JOURXAL  OF  HORTTOULrURE  AND  COTTAIE  GARDENER, 
December  31,  1903. 
WOKK/o^ItheVEEK.. 
Fruit  Forcing. 
XI”.,S  :  FORCKD  IN  POTS. — The  canes  that 
w;Te  'i  art  eel  in  November  will  now  have  the  root  action  excitecl 
by  die  development  of  the  foliage.  Great  care  is  necessary  at 
this  .stage  to  avoid  chills,  such  as  those  resulting  from  cold 
currents  of  air  and  watering  with  cold  water  or  liquid  manure. 
Tlu^  temperature  about  the  pots  should  be  kept  steady  at  70deg 
to  7.3deg,  pressing  down  the  fermenting  materials,  adding  freslq 
but  sweetened,  as  required,  it  being  good  practice  to  \eep  a 
heap  of  leaves  and  stable  litter  in  reserve,  from  which  the 
supply  may  be  drawn  as  needed.  Disbud  and  tie  down  before 
the  shoots  touch  the  glass,  not  being  in  too  great  a  hurry  in 
stopping.  When  two  leaves  are  made  beyond  the  bunch  pinch 
off  at  that  point,  the  laterals  being  stopped  to  on?  leaf  as  made. 
Superfluous  bunches  should  be  removed  as  soon  as  choice  can  be 
made  of  the  best,  leaving  those  for  the  crop  that  nromise  to  be 
the  best  shaped  and  most  compact.  It  is  better*  to  have  the 
Vines  under  rather  than  over-cropped.  The  night  temperature 
-should  be  maintained  at  bOdeg  to  Godeg,  and  70deg  to  7odeg  by 
day,  with  an  advance  of  5deg,  lOdeg,  or  lodeg  from  sun  heat, 
according  to  circumstances.  When  the  flowers  open  keep  the 
temperature  70deg  to  7odeg  regularly,  and  maintain  a  rather 
dry  but  not  arid  atmosphere,  and  when  the  fruit  is  set  return 
to  the  temperature  previously  named.  Supply  liquid  manure 
copiously  when  the  fruit  commences  swelling;  yet  it  must  only 
be  given  when  the  soil  is  moderately  dry,  as  excessive  supplies 
cause  soddenness  and  lead  to  shanking  and  bad  finish.  Main¬ 
tain  a  moist,  genial  atmosphere  by  damping  the  paths  and  walls 
two  or  three  times  a  day,  and  occasionally  with  liquid  manure, 
not  too  strong,  or  the  ammonia  volatilised  may  prove  injurious 
instead  of  beneficial  to  the  Vines. 
PLANTED-OFT  VINES  STARTED  IN  NOVEMBER  require 
similar  treatment  to  t  ines  in  pots,  but  the  bearing  shoots  may 
be  stopped  three  or  four  joints  beyond  the  fruit,  and  then  extend 
tlie  growth  so  as  to  secure  as  much  well-developed  foliage  all 
over  the  house  as  can  have  full  exposure  to  light,  taking  care  to 
avoid  overcrowding. 
HOrSES  FROM  WHICH  THE  GRAPES  HAVP:  BEEN 
T. — Pruning  should  be  completed  without  delay,  cutting  to 
a  round  bud  as  near  the  stem  as  consistent  with  promise  of  a 
crop...  Shorten  or  cut  away  elongated  spurs  where  there  are 
others  nearer  the  stem  to  supply  fruit,  or  train  up  young  canes 
to  displace  them.  Remove  loose  bark  carefully,  not  scraping 
into  the  ouick  or  live  bark,  and  thoroughly  cleanse  the  house, 
washing  the  ^  ines  with  a  solution  of  carbolic  or  petroleum  soap 
(loz  to  a  gallon  of  water),  or  some  other  approved  insecticide, 
at  winter-dressing  strength,  employing  a  brush  and  reaching 
into  every  angle,  hole,  and  crevice.  Avoid  strong  soapy  solu¬ 
tions,  as  they  ultimately  dry  the  bark  and  cause  the  Vines  tc> 
break  weakly.  Remove  the  loo.se  surface  soil,  especially  near 
the  collar  of  the  Vines,  and  supply  fresh  loam,  with  about  one- 
third  of  decayed  stable  or  farmyard  manure.  Loam  seems  to 
favour  root  action,  and  it  holds  the  other  fertilising  substances, 
so  that  the  roots  find  abundance  of  nourishment  when  i^roper 
supplies  of  water  are  given  during  active  growth.  The  hous:e 
should  be  kept  cool,  but  frost  is  best  excluded.  If  used  for 
plant.s  the  temperature  ought  not  to  exceed  40deg  to  4.5deg  by 
artificial  means,  and  those  plants  only  that  require  safety  froin 
fro.st  should  be  placed  in  vineries  when  tlie  Vines  are  at  rest. 
If  the  house  has  a  mean  temperature  of  50deg  the  buds  will  be 
started,  and  that  is  prejudicial  to  the  after  growth,  as  alter¬ 
nating  excitements  and  retardments  more  or  le.'^s  affect  the 
constitutional  energy  of  the  Vines. 
LATE  HOUSES.— -Muscat  of  Alexandria  and  Canon  Hall 
Muscat  are  extremely  difficult  to  keep  on  the  Vines  after  Christ¬ 
mas,  v.'hich  may  be,  due  to  the  fluctuations  of  temperature  and 
variability  of  the  atmospheric  moisture,  the  principal  difficulties 
beijig  to  keep  the  temperature  even  and  prevent  the  deposition 
of  moisture  on  the  berries.  Some  growers  prefer  to  let  the 
Grapes  remain  on  the  Vines.  To  keep  the  temperature  equable 
and  exclude  fogs  and  damps,  cover  the  roof  lights  with  straw 
mats  or  similar  material,  keeping  the  house  freely  ventilated 
in  mild  weather,  and  close  when  cold,  with  little  more  heat  than 
IS  necessary  to  exclude  frost.  Grapes  so  kept  weigh  heavier 
than  those  that  hang  some  time  in  a  drier  and  warmer  atnio- 
.sphere,  and  Muscat  so  preserved  command  high  prices,  but  the 
tl rapes  do  not  always  keep  well.  ’ 
FOR  GENERAL  PI  RPOSES  Grapes  are  best  kept  after  th? 
now  year  in  a  Grape  room,  cool,  dry,  and  as  equable  in  tem¬ 
perature  as  possible,  and  the  more  wood  they  are  cut  with  the 
better  they  will  keep.  Place  a  lump  of  charcoal  in  eacli  bottle 
before  the  end  of  the  shoot  is  inserted  in  the  rain  water,  pro¬ 
vided  the  temperature  is  kept  equable,  or  as  near  as  may  be 
40deg  to  45deg.  By  cutting  and  bottling  the  Grapes  the  Amines 
are  set  free  for  pruning  and  cleansing  the  house.  Alicante,  Gros 
Colman,  and  Lady  Downe’s  succeed  well  under  the  close  pruning 
sy.stem,  spurring  to  one  or  two  buds,  the  bearing  shoots  being 
stout  and  short-jointed  ;  but  Gros  Guillaume  and  Mrs.  Pince 
do  best  on  the  long  pruning  sy.steni,  cutting  the  shoots  to  a 
plump  bud  on  well-ripened  wood,  as  the  small  basal  buds  are 
seldom  reliable,  often  pushing  fruitless  shoots. 
Muscat  of  Alexandria  and  Canon  Hall  Muscat  also  succeed 
best  on  the  extension  system,  but  sturdy,  short -jointed,  well- 
ripened,  and  not  overcropped  shoots  of  these  varieties  generally 
show  enough  fruit  when  pruned  to  two  buds,  though  when  the 
buds  are  small  and  the  growths  weak  or  long-jointed  it  is  better 
to  shorten  to  the  shoots  to  the  first  plump  bud  from  the  base, 
always  taking  care  to  rely  on  those  on  well-ripened  wood.  AVhere 
the  Grapes  cannot  be  cut  for  some  time  the  mean  temperature 
should  be  maintained  at  45deg,  5deg  le.ss  as  a  minimum  and  5deg 
more  as  a  maximum,  admitting  air  comstantly  in  mild  weather, 
but  keeping  close  when  foggy  and  cold,  then  with  a  gentle 
warmth  in  the  pipes  to  ensure  the  air  moving.  This  is  the 
grand  secret,  as  .stagnation  causes  the  exact  condition  under 
which  micro-organisms  germinate  and  thrive,  they  speedily  re¬ 
ducing  Grapes  to  a  decaying  mass  and  common  level. — G.  A., 
St.  Albans. 
Kitchen  Garden. 
TRENCHING  GROUND. — A’acant  portions  of  the  kitchen 
garden  should  receive  good  winter  cultivation  by  breaking  up 
the  soil  to  a  good  depth,  and,  in  doing  so,  not  only  including 
the  top  spit,  but  the  spit  below  and  the  subsoil  as  well.  Moving 
soil  to  the  depth  mentioned  is  always  beneficial,  but  the  manner 
of  doing  it  is  of  rather  more  importance  than  may  at  first  sight 
appear.  It  is  generally  found  that  the  top  spit  is  of  a  more 
fertile  character  than  the  lower;  therefore,  when  this  is  the 
case,  the  relative  positions  of  the  various  spits  ishould  not  be 
changed.  This  is  easily  done  by  the  process  of  bastard  trench¬ 
ing  carried  out  as  follow.s ; — Take  out  a  trench  2ft  wide  and 
two  spits  deep,  half  way  across  one  end  of  the  plot  to  be 
trenched,  and  wheel  to  the  same  end  of  the  other  half.  Next 
cut  another  trench  the  same  width,  and  take  out  the  first  spit, 
placing  it  with  the  other  soil  removed.  The  bottom  spit  of  the 
first  trench  .should  then  be  broken  up  and  left  where  it  is,  and 
the  second  spit  of  the  second  trench  should  be  placed  on  the  . 
top,  finishing  with  the  first  spit  of  the  next  trench.  Continue 
in  this  manner,  adding  manure  between  the  bottom  and  second 
spit.  By  this  method  fertile  soil  remains  on  the  surface  while 
the  material  below  is  broken  up  and  begins  to  improve  in  quality, 
until  in  time  the  whole  depth  will  be  of  uniform  fertility. 
PREPARING  HOTBED  MATERIAL.— Hotbeds  will  shortly 
be  required  for  various  purjjoses ;  hence  the  preparation  of 
material  for  forming  them  ought  to  b?  commenced.  Di'y  or 
moderately  dry  Beech  and  Oak  leaves  are  admirably  suited  for 
mixing  with  fresh  horse  manure.  Until  a  quantity  both  of 
manure  and  leaves  can  be  brought  together  they  should  not  be 
encouraged  to  ferment,  but  be  spread  out  thinly;  then,  when 
enough  has  been  secured,  throw  into  a  heap  to  ferment,  turning 
over  several  time.s  to  drive  out  the  fierce  heat  and  strong  ga.ses 
evolved.  After  this  it  will  be  ready  to  form  into  beds,  prefer¬ 
ably  within  brick  frames,  as  this  will  to  a  great  extent  conserve 
the  heat.  Open  beds,  however,  built  up  Avith  a  frame  on  the  top 
have  the  important  advantage  that  they  can  have  the  heat 
renewed  from  time  to  time  bj''  linings  on  the  outside  of  fresh 
material. 
POTATOES. — If  kept  thoroughly  dry  and  cool  in  the  store 
room  or  shed,  and  protected  during  frosty  periods,  little  harm 
will  come  to  the  tubers.  Damage  to  the  tubers  .spreads  very 
rapidly  Avhen  damp  conditions  prevail  about  them,  or  disease- 
infected  tubers  ai’e  allowed  to  remain  among  sound  specimens. 
Seeing  that  there  is  the  possibilit.y  of  this  occurring  if  the 
Potatoes  were  in  the  least  affected  Avhen  stored,  it  is  desirable 
to  make  an  examination  of  them'  at  this  time,  and  separate 
sound  from  unsound  tubers.  AA'hile  doing  this  the  tubers  most 
suitable  for  seed  may  be  selected,  placing  them  in  shalloAV  boxe.s 
and  store  in  a  light  position.  Potatoes  for  cooking  must  be 
kept  from  the  light.  Good,  clean,  dry  straw  or  bags  may  bo 
used  as  a  covering,  increasing  the  depth  in  the  ev'ent  of  severe 
frost. 
LIFTING  ROOT  CROPS  FOR  USE.— Although  many  roots, 
including  Parsnips,  Jormsalem  Artichokes,  Salsafy,  and  Horse¬ 
radish,  are  left  in  the  ground  as  a  rule  until  Avanted,  and  there 
keep  in  good  condition,  it  is  desirable  to  lift  a  portion  of  each 
crop  and  lay  in  in  soil  in  a  .shed,  so  as  to  be  readily  at  hand 
,  during  seA-ere  weather. 
PLANTING  HORSERADISH.— The  opportunity  may  be 
taken,  if  a  plot  of  deeply  dug  ground  is  prepared,  to  rejAlant  a 
