March 25, 1869- 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



213 



account alone, we have had heavy cropa on a north border, 

 when they were destroyed on an eastern and southern aspect. 

 The warmth from the sun thawed those on the north border 

 gradually, wilhout directly shining on them when frosted. 



In our /Vh(7 Imuscx we are feeling the effects of the previous 

 summer. In our orchard house, though the trees in pots are 

 fair, they are not equal to what they were last season, and we 

 have taken out and plunged in their pots out of doors some 

 Plum trees that were loaded with fruit last season, as they 

 have few fruit buds on them. This was, no doubt, partly 

 owing to the heavy crops, which were not thinned enough ; but 

 we have had equally heavy crops year after year before with- 

 out reshifting, and therefore we think the result is more owing 

 to our scarcity of water, and the kind of water we were obliged 

 to use — undiluted sewage from the mansion. Though we shall 

 have a fair show of blossom buds even on Plum trees, still 

 they seem to have suffered in this respect more than Peaches 

 and Cherries, which are fair, though they also were extra 

 loaded with fruit. Our Vines, which want renewal, and have 

 wanted it for years, though bearing very heavy crops, do not 

 seem as if they would show so freely as usual. We have wanted 

 to have a gradual renewal for a number of years, but every sea- 

 son has brought its extra work. The chief difficulty hitherto has 

 been thinning away enough of branches, for though the wood 

 was not strong, it always cut with the knife as hard as a piece of 

 oak. This season, though the Grapes ripened and coloured 

 well, we could see that the Vines were more distressed than 

 usual, and we find the wood is smaller, and not so firm to the 

 knife. Most likely we shall have enough, if not so much to cut 

 away for tarts, tto. ; but for great plenty of fruit we are fonder 

 of firm hardwooded, than even of ationger growth with a bit of 

 pith in it. However, we expected the result. In the height of 

 the excessively dry weather, as most of our Vine roots are out of 

 doors, and pretty near the surface, the Vines several times 

 showed their distress after noon in a bright day, even though 

 we shaded the glass a Uttle with whitened water. 



We were afraid all along about the sewage water being too 

 strong, but we could not dilute it, and were placed, in a fix — 

 we must use it or none. We used it, as we thought, care- 

 fully, depending on the rains that would come, though afraid 

 all along that the roots would be injured, being so near the 

 surface — a matter of importance when strong liquids are used. 

 If ever we should be placed in a similar fix again, rather than 

 use such strong liquid we would shade more and mulch the 

 border more, so as to keep the moisture near the surface from 

 evaporating, whilst the heat at the surface would tend to raise 

 vapour from greater depths. We do not find any difference in 

 the wood in Peaches, Cherries, Figs, &c., that were supplied 

 with similar water, but there is a difference as respects firmness 

 in the young wood of Vines and Plums that were so treated. 

 We are the more inclined to think that the extra rich water 

 acting injuriously on the roots had something materially to do 

 with it, as from the heat of the summer, if the wood had been a 

 little smaller, it would also have been harder and firmer under 

 ordinary circumstances, and if supplied with more suitable 

 water. The last season here was, as respects necessary mois- 

 ture, gardening under great difficulties. We mention the matter 

 prominently for two reasons — first, tq show the importance of 

 having water for a modern garden without being dependant 

 merely on showers ; and secondly, for repeating the caution 

 frequently given, not to use manure-waterings of any kind too 

 strong. We know of a number of cases in which fruit trees, 

 and even Roses in pot?, were greatly injured last season by 

 strong manure-waterings, and mostly in cases like our own, 

 where such water only could be n?ei, or the plants allowed to 

 perish from dryness. In the cases referred to we regret we did 

 not do more with deeper mulching. We believe that in the 

 case of roots out of doors, the autumn rains would wash away 

 what otherwise might not be pleasant to the young growing 

 roots this season ; and we find, therefore, that the young shoots 

 of Vines are coming perhaps a little stronger than usual, though 

 taken all in all, not so thickly studded with fruit. We recollect 

 of one instance in which a house of fine young Vines was done 

 for by a heavy watering from a cesspool that took all the drain- 

 age from a large stable. They languished after the undiluted 

 watering, got wor?e and worse, and died next spring. We were 

 assured the liquid was so strong, that it ought to have had at 

 least four times the quantity of pure water mixed with it. 



Peach blossom is now bold and full, and beginning to fall 

 after setting in the earhest orchard house, and coming into full 

 blow in the second. A few Plum trees are opening their 

 blossoms, but Cherry trees have as yet shown massive swelling 



buds, and have not opened. Figs are Ebowing like small peas 

 on the sides of the shoots, and in most of these cases the ter- 

 minal bud has been nipped across, which v.ill arrest mere 

 elongation, so as to give a help to the young fri.it, and once the 

 bud thus stopped pushes from its base, it is eusy to select one 

 or two shoots to be left or stopped accorditg ;o the system of 

 growth adopted. 



Trees in pots have been gradually watered, and also those 

 against back walls, as previously indicated. Here we have 

 seen no sign of an insect as yet, but in the Peach house we 

 have had to emoke lightly once, and have bruthed a few young 

 shoots that had a little fly on them, with quassia water. If 

 much artificial heat is not used, we like Peach trees to be in a 

 rather dry atmosphere when in bloom, though in early forcing, 

 and when much fire heat was used, we have ventured on a 

 gossamer dewing of the blooms with good eiEect. For this 

 purpose we used the nozzle end insteed of the rose end of a 

 syringe, and so regulated that with the thumb, that the 

 moisture which escaped was more like fine mif.ty vapour than 

 what we associate with the heaviness of water. This is beet 

 done when the day promises to be sunny, and about nine in 

 the morning. Those who have not learned thus to manage 

 a syringe should not try the e:;periment, as a stream of water 

 would wash away the pollen, whilst a gentle application 

 nourishes and opens the pollen vessels. Be this as it may, we 

 think that the less of steaming and using evaporating troughs 

 whilst the trees are in bloom, the better. In very severe 

 \Teather it is better to lower the temperature within the point 

 of safety; but after the fruit i:; fairly set ani swelling, if a 

 temperature of from 55' to CO' is kept up at night, evaporating 

 pans or troughs set on the heating medium will be an advan- 

 tage. For this purpose we use soot water and other manures, 

 and when syringing is resorted to we often use clear soot water. 

 The evaporating pan is far better and safer than raising vapour 

 by pouring liquid at once on a heated surface. 



In vineries and peacheries it is well to have a little sulphur 

 on the heating medium, provided the temperature of this is 

 not higher than from 160' to 170', as the fumes then given off 

 will be safe, and will help to keep the houses free of red spider. 

 The most critical time to use sulphur in a vinery is just when 

 the fruit is setting and shortly afterwards. A little extra heat 

 then will easily cause the sulphur to blotch tha little berries, 

 and perhaps the Grape most subject to this infliction is the 

 Black Hamburgh, the berries of which are very sensitive when 

 young. At such time, either there should be little sulphur on 

 the heating medium, or a little air should be given at the apex 

 of the roof by night as weU as by day. 



Proceeded with out-door pruning, naiUng, and planting. 

 In planting young trees now it is well to defend them a little 

 with a few evergreen boughs, so as to break for a month or sis 

 weeks the force of the wind and the .'un's rays, just to keep 

 the top from transpiring freely, until the roots are working 

 afresh in their new quarters. 



OKXAMENTAL DEPiETMEST. 



In planting some specimen trees and shrubs, we have slightly 

 protected them as above. Wlien so treated at this season we 

 have found many do as well as when planted early in the 

 winter or the end" of autumn. The reasons for this were lately 

 given, or at least an attempt made to assign a reason. Never- 

 theless, we decidedly prefer the end of October and the begin- 

 ning of November, and chiefly because the heat then in the 

 soil prompts to a fresh and immediate action of the roots. In 

 making this slight screen, care must be taken that the screen 

 does not touch or Sap against the protected plant, or the re- 

 medy by bruising and chafing would be as ruinous as the evU 

 to be avoided. The screen should therefore be fixed at a httle 

 distance from the plant, or if merely a shght protection to a 

 small plant is required, three laurel branches fixed at a distance 

 firmly in the ground, and then the points firmly tied together, 

 so as to form the point of a rough cone over the terminal shoot 

 of the young plant, will afford all the protection that will be 

 necessary. 



In reference to what was stated lately as to irotecting trees, 

 d-e.,froin hares and rabbits, though looking on wire as the best 

 safeguard, we may mention that about a fortnight ago we had a 

 number of fine young trees, peculiarly exposed to the depreda- 

 tions of rabbits, syringed from the nozzle of an old syringe 

 with a thickish mixture of water, lime, soot, and cow dung 

 covering the bottom of the stem and twigs to the height of 

 from 12 to 18 inches, and as yet not a tree has been touched. 

 Disappointed in this direction, the nibblers turned their atten- 

 tion to some Laurels, and would have finished them, but the 



