342 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIO0LTURB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( May 10, 1877. 



therefore be washed through a sieve or otherwise. And now, 

 Messrs. Editor?, I think I have "done my duty" in the best 

 way I am able.— S. W. Bullock, Brockton, Staj'ord. 



[You have done it well. The only sentence we regret is — 

 " the hospital treatment not yet described." Pray describe 

 it.— Eds.] 



FOBCING OF THE FIG TREE IN POTS. 



If there is one branch of fruit culture that I prefer to another 

 it is that of growing fruit trees in pots, and especially those 

 of the Fig. I do not intend to take up the subject of Fig 

 culture generally, because that has several times been done, 

 but shall coDtine my remarks to forcing the tree, as I believe 

 that many persons would be induced to practise it if they 

 knew it could be done sucoessfally. Some people have houses 

 built especially for the Fig, and by planting out obtain excel- 

 lent crops. 1 write, however, now to those who have a vinery 

 with a pit in it so as to afford a little bottom heat, which the 

 Fig much enjoys. One of the most successful modes of growing 

 Figs in pots that I have practised has been the following. 



When a vinery is all in readiness for commencing forcing 

 the pit is filled up with heating material previously prepared. 

 It consists of cow dung with the straw in it, and horse dung 

 the same, fresh from the yard. All is mixed together and 

 fermented for a time, so that the rankuess may pass oft; but 

 the cow dang not heating violently soon modifies the other, 

 so that it is not long before the whole is fit to place in the pit. 

 When this is done the manure is again well mixed and made 

 firm all over the bed, so that the sinking may go on as evenly 

 as possible. While this is lying in the house the plants should 

 be potted. 



My practice has been to grow them in No. 8-sized pots as 

 being easily moved, and they will grow trees of good size year 

 after year. The plants were brought from their storehouse, 

 which was generally in a dry place but cool, and the pots were 

 always covered with litter through the winter. When taken 

 out of the pots the drainage was taken out, and as the Fig is 

 a very vigorous-rooting tree one can imagine that there was 

 a ball of roots matted together in all directions. These were 

 chopped off with a chopper kept for the purpose to within 3 or 

 4 inches of the stem all round. The plants were grown on 

 single stems to about 10 inches above the pot. The balls when 

 ready for potting would be about 7 inches across and 8 or 9 

 deep, for they were cut off square at the bottom. The pots 

 were well cleaned and redrained with large crooks covered over 

 with some fibre shaken from the soil. The compost was com- 

 posed of turfy loam two-thirds and the rest very much decayed 

 manure ; no sand was added. 



When potting the ball was placed just low enough to admit 

 of its being covered with an inch of soil, which was rammed- 

 in as firmly as possible; and by so doing the soil had to be 

 in a proper state — I mean not wet, but free, open, and mode- 

 rately dry. The rule practised was to dress the trees the 

 same as the Vines with a mixture of sulphur, soft soap, and 

 clay. After potting the trees were stood on the floor of the 

 house for a few days, and then for a few days on the bed, and 

 next they were partly plunged in it ; and if all went well they 

 were finally plunged when all fear of too mnch heat had abated. 

 This plunging had to be very carefully done — every pot placed 

 level, and the manure packed closely under the rim of the 

 pots, so that the heat fhould rise regularly. The roots had 

 water within a day or two after potting, but they did not re- 

 quire much till they had begun making fresh roots, but the 

 branches were regularly syringed three times a day. Under 

 good culture there were two crops a year, the first from that 

 in embryo on the previous year's wood, and the second from 

 that of the current year's growth. 



Watering is very important in the culture of Figs in pots ; they 

 always want plenty of it, especially when the pots become full 

 of roots, and, in the height of their growth and fruiting, manure 

 water three times a week. The growth was generally stopped 

 when about G inches long, but none less than that, which soon 

 cansed young fruit to appear at the axils of the leaves. The 

 young fruit must be watched, or it sometimes happens that 

 instead of swelling it turns yellow and drops off ; so that a 

 moderate temperature at first, plenty of moisture, and an early 

 inducement to root-action are the principal points to study in 

 the early stages, for a neglect of watering even for a day some- 

 times will cause the fruit to drop. 



Before the season is out a top-dressing is needed, as the 

 roots will be up on the surface : let the Earns sort of soil be 



used for this as for potting. And, again, it must be expected 

 that they will root vigorously through the bottom and will 

 spread all over the dung bed, so that when this is found to be 

 the case the bed itself must be watered, but with only clear 

 water, as they will be rooting in a bed quite rich enough. I 

 have not practised this mode of Fig culture for some few years, 

 but can recommend it strongly to those who have the little 

 convenience and pay the necessary attention as above described. 

 I was taught this plan by a Scotch gardener and practised it 

 for several years under him, and the crops varied very little 

 from time to time. The sorts were the Brown Turkey and 

 White Marseilles. 



A great enemy to the Fig is the red spider, which comes on 

 generally when the leaves have made their growth. This pest 

 spreads with astonishing rapidity if the atmosphere and the 

 roots are allowed to become dry both at one time. The brown 

 scale also is pretty certain to find its way on the leaves, and 

 will establish itself on the wood as well if not picked off. 



The trees were allowed to remain in the vinery till the leaves 

 turned yellow and were ultimately removed to other quarters, 

 but with plenty of light and air. Probably the Fig will do 

 with less heat than the Vine ; but it thrives so well if started 

 at 45", rising by stages as with the Vine up to 70', that there 

 is no need for making much difference. — Thouas Record. 



THE AURICULA APHIS. 



Following the suggestion of "D., Deal," in a recent issue 

 of the Journal I took up to London an Auricula with the living 

 woolly aphis to Mr. Murray, the Secretary to the Soientifio 

 Committee of the Koyal Horticnltural Society. He writes me 

 word — " Tour Auricula blight insect is very close, if not 

 identical, with a species named Trama radicis that has been 

 found on the roots of Helianthemum, the Jerusalem Arti- 

 choke, and Crepie biennis. ... I do not find any notice 

 of woolly stutf on Trama radicis, and it may be that this is 

 new." 



I had previously found that our Auricula enemy was specifi- 

 cally distinct from the Apple aphis, so no one need fear mis- 

 chief from the contiguity of their Apple trees. The Apple 

 aphis no doubt has sins enough of his own on his shoulders 

 without being blamed for the sins of his neighbours, and I 

 would not leave even an enemy under the shadow of an unjust 

 aspersion, especially as clear facts are wanted to grapple with 

 our foe. In external appearances the two species are quite 

 different. The Apple aphis is rough and blackish, the Auricula 

 aphis sleek aud yellowish white ; and though these differences 

 of colour may be sometimes modified — and colour alone in an 

 insect is seldom to be relied on — there are other strcclural 

 differences which become apparent under the microscope. 



The point of resemblance which first attracted me, before I 

 had the two side by side for comparison, was the woolly sub- 

 stance which each species produces. This forms a blanket-like 

 covering and protection for the perfect insect, and also possibly 

 an aerial but haphazard means of locomotion for the male 

 insects to float. Thistle seedlike, in search of fresh fields and 

 pastures new before the summer breeze enveloped in his fleecy 

 balloon. 



It was with great regret that I found at the recent Show on 

 the 24th ult. at the Crystal Palace that " D., Deal,", was pre- 

 vented from competing owing in a very material degree to this 

 pest. The plant he brought there for inspection had apparently 

 been infested ; there was the blankety covering to the roots — 

 sodden aud stale — but no insect, as though the enemy had 

 been there and decamped, for neither I nor others who searched 

 could detect any sign of him. 



The loss sustained by " I). , Deal," is so serious that no one 

 can well despise the enemy ; but I cannot help thinking he 

 must unobserved have done most of the mischief in the autumn 

 months, and that its effects did not become apparent till spring 

 treatment, and the call of the plants upon their spring energies 

 found the roots sapped, eaten, and decayed. 



I am surprised to find how little my plants have minded the 

 vigorous treatment I gave them in February. I followed Mr. 

 Horner's advice — repotted and washed root, stem, and foliage 

 of all my affected Auriculas, and have not lost one, though I 

 destroyed thousands of this woolly aphia, and cannot now find 

 a single specimen, and my bloom is better than I have ever had 

 it, bat few plants protesting by giving me one, two, or three 

 pips only, while in growth they are correspondingly vigorous 

 and strong. 



The fact that an aphis attacked the roots seemed known to 



