Adgnnt 22, leeT. 1 



JOUBNAL OP HORTICULTUKB AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



Ul 



if they are not blackened do not set ; and as to those not ex- 

 panded, they were all destroyed with me in 18G6 — that is, all 

 those showing the colour of the corolla. 



It has been questioned whether the Apricot blossom is not 

 proof agaiuRt frost so long as it is dry. That it is uot so sus- 

 ceptible of injury when the air is dry as when it is wet is only 

 what may be expected, but it does not toUov; that a dry atmo- 

 sphere is all we require to protect the blossoms when the ther- 

 mometer indicates several decrees below free/.iug. No fiuit 

 tree blossom is proof against severe cold, and especially a con- 

 tinuance (if cold dump weather, and however unnecessary some 

 may tbiuk it to protect Apricot blossoms, I am of quite the 

 contrary opinion. My e\|)erience is that a slight frost will not 

 prove iiijnrious, but a continuance of cold and wet does mischief 

 that miijlit have been prevented had due regard been paid to 

 the protection of the blossoms ; at the same time little good, 

 and even harm, results from covering the trees during mild 

 weather, for it only renders the blossoms more liable to injury 

 froiii frost in those periods of cold which very often follow warm 

 weatncr. i'roteotiou is uot rc(iuired iu warm weather, for the 

 trees will bo sulliciently excited without it, and no protection 

 ought to be afforded unless one is prepared to give an additional 

 amount of it when the cold is severe. 



It may have been observed that the blossoms and fruit of 

 trees against buildings are often uninjured by a severe frost, 

 whilst those of trees upon garden walls are so damnged that 

 the crop is poor. Now, in trees ngainst a building the dew is 

 prevented falling on the blossoms to the same extent as in the 

 case of a garden wall, for the roof of the building will overhang 

 the tree, and the amount of condensed moisture falling on 

 it will be considerably lessened. Insignificant as this may 

 seem, I know that a similar protection is often suflicient to 

 guard the blossom from injury. A wide coping-board is excel- 

 lent to lix along the wall over the trees. One of 14 inches 

 wide is ample for a wall 12 feet or more in height, and 

 one 11 inches wide for a wall of 10 feet or under, and in most 

 oases such a ooping-board is all that is necessary. 



In severe weather and in cold situations canvas or nets will 

 be requisite in addition to the coping-boards. Canvas is, un- 

 doubtedly, the best covering in a night of severe frost ; but if 

 continued over the trees by day it does more harm than good. 

 There are times when the protection is required as much by 

 day as night, and then canvas coverings are not good, as the 

 trees are kept in the dark, and are deprived of air, without 

 which in abundance the .Apricot does not thrive. Thebest means 

 of protection with which I am acquainted are woollen nets 

 with a quarter-of-an-iuch mesh. These, from their openness, 

 do not prevent the air from reaching the trees, but are suffi- 

 cient to check the deposition of dew, which very often is con- 

 verted into ice by morning. The netting should be made of 

 sufficient width, by sewing several breadths together, to reach 

 from the top of the wall, immediately under the coping, to 

 within a foot of the ground. It should be securely fastened 

 at top under the coping to a strip of wood, and, to prevent its 

 brushing against the blossoms, poles should bo set with one end 

 in the ground, and at 18 inches from the wall, and the other 

 end resting against the latter immediately under the coping. 

 The poles should be 3 feet apart, and the netting secured to 

 them, at 1 foot from the ground, with string fastened to the 

 netting and to hooks or nails in the poles. The netting may, 

 instead, be made to move up and down by means of rollers in 

 the same manner as sh.idings for greenhouses, or it may be 

 secured at top by rings to an iron rod, so as to draw back like 

 curtains. It may also, when not required, be rolled up by 

 hand and laid upon the top of the wall in readiness for use. 



Various other materials are also used tor protection, as frigi- 

 domo, mats, branches of evergreens, and occasionally straw 

 and hay ropes. I have seen straw placed amongst the branches, 

 and it is not a bad protection if care is taken not to cover up 

 the blossoms. Branches of evergreens are also good if stuck 

 in behind the main I r inches and alUwjd to hang ovfr the 

 blossoms. These simple means of protection have hut two 

 objections — they arc not nearly so neat as netting or canvas, 

 and they are more troublesome to place and remove. 



It has been said that it is more necessary to employ cover- 

 ing to retard than to protect the blossoms. This remark I 

 am certain was never meant to apply to the Apricot, for I find 

 a net or canvas kept over the trees after the weather has be- 

 come so warm as to cause the bud-i of the trees to swell, has 

 no effect in preventing their expanding, as I have proved by 

 keeping the netting over some trees by day and not over others. 

 I find it very desirable to defer affording protection as long as 



possible, and when it is used to employ as little as the safety of 

 the blossoms warrants. When the bloom-buds are so far ex- 

 pimded as to show white boldly, then the protection ought to be 

 applied whenever there is a likelihood of a frosty niglit. The 

 protection should remain over the trees by day when the 

 weather is cold, wet, and frosty ; but on line days it should be 

 removed by 8 a.m., and should not be replaced at night unless 

 there is a prospect of frost, and not then sooner than half- 

 past live o'clock. ' 



The protection should be continued until the trees are plenti- 

 fully furnished with leaves, for the young fruit is as susceptible 

 of injury from frost as the blossoms, if not more so. The 

 fruit is not safe until spring frosts are over, and thongh it 

 would be most iujurions to employ protection when the nights 

 are not frosty, neglecting to afford it when they are so may 

 result in the fruit falling when of the size of Beans or larger. 

 The protecting material should, therefore, be in readiness in 

 case of an emergency. .\n hour's extra attention on a cold 

 night may save a good crop of fruit from destruction. 



Thinning the fruit is an important operation, as upon it 

 depend the size and quality of the produce, and the present and 

 after well-being of the tree. It should be done whilst the fruit 

 is young, and of the size of Gooseberries for bottling. I 

 have seen them left until of the size of Walnuts, and then pulled 

 oft' in great quantities, but this is a great waste of the vigour 

 I of the tree, and robs the fruit left. When the young Apricots 

 ' set very thickly, it is well to go over them when about the size 

 1 of horse beans, and relieve the tree of some of its super- 

 abundant fruit. The smallest and worst-shaped should be 

 I first removed, and then the worst in shape and size of those 

 I left, always removing those fruits that are likely from their 

 ' position to become squeezed into an ill -shape from being 

 placed between the wall and the branches, or in some of the 

 angles of the latter. No greater mistake can be made than 

 not thinning the fruit, as the operation has an important etfeet 

 on the size and quality of the produce ; but it should be done 

 early, so that the fruit left may have the full benefit of the 

 vigour of the tree. If fine .Apricots are wanted they must be 

 thinned in time, and the fruit taken off is far better for tarts 

 whilst young and tender than when there is a large stone in 

 them. 



Thinning should not only be done early but judiciously. 

 Weak trees and weak branches ought not to be allowed to bnng 

 to perfection so many fruit as those that are vigorous. One 

 fruit to every half foot of surface is quite sufficient to leave 

 upon a vigorous tree, but the amount of the thinnings should 

 also bo regulated by the size of the fruit. Large kinds should 

 be allowed more space than those that are small or medium- 

 sized. Vigorous branches may be allowed to carry more fruit 

 than those which are weak, as the extra cropping of the 

 vigorous branches will prevent their becoming too strong. 

 The trees should be gone over twice or thrice, removing a 

 quantity each time, as nothing is so detrimental to the health 

 of a tree as the removal all at once of bushels of fruit, which 

 were thinning done early and at twice might all be put in a peck 

 measure.^G. Abbey. 



(To be continned.) 



■WORK FOn THE WEEK. 



lUTCHEN GABDEX. 



TiiK Celery and the chief crops of Endive being planted, the 

 cultivation of the ground between growing winter crops should 

 proceed in fair weather. Cabbages, cut all hard or bursting 

 heads in order to secure a good crop of early sprouts. Kidnty 

 Biam, let the late crops be well earthed up to protect them 

 against storms, and top or pinch all inclined to assume a run- 

 ning character. In gathering Kidney Beans, good cultivators 

 pick the old with the young whether of use or not, at all gather- 

 ings. It is astonishing how a few large or ripening pods will 

 exhaust the plant and hinder a succession. Onionx, the crops 

 of which the tops were bent down a fortnight since should be 

 removed forthwith to a gravel walk, and the ground where they 

 have been growing manured well and planted with late Cole- 

 worts, which will be very useful. ShalloU should be taken in- 

 doors directly ; these require a warm and dry room. Sus- 

 pended in a Cabbnge-nct in a kitchen they may be kept quite 

 sound for a long time. 



FEl'lT G.UiPEX. 



This is a good time to plant the Hautbois Strawberry abont 



6 or H inches apart in beds. Those planted earlier are liable to 



' blossom in the autumn. Let aU runners be trimmed away 



