Jane 13, 1867- ] 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICULTDBE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



413 



shoots from Pears, Apples, Plums, &c., so as to give more light 

 to the smaller stubby shoots, and were careful not to overdo 

 this nipping just yet, that there might be no inducement to 

 these stubby spurs to elongate into shoots. By thus carefully 

 summer-nipping our dwarf trees there will be no lack of fruit- 

 buds, if the roots are iu good condition, and the trees are kept 

 compact and near home. 



Melons. — " Frutex " wants to know if he cannot grow Melons 

 in a cold frame after the middle of June, and also how best to 

 manage the training and pruning in the simplest way. To the 

 first we say. Yes. We have had good crops merely with a 

 frame over them and no bottom heat, but taking care to secure 

 all the heat possible from the sun, by shutting up closely early 

 in the afternoon, and covering the glass in cold nights. The 

 crop wUl be all the more sure if there be, beneath the centre 

 of each light, two or three barrowloads of hot dung, on which 

 the soil must he placed and firmly trodden. If it can be 

 managed, the plants will do as well if the roots be confined to 

 from 2 to 3 feet in width of soil, as over-luxuriance is thus 

 avoided. The soil, however, should be 18 inches deep. We 

 shall describe the simplest mode of cultivation, and the easiest 

 to a beginner. Supposing, then, the lights to be 4 feet in 

 width, and .5* or G feet in length, we would recommend three 

 plants to a light, each plant pretty well established in a separate 

 pot previously. This will be better than sowing the seed where 

 the plant is to grow ; but however obtained, as soon as the 

 plants are 3 or 4 inches or so iu height nip the point out. Of 

 the shoots that come from the axils of the leaves select two, as 

 equal in strength as possible. Plant carefully, and train one 

 of these shoots to the b.ick and the other to the front of the 

 frame, and do not stop them until they each are folly 2 feet 

 long, but nip out the side shoots that come from the axils of 

 the leaves as the shoots grow. When you do stop, leave three 

 or four joints, which will be close together when you nip out 

 the terminal bud. These joints will grow farther apart as the 

 shoot lengthens ; and from the axils of the leaves at the joints 

 a shoot will come, which may be expected to show fruit, and 

 should be stopped a joint above the fruit, and, if too much 

 fruit set, you can thin out as you like. If this side shoot do 

 not show fruit at the first joint wait until the second come ; 

 and if that do not, stop to cause the production of a fourth 

 side shoot. Now, by this simple means you will have sis main 

 shoots from your three plants ; the disbudding of these six 

 shoots secures fine foliage without crowding with smaller shoots ; 

 and if from one main shoot you can manage to set and swell 

 only one fruit, that wUl give you six fruit to the light, and so 

 on in proportion to the number you would like, or the size of 

 the Melon, bearing iu mind that if a moderate number is taken 

 the fruit will generally be better, heavier for its size, and 

 richer in flavour. Bemember, too, that whatever number of 

 fruit you take from a plant, you must induce them to set, and 

 begin to swell at once and together ; for it only one fruit swell 

 on a plant it is difficult to get any more to set and swell. 



This is one of the reasons why we recommend the three 

 plants to a light, and planted in the centre at regular distances, 

 as it is easier to set two and four fruit on a plant at the same 

 time than six or a dozen. The mode of disbudding the first 

 side shoots and only leaving those at the point to come, secures 

 strength of plant before the fruit shows, and renders much 

 other pruning unnecessary. For many years we acted strictly 

 on this simple plan, suggested by a careful study of the growth 

 and nature of the plant, and with great general success. From 

 press of other matters we have not been always able to see the 

 plan simply carried out, but we have met with no other plan 

 so good and so successful at a minimum of trouble and labour. 

 Of course, when one plant is designed to occupy a large space, 

 four, six, or more shoots must be obtained after the first stop- 

 ping, and the more regular these shoots are in strength the 

 more equally will the fruit be distributed and set. The three 

 plants will be the simplest for the inexperienced. The 

 simplicity will be a little increased if one plant have the two 

 secondary shoots trained to the back, and the next plant have 

 the two shoots trained to the front. Each plant will then be 

 wholly in one position as respects light, temperature, ifcc, 

 and the setting of different fruit at one time will be, if 

 anything, easier. 



We trust it will thus be seen that the primary shoot of the 

 Melon is that which comes at once from the seed, the main 

 stem as it may be called. The secondary shoots are those 

 selected that come after the pinching-out the point of the main 

 stem. These are what we recommend to train over the bed, 

 disbudding the tertiary shoots that come from them nearest 



the stem ; and the tertiary bearing shoots are those we allow 



to come from near the stopped point of these secondary shoots, 

 and which tertiary shoots we stop again at the joint above 

 the fruit. 



OBNAltENTAL DEPABTMENT. 



Some of the walks not pleasing us we ran the hoe over 

 them when damp, and raked them level on a sunny day. The 

 weather compelled us to mow, and was too wet to permit us to 

 proceed with flower-bed planting ; but if it continue fine, the 

 most will be done before this is printed. Not wishing to repeat 

 what has recently been said, we would refer to last week's 

 notices for what is more important even than early planting. 

 Looked after bulbs, Pinks, &c., and commenced propagating 

 the latter.— B. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Jd.ne 12. 



Under the influence of this sunny weather supplies are greatly im- 

 proved both in quantity and quality, and a marked increase in Continen- 

 tal imports is observable ; they now comprises Peaches, Nectarines, 

 Melons, Figs, Apricots, and Cherries. Of home-grown Pines and Grapes 

 there is an abundance, with a good sprinkling of Peaches and Nectarines, 

 and a large quantity of open-air Strawberries. Potato trade dull at 

 former prices, and unfortunately much disease is aU-eady making its ap- 

 pearance. 



FBCIT. 



B. d. B. d 



Apples J sieve 3 0to4 



Apricots doz 3 4 



Cherries box 2 3 



Chestnuts bush. 



Currants i sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 6 10 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 9 16 



Gooseberries . . quart 4 6 



Grapes, Hothouse, .lb. 5 10 



Lemons 100 S 10 



8. d. B. <t 



Melons each 5 0to8 



Nectarines doz. 10 18 



Oranges 100 5 10 



Peaches doz. 15 







Pears (dessert) ..doz. 



kitchen doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 5 



Plums i sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 1 



38 











8 













 



Walnuts bush. 10 20 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes each 



Asparagus .... bundle 

 Beans, Kidney, per 100 



ScarletRun.i sieve 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brus. Sprouts ^ sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



pickling .... doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish . . bundle 



s. d. B. d 



etoo 8 



3 6 















2 







LeekB bnnch 



Lettuce .... per score 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustd.& Cress, punnet 



Onions per bushel 



Parsley per sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas per quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



New lb. 



Radishes doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



ShaUots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes per doz. 



Turnips bunch 



s. d. s. 



3 too 



10 2 



16 2 







4 



3 





 

 9 

 9 





 



TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 



A. Barnaart, Vogelenzang, Haarlem, Holland. — Catalogue of 

 Dutch Flower Boots. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*,• We request that no one will write privately to the depart- 

 mental writers of the "Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. AH 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, d'C, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.C. 

 Hospital (A Young Gardrner).— There is a hospital specially devoted 

 to diseases of the heart, at 67, Margaret Street, Cavendish Square. With- 

 out medical advice we know persons who have had heart-disease for 

 twenty years, and are still alive. Physicians of tn-oatest eminence 

 merely advised temperate hving and avoidance of violent exertion. 



Seedling Cinerarias and Calceolarias (It. B.).— The flowers were 

 punched flat and dry. Flowers, and indeed all specimens of plants, 

 should be sent in damp moss in a box. 



FcN-GDS IN Bark Bed of Stove (Linda).— The name of the fungus is 

 Agaricus (Lepiota) clypeolarius, a British species, not uncommon in hot- 

 houses. It is not a recognised eatable species, and we cannot recommend 

 any means for preventing its recurrence without injuring the tan ; it will 

 probably soon disappear of its own accord. You, or any one. would oblige 

 us by sending three or four fresh specimens, iu an old seidlitz-powder 

 box (with a bit of wet moss), to Mr. W. G. Smith, 12. North Grove West, 

 Mildmay Park, London, who is making a collection of drawings of Fungi. 

 Viola corndta (Brockfield).— They are correct blooms as far as we can 

 make out in their shrivelled state. Flowers should be enveloped by damp 

 moss in a box for travelling. 



