394 



Journal of horticulture and cottage gardener. 



I May 20, 1816. 



for farm purposes. Altogether there are not lesB than 550 

 pens, 100 of which are Pipeons. The horticultural tent, under 

 the direction of the Hon. and Rev. J. T. Boscawen, will con- 

 tain a rich display of plants and flowers, contributed by eminent 

 growers in the neighbouring counties. For the convenience of 

 visitors special railway arrangements have been made by the 

 several railway companies. 



Ooit readers will regret, as we do, that our columns will 



contain no more of the notes from New Zealand contributed 

 by Mr. William Swale. He died at Avonside, Ohristchurch, 

 in that island, on the 18th of February. 



Messrs. Bark have sent us a very pleasing posey of 



varieties of the Wild Hyacin'th. There are throe or four 

 shades of blue and pink, and two forms of white. Some are 

 single and others double. They are, of course, all hardy border 

 flowers. 



The splendid collection of Vand.as of Mr. Robert 



Warner, at Broomfield near Chelmsford, is now in full bloom. 

 Those who have had the pleasure to see Mr. Warner's collec- 

 tion know how rich it is ; and as Mr. Warner is courteous 

 enough to allow visitors to view his Orchid houses, now is a 

 favourable opportunity for doing so. 



Vine-culture in New South Wales is progressing very 



rapidly, the number of acres occupied for this purpose being 

 3183 ia 1873, against 2568 acres in 1872, and the produce 

 575,985 gallons against 451,150 gallons. These figures relate 

 only to the growth of Grapes for wine-producing purposes, but 

 a considerable area is devoted to the cultivation of the Vine 

 for other objects. In Western Australia also, where the soil 

 and climate are eminently favourable to the growth of the 

 Grape, this pursuit is becoming more general. — (NatKre.) 



NOTES ON VILLA, and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



DisBUDDiNO AND THINNING Fbuit. — There is a remarkable 

 growth on most fruit trees this spring, and they advance so 

 rapidly that no time must be lost in attending to them. Where 

 the wood of Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots has been laid-iu 

 rather thickly, and every bud almost has produced a shoot, 

 thinning must be attended to forthwith. The work should be 

 commenced at the thickest part of the tree firBt, otherwise the 

 under leaves and fruit become yellow from the want of air and 

 soon drop off. This is one reason why the buds at the base of 

 a shoot are so often undeveloped, resulting in a naked part some 

 6 inches up the shoot when the tree breaks into growth another 

 season. 



As a rule disbudding should be begun early, as it is a work 

 re'iuiriug the greatest care and judgment, and if it is done 

 properly there will be less necessity for winter pruning. The 

 object should be to secure an equal balance of strength in all 

 parts of the tree, and every shoot left should have a place as- 

 signed it. The body of the tree should be especially considered, 

 because the trees after attaining a good size are frequently naked 

 at the base and centre, which always shows signs of bad manage- 

 ment. I kuow of no particular rule as to the distance shoots 

 should bo left, for it may be that two of them must be left 

 pretty close together in order to take the places of two to be 

 taken out at the winter pruning, or, taking the reverse of that, 

 it may be necessary to go a considerable distance, say 8 or 

 10 inches, on account of good young bearing wood of promise 

 being close at hand. It must be understood that I am alluding 

 to side shoots, as it is not frequently the case to interfere with 

 the leading shoot, though sometimes that not being healthy it 

 would be well to take it out and trust to a more promising one 

 a few inches back; but there is generally a little sacrifice of 

 fruit by this plan, because no fruit comes to perfection in 

 advance of the leading shoot, unless it is allowed to grow a little 

 foliage with it. This suggests that in disbudding, those shoots 

 that are not wanted, and yet have fruit at their base, ought not 

 to be taken clear out, but pinched off two or three joints beyond 

 the fruit, which ensures the flow of sap and proper development 

 and flavour of the fruit. 



With regard to Apples, Pears, Plums, &c., that produce their 

 fruit from spurs, not much disbudding is necessary, but rather a 

 system of pinching-back to three or four joints, and this ought not 

 to be done till the shoots are advanced so far as to make sure they 

 are not fruit buds. These only grow a certain distance, and 

 then begin to form a knot or bud, and show no sign of further 

 elongating. After disbudding it is astonishing what rapid pro- 

 gress in growth the shoots make, therefore, as soon as possible, 

 fasten them to the wall. Possibly, if not delayed too long, one 

 nail to a shoot would be sufficient. By no means should shoots 

 when growing fast be nailed too close to the point, for this in 

 many cases cripples them. The chief object is to secure them 

 against injury from wind. 

 Thinnino the Fbuit. — This operation ia especially necessary 



this year. Like disbudding, it should be done at several different 

 times, first taking out those that are most crowded and those 

 which are ill formed or misplaced. A sharp-pointed pair of 

 scissors is a handy instrument for the work, as pulling the fruit 

 off, especially if they are healthy and firm on the tree, runs the 

 risk of pulling a strip of bark oft as well, and then comes a risk 

 of gumming or canker, because at such places the wound does 

 not repair itself before winter sets in, and at such tender places 

 the frost suddenly takes effect, because after all the Peach and 

 Nectarine are not really hardy fruit trees. 



As to the distance at which the fruit should be left I know of 

 no strict rule ; this must be left to the operator, who ought to be 

 the best judge of the state of the tree, whether in good health, 

 or bad, or medium. On a vigorous tree the fruit may be left 

 thicker than on one less robust, aud in some parts of the tree it 

 may be allowed to carry more fruit than another. The soil 

 must also be taken into account. In good soil a tree may be 

 allowed a heavier crop than if the reverse, or even an approach 

 to it, is the case. The plan which I practise myself ii to take a 

 general survey of the tree, and take all the above points into 

 consideration, and judge accordingly. 



I believe there are no fruits grown but what would be much 

 improved in size and flavour by a judicious system of thinning, 

 even down to the humble yet useful Gooseberry and Currant. — 

 Thojus Record. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR THE 

 PRESENT WEEK. 



lURDV fRUIT GARDEN. 



It is many years since we had such a good show for fruit on 

 walls, standard, pyramid, and dwarf trees. Plums have set well, 

 notwithstanding that the blossoms were exposed to frost winds 

 from the east ; the trees are also free from insect pests. Last 

 year the trees suffered much from swarms of aphides, and 

 though we failed to rid the trees from the insects until the 

 young wood had suffered severely, the injury is not apparent 

 this year. The best way to destroy the aphis is to syringe with 

 water in which soft soap has been dissolved, aud if a little 

 tobacco liquor is mixed with it so much more effectual will be 

 the application. We have done nothing to the trees as yet 

 except to keep the hoe at work amongst them. It is too early 

 to stop the young growths. Strawberry plants are growing very 

 strongly, but if the present hot aud dry weather continue it will 

 be desirable to give them a good watering. 



Wall fruit requires attention now. Apricots should have a 

 final thinning, as the fruit is approaching the stoning period. 

 Growths not required should be pinched back to two or three 

 leaves. Peaches and Nectarines on walls must now be attended 

 to. As all the fruit is produced from the youug wood and sel- 

 dom from spurs all the foreright growths should be rubbed off, 

 and only a sufficient number of shoots left on to produce the 

 bearing wood for next year. Watch for aphis, aud on the first 

 appearance of it syringe the trees. 



Passing through one of the largest gardens in the country some 

 time ago a remark was made about the very unhealthy and 

 weakly condition of the wall trees, and the gardener stated that 

 they were very nearly lost from an attack of aphis. When the 

 young wood and even old branches persist in dying-off during 

 the winter months, and the trees are otherwise in an unsatis- 

 factory condition, the chances are that the reason is to be found 

 in imperfectly-ripened wood from the attacks of red spider or 

 other insects. If the trees are encouraged to make healthy 

 growth in summer, and the wood has ample space allowed to 

 develope itself and to ripen, we should hear of fewer complaints 

 of shoots dying-off " without any apparent cause." If a tree 

 produces gross watery growths in summer then the roots are 

 wrong, but if solid fruitful wood is produced this will not suffer 

 in winter. If time cannot be spared to properly attend to the 

 Peach wall, it will be better to root-out the trees and plant 

 Apricots and the finer Pears. Young trees that have not yet 

 covered the wall must be seen to, or leading growths may be 

 broken off by gales of wind. Nail-iu all the wood that will be 

 reijuired, and stop back growths that are not wanted. A hint 

 may also be required about trees that were grafted in March 

 or April or budded last autumn. The clay may be removed and 

 the bandages loosened, removing all shoots that start from the 

 stock ; the young growths should be supported with sticks, and 

 he tied to them as they advance. 



TRUIT HOUSES. 



Vineries.— In the earliest houses the Grapes are very nearly 

 ripe, and after this time the only care requisite is to keep the 

 berries plump and free from dust. No plants should be allowed 

 in the house, and it will seldom be necessary to sweep the paths, 

 but if they require to be done a little water sprinkled first will 

 prevent the dust from rising. Sometimes lateral growths will 

 ramble out of the bounds allotted to them at this time, and if 

 they are cut back now they will not start again. The Grapes 

 should be well shaded by the leaves if it is intended that they 

 should hang long. There is plenty of work in the late houses, 



