October  8,  19C3. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
34J 
WOKK.Foil'rHE  WEEK..  '{S 
Fruit  Forcing. 
CUCUMBERS. — The  latest  plants  which  are  to  afford  fruit 
about  the  new  year  and  onwards  should  be  placed  out  on 
hillocks  or  ridges,  training  with  a  single  stem  to  the  trellis, 
up  which  they  may  be  allowed  to  extend  two-thirds,  when  the 
lead  may  be  pinched.  Those  not  having  the  convenience  of  a 
Cucumber  house  may  secure  fair  .supplies  of  winter  fruit  by 
growing  the  plants  in  pots  or  boxes,  and  training  the  growths 
over  the  paths  in  stoves,  fruiting  Pine  stoves,  or  other  well 
heated  .structures.  Plants  in  bearing  .should  not  be  over¬ 
cropped,  or  the  fruit  allowed  to  remain  longer  than  it  is  fit  to 
cut,  removing  all  deformed  fruit  in  a  young  state.  Maintain 
a  night  temperature  of  70deg,  odeg  less  in  the  morning,  75deg 
by  day,  up  to  85deg  or  90deg  with  sun,  admitting  a  little  air  at 
the  top  of  the  house  at  every  favourable  opportunity.  The 
evaporation  troughs  should  be  charged  with  liquid  manure,  and 
the  floor  damped  about  8  a.m.  and  4  p.m.,  dispensing  with  the 
syringe  over  the  plants.  Reduce  the  supply  of  water  at  the 
roots,  but  not  so  much  a,s  to  cause  flagging.  A  little  artifi¬ 
cially  compounded  fertiliser  sprinkled  on  the'  beds  occasionally 
w’ill  benefit  the  plants  through  the  waterings  w’ashing  the 
elements  into  the  soil.  Keep  the  foliage  thin  and  the  glass 
clean,  so  as  to  secure  thoroughly  solidified  growth. 
LATE  GRAPES. — Where  the  Vines  were  started  in  good 
time,  .say  March,  and  aided  in  the  spring  by  fire  heat,  as  well  as 
during  the  summer,  the  Grapes  will  be  thoroughly  ripe,  in  which 
state  they  can  only  be  expected  to  kee]3  satisfactorily,  and  the 
wood  thoroughly  matured;  all  laterals  or  sprays  may  be  re¬ 
moved  down  to  the  main  buds,  ventilating  freely  on  all  favour¬ 
able  occasions.  Fire  heat  will  only  be  necessary  to  prevent  the 
temperature  falling  below  SOdeg.  Muscat  of  Alexandria  and 
Canon  Hall,  the  fine.st  of  all  Grapes,  however,  mature  better 
in  a  temperature  of  56deg.  To  prevent  dust  falling  on  the 
berries  raking  or  sweeping  must  not  be  practised.  Mats  or 
clean  straw  laid  over  the  inside  borders  will  to  some  extent  pre¬ 
vent  evaporation.  Outside  borders  need  not  be  covered  where 
the  soil  acts  like  a  sieve,  but  where  composed  of  somewhat 
moisture  holding  material  a  covering  against  heavy  rains  is 
advantageous.  Glass  lights  are  best,  wooden  shutters  good,  and 
tarpaulin  over  dry  bracken  or  .straw  answers  well.  A  thick 
thatch  of  straw  or  bracken  answers  w’ell.  Where  the  Grapes 
are  not  yet  ripe  the  temperature  must  not  be  less  than  70deg 
to  75de‘g  by  day,  and  Gbdeg  at  night,  falling  5deg  through  the 
night,  allowing  an  advance  tO'  80deg  or  S-iideg  from  sun  heat, 
continuing  this  until  the  Grapes  are  ripe,  at  least  until  the  wood 
is  brown  and  hard,  for  it  is  almost  hopeless  to  expect  good 
finish  in  Grapes  that  are  not  .so  by  this  time. 
MELONS. — The  end  of  the  Melon  season,  as  regards  those 
grown  in  frames  and  pits  heated  wdtli  fermenting  materials,  is 
approaching,  though  fairly  good  fruit  may  be  had  up  to  November, 
e.specially  of  kinds  that  will  keep  for  some  time.  Any  fruits 
approaching  ripeness  should  be  cut  with  a  good  portion  of  stem, 
and  placed  in  a  house  with  a  gentle  warmth,  where  they  will 
ripen,  and  be  welcome  additions  to  the  dessert.  From  houses  a 
supply  of  fruit  will  be  kept  up  some  time  longer,  the  latest 
fruits  only  swelling  now.  Sufficient  moisture  will  be  secured  to 
this  crop  by  damping  in  the  morning  and  again  early  in  the 
afternoon,  affording  water  to  the  roots  moderately — a  supply 
once  a  week  will,  in  most  cases,  be  sufficient.  All  superfluous 
laterals  should  be  cut  out,  so  as  to  afford  the  principal  foliage 
the  benefit  of  the  autumn  sun.  Plants  with  fruit  approaching 
ripeness  should  be  kept  dry,  and  a  brisk  heat  maintained,  with 
free  ventilation,  the  temperature  being  kept  at  65deg  at  night, 
70deg  to  76deg  by  day,  rising  to  85deg  or  90deg  from  sun  heat, 
affording  a  little  air  at  the  upper  part  of  the  roof  whenever  the 
weather  is  favourable. 
LATE  HOUSES. — October  Peaches  and  Nectarines  are  quite 
as  much  valued  as  those  of  May,  as  they  are  fine  in  appearance, 
and  when  properly  supplied  with  moisture  and  nutriment  during 
the  growing  sea.son,  juicy  and  well  flavoured.  Sea  Eagle  is  one 
of  the  best  late  Peaches,  large,  showy,  good  flavoured,  with  a 
juicy  flesh,  free  of  the  stringiness  and  mealine.ss  too  prevalent  in 
some  late  PeachesS.  Thomas  Rivers  also  is  a  large,  round,  free¬ 
stone  Peach,  with  a  bright  red  cheek,  firm  flesh,  juicy,  and  full 
of  flavour.  Lady  Palmerston  is  also  good  in  flavour,  the  fruit 
being  large,  greenish-yellow  marbled  with  crimson,  flesh  pale 
yellow  and  melting.  Victoria  Nectarine  attains  to  a  large  size, 
has  a  rich,  sugary  juice,  and  fine  Stanwick  flavour.  As  the  wood 
in  many  late  houses,  especially  unheated,  is  not  too  ripe,  owing 
to  the  dull  and  wet  season,  the  house  may  be  kept  almost  closed 
by  day,  so  as  to  secure  a  good  heat,  admitting  suffi¬ 
cient  air  to  secure  a  circulation,  continuing  the  ventilation 
at  night.  Any  trees  that  have  too  gro.ss  wood  .should  have  a 
trench  taken  out  as  deeply  as  the  roots,  and  about  one-third  the 
distance  from  the  stem  the  trees  cover  of  trellis,  and  left  open 
for  a  fortnight,  then  filled  in  again  firmly. 
STRAWBERRIES  IN  POTS. — Where  autumn  and  winter 
fruiting  plants  are  grown  they  must,  without  further  delay,  be 
placed  under  glass  and  on  shelves,  so  that  they  may  enjoy  a  free 
circulation  of  air,  ventilating  so  as  to  exiDel  damp,  asi  the  fer¬ 
tilisation  of  the  flowers  is  not  satisfactorily  effected  in  a  damp 
atmosphere.  Plants  swelling  and  ripening  their  fruit  in  frames 
should  have  moderate  ventilation,  and  though  Strawberries  will 
ripen  at  this  season  in  cold  frames,  they  swell  better  and  the 
fruit  is  improved  in  a  house  where  there  is  moderate  moisture, 
and  a  temperature  of  bOdeg  to  oodeg  as  a  minimum,  70deg  to 
75deg  as  a  maximum,  by  artificial  meams,  in  which  they  have  air 
on  all  favourable  occasions. 
PLANTS  FOR  NEXT  YEAR’S  FRUITING  are  late,  the  . 
crowns  are  not  well  matured  nor  so  strong  as  desirable.  ‘  Those 
intended  for  early  forcing  should  be  placed  on  a  base  impervious 
to  worms  in  frames  or  cold  pits,  exposing  them  fully  to  every 
gleam  of  sun,  employing  the  lights  only  to  ward  off  heavy  rains 
and  at  night  when  frost  prevails.  Keep  the  remainder,  of  the 
plants  in  a  sunny  position,  as  they  will  require  every  ray  of 
light  and  sun’s  warmth  to  enable  them  to  mature  the  crowns 
properly. — St.  Albans. 
Kitchen  Garden. 
PLANTING  CABBAGES. — The  ground  for  the  spring  crcm 
of  Cabba.g0  should  be  well  prepared,  but  not  too  liberally 
manured.  Though  strong  and  vigorous  growth  is  desirable,  it 
•should  be  dwarf  and  .stocky  in  character,  not  large  and  succu¬ 
lent.  This  is  a  good  time  to  place  out  the  main  crop  of  plants. 
Some  may  have  been  planted  earlier,  but  it  is  not  wise  to  rely 
altogether  upon  them,  as  they  are  likely  to  grow  too  large. 
Those  pricked  out  in  nursery  beds  are  now  of  fair  size  and  fit  for 
final  planting.  Raise  them  with  small  balls  of  earth  attached 
and  plant  in  rows  2ft  apart,  the  plants  being  15in  to  18in  asun- 
4er.  Some  like  to  plant  thickl.v  at  this  season,  say  a,  foot  apart, 
taking  out  every  other  one,  either  for  early  use  or  forming  a 
fresh  plantation  in  spring.  This  is  a  good  plan  if  there  is  much 
demand  for  young  Cabbage  previous  to  its  forming  hearts.  It 
may  also'  prove  very  useful  should  there  be  a  scarcity  of  green¬ 
stuff  in  early  .spring.  Therefore,  let  a  portion  of  the  crop  be 
planted  thickly.  All  plants  left  in  the  seed  beds  are  worth 
retaining,  so  thin  out  crowded  and  attenuated  specimen.s,  also 
weeds,  the  plants  then  remaining  for  probable  u.se  in  spring. 
Dustings  of  soot  may  be  applied,  and  frequent  hoeings  given. 
OUTDOOR  TOMATOES. — Fruits  hanging  on  plants  out¬ 
doors  will  scarcely  do  any  further  good  towards  ripening  while 
remaining,  so  all  should  be  gathered,  green  fruit  as  well  as 
coloured.  Those  that  have  begun  to  colour  will  finish  in  a  diy, 
warm  place,  while  the  small  and  green  samples  may  be  utilised 
for  making  into  jam,  so  none  need  bei  wasted.  A  severe  night’s 
frost  at  this  period  will  most  likely  destroy  them,  hence  the 
importance  of  at  once  gathering  them. 
LIFTING  CARROTS. — Roots  having  made  full  growth  should 
be  lifted  and  stored.  If  carefully  loosened  with  a  fork  they  may 
readily  bo  drawn  without  injury'.  The  leaves  may  be  cut  off 
several  inche.s  from  the  croAvn,  and  the  roots  exposed  to  dry  air 
and  sun,  if  possible.  Failing  this,  dry  them  under  cover.  They 
can  then  be  placed  in  a  heap  in  a  dry  corner  in  a  shed,  covering 
with  bags  or  straw.  As  a  further  protection,  some  may  be  pre¬ 
served  between  layers  of  dry  ashevs  or  .sand. 
ENDIVE. — Seedlings  should  be  planted  out  on  a  dry  border. 
Full-grown  plants  may  be  kept  .some  time  in  fair  condition  if 
damp  does  not  attack  them.  If  portable  frames  can  be 
arranged  over  them  where  they  stand,  this  will  serve  to  keep 
them  dry  some  time,  or  they  might  be  lifted  with  balls  of  soil  and 
placed  in  the  frames.  Blanch  in  the  usual  way,  covering  with 
pots  or  slates  when  the  hearts  are  dry. 
LETTUCES. — Good  plants  of  Lettuce  are  invaluable  at  this 
time,  and  for  longer  if  tliey  can  be  preserved.  Similar  treatment 
as  accorded  for  preserving  full  grown  plants  of  Endive  may  be 
adopted  for  Lettuce.  Damp  alone  is  a  great  enemy  in  hastening 
their  decay,  but  sharp  fro.sts  occurring  w'hen  the  plants  are  very 
wet  will  hasten  their  destruction.  A  specially  tender  place  is  the 
.stem  below  the  leaves.  The  plants  must  not  be  confined  too 
closely  in  the  frames,  but  air  admitted  freely.  Winter  Lettuce 
planted  out  in  bordeirs  for  standing  the  winter  must  be  kept  clear 
of  weeds.  Hoe  lightly  in  dry  weather. 
CELERY. — The  most  favourable  times  for  finally  earthing 
rows  of  fully-grown  Celeiy  should  be  seized  when  the  soil  works 
dry  and  the  weather  is  fine.  The  plants  should  have  their  leaf¬ 
stalks  drawn  closely  together,  and  the  soil,  broken  up  finely, 
