December 30, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICDLTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



a few feet from the vinery that the heat of the leaves had 

 caused a strong root action, for the roots had grown several 

 inches and were matted into the leaves, but they had nearly 

 all perished. I had carefully taken the time of the men 

 collecting leaves, thatching, &o., also the value of the straw, 

 and we found that it would cost as much in eleven years as 

 we could cover the whole with glass, consequently the whole 

 of three borders have been covered with that material. Wo 

 find the lights very useful during the summer for various 

 other purposes. 



I know a Vine border in this neighbourhood that is only 

 covered with fresh dung in autumn ; the Grapes grow fine 

 until they begin to ripen, then they completely fail : this has 

 been the case for several seasons. I think it more needful to 

 exclude wet than to create artificial heat. Ou my borders I 

 put about inches of nearly fresh stable dung ; then (except 

 the late house) leave it to have a thorough soaking of rain to 

 take the food down to the roots, ready for them when they 

 begin to grow, also to wet the border to its bottom ; then I 

 put on the glass, where it remains until I think the open 

 ground is as warm as the covered border. I generally have 

 to water twice before I uncover. 



As to the late Vines, I put ou the dung as on the earlier 

 borders, but after September I do not let any rain fall on the 

 border until all the Grapes are cut. I then take off the glass 

 and let the border have a thorough soaking of rain for several 

 days, then cover up as before. 



With regard to keeping late Grapes, it is of more conse- 

 quence to have a diy atmosphere than dry roots. This 

 autumn I put on the glass ; not a drop of the heavy rains fell 

 on the border, but owing to all the hot-water pipes being 

 altered and no boiler in, with wet soil turned up where the 

 mains are along the back part of the house, I could not 

 keep a single bunch of either Muscat, Alicante, Lady Downe's 

 Seedling, or West's St. Peter's. I have experienced this before, 

 when I could not apply heat to dry the atmosphere. 



It is very essential that late Grapes be ripened early. If 

 they are to keep well they ought to be ripe by the middle of 

 September. — D. Walkeb, Dunorlan. 



PEACH FORCING.— No. f). 



Watebino. — Trees — deciduous trees no more than evergreens 

 — require during their resting period a soil " dry as dust," and 

 it is altogether a misconception to attribute any good result- 

 ing therefrom, either as regards further ripening of the wood, 

 for that ceases with the fall of the leaf, or as promoting 

 greater rest. Instead of dryness whilst at rest being bene- 

 ficial, I am certain it is in most instances and with most sub- 

 jects positively injurious, for trees transpire by their bark 

 when the atmosp'nere is dry, which, with the roots in a dry 

 soil, causes a speedy exhaustion of their juices. The conse- 

 quence of this is a certainty of weakness at starting, if not of 

 after-debility, for fruit trees in autumn emit in most instances 

 direct from the root-stem adventitious roots, thick, spongy, 

 and white; but if the soil be dry those roots are never emitted, 

 nor are they emitted until spring if the trees are moved after 

 all the leaves have fallen, or the act of removal destroys them, 

 and they are not afterwards put forth : hence the potting of 

 fruit trees in pots is done whilst the trees are in leaf, expe- 

 rience having shown the disastrous consequences of perform- 

 ing the operations after the trees are leafless. Apart from the 

 promotion of adventitious roots, moisture in the soil maintains 

 the shoots and buds fresh and plump, tor if the fibres or their 

 soft unripeued parts die as do the leaves, which I have main- 

 tained and still do maintain, the root-stems from their sides 

 will absorb sufiicient moisture without the presence of spon- 

 gioles, as is the case with trees transplanted after the fall of 

 the leaves, and upon the presence of this moisture in the soil 

 is dependant the retention of the bloom buds. 



Instead of keeping the roots dry whilst at rest I advise that 

 the borders, when the leaves of the Peach and Nectarine trees 

 under glass have all fallen, be given a thorough watering, 

 loosening or breaking the surface if it has become cracked 

 from being hard and dry, and taking care that as the soil may 

 be dry it will require considerably more and longer-continued 

 watering to bring it into a thoroughly saturated condition. No 

 fear need be entertained of rotting the roots, as the Plum out- 

 doors must have during the winter season a rainfall of 12 to 

 15 or more inches, and it is noteworthy that Peach trees out- 

 doors subjected to this heavy rainfall do not drop their buds, 

 whilst those under glass kept dry at the roots do, which is 



primarily caused by an exhaustion of moisture from the tren, 

 though the effect may not become apparent until water is 

 applied to start them into growth, but causing the buds to 

 be cast in a shower, which a timely application would have 

 prevented. Never was sounder practice recommended than 

 that of Mr. Douglas — viz., the placing of pot Peach treos out- 

 doors in the autumn. The trees suffer no injury, the potf 

 being plunged ; the buds do not drop, startins when returned 

 to the house with a vigour not exhiljited by those kept in the 

 house with the pots stood on the borders and kept dry to save 

 the roots from injury from frost. It is bad practice keeping 

 the roots of trees dry whilst at rest, which naturally receive a 

 rainfall very little less at that period than during that of 

 growth. 



Not only after the leaves have fallen should a thorough 

 watering be given, but before starting again repeat it, so as to 

 bring the soil into a thoroughly moist stats ; and this is of 

 some importance, inasmuch as it is not desirable to have to 

 water after the blossom expanda, as, it the weather be dull, 

 the watering causes too moist an atmosphere for setting, and 

 the young fruit does not swell kindly if recourse is had to 

 watering immediately the fruit is set, as the watering causes 

 an excessive supply of sap which the trees have not leaves to 

 elaborate, and the growing parts are stimulated, tbe production 

 of shoots being rapid, whilst the fruit drops from not growing 

 equally fast. If the soil be in a thoroughly moist state when 

 forcing is commencing no water will be required until the fruit 

 has attained the size of horse beans. The trees by that time 

 will have some foliage, and their drain upon the soil for nutri- 

 ment by the roots considerable. From this stage and onward 

 the supply of moisture to the roots must be liberal, and it must 

 be given at a temperature equal to that of the mean of the 

 atmosphere, for though watering with waterless in temperature 

 may not cause any present apparent evil, it may cause the fruit 

 to swell irregularly, if not to cause its subsequent falling. 



Wherever forcing is carried on there should either be in the 

 house a cistern of sufficient capacity to water not less than a 

 fourth ot the extent of the border, never using it until the 

 water has been in the house twenty-four hours ; or if the 

 house could not conveniently have within it a cistern to water 

 the whole extent of the border at once, which is certainly 

 more desirable than watering a part of the border daily, it 

 may be sound economy, as it certainly is sound practice, to 

 employ water not less in temperature than that of the border 

 at the time of application, which may be easily ascertained by 

 a ground thermometer, and to effect this hot water may be 

 drawn from a cistern for heating to a proper temperature ; 

 but a preferable plan to either is to have a large cistern con- 

 veniently situated in a shed, and of such size as to water a 

 considerable part, if not the whole, of the border of a house 

 at once. The supply should be regulated by a tap. To heat 

 the water in the cistern we have only to connect a lead pipe 

 (inch bore) to the main flow of the heating apparatus, entering 

 the bottom of the cistern at one end, and a corresponding 

 pipi at the other end, and connected with the return pipe of 

 tbe heating apparatus, and upon both these pipes should be 

 stop-cocks, closed when the water is being drawn off or not 

 required, and open to heat the water in the cistern. The level 

 of the water in the cistern should be that of the water in the 

 supply cistern of the heating apparatus. A pipe from the 

 cistern leading through the wall into the houses will, of course, 

 be needed, and being fitted with a tap to receive a hose pipe, 

 the water from the cistern may be used anywhere with a hose 

 pipe whose level is below that of the bottom of the cistern. 

 With means for warming the water employed there is nothing 

 to fear, but without such means much to dread. We find in 

 all woiks on gardening water is to be given at the temperature 

 the plants are growing in ; but not many places have means 

 for giving this essential element at its proper temperature, or 

 only in very inadequate quantity, for the driblets from water- 

 ing pots are for fruit borders useless, they not requiring gentle 

 waterings, for that is given by syringing, but a thorough 

 wetting ot the soil to its fullest extent. Any excess will, if 

 the drainage be good, pass away. 



Now, after the fruit has attained the size of horse beans a 

 good watering should be given, and repeated every fortnight 

 until the leaves are full-sized, after which water every ten 

 days, continuing this until after the stoning, and then water 

 every week until the fruit is ripe, and after about the fourth 

 of the fruit is gathered let the watering be at fortnightly inter- 

 vals, giving such waterings, say every three weeks, after a 

 month from the fruit being all gathered as will keep the soil 



