April 1. Utll 



HORTICULTURE 



479 



Fruits and Vegetables Under Glass 



FIG HOUSE 



Figs started in Febniai-y will now be making good 

 gi-owtli and the first crop of fruit swelling. With three 

 or four fully-developed leaves maintain a night tempera- 

 ture of 55 to 60 degrees. Admit a little air as soon as 70 

 degrees lias been reaeiied in a morning, applying a crack 

 at first and advancing as sun increases. From now on 

 what is known as stopping or pinching will have to be 

 continually resorted to. This is pinching out the point 

 of tlie gi-owth as every four or five leaves develop, which 

 checks it for a time at tlie apex and concentrates more 

 sap and energy on to the small fruit (the second crop) 

 which will be found in the axils of the leaves. This can 

 be done at intervals as the gi-owtli of the tree pro- 

 gi'csses and the shoots tied in their places on the trellis. 

 This is applicable also to trees being grown in pots or 

 tubs in bush form. Stopping must be done and later on a 

 stake to support the heavy growth will be beneficial. 

 Figs througliont the gnnving seasmi like a very humid 

 atnidsiihere as well as a plentiful supply of water tn the 



mots. 



I'liOlM'lNG VIKES 



This is a vital question when one considers that the 

 life of the vines depends on the crops they are asked to 

 carry. Young vines especially are easily ruined by 

 over-cropping. Aerial roots become numerous — a sure 

 sign that they are seeking more suppoi't : shanking will 

 probably show before the crop is finished and berries will 

 never color and finish as they should do. These evils 

 may take a few years to show themselves and at times 

 wo wonder why they are so. Proliably the canes were 

 run up in a year or two aitd never cut back as they 

 should have been. Each year a heavy crop was carried, 

 perhaps finishing up well, but it is time that tells. Youth 

 always was served but as soon as youth is gone "look 

 out." If vines are to be built up to last they must be 

 done so gi'a dually each succeeding year seeing another 

 length of young cane added, which in turn means more 

 fruiting spurs and more btiuches. For the first year of 

 planting (from a pot) no fruit should be carried. Prune 

 back to two eyes and grow fur another season. The next 

 year if canes are strong leave about four feet of rod and 

 carry two bunches, building on a little each year. If 

 weak at all, prane back harder and do not crop. All 

 depends on the strength of the vine itself. In this way 

 a rod is built up with a constitution which will stand the 

 test of time. On the other hand a house can be filled in 

 a couple of years and heavy crops carried for a time, then 

 you want new vines and borders. Well-established and 

 full-grown vines will carry approximately one bunch to 

 each two feet of rod, but much depends on the variety 

 and treatment given them. Never allow two bunches on 

 the same lateral. 



PKACH TREES STONING 



This is the most critical time during the whole growth 

 of the fruit. An imperfect stone means an N. G. peacli. 

 Xumerous fruits will also refuse to stone and drop off 

 if not assisted. This is one of nature's ways of thinning 

 a crop, but if they have been already thinned and evenly 

 distributed over the whole tree .none should drop now. 

 Relieving it of part of the crop early insures an even 

 I vop to finish, no two fruits spoiling each other here and 

 none at all elsewhere. Early started trees in pots will 



now be stoning and should have the temperature dropped 

 !i few degrees. Do not try to rush at all at this stage. 

 Give as nnich air as possible. Frequent dilutions of lime 

 in the water (enough to nicely color it) is a great help 

 to stone formation. Do not give any feeding in any 

 form until the second swelling commences, when a final 

 thinning can be made and food in the form of suitable 



rnninire given. 



MELON BEDS AND CKOP.S 



A diversity of opinion exists as to whether a heavv or 

 sandy soil is preferable for melons. Soil does not appear 

 to be such a great factor with melons as it is with some 

 crops. Both soils will produce a good crop when properly 

 handled. Of the two a heavy fibrous loam is to be pre- 

 ferred as this will allow of lime rubble and charcoal being 

 added — even sand if very close and heavy. Using a 

 small bed, this heavier loam is preferable through the 

 summer as it will keep moist longer. Bed need not be 

 more than eighteen inches wide and four inches deep 

 and made quite firm. This makes a sturdy growth, 

 being less liable to canker and other diseases. The 

 addition of lime rubble and charcoal must be governed 

 by the texture of the loam. We find good results are 

 obtained by cutting the sod up into good-sized lumps and 

 mixing the other ingiedients into it. If whole turfs are 

 used a little can be laid between them and included in the 

 mounds. From now on plants are best planted twenty- 

 one inches apart, but in early houses and again towards 

 fall one foot will be far enough. This may seem close 

 but it has proved to be satisfactory and has advantages 

 over the longer distance, in that more fruits can be pro- 

 duced with a greater degree of certainty. It is an easy 

 matter to get a set of two fruits to the plant, but not 

 always so to get three or four, and these plants which are 

 planted closer will make better-sized fruit than one 

 plant at the longer distance carrying four. Through the 

 summer time when melons grow so luxuriantly the lat- 

 ter method is preferable. 



VEMETABLE HOUSES 



Vegetable houses which have been doing service along 

 through the winter will now be easing up as the crops 

 are able to be transferred to the open grounds. Late 

 tomatoes, beans, peas, spinach, etc., will still command 

 attention, but will not need replenishing. The houses 

 can be profitably used for a time by growing melons 

 which can be planted on a slightly raised mound of sandy 

 loam on the bench and allowed to grow without any re- 

 strictions. A few seeds can be sown at once in a pan 

 and potted on into threes. Should room still be scarce, 

 pot on again into sixes and transfer to the bench from 

 the latter. This will give you melons several weeks 

 ahead of those sown in the open and these are especially 

 appreciated if no gi'eenhouse varieties are grown. Such 

 varieties as Seth Low, Rocky Ford, and Emerald Gem 

 will answer the purpose well. The treatment of these 

 will be quite different from greenhouse varieties. 



dp^GL^y^ 



-^O^rs^^ 



U\ -Mr. Pcusoii's notes a few errors escaped the proof-reader's 

 srniriny in the issue of March IS. Kefering to the scion, read 

 •'can t;ike the form of a vine in a pot, easily placed in position 

 OR a lateral. " Regarding thinning of grapes for "the grafting of 

 I'lmches can be reduced," read "the QUANTITY of hunches," etc. 





