August  26,  189?. 
JOtlRNAL  OF  nORTlGULTURE  AND  COTTAOE  GARDENER. 
205 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Vines. — Early  Forced  Vines  in  Pots. — These  for  starting  in  November 
must  not  be  allowed  to  become  dust  dry  at  the  roots  ;  let  the  soil  be 
kept  moderately  moist  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  excessive  moisture  is 
most  inimical,  as  it  causes  the  tender  rootlets  to  decay,  and  the  buds 
start  very  inditferently  in  consequence.  The  Vines  will  now  be  at  rest, 
the  wood  ripe,  the  laterals  cut  close  home,  and  the  canes  shortened  to 
about  G  feet,  more  or  less,  according  to  the  situation  of  the  plump  eyes. 
Whilst  the  cuts  are  dry  dress  them  with  styptic  or  patent  knotting 
to  prevent  trouble  from  bleeding.  They  should  be  kept  in  a  cool 
airy  house. 
Earliest  Forced  House. — It  is  not  necessary  to  wait  until  all  the  leaves 
have  fallen  before  pruning  matured  Vines  for  early  forcing,  but  the  wood 
must  be  brown  and  hard,  and  the  leaves  turning  yellow.  The  pruning 
will  cause  the  Vines  to  rest  quickly  and  thorouglily.  If  in  good  condi¬ 
tion  they  will  afford  bunches  quite  large  enough  when  pruned  to  a  couple 
of  buds  of  the  base  ;  but  if  the  Vines  are  weak  from  overcropping  or  a 
long  course  of  forcing,  the  spur  shoots  may  be  left  a  little  longer  with  a 
view  to  large  bunches.  When  this  method  is  adojjted  take  shoots  from 
as  near  the  base  as  possible  when  growth  commences.  These  should  not 
be  allowed  to  carry  any  fruit,  but  be  stopped  at  about  the  sixth  leaf,  and 
the  laterals  at  the  first  leaf,  and  subsequently  as  produced.  Such  shoots 
are  sure  to  form  good  buds  ;  the  extra  foliage  will  tend  to  invigorate  and 
support  the  fruit  on  the  other  shoot,  which  can  be  cut  away  in  due  time 
in  favour  of  the  one  for  fruiting  the  following  season.  This  alternate 
system  of  fruiting  necessitates  keeping  the  shoots  further  apart  for 
development  and  exposure  to  light  and  air.  If  the  Vines  are  grown  on 
the  extension  system  it  will  only  be  necessary  to  cut  back  to  plump  buds 
on  well-ripened  wood,  being  guided  by  the  space  at  command,  for  there 
must  be  no  overcrowding.  It  is  important  that  the  Vines  be  thoroughly 
cleansed,  and  the  house  also.  The  woodwork  should  be  washed  with 
softsoapy  water  and  a  brush,  the  glass  with  clear  water,  limewashing 
the  walls,  placing  a  handfid  of  flowers  of  sulphur  in  each  pailful  of 
water. 
Wash  the  Vines  by  means  of  a  brush  with  sulphate  of  iron,  I  lb.  to 
1 J  gallon  of  water.  It  is  good  against  most  fungoid  enemies  of  the  Vine. 
Any  weakly  Vines,  or  those  in  an  unsatisfactory  state,  may  be  improved 
by  removing  the  soil  down  to  the  roots,  and  substituting  fresh  loam  with 
a  sixth  part  of  old  mortar  rubbish,  a  fifth  of  sweetened  horse  droppings, 
and  about  a  stone  (14  lbs.)  of  crushed  bones  to  each  cartload  of  loam. 
Lift  any  roots  available  for  the  purpose,  laying  them  out  upon  the  fresh 
compost,  and  cover  them  about  3  inches  deep.  If  long  and  bare  of  fibres 
they  may  be  notched  on  the  under  side  at  about  18  inches  distance  apart, 
so  as  to  induce  the  emission  of  fibres.  This  is  best  done  over  the  whole 
extent  of  border  before  the  leaves  fall.  It  is  a  mistake  to  allow  Vines  to 
become  very  dry  at  the  roots.  Comparative  dryness  is  desirable,  yet 
great  injury  is  done  by  allowing  the  soil  to  become  dust  dry.  Where  old 
lights  are  at  command  they  may  be  used  for  throwing  off  heavy  rains  from 
outside  borders,  otherwise  do  not  use  any  covering  for  the  present. 
Youny  Vines. — Those  that  have  made  strong  growths,  and  are  late  in 
ripening,  should  be  assisted  with  fire  heat,  maintaining  a  minimum  of  G5  , 
and  a  maximum  of  VS'"  by  those  means,  continuing  it  until  the  wood  is 
ripe,  accompanied  with  free  top  and  front  ventilation.  Discourage  any 
further  growth  by  keeping  the  laterals  well  in  hand,  removing  them  as 
they  appear,  but  be  careful  not  to  cause  the  principal  buds  to  be  forced 
into  growth  by  too  close  stopping. 
Late  Grapes. — These  are  now  colouring  and  ripening  rapidly,  but 
many  are  a  long  way'  from  being  properly  finished,  which,  in  almost  ail 
cases,  is  due  to  the  late  starting  of  the  Vines.  Late  Grapes  require  a  long 
time  to  perfect,  hence  there  is  nothing  like  letting  them  have  August 
and  early  September  for  this  purpose,  as  then  the  days  are  generally 
bright  and  the  nights  comparatively  cool,  so  that  the  Vines  get  rest  more 
or  less,  and  thus  finish  heavier  crops  than  it  is  possible  to  perfect  earlier 
in  the  season.  Keep  the  laterals  well  thinned,  letting  the  main  leaves 
have  plenty  of  light,  but  a  little  lateral  extension  where  it  does  not  inter¬ 
fere  with  that  favours  root  action  and  better  supplies  of  nourishment.  A 
good  spread  of  foliage  over  black  Grapes  is  an  advantage,  especially 
Ilamburghs,  but  Muscat  of  Alexandria  colours  better  with  the  light 
shining  between  the  laterals,  and  similar  remarks  apply  to  white  Grapes 
generally.  Direct  exposure  to  pow'erful  sun,  however,  is  not  advisable, 
as  these  Grapes  are  somewhat  liable  to  become  brown  when  the  sun  acts 
powerfully  upon  them  whilst  w'et  or  covered  with  an  imperceptible  dew. 
Avoid  large  reductions  of  foliage  at  a  time,  as  this  gives  a  sudden  check, 
and  may  result  in  shanking,  or  even  prejudice  the  ripening  process,  but 
attend  to  them  frequently  for  pinching.  Maintain  a  night  tempei’ature  of 
70°  to  75°,  falling  5°  to  10°  during  the  night,  increasing  to  80  to  85  by 
day,  up  to  90°  in  the  afternoon,  accompanied  with  a  free  circulation  of 
air  in  the  early  part  of  the  day,  and  a  moderate  amount  day  and  night — 
always  enough  to  insure  a  circulation. 
Make  the  most  of  the  next  month  or  six  weeks  in  case  of  Grapes  that 
are  late  in  ripening,  for  w'hen  the  days  are  short  ventilation  cannot 
freely  be  practised,  and  unless  Grapes  have  a  moderate  amount  of  air 
moisture  when  idpening  they  do  not  swell  freely  but  are  liable  to  shrivel, 
particularly  Muscats,  and  it  is  not  the  moisture  that  causes  Grapes  to  crack 
and  spot,  but  the  confined  atmosphere  —  moisture  condensed  preventing 
evaporation  from  the  surface  of  the  fruit.  Grapes  well  advanced  in 
ripening  may  have  the  atmospheric  moisture  reduced  ;  those  only  colour¬ 
ing  should  have  only  a  moderate  amount  of  moisture  to  assist  their 
swelling,  not  neglecting  to  apply  water  to  the  roots,  but  it  will  hardly 
be  further  needed  by  outside  borders,  whilst  it  must  be  given  to  inside 
borders  as  required. 
When  the  Vines  are  heavily  cropped,  and  not  colouring  so  well  as 
desired,  the  Grapes  should  be  given  time,  not  pinching  them  for  due 
supplies  of  nourishment,  and  not  very  closely  restricting  the  laterals, 
though  there  are  few  of  these  when  the  efrops  are  heavy  ;  but  some 
superphosphate  and  nitrate  of  potash  (two  parts  the  first  to  one  part  of 
the  latter)  act  well,  using  3  to  4  ozs.  per  square  yard,  and  washing  in 
moderately.  Let  the  night  fall  to  60°,  or  even  lower  ;  but  use  fire  heat 
in  the  daytime  so  as  to  maintain  a  temperature  of  70®  to  75°,  and  even  at 
night  allow  a  little  air,  so  that  when  the  sun  falls  upon  the  house  in  the 
morning  the  atmosphere  will  move  and  the  Grapes  warm  equally  with  it, 
thus  avoiding  deposition  of  moisture  on  the  berries.  This  is  serviceable  ; 
but  the  thing  is  to  feed  earlier,  and  get  material  into  the  Vines  and 
Grapes  for  changing  at  the  proper  time  into  jet  black  or  golden  amber 
colour,  keeping  free  from  red  spider  and  not  overburdening  the  Vines. 
Pines. — Pottiny  Rooted  Suckers. — Suckers  obtained  from  the  summer 
fruiting  plants  will  soon  be  ready  for  potting.  It  is  well  to  divide  the 
plants.  The  strongest  should  be  shifted  into  their  largest  pots  as 
soon  as  ready,  employing  10  or  11-inch  pots,  according  to  the 
variety,  affording  them  a  position  near  the  glass  in  a  light,  airy 
house,  keeping  the  plants  gently  moving  during  the  winter.  Those  so 
started  will  be  readily  excited  into  fruit  next  Mayor  June,  and  will  afford 
a  good  successional  supply  of  fruit  in  late  summer  or  autumn.  In  other 
plants  suckers  from  the  summer  fruiters  not  large  enough  to  shift  into 
the  fruiting  pots  winter  best  in  7  or  8-inch  pots,  transferring  them  to 
larger  as  soon  as  ready  in  spring  ;  which,  with  suckers  of  Smooth-leaved 
Cayenne  that  were  started  last  March,  will  afford  a  successional  supply 
of  Pines  thi’ough  the  winter  months. 
Re-urranyiny  Pine  Plants. — A  re-arrangement  of  the  plants  should  now 
be  made  in  order  to  separate  the  fruiting  from  the  non-fruiting  plants,  as 
many  of  those  that  were  started  from  suckers  of  last  summer’s  fruiting 
plants  will  have  fruit  swelling.  Those  plants  not  fruiting  will  have  com¬ 
pleted  their  growth,  and  should  have  air  very  liberally  for  the  next  six 
weeks,  when  the  temperature  exceeds  80°,  maintaining  the  bottom  heat 
steady  at  80",  and  all  plants  well  established  -  that  is,  well  rooted,  should 
have  a  bottom  heat  of  80°  to  85®,  but  recently  potted  suckers,  or  those 
which  have  not  roots  well  established  in  fresh  compost,  should  have  a 
bottom  heat  of  90°,  steadily  maintained  to  insure  speedy  rooting. 
Fmitiny  Plants. — Those  swelling  off  their  fruits  should  have  moderate 
atmosphere,  but  not  a  large  amount,  or  it  may  enlarge  the  crowns  unduly, 
and  excess  at  the  roots  causes  the  fruit  to  become  black  at  the  centre. 
Admit  a  little  air  at  the  top  of  the  house  early  in  the  morning,  so  as  to 
allow  of  any'  superfluous  moisture  escaping  before  the  sun’s  rays  act 
powerfully  upon  the  fruit.  Any  fruit  it  is  desired  to  retard  should, 
when  fairly  coloured,  be  removed  to  a  rather  shady  house,  admitting 
abundance  of  air. 
It  is  beneficial  to  the  bees  to  be  supplied  with  their  winter  stores 
as  early  as  possible  in  the  autumn.  In  fact  the  closer  we  imitate  Nature 
in  tliis  resitect  the  better  it  will  be  for  the  welfare  of  the  bees  in  the 
future.  In  their  natural  state,  directly  a  surplus  of  honey  is  obtained, 
it  is  stored  in  tluir  combs  and  sealed  over.  It  may  be  in  the  spring, 
when  the  honey  is  obtained  from  the  early  fruit  t'ee  blossoms,  or  at 
midsummer  from  the  White  Clover,  or  in  the  autumn  from  the 
Heather.  But  from  whatever  source  it  is  obtained,  the  bees,  if  not 
interfered  with,  will  seal  it  over  directly  it  is  in  a  fit  condition. 
Honey  treated  in  this  manner  will  keep  in  good  condition  for 
several  years.  In  feeding  bees  artificially,  I  have  proved  how  beneficial 
it  is  to  have  all  stocks  fed  up  as  early  as  possible  in  August.  If  feed¬ 
ing  is  tlelayed  till  after  the  middle  of  September,  and  a  cold  spell  of 
wet  weather  sets  in,  although  the  bees  may  store  the  syrup  provided 
for  them,  they  will  not  seal  it  over,  and  this  is  often  the  cause  of 
dysentery.  Bees  which  are  left  to  take  their  chance  in  some  hollow 
tree,  or  in  the  roof  of  an  old  building,  I  have  observed,  are  seldom  found 
to  have  this  disease. 
It  is  advisable  to  examine  all  stocks  before -placing  the  feeders  on 
them,  as  some  will  probably  require  more  than  others.  Usually  those 
that  have  been  used  for  extracting  purposes,  require  more  leeding  than 
those  worked  for  comb  honey.  The  reason  for  this  is,  that  whilst 
extracting  is  going  on,  the  bees,  in  their  anxiety  to  fill  the  supers,  are 
constantly  carrying  the  honey  from  the  brood  nest  for  that  purpose  ; 
whereas  with  sections  of  comb  honey,  they  are  allowed  to  remain 
on  the  hive  till  well  finished,  and  unless  closely  watched  the  bees 
become  short  of  storage  room  in  the  supers.  The  honey  is  then  stored 
and  sealed  over  in  the  outside  combs  of  the  brood  nest.  It  is  then 
allowed  to  remain,  and  there  is  often  sufficient  in  such  hives  to  provide 
ample  stores  for  a  strong  colony  until  the  following  spring. 
MAKING  SYRUP. 
Syrup  for  autumn  feeding  should  be  made  of  the  consistency  of 
good  honey.  If  made  thin,  such  as  is  recommended  for  spring  feeding, 
