April 29, 1911 



HORTICULTURE 



629 



Fruits and Vegetables Under Glass 



DISBUDDING PEACH?:s AND NECTARINES 



Varying methods are used in disbudding peach and 

 nectarine trees grown on a trellis. Since it is necessary 

 to remove so many growth buds some system must be 

 practised to secure a uniform and symmetrically shaped 

 tree. Some men tell us to leave growths on both sides 

 of the shoot; some advocate the bottom, others again say 

 the top side only. I am one of the latter and my rea- 

 sons are forthcoming. After the fruit is set trees 

 should be gone over three or four times at intervals of a 

 few days. The first time remove all breastwood; sec- 

 ond time over, remove half the buds which are to come 

 ofE and finish later. Now, if buds are left on both sides, 

 it often makes a complicated job of pruning. The old 

 growth in the center wants removing and you have two 

 to take its place and where it comes to going back to 

 take a large piece of old wood out you leave a big gap 

 which is hard to fill. If one side methods had been 

 used probably less would have to come out at once and 

 is more readily filled in because that which is left is 

 drawn down into its place. By leaving your growths 

 on the top of the shoot you are continually building the 

 tree up, and the center can be kept open. It is claimed 

 by some that growth left on the under side grows weak- 

 er and throws more flower bud. Possible — but if this is 

 used you have to use the other side so much to build up 

 a tree that it amounts to using both sides. Given plenty 

 of room there will be no lack of flower bud on any 

 growth and to secure the best shaped tree by the sim- 

 plest method growth should be left on the top side as 

 much as possible. There are always a few exceptions, 

 especially at the base of older trees when it would be a 

 folly to stick to this hard and fast rule. 



CROPPING PEACH TREES 



What should constitute a crop for a peach or nec- 

 tarine has often been asked. Much depends on what 

 you are going for — quantity or quality. Should it be 

 a combination of both or — to be more exact "the happy 

 medium"? I would say one fruit to every square foot 

 of trellis covered by the tree. This may not seem much, 

 but if evenly distributed will show up well and finish 

 first-class fruit. To obtain the best finish to a peach 

 or nectarine, they should be propped up by placing a 

 piece of smooth lath behind the fruit and in front of 

 the trellis. This brings them up to the hght and sun, 

 which puts the color into them. The second swelling 

 can have advanced three or four weeks when this is 

 done. Take care to sprinkle a light shade on the glass 

 with a hand syringe for a few days after this is done 

 or the sun may mark a few which were hidden away un- 

 der the foliage. Use whiting or something which will 

 soon wear off, as it is only required for a few days. If 

 not off then it must be gradually taken off. 



SUCCESSION HOUSES 



Those which have been thinned should have a little 

 manure sprinkled on the border during watering. It is 



better to go over them once with the hose and then .obari 

 apply the manure and water it in. By so doing the ^^^ ^^^ 

 manure is not washed through to the drainage. A light 

 top dressing of half decayed cow manure spread loosely 

 over the border will be found a great advantage to es- 

 tablished vines and also peach and nectarine trees which 

 are swelling a crop. This will serve as a mulch, which 

 is needed through the hot weather and also furnish food 

 substances for the roots. Notice that I say half decayed 

 cow manure. This must be so, as green manure would 

 contain too much ammonia and in one night probably 

 half the foliage would be burnt off the vines, as though 

 a fire had hit them. If it is difficult to get the manure 

 in the required stage, get the green stuff and spread it 

 in the sun for a few days, which will dry it and allow 

 some of the gases to escape. The house should never be 

 closed up for a few days after applying this. Leave a 

 crack of air on night and day to allow some of the re- 

 maining gases to escape. Peach trees are not so easily 

 burnt as vines; the manure should be applied imme- 

 diately after stoning and any weak growing varieties 

 or weak trees which may be showing the result of a 

 heavy crop last year can be given enough to cover the 

 root balls soon after going out of flower. 



POT VINES 



Pot vines will now be coloring and feeding should be 

 gradually withheld. Do not let them become at all dry 

 at the roots. Less moisture will be needed in the house 

 as the fruit nears ripening, especially at night time. 

 Any watering or damping that is needed should he done 

 early enough to let the house dry up before night. Un- 

 til the fruit is ripe they will need the floors, etc., damp- 

 ened two or three times daily, during the early and hot- 

 test part of the day, but when the crop is ripe and being 

 used, one damping at mid-day is sufficient. A light 

 shading on the glass will help the berries to retain 

 their color and flavor; this can be put on before they 

 finish if the foliage is lacking in giving the bunches 

 a little shade. When grapes are nearly finished and 

 ripe it is essential that a little heat be kept in the pipes 

 in all dull and damp weather to cause a circulation of 

 air and prevent the moisture from condensing on the 

 l)erries. Fruit should be cut in the early morning be- 

 fore the sun has been on them long and placed in a 

 cool cellar or ice box. 



MADEESFIELD COURT GRAPES 



This is one of the finest black muscats we have in 

 cultivation and has some peculiar characteristics not to 

 he found in any other grape. It takes its name from 

 where it was originated— Madresfield Court, Worcester- 

 shire, England, the Earl of Beauchamp's country place. 

 Barron gives its parentage as Muscat of Alexandria and 

 Black Morocco. We trace the former in shape of berry 

 and bunch and flavor— the latter in color and mode of 

 growth. Following its Muscat parent it likes plenty of 

 air and goes even further to demand more. It is won- 

 derful how even each bunch will come. Throughout 

 a house the bunches will not vary half a pound. Its 

 chief fault is a liability to crack the berries when near 

 finishing. This can be obviated by letting some of the 



