5S6 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  24,  1903. 
Wlieii  the  crowns  of  the  plants  tliat  were  started  at  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  December  to  afford  ripe  fruit  at  the  close  of  I’ebruary 
or  early  in  March  commence  swelling,  and  the  trusses  appear, 
the  temperature  may  be  advanced  a  few  degrees  by  day,  but 
bOdeg  to  55deg  is  sufficiently  high  at  night.  Syringe  the  plants 
lightly  in  the  early  part  of  fine  afternoons.  Examine  the  plants 
daily,'  and  supply'  water  to  all  that  require  it.  Keep  a  sharp 
look  out  for  aphides;  they  cluster  on  the  swelling  crowns,  and 
if  any  appear,  vapourise  with  nicotine,  or  fumigate  with  tobacco 
paper  on  two  or  three  consecutive  evenings.  It  is  very  impor¬ 
tant  that  the  plants  be  perfectly  clean,  and  fumigation  must  not 
he  practised  when  they  are  in  flower. 
Another  batch  of  plants  should  be  placed  in  a  house  from 
which  frost  is  excluded,  removing  the  decayed  leaves,  loosening 
the  surface  soil,  and,  after  removing  the  loose  material,  supply¬ 
ing  a  top-dressing  of  rich  compost  with  a  little  steamed  bonemeal 
added  to  it.  Attend  to  the  drainage;  if  defective  rectify  it, 
and  wash  the  pots.  The  plants  must  be  introduced  during  the 
next  three  weeks  to  shelves  in  a  Peach  house  started  at  the 
New  Year,  or  within  a  Strawberry  house.  La  Grosse  Sucree, 
Vicomtesse  Hericart  de  Thury,  and  Royal  Sovereign  are  suitable 
varieties;  also  Keen’s  Seedling,  Sir  HaiTy,  and  President,  with 
Noble. 
Plants  for  starting  later  will  be  ejuite  safe  in  their  ciuarters 
outdoors,  plunged  in  ashes  to  the  nms  of  the  pots,  and  a  light 
covering  of  dry  fern  or  litter  may  be  given  in  severe  weather, 
allowing  to  remain  until  the  plants  are  thawed  after  being  harcl 
frozen ;  otherwise  remove  and  expose  fully  in  mild  w'eather. 
If  the  plants  are  placed  in  frames  the  lights  should  be  drawn 
off  in  mild  weather,  but  in  this  and  wet  tilt  the  lights  at  the 
back  of  the  frames,  so  as  to  throw  off  the  rains  yet  let  the  plants 
have  plenty  of  air.  They  cannot  be  kept  too  cool,  and  none 
should  be  allowed  to  suffer* through  want  of  water. — A. 
Late  Melons. 
The  dearth  of  hardy  fruits  for  the  winter  stimulated  an  effort 
to  continue  those  of  summer  into  as  late  a  period  of  the  autumn 
as  circumstances  permitted.  The  season  so  bereft  of  its  cus¬ 
tomary  solar  w'armth,  and  with  a  contrary  excess  of  rain,  greatly 
hindered  such  a  commendable  object,  not  only  in  the  actual 
growth  of  the  plants,  but  their  maturity  of  fruits  and  in  flavour. 
Without  the  latter  attribute  Melons  do  not  call  for  much  favour¬ 
able  comment,  though  even  when  this  is  absent  to  an 
appreciable  degree  they  still  pass  the  daily  courses  of  the  dining 
room.  While  some  kinds  are  good  for  late  use  and  growth, 
others  are  comparatively  valueless.  It  does  not  matter  much, 
what  the  colour  of  the  flesh  may  be,  there  must  be  constitution, 
and  a  firmness  of  flesh  and  .skin  that  will  endure  a  slow  progress, 
and  tlie  fruit  remain  sound  for  some  days  after  being  cut  from 
the  plant.  This  is  rendered  necessary,  inasmuch  as  the  gardener, 
anxious  to  place  such  crops  to  the  best  advantage,  must  needs 
keep  them,  as  far  as  conditions  allow,  for  special  occasions. 
Shooting  parties  are,  by  common  consent,  frequent  and  perhaps 
necessary  in  November — ^some  early,  others  late  in  the  month ; 
and  as  such  events  are  not  ahvays  made  known  to  the  gardener 
months  prior  to  their  date,  provision  can  only  be  estimated  in 
a  sort  of  general  way.  I  have  frecpiently  found  that  after 
Melons  have  been  carefully  stored,  awaiting  the  eventful  days, 
they  collapse  almost  within  a  few'  hours  of  the  time,  and  for 
this  reason  the  growth  of  Melons  becomes  a  matter  of  uncer¬ 
tainty  in  use  or  purpose. 
In  summer  time,  given  normal  weather,  one  may  more  easily 
calcidate  for  special  dates  in  the  maturity  of  the  fruits,  but  the 
case  is  different  wffien  one  undertakes  to  provide  such  fruits  for 
November.  We  have  found  British  Queen,  Duke  of  York,  and( 
Western  Hero  very  good  sorts  for  late  use,  but  even  these  are 
eclipsed  by  the  new'er  Late  Perfection  sent  out  by  Messrs. 
Veitch.  At  Longleat,  Mr.  Gandy,  Lord  Bath’s  able  gardener, 
has  been  most  successful  in  providing  November  Melons,  not 
only  of  large  size' — from  31b  to  61b  each — and  in  goodly  numbers, 
but  the  flavour  of  the  fruits  has  won  considerable  praise  from 
host  and  guests  alike.  Gunton  Scarlet  is  a  favourite  for  the 
.summer  with  Mr.  Gandy,  but  it  cnnnO't  compare  Avith  Late  Per¬ 
fection  for  November.  In  such  a  season  Melons  are  usually 
judged  from  an  ornamental  rather  than  an  economic  aspect  at 
party  times ;  but  in  1903,  wffien  Apples,  Plums,  Medlars,  and 
Pears  are  so  scarce,  their  appearance  and  value  become  con¬ 
siderably  enhanced.  A  common  trait  with  late  Melons  is  for 
the  plant  to  collapse  before  the  fruit  has  properly  rip>cncd, 
demanding  an  interval  of  time  more  or  less  jArolonged  on  a  shelf 
in  a  Avarm  structure,  so  as  to  aid  this  chequered  progress'  of 
ripeness.  For  this  reason,  probably,  more  than  any  other,  tho 
ciiaracter  of  late  Melons  stands  Ioav  ;  they  fill  a  place  usefully 
as  an  ornament,  Avhen  there  is  an  ample  supply  of  other  fruits 
more  tempting  in  their  quality  for  actual  dessert  use.  At  Long- 
houses  are  light,  Avell  heated,  and  roomy,  and  soil  so 
well  furnislied  for  Melon  requirements  that,  I  am  told,  nothing 
need  be  added  to  improA'o  it ;  but  eA’cii  gii'en  all  these  gootl 
acce.ssories,  fine  Melons  in  November  are  rendered  none  the  less 
praiseAvorthy  from  a  groAver’s  or  consumer’s  point  of  vieAV. — W.  S. 
Forced  Pot  Vines. 
When  the  buds  break,  the  temperature  Avill  need  to  be  in¬ 
creased  by  GOdeg  at  night  in  mild  Aveather,  and  Sqdeg  Avhen 
severe,  gradually  increasing  it  so  as  to  have  it  GOdeg  at  night 
wlien  the  Amines  are  in  leaf,  and  from  Godeg  to  75deg  by  day, 
Avith  moderate  ventilation.  Sprinkle  the  floors  and  .surfaces  of 
borders  or  beds  tAvice  or  thrice  a  day  in  clear  Aveather,  avoiding 
too  clo.se  and  damp,  or  too  damp  'or  too  dry  an  atmosphei'e. 
Afford  liquid  manure  Avhenever  moisture  is  required  at  the  roots, 
ahvays  supplying  it  at  the  mean  temperature  of  the  house,  or 
that  of  fermenting  material,  about  the  pots,  being  careful  not  to 
make  the  soil  sodden  and  sour  by  needless  supplies.  Disbudding 
must  not  be  practi.sed  until  the  bunches  shoAv  in  the  points  of 
the  shoots,  as  any  extra  groAvth  goes  toAvards  ■  increasing  the 
activ'ity  at  the  roots. — AYtis. 
Cherry  House. 
The  house  containing  trees  for  supplying  ripe  Cherries  from 
the  middle  of  April  onw'ards  must  noAv  be  closed.  Be  sparingi 
of  fire  heat  at  the  commencement,  not  applying  it  unless  ab.so- 
lutely  neoe.ssary  to  maintain  the  temperature  at  from  3odeg  to 
40deg  at  night,  and  40deg  to  4.5deg  by  day,  ventilating  when 
the  temperature  is  about  GOdeg  to  55deg.  Close  the  house  at 
GOdeg.  Syringe  the  trees  early  on  fine  afternoons,  so  as  to 
admit  of  the  buds  becoming  fairly  dry  before  dark.  The  house 
Avill  also  need  damping  in  the  morning  and  afternoon  of  fine 
days,  occasionally  only  in  dull  Aveather.  The  border  aaIII  be 
sufficiently  moist  for  some  time  through  the  removal  of  the 
roof  lights ;  if  not,  it  must  have  Avater  to  bring  it  into  a 
thoroughly  moist  state.  Trees  in  pots,  if  at  all  dry,  AA’ill  require 
repeated  supplies  of  Avater  to  secure  the  thorough  moi.stening 
of  the  soil  doAA'ii  to  the  base  of  the  pots. — G.  A. 
Fruit  Growing  in  Queensland. 
The  Minister  for  Agriculture  in  Queensland,  desirous  of  assi.st- 
ing  fruit  groAvers  in  his  State  by  establishing  ncAv  markets,  has 
bought  up  the  wdiole  of  the  season’s  crop  of  “  Cape  Gooseberries,” 
a  fruit  which  makes  a  delicious  preserve,  for  pulping ;  and 
inquiries  are  being  made  in  Great  Britain  as  to  the  feasibility  of 
establishing  an  export  trade  in  this  article  on  payable  terms. 
Cape  Gooseberry  jam  can  be  purchased  in  London,  and  as  a  table 
delicacy  it  Avould,  Avere  it  generally  knoAvn,  be  greatly  appreciated. 
The  Queensland  Agricultural  Department  is  also-  thinking  of 
trying  an  experimental  shipment  of  Pineapples  to  London,  in 
order  to  test  the  transit  question  thoroughly.  Pineapples  are 
produced  in  Queensland  as  freely  as  Apples  are  here.  In  the 
Bri,sbane  district  alone  close  on  200,000  dozen  are  groAvn  yearly, 
and  all  over  the  State  these  delicious  fruits  are  cultivated,  and 
are  an  ordinary  item  of  dietary.  If  shipped  to  this  country,  it 
w'ould  be  on  a  commercial  basis,  and  the  fruit  Avould  be  sold 
cheaply. 
Bananas  are  produced  in  Queen.sland  in  enormous  numbers  ; 
the  average  annual  crop  may  be  put  at  about  2,000,000  bunches ; 
and  taking,  say,  120  “  fingers”  to  a  bunch,  Ave  get  the  estimated 
yield  of  single  Bananas  in  Queensland  for  a  year  as  240,000,000 ! 
Bananas  flourish  eAmryAvhere  on  the  coast  lands,  and  many  small 
settlers  make  a  decent  living  by  taking  up  virgin  scrub  at  £I  an 
acre  and  groAving  Bananas  thereon  after  clearing.  The  Banana 
has  the  virtue  of  bearing  all  the  year  rouml,  in  congenial  con¬ 
ditions. 
Mangoes  are  groAvn  in  Queensland  Avith  such  ease  that,  in 
good  seasons,  the  local  demand  is  unable  to  deal  Avith  the  out¬ 
turn  ;  1902  AA'as  a  bad  year  for  Mangoes,  but  in  1901  some 
350,000  dozen  Mangoes  Avere  groAvn  in  the  State.  After  some 
hesitation  in  taking  to  this  fine  fruit  Avhen  it  Avas  introduced, 
about  tAventy  years  ago,  Queenslanders  noAv  regard  it  as  a 
commonplace,  and,  raAV  and  preserved,  it  is  eaten  all  over  the 
State.  Orange.s  suffered  from  last  year’s  drought,  but  their 
cultivation  in  normal  seasons  is  an  important  section  of  the  fruit 
department;  about  20,000,000  Oranges  Avere  groAvn  in  1901. 
Tliere  is  a  large  export,  trade  in  all  these  fruits  mentioned  to 
the  Southern  States  of  Australia,  QiAeensland  being  the  supplier 
of  all  tlie  tropical  and  .sub-tropical  fruits  to  Australasia.  The 
area  of  Queensland  is  so  extensive  (669,000  square  miles),  and 
the  climate  so  varied,  that  in  one  part  or  another  every  knoA\  n 
fruit  flourishes.  Cocoa-nuts  are  groAvn  on  the  islands  W'hich 
fringe  the  northern  coasts  in  great  numbers. — N.  Q.  H. 
