September  10,  1903. 
JOURNAL  CF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
253 
Fruit  Forcing. 
VINES:  MIDSEASON  HOUSES.— When  the  Grapes  have 
been  cleared  from  the  Vines,  divest  the  shoots  of  their  laterals 
down  to  the  principal  buds,  which  are  to  be  retained  for  next 
year’s  fruiting,  but  be  careful  to  avbid  injuring  the  old  leaves, 
for  upon  their  preservation  and  health  depends  the  maturation 
and  plumping  of  the  buds,  also  the  storing  of  nutrition  in  the 
adjacent  wood,  as  well  as  the  ripening  of  the  growths,  which  is 
essential  to  a  good  break  and  proper  development  of  the  bunches 
in  their^.early  stages  next  season.  Allow  a  free  circulation  of  air, 
and  in  the  case  of  luxuriant  or  young  Vines,  or  where'there  is 
the  least  doubt  about  the  thorough  maturity  of  the  wood,  main¬ 
tain  a  gentle  warmth  in  the  hot-water  pipes.  After  the  removal 
of  the  laterals  clear  off  the  remains  of  the  mulching  or  remove 
the  loose  surface  soil,  particularly  near  the  collar  of  the  Vines, 
picking  the  old  soil  from  amongst  the  roots,  and  supply  fresh 
lumpy  loam  in  its  place.  Avoid  burying  the  roots  deeply  ;  a  1 
couple  of  inche.s  is 
cpiite  deep  enough. 
They  will  push  ad¬ 
ventitious  roots  into 
the  new’  material, 
and  these  can  be  en¬ 
couraged  to  any  ex¬ 
tent  by  timely 
dressings  or  surface 
mulchings  when  the 
Vines  are  in  need  of 
support  another  sea¬ 
son.  If  a  handful 
or  two  of  approved 
fertiliser  per  square 
yard  is  applied,  it 
will  aid  the  Vines 
wonderfully  in  the 
early  stages  of 
growth  another 
year.  Inside  borders 
will  need  watering, 
so  as  to  keep  the 
soil  healthfully 
moist.  In  the  case 
of  borders  that  are 
only  partially  made, 
a  breadth  of  about 
2ft  may  be  added  to 
the  front,  choosing 
dry  weather  for  the  operation,  and  compressing  the  materials 
moderately.  If  inside  afford  a  good  watering;  if  outside  it  will 
not  bei  necessary  unle.ss  the  compost  is  dry. 
YOUNG  VINES. — Afford  every  encouragement  essential  to 
the  perfecting  of  their  grow’ths,  keeping  thei  foliage  clean,  re¬ 
moving  all  laterals,  as  growth  produced  after  this  time  is  of  little 
value,  and  maintain  a  warm,  well  ventilated  atmosphere,  until 
the  canes  are  thoroughly  matured.  Anj'  supernumeraries  in¬ 
tended  to  fruit  next  season  .should  have  the  laterals  cut  away  to 
the  principal  buds,  leaving,  however,  an  outlet  for  the  sap  by  a 
few  joints  of  the  laterals  beyond  the  length  of  cane  to  which  they 
are  to  be  shortened,  and  be  careful  not  to  injure  the  principal 
leaves.  If  the  wood  does  not  ripen  kindly,  it  may  be  accelerated 
by  keeping  the  hou.se  rather  w’arm  in  the  daytime,  so  as  to  get 
a  temperature  of  85deg  to  90deg  from  sun  heat,  opening  the  ven¬ 
tilators  at  night.  Afford  sufficient  water  at  the  roots  to  prevent 
the  foliage  becoming  limp. 
LATE  HAMBURGHS. — Houses  of  these  and  other  tender- 
fleshed  Grapes  that  were  allowed  to  start  naturally  may  need  a 
little  fire  heat  to  colour  and  finish  the  fruit  satisfactorily,  as  they 
will  when  it  is  hopeless  to  do  anything  more  w’ith  the  thick- 
skinned  Grapes.  They  should  have  a  temperature  of  60deg  to 
Godeg  at  night,  and  7()deg  to  7.odeg  in  the  daytime,  with  a  circu¬ 
lation  of  air  constantly,  and  free  ventilation  when  favourable. 
Water  the  inside  border  if  necessary,  and  when  the  Grapes  are 
only  partially  advanced  in  colouring  and  ripening.  Only  restrict 
the  laterals  to  prevent  overcrowding,  as  a  good  spread  of  foliage 
over  thin-skinned  black  Grapes  is  the  best  safeguard  against  the 
sun  taking  colour  out  of  them  when  ripe.  W^hen  the  Grapes  are 
thoroughly  finished  reduce  the  temperature,  maintaining  it  at 
about  .50deg  by  artificial  means  by  day  and  5deg  less  at  night, 
with  a  little  air  constantly. 
LATE  THICK-SKINNED  GRAPES.— These  are  less  affected 
by  atmospheric  moisture  than  thin-skinned,  Mrs.  Pince  shrivel¬ 
ling  in  a  house  where  there  is  sufficient  moisture  to  cause  Muscat 
of  Alexandria  to  rot.  They  are  also  liable  to  give  evidence  of 
finish  that  will  not  bear  close  examination  ;  therefore  make  sure 
that  the  berries  are  well  finished  right  up  to  the  shank  before 
ceasing  the  needful  aid  from  fire  heat.  In  a  confined  atmo¬ 
sphere  Gros  Colman  sometimes  splits  at  the  nose  of  the  berries 
when  ripening;  also  Gros  Guillaume'  in  less  degree.  Alicante 
and  Lady  Downe’s  finish  better  and  in  le.ss  time  than  any  other 
late  thick-skinned  varieties;  then  the  latter  should  be  given 
more  time,  also  the  white  varieties,  Trebbiano  and  Syrian,  and 
after  they  are  apparently  finished  a  temperature  of  about  oodeg 
should  be  assured,  with  a  rise  of  odeg  to  lOdeg  by  day  and  a 
circulation  of  air  until  the  foliage  is  giving  indications  of  falling, 
when  a  temperature  of  50deg  is  .sufficient.  The  inside  border 
should  be  watered  in  the  early  part  of  a  fine  day  and  air  bo 
freely  admitted,  for  it  i.saiot^m  much  the  moisture  as  the  confine¬ 
ment  that  causes  the  berries  to  spot  and  crack.  Outside  borders- 
will  be  quite  damp  enough  from  the  recent  rains.  In  ca.se  of 
very  heavy  rains  it  is  advisable  to  cover  outside  borders  with  .spare 
lights  to  throw  off  the  wet,  especially  when  the  soil  is  liable  to 
hold  water,  a  sodden  condition  of  the  border  inducing  sourness 
and  consequent  shanking  in  the  Grapes. 
LATE  MUSCATS. — The  thin-skinned  Muscats,  a.s  Canon 
Hall  and  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  also  Madresfield  Court, 
are  very  impatient  of  a  stagnant  atmosphere,  especially 
moist,  the  two  for¬ 
mer  varieties  spot¬ 
ting  and  the  latter 
cracking.  They  re¬ 
quire  fire  heat  until 
thoroughly  ripe, 
with  a  free  circula¬ 
tion  of  air  in  the 
daytime,  and  enough 
at  night,  with  gentle 
warmth  in  the  pipes, 
to  insure  a  circula¬ 
tion  of  air  and  to 
prevent  the  deposi¬ 
tion  of  moisture  on 
the  berries,  being 
careful  to  admit  air 
freely  on  fine  morn¬ 
ings.  Continue  this 
until  the  Grapes  are 
thoroughly  finished, 
when  a  gradual  re¬ 
duction  of  tempera¬ 
ture  may  be  made  to 
about  50deg  at 
night.  But  there 
must  not  be  any 
great  hurry  in  this, 
as  the  Grapes  put  on 
colour  long  after 
they  appear  finished,  and  improve  in  quality  so  long  as  there  are- 
any  leaves  on  the  Vines.  Keep  the  border  moist  by  watering  as 
necessary  in  the  early  part  of  a  fine  day,  for  though  the  leaves 
become  yellow  at  the  edge.s  they  have  green  parts  that  are  more 
or  less  useful  in  elaborating  and  storing  food.  Moisture  must  be 
kept  down  by  free  ventilation  ;  it  is  pent-up  air  with  a  sudden  rise 
of  temperature  from  sun  heat  in  the  early  part  of  a  fine  day,  or  at 
any  time,  which  causes  moisture  to  condepse  on  the  berries  and 
produce  .spot,  when  the  berries  speedily  decay. — St.  Albans. 
Kitchen  Garden. 
SPINACH. — A  successional  sowing  of  Prickly  Spinach  to 
stand  the  winter  may  be  made,  preferably  in  rows,  as  thinning 
out,  wmeding,  and  other  cultural  operations  are  more  readily 
performed  when  the  plants  are  in  lines  than  otherwise.  Seedlings 
well  advanced  from  previous  sowings  should  be  thinned  out,  and 
weeds  removed,  plying  the  hoe  between  the  rows  to  encourage 
growth. 
YOUNG  CABBAGE  PLANTS. — From  the  earlier  sowingS- 
there  will  be  many  plants  ready  for  planting  out,  while  others 
not  yet  large  enough  may  be  pricked  out  on  a  bed  of  fresh  soil 
to  strengthen  for  the  final  planting. 
SEEDLING  ENDIVE  AND  LETTUCK.--If  the  plants  in 
the  seed  bed  are  crowded  there  should  be  no  time  lost  in  reliev¬ 
ing  them.  The  best  plants  must  be  planted  out  permanently  on 
a  sheltered  border.  Water  well  should  the  weather  be  dry. 
BLANCHING  ENDIVE.— Full-grown  plants  may  soon  be 
ready  for  use  when  blanched.  There  are  various  methods  of 
carrying  out  the  process.  A  commencement  may  be  made  only 
when  the  plants  are  dry,  as  if  wet  the  foliage  rots,  especially 
the  young  and  tender  centres,  which  are  the  parts  mo.st  appre¬ 
ciated  With  some  plants  the  leaves  may  be  drawn  together  by 
y.  d-  s. 
Large  v.  Small  Bulbs.  (See  opposite  page.) 
