September 7. 1912 



HO i;t 1 c r 1/ 



346 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTED BY 



J><?W., 



Qnestlons by o»r readeri In Une with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially recelred and promptly answered 

 by Mr. Penson. Sucli communications should Invariably be addressed to the ofBce of HORTICULTURE. 



Feeding Strawberries 



As strawberries till out the pots with roots feeding 

 ran commence. Tlie crown has to be made up during 

 ihe ne.xt seven or eight weeks, so they will repay any 

 tare and attention bestowed tm them. Do not rush 

 a tjuantity of strong manures into them right away, or 

 "too imioh of a good tiling"" will be demonstrated. Start 

 gently using a weak solution of soot water as a first 

 persuasive. Soot in itself has little feeding qualities 

 but it will assimilate nutriment already in the soil and 

 also sweeten it. Following this, weak solutions of ma- 

 nures can be applied, gi'adually working them up to full 

 strength. Solutions of manures are recommended be- 

 cause I think strawberries are best fed with solutions; 

 the only time dry manures are superior is when the 

 surface is being loosened up and this can be worked in. 

 Care should always be taken not to give the plants any 

 stimulants when they are dry: rather go over them first 

 with clear water using the "strong stuff' afterwards. 

 With good weather prevailing the plants will need look- 

 ing over for water twice each day. They should also 

 receive a syiinge after the dew has gone off in the 

 morning and again late in the afternoon. 



Watering Finished Trees 



Peach and nectarine trees which are now ripening up 

 the wood will require less water at the root than hitherto. 

 The growing season is over with them, they are in a 

 semi-dormant condition and any excessive moisture will 

 be injurious, helping to keep the wood green, as well as 

 to prevent the tree from resting. There is no danger at 

 this period of disaster from drought; it is after the 

 leaves are off that dryness will cause flower buds to 

 drop. This is why I consider that the most critical 

 time of the whole season of a peach or nectarine is when 

 they are resting. You have no danger signals then to 

 prevent a wreck. From now on aim to keep the border 

 at the "iialf-way house."" This is also applicable to 

 vines in a lesser degree, as they with their mass of roots 

 will dry out a little oftener. 



Shading 



Any shading still renudniug on fruit houses should 

 now be removed (gradually) giving the trees and vines 

 every opportunity to ripen up their wood and develop 

 good buds for next year's products. The one exception 

 to be made perhaps is any vinery which may still be cut- 

 ling: in this case it will be well to leave it on until the 

 crop is off. Later houses can be left a little longer, if 

 the fruit is coloring satisfactorily, but in no instance 

 should more shade be put on. ^^^lere any ditficultv has 

 been experienced in other years to get a satisfactorv fin- 

 ish on Gros C'olman or any of its a.ssociates remove the 

 shade a few weeks earlier. 



The Ant 



Ants are quite a source of trouble on some places, 

 marauding any house at will. While not professing to 

 know their bio,graphy I do know they can distribute 



mealy bug and other live stock with great rapidity. It 

 is said that an ant is the strongest creature in the whole 

 world in proportion to its weight, and seeing the load 

 they carry one can readily believe it. They are mean 

 tilings to rid a place of if once estahlished, the instinct 

 they are endowed with giving them due warning from 

 most poisons, etc. About the most expedient method 

 of extermination is to feed them with bread, meat or 

 bones, placing it on a loose board so that when a good 

 number are feeding tlic whole lot can be dumped into a 

 pail of hot water or something equally effective. This 

 takes time and labor as does every other practical device 

 of eradication. After any kind of fniit has had the 

 skin punctured these little torments delight to make use 

 of it. 



Soil 



With the time for top dressings, additions, and new- 

 borders to be made, one looks towards the soil heap. 

 The storing of sod has not been suggested previously as, 

 with the exception of a little soil needed to finish off 

 after root pruning, there is quite time yet before the 

 other work will come on. Fruit trees differ from plants 

 in respect to soil. The latter require available food 

 immediately on planting while the former are still dor- 

 mant for some time after the soil is supplied to them, 

 thus giving it time to decay and be in its best state when 

 needed. For all such work loam mil be best nearly 

 fresh but let tb.e grass be near decayed. This latter 

 alone is all to debar new cut sod from being used. 

 AVhere soil has been stored some months and yet has 

 three, four, or five months before it is needed to furnish 

 a food supply much will be lost. Manure of any kind 

 should be kept out of the soil heap intended for use 

 in the fruit houses. Get the very best sod procurable 

 — old pasture land which has been grazed with mixed 

 stock is the best. The method generally in vogue is to 

 plough up so much sod and shovel all that comes into 

 ih.e wagons, dumping it out the quickest way with the 

 teams continually driving over the heap. This is the 

 "get there"' idea and leaves the grower to make the best 

 of it later. It answers for a time but where the best 

 is expected why not give every detail the best care? .\ 

 sod cutter set deep will flay off the turf at a unifirm 

 d.cpth and when this is ])laced on the wagon you have 

 no fine soil along with it. Instead of dumping it and 

 having Iiorses and wagon-; drive over it the sod should 

 be handed out and placed on a good heap with the grass 

 sifle down, there to remain until wanted. All this takes 

 too much time, some will say, — yes, but time well spent 

 and it will repay in the end. The location of the heap 

 should be considered. Get it as near to its destination 

 as you can. Close proximity is out of the question at 

 times, as a sod heap is not the most ornamental thing 

 to have around, ilakc provision so that there is room 

 on all four sides of the heap for at least two feet of 

 loose straw manure to be added later, which will keep 

 out the frost ; otherwise all work will be stopped during 

 the winter niontlis. 



