FORCING 



with plenty of air will grow fruit satisfactorily. One of 

 the main points is in the watering. Should the treas get 

 too dry, or on the other hand saturated, the chances are 

 that the fruit will turn yellow and drop, but with good 

 judgment and a certain amount of care success is as 



FORCING 



599 



ard Black Hamburg, which is easy to handle and a very 

 satisfactory variety. A companion to it is Buckland 

 grape ripening at the same time, 

 quality. Its earliness, however, 





hous 



sured. The trees should be repotted every fall, as they 

 need so much water during the summer months that the 

 soil becomes depleted. However, one should be careful 

 not to overpot. A compost suitable for potted trees is a 

 fairly heavy loam, and say three parts of soil to one of 

 well rotted manure, with a little wood ashes and bone 

 meal worked in. Potted trees are interesting, as there 

 can be a considerable varietyof fruit grown in this wav 

 Figs. 847 and 848 illustrate the method of pruning 



Grapes.- In planting grape vines. 2-year-old canes 

 should be set. Plant the canes 3 or aK ft. apart. There 

 IS nothing gained by crowding, and in planting young 

 vines, cut them down to about 18 in., to insure good, 

 established vines from the bottom. There can be no 

 hard and fast lines laid down as to how long the vines 

 will bear profitably. With good treatment they should 

 be profitable for 1.5 or L'O years. A grapery should be 

 started with a night temperature of 45-50° F. and a rise 

 of 111° or 15° with sun heat in the day. The temperature 

 should be raised 5° every two weeks, until a night tem- 

 perature of 65° is reached. After the grapes are set a 

 night temperature of 70° will be the right thing. The 

 vines should be syringed three times a day until they 

 are started into growth ; then twice a day until the foli- 

 age gets heavy, and thereafter once every bright day is 

 all that is necessary, mornings preferred. After the 

 grapes commence to color, syringing should be stopped, 

 tohage IS another thing to be considered. With our hot 

 sun a fairly good covering is necessary. The shoots 

 should be stopped at the second or third leaf beyond 

 the bunch, and all laterals pinched at the first leaf. 

 The aim should be to have a nice covering of foliage 

 over the house, but avoid severe crowding. Grape 

 thinning requires good judgment. Always make it a 

 practice, if possible, to thin the bunches all that is nec- 

 essary the first time, as going over the bunches the sec- 

 ond time is not so satisfactory. A bunch must be so 

 tninned that each berry has room to develop without 

 crushing. Water also plays a prominent part in finish- 

 ing a crop of grapes. While grapevines are moisture- 

 loving plants, it is poor policy to give them a heavy 

 watering after the grapes begin to color. If the plants 

 receive a heavy watering when the grapes start their 

 second swelling, it should be enough until the grapes 

 ripen. After the crop is off the treatment is simple : 

 keep tull air on top and bottom; syringe the foliage 

 It reel spider makes its appearance, and water the bor- 

 der when dry. Vines that are not intended to be started 

 until February or March should be pruned when the 

 wood IS thoroughly ripe. The canes should be brought 

 down and wrapped in burlap to keep the sun off them 

 and then a matter of 5° or 6° of frost in the house will do 

 no harm. In severe weather it pays to turn a chink of 

 heat m the house. As on all other fruits, there are many 

 varieties, but only a limited number of standard sorts 

 tor an early grape there is no better than the old stand- 



Sweetwafe 

 though of second - 

 makes it worths ot i pla 



^ Musctt of Alexandria should have a house 

 ^clf To finish this noble grape to per- 

 1 requites more heat than ordinary. It 

 ^ gro«n with fair results in a mixed 

 but Rbere theie ire three compart- 

 ments tr r e uh 11,1 Isetson and late varieties, 

 " '' I 'tnient should beplanted 



' ' 1' Id Court IS also a grape 



• ' I itunately It IS difficult to 



" 'I I I ]i IS usually planted in a 

 h( 11 v.ith u h t isily handled varieties as 

 Gros Maroc ( los ( olm ir Barbarossa, Mrs. 

 Prince Alicante For another a lew see Grape 

 Peaches and Ned nine - The same depth 

 of border recommended for the grape vines 

 uiU be all right for the peach These, also 

 must have peiftct diainige or the trees will 

 get into a sickly condition The peach 

 a tendency to rank growth 

 Care should be taken not 

 easy matter to ap- 

 s writer has found 

 'mes in 



>;/-^^ 



II 1 nectarine h&\ 

 when J lanted in the border, 

 to make the border too rich, 

 ply food when the trees need 

 light application of wood as 



capital thing. Crushed bone is also ben 

 starting the house, a top-dressing of 



in the 



numerous 



the season 

 cial. 

 and 



should keep the trees in a healthy co'ndi'tron.' One"im- 

 portant point in starting a peach house, especially early 

 ' •'- in, say the first of January or earlier is to 



easy. Nothing is gained by rushing. There are 

 . ., • ™"eties of peaches and nectarines adapted 

 to iorcing. The following is a selection of the best that 

 the.writer has grown under glass : Peaches, Early- 

 Hale Early, Alexander, Condor, Mountain Rose, Haine's 

 Early; Midseason-Voster, Bellegarde, Noblesse, Old- 

 mixon Free; £rt(f-Crawford's Late, Sea Eagle, Prin- 

 cess of Wales, Lady Palmerston. 



Nectarines, -&ar/.i/- Cardinal, Early Rivers, Advance, 

 Lord Napier ; Midseasson-lmproYeA Downton, Drydeu, 



^■fe 



Byron, Elruge, Milton ; in /e- Chaucer, Newton, Spen 

 cer, Stanwick, Humboldt, Victoria, Trees for planting 

 in the house should be especially prepared for the 

 work. A year would be lost with such trees as are usu- 



