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HORTICULTUEE 



July 13, 1912 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTED BY 



Questions by our readers in line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promptly answered 

 by Mr. FensoD. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the office of HORllLULiiUKJi,. 



Crowded Bunches 



It is not an uncommon thing at this season to find a 

 few bunches crowded in spite of two severe thinnings. 

 Late varieties, which will now be about half swelled, are 

 often deceiving. The size of the berries found in some 

 bunches of Gros Colman, Gros Maroc, Black Alicante 

 and Madresfield Court are sometimes not given sufficient 

 space in which to fully extend themselves. Madresfield 

 Court may not be amongst these in this stage at the 

 present time as it is generally used as a second early 

 variety, but at times she is liable to want more room so 

 can be classed with them for the occasion. "Where 

 bunches are crowded to such an extent as to be de- 

 forming the berries it will be well to remove a few more 

 berries or they will easily crack later and spoil the 

 bunch. A berry will make a large hole in a bunch at 

 this stage so none should be removed without due con- 

 sideration. Select for removal those which have a near 

 neighbor which can be pushed down a little into its 

 place to fill up the gap. There will be no harm done 

 in taking out a few berries until such time as the color 

 shows in them. After this every mark shows on the 

 berries. Swelling does not finish with the first color 

 coming into the berries; not until they are near ripe is 

 the full size attained. 



A point to guard against when working amongst 

 grapes during the hot weather is to see that you do not 

 touch them with a perspiring hand, arm or face. This 

 has the same effect on berries as boiling water would. 

 The side which comes in contact instantly shrinks away 

 as though it were scorched and if allowed to remain only 

 the one-half would swell again. This is different from 

 berries being burnt or scalded with the sun. In the lat- 

 ter case the whole berry will go black in time and drop 

 ofl!, but not so one affected with perspiration; this will 

 not drop. A case of this kind was recently brought 

 to my notice. In tying up a shoulder of Gros Colman 

 a hand accidentally hit the bunch with a result as 

 described above. This is most liable to occur where a 

 bunch is below where one is working, when having to 

 reach up to them the chances of making a disfiguration 

 are less. 



Syringing 

 An illustration of syringing with force and yet with- 

 out injury to the plants has come under my notice this 

 spring and summer. In previous years, frequent fumi- 

 gations have been necessary to keep down green and 

 black fly on melon plants. With the commencement of 

 the present season a small nozzle or reducer was used 

 on the hose while syringing. This reduced the stream 

 down to one-quarter of an inch giving force which at 

 the same time was easily controlled. This was concen- 



trated on to any leaf or young growth effected with aphis 

 and it cleared" them out before getting a stronghold 

 without the least damage to the foliage. This is worth 

 a consideration. There is nothing in it to spread the 

 stream; this is done with the finger and it can be di- 

 rected at any angle. With this in continual use all 

 plants have kept clean during the present season. 



Peaches and Nectarines on the Spur System 



The spur system of training is one which is seldom 

 met with in growing peaches and nectarines. The ad- 

 vantages of the straight fan trained trees are so much 

 superior to it one wonders why it is used at all. True, 

 it is claimed surer flower bud formation results from 

 the pinching process, yet with ordinary care no tree 

 should be shy on flower buds. After having been used 

 to seeing trees literally covered with flowers should we 

 come across one tree with only twenty-five per cent of 

 this mammoth show, at first sight we wonder if it will 

 carry a crop. In the majority of cases, these trees 

 carrying a minority of flower buds are tlie best to set. 

 The percentage of fruits left on to finish is very small 

 as compared to the number of flowers open. All growths 

 can be stopped when fifteen to eighteen inches long, but 

 to keep this up continually there is no benefit. The 

 fruit found growing on the spurs are usually at such an 

 angle that they are marked by pressing up against some 

 other part of the tree, making it difficult to obtain a 

 perfect fruit. Putting the matter of shape and beauty 

 in its proper place, after productiveness, no peach or 

 nectarine tree grown on the spur system looks so good 

 as one that is not. Summing the whole matter up the 

 spur system has really nothing to recommend it. 



Vegetable Houses 



Although we are now sweltering in a heat wave the 

 time is not far distant when we must think about the 

 winter vegetables. With most of the other planting 

 done up, attention should be turned to preparing the 

 vegetable house for the next season's work. Some 

 "catch crop" may be occupying for a few weeks, but as 

 it is only a catch crop it may be able to give way to re- 

 pairs, etc. The annual coat of paint should be applied. 

 This is where many greenliouses are neglected. Paint 

 is an insurance itself, and where an annual coat is not 

 possible every second year it should be made possible. 

 There are benches to be looked over and repaired and 

 where no repairing is needed these should have a good 

 dressing with whitewash. This will not only help to 

 preserve the wood but will act as a fungicide, killing the 

 mycelium of any fungus that is waiting to develop next 

 fall. This will be much more effective if applied when 

 the lime is quite hot. The heating pipes — are they all 

 in good repair? No time like the present for this kind 

 of work. 



