the  beginning  of  December,  as  under 
favourable  conditions  five  months  are  required  to  produce  ripe  Grapes  (of 
even  the  early  varieties)  during  the  dullest  part  of  the  year.  It  can  be 
done  in  less  time,  but  the  strain  on  the  Vines  is  so  great  that  they  are 
little  good  afterwards.  The  Vines  having  been  pruned  in  September,  the 
loose  bark  stripped  off,  the  house  may  be  cleansed,  the  border  top-dressed, 
and  the  Vines  dressed  with  an  approved  insecticide. 
Midseason  Houses. — When  the  leaves  are  all  down  the  Vines  should  be 
pruned,  any  Grapes  being  cut  with  enough  stem  for  placing  in  a  bottle  of 
water  situated  in  a  cool,  rather  dry  room  where  they  will  keep  better 
than  on  the  Vines.  This  will  allow  of  the  thorough  cleansing  of  the 
house  and  Vines,  upon  which  much  of  success  or  otherwise  depends  in 
the  coming  season.  It  is  better  to  do  this  than  leave  the  house  and  Vines 
in  a  dirty  condition  until  a  convenient  time,  which  usually  is  performed 
badly  later  from  press  of  other  matters,  and  the  pests  have  time  to 
hibernate  in  retreats  where  they  cannot  be  reached  by  insecticides. 
Where  Grapes  are  hanging  air  will  need  to  be  admitted  on  all  favourable 
occasions,  and  a  gentle  warmth  be  maintained  in  the  hot  water  pipes,  so 
as  to  promote  a  circulation  of  air  in  dull,  damp  weather  and  prevent  the 
deposition  of  moisture  upon  the  berries.  Bad  leaves  must  be  removed 
and  the  Grapes  seen  to  occasionally  for  the  removal  of  decayed  berries. 
Late  Grapes. — There  is  little  difficulty  in  keeping  such  thick-skinned 
Grapes  as  Alicante,  West’s  St.  Peter’s,  Gros  Colman,  Gros  Guillaume, 
Mrs.  Pince,  Alnwick  Seedling,  and  Lady  Downe’s,  provided  the  roof  be 
waterproof,  drip  avoided,  and  moisture  prevented  from  deposition  on  the 
berries,  which  can  be  done  by  judicious  ventilation  and  gentle  warmth  in 
the  hot-water  pipes.  White  Grapes,  however,  except  Calabrian  Raisin, 
which  hae  a  tough  skin,  do  not  keep  nearly  so  well,  both  Syrian  and 
Trebbiano  being  in  degree  only  less  liable  to  spot  than  Muscat  of  Alex¬ 
andria  and  Foster’s  Seedling,  together  with  Canon  Hall,  which,  when 
finished  so  as  to  hang  in  good  condition  till  January,  is  supreme  among 
Grapes. 
The  great  enemy  of  Muscat  of  Alexandria  and  its  near  relatives  is 
spot,  and  that  of  two  kinds,  one  caused  by  moisture  on  the  berries,  and 
the  other  by  a  fungus,  which  cannot  attack  the  berries  successfully  till 
their  epidermises  are  suffused  with  moisture  in  a  stagnant  state— that  is, 
resting  (though  imperceptible)  on  them.  The  means,  therefore,  of 
avoiding  both  is  to  prevent  the  atmosphere  becoming  stagnant  ;  a 
temperature  of  50°  is  necessary,  and  air  must  be  given  early  on  fine 
mornings,  with  warmth  in  the  pipes  to  expel  moisture  and  allow  of  the 
berries  becoming  warm  with  the  surrounding  air,  moisture  being  kept 
from  condensing  cn  the  berries.  There  must  not  be  anything  like  a 
leak  in  the  roof,  no  mouldy  leaves  or  decayed  berries,  and  moisture 
kept  down  as  much  as  possible,  that  likely  to  arise  from  the  border  being 
prevented  by  covering  it  with  dry  material,  than  which  nothing  answers 
better  than  roughly-cut,  clean,  and  dry  Wheat  straw. 
Black  Hamburgh  and  Madresfieli  Court  become  red  when  exposed 
to  strong  light  or  sun  when  ripe,  while  Foster’s  Seedling  and  Muscat 
of  Alexandria  acquire  an  undesirable  brown  colour  bv  hanging  for  a 
considerable  time  after  they  are  ripe.  This  is  due  to  the* changes  effected 
in  the  berries  by  the  atmospheric  conditions.  The  thin-skinned  Grapes, 
therefore,  must  be  kept  in  a  well  ventilated  atmosphere  to  protect  them 
from  damping  by  too  much  moisture  or  of  shrivelling  by  too  little.  They 
can  be  kept  on  the  Vines  until  the  new  year  or  later,  where  the  houses 
are  constructed  upon  sound  principles,  for  the  securing  of  a  regular 
temperature  and  uniformity  of  moisture.  But  where  the  houses  are  not 
drip  proof,  or  the  panes  of  glass  have  large  and  badly-fitting  laps  so  that 
the  water  hangs  in  them,  and  is  driven  in  by  winds  over  the  bundles  of 
Grapes,  causing  them  to  spot  and  decay,  it  is  evident  that  the  bottling 
system  must  be  practised  if  the  thin-skinned  Grapes  are  to  be  kept  sound 
till  Chris. mas  or  later. 
THE  KITCHEN  GARDEN. 
Forcing  Kidney  Beans. — With  the  aid  of  light  shelves,  stagings,  and 
the  fronts  of  brick  pits  in  a  strong  heat  Kidney  Beans  can  be  successlully 
grown  all  through  the  winter.  Seeds  should  be  sown  every  fortnight  or 
three  weeks,  or  according  to  the  demand.  Provide  good  drainage  to 
8-inch  or  9-inch  pots,  three  parts  fill  with  good  loamy  compost,  sow  six 
to  eight  new  seeds  in  each  pot,  and  cover  with  1  inch  of  soil.  If  wanted 
quickly  stand  the  pots  on  hot-water  pipes,  this  causing  the  seed  to 
germinate  rapidly  ;  but  the  pots  must  be  moved  to  a  light  position  before 
the  plants  become  leggy.  Water  carefully  at  first,  supplying  more  freely 
after  the  soil  has  become  well  occupied  by  roots,  applying  liquid  manure 
when  the  plants  commence  bearing.  Syringe  freely  in  clear  weather. 
Salading. — In  many  establishments  a  constant  supply  of  salading  is 
needed,  and  this  cannot  always  be  maintained  without  much  extra  trouble 
on  the  part  of  those  responsible.  Both  Lettuces  and  Endive  are  com¬ 
paratively  scarce,  and  neither  will  make  much  further  progress  this 
autumn.  The  Cabbage  Lettuces  are  the  hardier,  notably  All  the  Year 
Round,  and  these  may  be  left  where  they  are.  Late  sown  Paris  Cos, 
however,  is  not  proof  against  an  ordinarily  severe  frost,  and  if  commenc¬ 
ing  to  heart  in  will  most  probably  pay  for  temporarily  ty  ing  up,  lifting 
with  some  soil  about  the  roots,  ar  d  replanting  somewhat  thickly  in  beds 
of  good  soil  in  a  frame  or  pit.  Protected  with  mats  during  Irosty  weather 
these  Lettuces  will  keep  till  midwinter.  Only  fully  grown  Endive 
blanches  properly,  and  the  Green  Curled  should  be  used  first,  the 
Improved  Broad-leaved  Batavian  keeping  much  later.  Neither  will  keep 
long  if  the  tips  of  the  leaves  are  iujuted  by  frost  prior  to  lifting.  During 
the  next  fortnight  carefully  tie  a  portion  or  the  whole  of  the  piants  large 
enough  to  move  ;  lift  and  replant  as  advised  in  the  case  of  Lettuce.  Rich 
moist  soil  should  be  packed  firmly  againsi  the  roots,  and  water  supplied 
in  dry  weather.  Remove  the  ties  from  the  plants,  and  cover  with 
lights  when  the  n’ghts  are  cold.  Blanching  may  be  effected  by  either 
covering  breadths  of  plants  with  '  paper  and  litter,  by  tying  the  outer 
leaves  together,  or  by  removing  numbers  of  plants  to  the  Mushroom 
house.  Failing  pits  and  frames,  store  a  portion  of  the  plants  in  cool 
fruit  houses  or  sheds.  Strong  roots  of  Chicory  placed  thickly  in  pots 
deep  enough  to  hold  them  and  moved  into  the  Mushroom  house  soon 
produce  a  profusion  of  well  blanched  tender  leaves.  Young  Onions  are 
obtained  during  the  winter  by  sowing  seed  at  once  thickly  in  boxes  of 
soil,  and  placing  these  in  gentle  heat.  Mustard  and  Cress  is  always 
acceptable. 
Tomatoes.— Comparatively  bright  open  weather,  and  the  fire  heat 
necessary  to  prevent  low  temperatures  being  reached,  has  been  very 
favourable  to  the  setting  of  Tomatoes  lately.  All  through  the  rest  of  the 
autumn  and  winter  a  genial  warmth  and  a  good  circulation  of  warm  dry  air 
is  needed  by  plants  that  are  to  produce  ripe  fruits  either  late  in  this  year 
or  early  in  the  next.  Keeping  the  houses  excessively  hut  and  moist 
causes  a  soft  growth,  which  is  almost  certain  to  become  diseased,  and  the 
fruit  also  fails  io  set  under  such  conditions.  Every  morning,  as  soon  as 
the  pollen  is  dry  enough  to  distribute  freely,  either  give  the  stems  of 
flower  bunches  a  smart  tap,  or  touch  over  the  flowers  lightly  with  a 
camel's-hair  brush  or  rabbit’s  tail.  Plants  already  furnished  with  a  good 
crop  of  fruit  ought  to  be  fel  liberally  at  the  roots.  Allowing  pot  plants 
to  root  out  freely  into  a  bed  of  moist  ashes  underneath  is  a  good  plan,  as 
it  encourages  a  fruitful  growth.  The  ashes,  when  well  occupied  with 
roots,  should  have  a  surfacing  of  guano  or  special  manure.  If  the  leaves 
of  plants  crowd  each  other,  or  unduly  exclude  light  from  the  fruit,  reduce 
them  to  about  half  their  original  size,  rather  than  wholly  remove  them. 
Painting  the  hot-water  pipes  with  flowers  of  sulphur  and  milk,  and 
making  them  extra  hot  occasionally,  is  a  preventive  of  disease,  and  also 
helps  to  clear  the  plants  of  white  fly.  The  quickest  way  of  getting  rid 
of  the  latter  is  to  apply  nicotine  fumes. 
Sowing  Tomato  Seeds. — Those  who  want  few  or  many  plants  for  pro¬ 
ducing  crops  in  April,  May,  and  June  next  should  sow  seed  now.  Free 
setting  varieties,  such  as  Comet,  Cropper,  Champion,  and  Chemin  Rouge 
are  suitable  for  the  purpose,  and  the  seed  must  be  sown  very  thinly  in 
pans  or  boxes  of  light  loamy  soil.  Place  in  gentle  heat  to  germinate,  and 
before  the  plants  become  leggy  move  the  pans  to  sunny  shelves.  When 
the  plants  are  well  into  rough  leaf  all  may  be  placed  singly  in  2^-inch 
pots  and  be  kept  growing  in  heat,  a  light  position  preventing  them  from 
becoming  weakly. 
A  Famous  Bulb  Farm. — Though  I  have  on  several  occasions 
observed  in  the  columns  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  most  interesting 
notes  of  the  various  bulb  gardens  of  Holland,  I  do  not  recollect  any 
special  reference  to  the  establishment  of  Messrs.  Van  Meerbeek  &  Co., 
which,  like  most  of  the  others,  are  situated  near  Hdlegom,  the  Mecca  of 
bulb  growers.  I  was  astonished  at  the  scope  of  the  business  and  the 
finished  manner  in  which  the  offices  and  warehouses  are  equipped.  The 
grounds  cover  a  great  area,  and  comprise  the  usual  stock  of  Dutch  bulb 
farms,  and  I  need  not,  therefore,  go  into  any  details.  The  drying  houses, 
with  their  provision  for  hundreds  of  thousands  of  bulbs,  interested  me 
immensely,  they  were  so  clean  and  well  appointed.  I  should  recommend 
English  visitors  to  Holland  to  include  Van  Meerbeek’s  in  their  next 
itinery. — M.  B.  R. 
