Jaannry 38, 1969. 1 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE CJARDENEB. 



63 



l3lo of Portl.Hi.J. I am, therefore, well pleased to taaUe the 

 foUowiu^' extract from a letter just received ;—" It may, perlmris, 

 iulereat you ti) hear that Adiantum oapillua-Voneri.s has lululy 

 been found iu tho lale of Portland." — G. 



CUCUMDER CULTURE —Xo. ;. 

 PnuNiNO AND Tkaining. — The tirst pruning or stopping 

 should be performed when the plant has pushed so as to have 

 two joints or leaves in addition to the seed loaves, the growing 

 point being taisen out immediately above the second joint. 

 This stopping will cause the production of two or more shoots, 

 which in their turn should have the growing point pinched out 

 as soon as it can be done without injury to the leaf to which 

 tho shoot is stopped, which will be the case when the growing 

 point u clear of the leaf. The point of the shoot must he re- 

 moved with the end of a sharp knife, and not by the finger 

 and thumij, which, like scissors, more or less bruise the shoot, 

 and the wound does not heal so well as that from a clean cut. 

 The second stopping should take place when the shoots resulting 

 from the first stopping have made three joints or leaves. These 

 stoppings will cause the production of a sufficient number of 

 shoots to cover the bed or fill the frame, and are what I con- 

 .sider proper, though when the seed is new it may be well to 

 stop the plants more closely, t iking out the points of the 

 plants when they have made one rough leaf, and repeatedly 

 .stopping every shoot at the first leaf afterwards up to the fourth 

 joint, and thea allowing the shoots to make four joints, when 

 their points ara to be pinched out. By either of the above 

 modes of stopping or preparing tho plants, a sufficient number 

 of shoots wiUb? produced from near the root, which is desir- 

 able, so that there may not be any waste of space, and by 

 stopping we call into activity parts that otherwise must remain 

 dormant, and the plants come sooner into bearing than if left 

 to their own free growth. 



Of tho shoots resulting from the stopping above described, 

 six or eight cf the strongest must he selected and trained over 

 the surface of the bad directly towards the sides of the frame, 

 allowing a distance of 12 inches between each. If two plants 

 are placed in each hill or light, then three or four shoots only 

 will be required from each plant, or tho number of shoots re- 

 quired to fill the frame, ll! inches being allowed between the 

 shoots, which I v/iU, for the sake of distinction, term prin- 

 cipal shoots. In thecase of one plant under each light, the shoots 

 must be eqa%l[y disposed towards the back and front of the 

 frame, making choice of shoots, if possible, of corresponding 

 vigour. These principal shoots will push laterals, or secondary 

 shoots, which will serve to fill the frame and bear fruit. The 

 principal shoois wUl also answer for the latter purpose, show- 

 ing fruit very often at the second or third joint; but iu that 

 case take out the points of the shoots two or three joints above 

 the fruit, and if one of the principal shoots is stopped, take 

 out the points of all the principal shoots, so that there may 

 be an equal length of extension iu all, as well as a correspond- 

 ing production of lateral or secondary shoots. Of the shoots 

 pushing after the stopping, select the strongest, and train it in 

 as a cjntiuuatirn of the principal shoot; but if no fruit show 

 on the principal shoots, allow them to grow until within 

 G Inches of the sides of the frame, then take out their points, 

 and the result will be a number of laterals, which will show 

 fruit abundantly at the second or third joint. 



The laterals must not be allowed to grow too thickly, but be 

 kept regularly trained, and at such distances along the prin- 

 cipal shoots that each will receive a due amount of light. 

 They are too few when there are hare places, and too numerous 

 when they cross, or the leaves have not room to develope them- 

 selves fully ; the shoots must not cross or become entangled, and 

 the foliage must not be crowded. The plants are then healthier 

 and produce finer fruit, therefore so thin the laterals (always 

 leaving a sufficient number to bear fruit), that the frame will 

 be sufficiently filled, and yet that all the foliage may receive 

 proper exposure to light ; and in thinning, remove the weakest 

 at an early stage of their growth, for it is a waste of the ener- 

 gies of the plant and a drain on its resources to allow the 

 shoots to become confused and entangled, and then to e£fect a 

 clearance all at once by pruning away large quantities of shoots 

 and foliage at one time. This is often a cause of immediate 

 evil and disease, for it is impossible to remove a large number 

 of shoots without causing more or less bleeding from the 

 vounda, whilst the removal of large quantities of foliage 

 causes the stems or shoots, and especially the old principal 



shoots, to be so gorged with crude sap, that they not only be- 

 come ruptured or ulcerated, but tho fruit also is affected by 

 the same malady; a glutinous substance CKuding and rendering 

 the fruit very hard and unwholesome, and the parts so affected 

 do not swell equally with the rest, giving a very unsightly 

 appearance to the fruit. 



Foresight will need to be exercised to keep the shoots in 

 order, and to secure au abundance of fruit in succession. This 

 will be effected by securing growing as well as bearing shoots. 

 The laterals should be stopped one joint above the fruit, but 

 if there be little space the point may be taken out at the joint 

 where the fruit is situated ; but if it be desired to have growth 

 from the joint to whiel! the shoot is stopped, then it is well to 

 stop at the joint next beyond the fruit, and in a short time it 

 will be seen whether or not a shoot will push from the same 

 joint as the fruit, which being the case, it is easy to cut away 

 the part of the shoot above it. I would in all cases, except 

 when the shoots are very much crowded, advise the stopping 

 of the laterals one joint beyond the fruit, and leave the shoot 

 with two joints, until it can be seen whether or not a shoot will 

 push from the same joint as the fruit, and if one does so, re- 

 move that which is above, if not, allow both to remain. All 

 laterals not showing fruit at the second or third joint should, 

 if there is room, be stopped at the second or third joint; but 

 if there is not room for the proper exposure of the leaves to 

 the light, then cut away all or part of the unfruitful laterals, 

 always preserving some that are well disposed, in order that 

 they may succeed those that have borne fruit. Tho latter, 

 when they are worn out and have the stems long and bare, 

 should be cut back as near to the stem of the plant as practic- 

 able, training a young shoot advantageously situated in the 

 place of each, and stopping it so as to produce laterals, if it do not 

 show fruit at the fourth joint, immediately above that joint; 

 and by this removal of the principal shoots which have fruited, 

 or the cutting-out of the unfruitful laterals, space will be gained 

 for the training-in of fresh young shoots, which are needful to 

 secure an abundance of fruit in euccossion. 



The removal of unfruitful laterals and worn-out shoots 

 should not at any time be general, but partial and continuous, 

 so that a succession of young bearing shoots and fruit may be 

 secured, for if the shoots are left after bearing until the frame 

 is very closely filled, and these have all produced fruit, it 

 follows that there will be a general cutting-out or back and 

 thinning, and some time must elapse before the plants can be 

 furnished with young besriug shoots, and the succession of 

 fruit will not be maintained. The pruning, stopping, and 

 thinning must, therefore, be frequently attended to, the plants 

 being gone over once or twice every week for the purpose ; and 

 by attending to the above directions they will not suffer from a 

 sudden and great deprivation of foliage at one time, and in 

 consequence will be able to bear fruit abundantly and in suc- 

 cession, and will be less liable to disease. 



After the bed has been made some time its surface will often 

 become close from the frequency of the watering. It is very 

 conducive to the health and fruitfulnesa of the plants to occa- 

 sionally remove the surface of the soU to the extent of about an 

 inch, scraping it off without injuring the roots more than is 

 unavoidable ; the soil being scratched or pointed over with a 

 wedge-like piece of wood, and the surface being removed, fresh 

 soil should be spread in its place to the depth of about IV inch, 

 layering any long weak shoots into the soil, and covering them 

 with it at a joint. Secure the shoot by a peg, and fresh roots 

 will push from the shoot to the extent of the part layered m 

 the soil, and it will grow with the vigour of a young plant. Tlus 

 top-dressing may be done twice or thrice in the course of the 

 summer, and the shoots being layered into the soil, and the 

 pruning carefully attended to, so as to keep up a succession of 

 young shoots, the plants will continue healthy, and bear fine 

 fruit in succession throughout the summer. Each time the 

 top-dressing is repeated the frame should have a thin mat 

 thrown over the lights from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on bright days, for 

 a period of three or four days, and the plants should be kept 

 rather close and moist, so as to secure the quick-spreading of 

 the roots in the fresh soil, and the early recovery of the plants. 

 In this treatment the plants evidently delight, as it is in- 

 variably attended with an increased degree of vigour in them, 

 and of size and quality of fruit. It is not necessary to top-dresa 

 or layer the shoots until the plants have been cnt back or 

 thinned out after they have filled the frame, fruited, and be- 

 come weak, and then it may be done at intervals of a month or 

 six weeks. . . „ • u » 



Keepiko the FnuiT Straioht.— The fruxt, especially in Hot, 



