Page:The family kitchen gardener - containing plain and accurate descriptions of all the different species and varieties of culinary vegetables (IA familykitchengar56buis).pdf/199

 When the fruit has set, the vines may be syringed every afternoon, about four o’clock, having previously shut up the house, not to be opened again till the sun has fairly tempered the atmosphere next day, which will generally be from nine to ten o’clock, if the house fronts south, when air must be given by the top sashes, not allowing the thermometer to go higher than from 90 to 110 degrees.

During the warm, cloudy days of July and August, mildew is sure to appear, and has frequently accomplished great destruction before it is discovered. It is readily known by a yellow, sickly transparency on the leaf, or a greasy, soft feel when you lay hold of it. The best cure is to give copious syringings of water, twice a day, giving plenty of air to the house from ten to three o’clock, in sunshine. If it has far gone, pour four gallons of boiling water over five pounds of flower of sulphur, stir it well, and after allowing it to settle, mix a fourth of this water with that which is used for syringing, which will entirely kill all mildew. Never leave the doors open for any length of time; it causes cold draughts of air through the vines. Cease syringing as soon as the fruit begins to color. Give water to the roots every week, whilst they are in a growing state, till the fruit has fully swelled.

The hints we have thrown out on the culture of this truly luscious fruit will, we think, enable any one to grow it at least to a small degree of perfection; and with a mediocrity of caution and observation, good and regular crops may be obtained for either pleasure or profit.

never considered this fruit as any other production than a garden variety of the Peach, from which it is only distinguished by the smoothness of the skin. Many highly wrought descriptions of it have extolled it as being finer fla-