218 



JOURNAL OP HOETICULTUhE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 22, 1877. 



I would oantion any with very vigorous trees from thinkicg 

 that because the fohage is large twice as many fruit may be 

 left upon them as on those leas vigorous yet veil furnished. 

 Results do not justify such expectaucy. Vigorous trees are 

 frequently disappointing. 



Tkaininu. — When the shoots are 3 to 6 inches in length 

 tying-in should commence, for if left until of greater length 

 they cannot be brought into proper form. Either the shoot 

 will snap off at its janction with its parent, or a very ungainly 

 bend be formed. This work of tying the shoots ought to be 

 done with care, leaving plenty of room for the swelling of the 

 shoot. Care should also be taken in not having the tie very 

 near the point of the shoot, or injury may result. All ties 

 should be loose, the trees being often gone over for the regula- 

 tion of the shoots. Nothing answers so well for tying either 

 main branches or ehoots as roffea or Chinese grass. 



Some of the leaves will overhang the fruit, and where they 

 do the fruit will be very highly coloured on the sun or exposed 

 side, and very pale or not coloured at all beneath the leaves. 

 The leaves in this case must be placed gently clear of the fruit 

 when it takes the last swell after stoning, or even cutting away 

 the parts overhanging the fruit. It is of more importance 

 that the foliage have plenty of light and air than that the fruit 

 be fully exposed to the sun. 



Makurino. — Top-dressings are of importance. Nothing 

 aoswere so well as fresh sheep droppings, giving the border 

 a covering half an inch thick when the fruit is not much larger 

 than a cob nut, or fresh cow dung answers nearly as well. It 

 is surprising what a potency these stimulants have in bringing 

 the roots to the surfaoe, and the leaves by their deeper green 

 soon show how they are being catered for. The effluvia given 

 off is not pleasant to red spider. If the appearance of the 

 manure is objected to it is easy to sprinkle it over with soil. 

 Guano spread on the soil, just enough to yellow the surface, 

 every time the harder is watered I have found nearly as good 

 as cow dung, &c. ; but after the stoning a mulch of some 

 iind is desirable, a covering 1 to 2 inches thick of short 

 manure being valuable. Wood ashes are also a good appli- 

 cation, but they are best applied at the dressing preparatory 

 to forcing. Soot may be mentioned as very nearly equal to 

 guano, and equally useful in the prevention of red spider. 

 The surface may be made black at each watering, and the soot 

 be washed in. 



Diseases. — Gumming is the most prevalent and arises from 

 two causes — namely, too rich soil and damage to the branches 

 and shoots. The first promotes long sappy growths which 

 asnally succumb to gum. It may be subdued by restraining 

 the growth, which, however, is usually arrested as the border 

 becomes solidified. The gumming consequent of too close 

 tying suggests its own remedy, and bruising the shoots against 

 the wires is equally inexcusable : in fact, nothing short of mal- 

 treatment will cause the gumming of forced Peach trees. 



Insects. — The moat insidious is the red spider (icarus tel- 

 larius). It is alleged that syringing prevents its attack. Ex- 

 perience tells nothing of the kind, for il we are very careful in 

 applying the water without much force the red-coated fellow 

 not only manages to maintain its footing but increases. The 

 syringing must be thorough— the water driven with such force 

 as to dislodge the enemy. It should, however, not be forgotten 

 that a tree not duly attended to with water and otherwise ill 

 fed at the roots is more liable to attacks of red spider than one 

 well nourished both at the roots and at top by atmospheric 

 moisture. When syringing cannot be done we must have re- 

 course to the sulphur remedy. Sulphur commences to vaporise 

 at a temperature of 105° to 170°. Upon an attack of red spider 

 the pipes should be heated to a temperature hotter than the 

 Jiaud can bear and kept hot for at least six hours, being coated 

 with sulphur brought to the consistency of thin paint, the 

 house being closed. Gum water, i ozs. of gum arabic to a 

 gallon of water, is best for mixing the sulphur. In the morn- 

 ing a thorough syringing may be given to the trees. 



None of the insecticides are more fatal to red spider than 

 aoftsoap solutions, 2 ozs. to a gallon of water, it being applied 

 so as to thoroughly wet both the under as well as upper surface 

 of the leaves. It is not, however, desirable to apply it after 

 the fruit commences ripening. 



Scale (Coccus testudo) is very troublesome and epreada 

 rapidly, but, due regard having been paid to winter dressing, 

 it does not make very great progress until the crop is ripe. 

 Sometimes, however, it must be proceeded againft. Six ounces 

 of soft soap and a wineglassful of spirits of turpentine, mixed 

 thoroughly, and added to three gallons of water at a tempera- 



tare of 140°, applying with a syringe at a temperature of 120°, 

 is the best remedy. This must not be applied until the leaves 

 are fuU-sized and are firm in textare. Repeat if neoesBBry. 



Aphis, especially A. persicaa, takes greedily to the young 

 wood, the flower, and tender leaves, and is as active in winter 

 and spring as during the summer growth of the trees. It 

 yields to fumigation with tobacco. To save fumigation the 

 parts infested may be dressed with tobacco water— an eSeotaal 

 remedy, and upon its first appearance is easily applied with a 

 brush ; whereas if left the aphis spreads rapidly and will con- 

 siderably disfigure the current growths, and is then not readily 

 destroyed. Winter dressing of the trees with sulphur, &(S., is 

 a good preventive of this pest. 



TItrips are beet destroyed by fumigation, also the green 

 aphis, which is not infrequent in eool houses. 



Blister does not prevail among forced Peach trees, but ia 

 common to trees against walls, being due to cold. Fungus is 

 a result, not the cause of blister. 



Mildew I have only once noticed in a forced Peach house, 

 and that was upon the fruit of Early York. It enocnmbs to 

 dusting with flowers of sulphur. — G. Abbet. 



DOUBLE PRIMULAS AT BURGHLEY. 

 Gladly do I bear testimony to the excellence of the Primulas 

 to which Mr. Gilbert alludes in page 189. They are indeed 

 very fine — infinitely superior to any others that I have seen. 

 A saucer full of blooms sent me by Mr. Gilbert is beside me 

 on my desk as I write. I literally feast my eyes upon them. 

 Ah ! why did he not send cuttings ? Tantalus ! Tantalus ! 

 History repeats itself. Undoubtedly your longing for the 

 hanging fruit closely resembled mine for the absent cuttings. 

 A description of the blooms will best serve to explain why I 

 thus covet my neighbour's possessions. In colour they range 

 from a deep pink upwards to pure white, the gradations of 

 shades being developed in the moat charming manner, some 

 being quite suffused with pink, others bearing most delicate 

 tints and shades ol the same colour upon a white ground, and 

 others bearing innumerable spots and pencillings of pink. In 

 size and form they are equally remarkable, many of them 

 measnriug nearly 2 inches in diameter, and all are as double 

 as Diiaies, but from tlieir Urge size remind one more of a 

 double Petunia than a Daisy. The petals are of great sub- 

 stance, large, beautifully fringed, and disposed in pleasing but 

 by no means formal order, rising to a common centre, and 

 imparting a fall globular outline to the bloom. Who would 

 not hke to grow some ? and who ia there that does not sympa- 

 thise with me in my longing for cuttings ?— E. Ldckhubsi. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 Having reason to know from conversation with numerous 

 amateurs and others that the lengthened correspondence which 

 has recently appeared in the newspapers has tended only still 

 further to mystify the public, and consequently to injure the 

 Society even more than was previously the case, I veuttire to 

 ask the favour of space in your paper that I may briefly draw 

 attention to the following facts, hoping thereby to remove the 

 doubts of many who will then be willing to come forward and 

 aid by their subscriptions a Society which has done in the 

 paat, and is still dijitKj, much valuable work. 



1. The Society ia now financially in a better position than 

 it has been for several years past ; but its income is still most 

 inadequate, and with additional aid it would be better able to 

 carry on its experiments and maintain the cflioient working of 

 those Committees whoso labours have proved so beneficial to 

 the general public. 



2. Besides other valuable work, competitive trials of great 

 scientific and practical value have for years been carried on, 

 and are etiU being continued at Chiswick with the most ex- 

 cellent results, whilst the reports in the horticultural papers 

 are a sufficient testimony to the thoroughly successful working 

 of the Scientific, Fruit, and Floral Committees connected with 

 the Society. The fortnightly flower shows are also a great 

 success even beyond the most sanguine expectations. 



3. What is now required is to obtain an increase of Fellows 

 and members, and I think it cannot be too widely known that 

 those who wish to join the Society can do so on the following 

 terms: — 



A. By payment of one guinea per annum, which payment 

 entitles the member to use the gardens at all times, including 

 all shows, fetes, oonservazioni, and promenades both at 



