October  10,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
343 
Fruit  Forcing. 
CUCUMBERS. — The  latest  plants  which  are  to  afford  fruit 
about  the  new  year  and  onwards,  should  be  placed  out  in  hillocks 
or  ridges,  training  them  with  a  single  stem  to  the  trellis.  Growers 
not  having  the  convenience  for  a  Cucumber  house,  may  secure  fair 
supplies  of  winter  fruit  by  growing  the  plants  in  pots  or  boxes, 
training  the  growths  over  paths  in  stoves,  fruiting  Pine  houses, 
or  other  well-heated  structures.  Remove  all  deformed  fruit  in  a 
young  state.  Maintain  a  night  temperature  of  70  degrees,  falling 
straw,  and  mice  or  rats  kept  down,  or  the  animals  may  render  the- 
Vines  useless  by  girdling  them  at  the  collar. 
VINES  FOR  STARTING  IN  DECEMBER.— Pruning,  if  not 
already  done,  must  not  be  further  delayed,  as  early  and  complete 
rest  for  a  few  weeks  contributes  to  an  even  break.  Pruning  to 
two  buds  is  usually  followed  by  a  good  show  of  useful  bunches,  but 
if  such  has  not  been  so  in  previous  years,  or  larger  bunches  are 
desired,  the  shoots  may  be  left  a  little  longer,  or  pruned  to  the 
most  promising  eye  nearest  the  base.  What,  however,  is  gained 
in  size  of  bunch  is  usually  lost  in  compactness  thereof,  uneven¬ 
ness  of  berries,  and  bad  finish.  Besides,  bunches  of  1  lb  to  2  lbs 
weight  are  quite  large  enough  for  early  Grapes.  Wash  the  stems 
w.th  tep.d  soapy  water  (4  ozs  of  softsoap  to  a  gallon  of  water), 
' '  '  v  ing  where  there  has  been  red  spider,  scale,  or  mealy  bug 
with  a  solution  of  caustic  soda  and  pearl  ash,  2  ozs  each  to  11- 
gallon  of  water,  or,  where  there  has  been  fungi  trouble  use  a 
solution  of  sulphate  of  copper,  1  oz  to  IV  gallon  of  water;  apply 
carefully,  but  just  wetting  every  part  with  a  brush  moistened  in 
the  solution.  Thoroughly  cleanse  the  woodwork  of  the  house, 
and  limewash  the  walls.  Remove  the  surface  soil  down  to  the- 
PLUM  PEINE  CLAUDE  DE  COMTE  ILATHEM. 
to  65  degrees  in  the  morning,  70  degrees  to  75  by  day,  up  to 
85  degrees  or  90  degrees  with  sun,  admitting  a  little  air  at  the  top 
of  the  house  at  every  favourable  opportun.ty.  The  evaporation 
troughs  should  still  be  charged  with  liquid  manure,  and  the  floor 
damped  about  8  a.m.  and  4  p.m.,  dispensing  with  syringing 
over  the  plants.  Reduce  the  supply  of  water  at  the  roots,  but  not 
so  much  as  to  cause  flagging.  A  little  artificially  compounded 
fertiliser  sprinkled  on  the  beds  occasionally  will  benefit  the 
plants,  through  the  watering  washing  the  elements  into  the  soil. 
Keep  the  foliage  thin  and  the  glass  clean,  so  as  to  secure 
thoroughly  solidified  growth. 
EARLY  VINES  IN  POTS. — As  a  start  must  be  made  about 
the  beginning  of  November  to  have  ripe  Grapes  in  March  or  early 
in  April,  the  tree  leaves  and  stable  litter  should  be  in  course  of 
preparation  for  affording  a  mild,  sweet  bottom  heat.  The  heat 
about  the  pots  should  not  exceed  65  degrees  at  the  start,  bringing 
up  the  fermenting  material  to  the  level  of  the  pots  by  degrees, 
so  as  to  augment  the  temperature  to  70  degrees  to  75  degrees  by 
the  time  the  Vines  are  in  leaf.  Any  Vines  in  pots  for  start  ng  later 
should  be  placed  under  cover,  an  open  shed  with  a  north  aspect 
being  suitable,  but  the  pots  must  be  protected  with  dry  hay  or 
roots,  if  not  to  the  whole  extent  of  the  border,  for  a  distance  of 
3  or  4  feet  from  the  stem,  and  supply  fresh  loam,  so  as  to 
encourage  new  fibres  and  an  extension  of  fresh  roots  from  the 
collar.  Add  a  quart  of  steamed  bonemeal  and  a  gallon  of  wood 
ashes  to  each  three  bushels  of  loam,  or  supply  some  approved 
fertiliser,  according  to  the  instructions. 
HOUSES  OF  RIPE  GRAPES. — Thin-skinned  Grapes  are 
more  susceptible  to  cold  and  damp  than  are  the  thick-skinned 
varieties.  This  applies  equally  to  Black  Hamburghs  and 
similar  kinds  as  to  Muscat  of  Alexandria  and  Madresfield 
Court,  but  Hamburghs  do  not  require  a  temperature  of  over 
45  degrees  for  good  keeping,  and  there  must  not  be  any 
deficiency  of  moisture  at  the  roots,  otherwise  the  Grapes  wifi 
shrivel.  Remove  all  dead  and  decayed  leaves  from  the  Vines 
where  Grapes  are  now  hanging,  and  look  over  the  bunches  for 
any  shanked  or  decayed  berries  and  remove  them.  A  tempera¬ 
ture  of  50  degrees  is  most  suitable  for  Muscat  of  Alexandria. 
Lose  no  opportunity  of  giving  air  when  the  days  are  fine, 
*  turning  on  the  heat,  so  as  to  cause  a  gentle  warmth  in  the  pipes, 
not  so  much  to  dry  the  atmosphere  as  to  cause  a  circulation  of 
air,  which  is  the  best  safeguard  against  damp.  Turn  off  the  heat 
