344 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  10,  1901. 
at  midday,  or  soon  after,  so  as  to  allow  the  pipe$  to  cool,  but  not 
so  as  to  lower  the  temperature  below  the  night  minimum.  When 
the  heat  falls  too  low,  and  the  temperature  is  raised,  moisture 
condenses  on  the  berribs  and  remains  stagnant,  the  skin  of  the 
Grapes  is  more  or  less  decomposed,  and  fungal  germs  find  a 
medium  for  germination,  and  soon  set  up  speedy  decay.  There 
is  no  harm  in  a  low  night  temperature,  the  fault  lies  in  not 
giving  air  soon  enough,  so  that  the  heat  from  the  hot-water 
x  >r  sun  expands  the  atmosphere,  and  the  moisture  is  con¬ 
densed  on  the  berries  as  well  as  on  the  glass.  In  dull  weather, 
especially  during  fog,  it  will  be  necessary  to  keep  a  genial 
warmth  in  the  pipes,  and  with  the  house  closed,  in  which  case 
the  moisture  will  be  condensed  on  the  glass  instead  of  the 
Grapes. — St.  Albans. 
The  Kitchen  Garden. 
POTATOES. — Wet  and  pasty  ground  is  not  fit  to  be  trod 
upon  until  some  of  the  superfluous  moisture  has  drained  away. 
When  in  the  above  condition  Potatoes  ought  not  to  be  dug,  but 
as  soon  as  workable  again  the  whole  of  the  crop  should  be  com¬ 
pleted  lifting.  Examine  the  tubers  well  to  ascertain  their 
condition,  whether  diseased  or  not,  as  it  is  not  desirable  to  store 
any  in  the  latter  state.  When  the  best  have  been  picked  out, 
thoroughly  dry  them  by  free  exposure  to  air,  after  which  they 
may  be  placed  in  a  dry,  cool  structure,  and  covered  with  a  good 
layer  of  straw.  Clamping  out  in  the  open  is  a  good  method  of 
keeping  large  quantities.  If  seed  Potatoes  are  selected,  they 
should  be  of  medium  size,  clean  and  sound. 
CELERY. — All  the  rows  should  be  finally  earthed  in  a  short 
time,  especially  in  situations  where  the  soil  is  strong  and  reten¬ 
tive.  Draw  the  stalks  together  closely  round  the  hearts,  and 
after  breaking  down  sufficient  soil  and  pulverising  it,  draw  it 
carefully  round  each  plant.  When  the  final  earthing  is  done, 
bank  the  soil  firmly,  cutting  the  sides  almost  perpendicular,  so 
as  to  throw  off  the  rain. 
BLANCHING  ENDIVE. — Well-grown  plants  of  Endive 
should  be  prepared  for  use  by  blanching.  This  is  effected  by 
placing  a  slate  over  the  centre  of  a  few  plants  at  a  time,  or  by 
drawing  all  the  outside  leaves  together  in  the  form  of  a  cone 
and  tying  with  raffia  grass. 
TOMATOES. — Green  fruits  hanging  on  the  plants,  if  the 
latter  are  not  in  a  warm  place,  should  be  cut  with  a  portion  of 
stem  and  hung  together  in  bunches  in  a  warm,  airy  structure. 
Of  course,  they  ripen  better  on  the  plants,  even  if  these  have  no 
leaves,  and  especially  when  grown  in  pots,  being  then  more 
portable  and  easily  removed  to  a  warm  structure.  The  outside 
Tomatoes  not  yet  ripe  may  be  cut  with  plenty  of  stem  and  hung 
in  a  sunny,  warm  structure  to  ripen.  Plants  raised  from 
August  sowing,  and  established  in  8-inch  pots',  must  have  abund¬ 
ance  of  light,  air,  and  warmth,  and  be  grown  near  the  glass. 
Keep  the  atmosphere  dry  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  when  the 
flowers  are  open,  and  artificially  fertilise  them  to  induce  a  good 
s©t  • 
WINTETv  CUCUMBERS. — Strong  plants  with  abundance  of 
fibres  should  be  encouraged  to  multiply  the  roots  by  frequent 
light  top-dressings  of  rich  soil.  Bottom  heat  and  top  heat  is 
essential.  Strong  side  shoots  may  be  trained  over  the  available 
space,  stopping  the  shoots  just  beyond  the  fruits.  Maintain  the 
roots  moist,  but  not  saturated,  and  syringe  the  plants  early  on 
fine  afternoons,  closing  early  and  damping  the  floors,  stages, 
■&g.,  at  the  same  time.  Allow  no  fruits  to  remain  on  the  plants 
after  they  are  fit  for  use,  as  doing  so  exhausts  the  plants. 
KIDNEY  BEANS. — Seeds  of  Ne  Plus  Ultra  Dwarf  Kidney 
Bean,  or  some  equally  good  sort  for  forcing,  may  be  sown  in 
8-incli  pots,  eight  or  nine  seeds  in  a  pot,  using  a  compost  of  good 
loam.  Start  them  n  a  temperature  of  55  degrees,  and  when  well 
advanced  place  in  a  heat  of  65  degrees  to  flower  and  develop 
fruit.  Close  attention  should  be  given  to  their  requ  rements  as 
regards  water.  Checks  to  growth  bring  on  red  spider  and  the 
plants  fail.  Liquid  manure  of  a  weak  character  may  be  given 
when  the  pots  become  full  of  roots. 
CARROTS. — Cut  off  the  tops  of  Carrots  which  are  ready  for 
lifting,  and  remove  from  the  ground  in  fine  dry  weather.  When 
the  roots  are  quite  dry  they  are  ready  for  storing  in  a  cool 
structure,  placing  them  between  layers  of  dry  sand  or  ashes. 
Straight  roots  of  medium  size  are  best  for  ordinary  use,  and  these 
only  need  be  stored  for  culinary  use. 
VINTER  SPINACH. — The  rows  of  Spinach,  now  a  fair  size, 
should  be  thinned  out  a  little  more.  In  fine,  dry  weather  run 
the  hoe  between  the  rows,  and  give  a  slight  dusting  of  soot  as 
a  deterrent  to  slugs. 
LETT!  CE. — Make  a  final  planting  of  Lettuce  on  a  sheltered, 
well-drained  border.  Full-grown  Lettuce  may  be  lifted  and 
planted  m  a  frame.  Place  on  the  lights,  but  tilt  them  so  as  to 
allow  a  free  and  constant  supply  of  air.  Young  Lettuce  plants, 
too,  may  be  inserted  in  a  frame,  where  they  will  grow  gradually 
through  the  winter  if  kept  cool  and  freely  ventilated. 
PARSLEY . — To  ensure  a  supply  of  Parsley  when  the  weather 
is  hard,  plant  some  strong  roots  on  a  spent  hotbed,  in  a  spare 
frame.  The  lights  may  remain  off  at  present. — Lymington, 
Hants. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  “  The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
London,  E.c.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  privately 
to  any  of  orn  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  nutters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  an  !  exieuse. 
NAME  OF  MAGGOT  (A.  C.  E.). — The  specimens  sent  are 
the  larvae  or  maggots  of  some  species  of  fly,  presumably  a 
Scatophaga,  but  these  so  nearly  resemble  each  other  that  often 
lmy  cannot  be  determined  till  the  fly  is  reared.  The  tribe  is 
useful  generally,  helping  to  destroy  or  disintegrate  offensive 
matters.  Possibly  they  had  been  feeding  upon  something  in  the 
stye,  and  uvere  migrating  to  find  a  spot  Avhere  they  could  enter 
the  chrysalis  state. 
THINNING  PEACH  SHOOTS  (A.  B.  C,).— You  will  have 
sufficient  young  Avood  if  the  shoots  are  Gin  to  8in  apart,  but  we 
should  limit  the  thinning  to  the  old  bare  shoots  or  long  bare 
branches,  and  to  those  which  have  fruited  this  season.  If  the 
shoots  18in  to  2ft  long  have  triple  buds  at  about  14in  length  you 
may  shorten  them  to  those,  and  safely,  as  in  such  a  length  there 
cannot  fail  to  be  Avood  buds,  as  Avell  as  at  their  extremities.  It 
will  not  injure  them  for  future  fruiting,  but  be  conducive  thereto 
by  admitting  light  and  air  to  the  parts  left,  thereby  securing 
their  more  thorough  ripening  of  the  Avood. 
PLAN  OF  A  VINERY  (Amateur). — Perhaps  the  plan  here 
offered  may  meet  AArith  your  approval.  The  vinery  has  been 
placed  in  conjunction  Avith  one  of  the  dAvel ling-rooms,  Avherein 
Ave  have  supposed  a  goodly  fire-place  and  boiler  to  exist,  and  this 
boiler  could  be  made  to  serve  the  hot-AAater  pipes  necessary  for 
the  heating  of  the  vinery  and  the  adjacent  conservatory. 
Ordinary  3-inch  or  4-inch  pipes  should  be  used,  and  one  flow  and 
return  will  be  suffic  ent  for  a  Hamburgh  vinery.  The  line  A  to  B 
denotes  the  Avidth  of  the  vinery  and  serves  to  indicate  the  Aoav- 
nt  from  the  boiler.  Any  such  vinery  could  be  arranged  with 
tolerable  appropriateness  next  to  a  kitchen,  Avhere,  of  course, 
one  expects  a  good  fire-range  and  boiler.  In  the  planning  of  the 
dAvell.’ng-houses  the  above  plan  may  assist  you. 
ASPARAGUS  INFESTED  WITH  FUNGUS  (W.  B.).— Yes, 
the  Asparagus  groAvths  are  infested  by  ’  a  fungus  (Puccinia 
asparagi),  produc  ng  the  disease  know-n  as  Asparagus  rust,  though 
it  is  quite  black.  The  disease  does  not  usually  appear  until 
after  midsummer  or  before  the  cutting  of  the  heads  for  the  year 
has  ceased,  though  sometimes  the  secidium  stage  of  the  fungus 
appears  on  the  earliest  shoots.  The  uredo  stage  folloAis  the 
secidium  as  broAA  n  pustules  on  the  stem  and  branches,  and  later 
in  the  season  black  streaks  and  spots  appear,  often  so  numerous 
as  to  blacken  the  stem  and  branches.  These  are  due  to  the 
production  of  telentospores,  which  survive  the  AA'inter  and  start 
the  disease  aneAv  the  following  season.  The  infection  implies 
the  weakening  of  the  Asparagus  and  an  inferior  crop  the  folloAV- 
ing  season,  or,  indeed,  not  any  heads  fit  for  gathering.  The  best 
preventive  is  to  cut  the  haulm  in  autumn,  alloAv  it  to  dry,  and, 
covering  the  tops  Avith  a  light  coating  of  dry  straAV,  burn  them. 
This  apparently  harsh  treatment  destroys  the  telentospores  not 
only  in  the  diseased  tops,  but  also  those  in  the  ground,  and 
the  plants  the  following  year  start  into  Angorous  and  healthy 
groAvth,  but  require  a  year  to  recuperate.  As  the  grass  in  you” 
case  is  quite  killed  by  the  fungus  the  Aveakening  of  the  plaits 
will  be  proportionate.  Nevertheless,  Ave  should  try  the  fore- 
named  treatment,  and  in  the  early  part  of  summer,  say  •.lie 
middle  of  June,  spray  Avith  Bordeaux  mixture,  and  repeal  once 
or  twice  at  intervals  of  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks.  The  most 
important  point,  however,  is  to  remove  diseased  growths  and 
burn  them,  thus  preventing  the  possibility  of  infection  in  the 
spring.  As  the  bed  was  affected  last  year,  and  most  of  the  grass 
killed  this  season,  it  is  matter  for  your  consideration  as  to 
whether  the  bed  is  worth  keeping  or  not.  Nevertheless,  we 
consider  (1)  the  treatment  advised  Avould  be  a  cure  for  the  pre¬ 
sent  bed;  (2)  you  may  safely  plant  another  bed  in  the  garden, 
in  another  quarter,  or,  for  that  matter,  on  the  same  ground  as 
the  diseased  plants  noiv  occupy,  but  upon  the  condition,  in 
either  case,  that  the  grass  of  the  present  bed  be  cut,  dried  on 
the  ground,  then  coArered  all  over  Avith  dry  straw,  and  for  about 
a  yard  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  plants  all  round,  burning  the 
straAV  and  tops.  This  Avill  end  the  telentospores,  and  the  disease 
must  come  from  else  Avhere ;  (3)  no  special  preparation  of  the 
bed  iviLl  avoid  the  disease.  The  fungus  must  be  killed  and  kept 
from  attacking  the  plants. 
