374 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 14, 1878. 
tion of stock and scion is buried beneath the soil about 3 inches. 
After planting mulch with litter, but defer pruning until spring. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Figs.—The trees in pots for affording fruit at the close of April 
or early in May will now need to have the wood dressed over with 
a brush, using soft soap (1 tb. to a gallon of water, brought to the 
consistency of cream by adding flowers of sulphur), being careful 
when using the mixture not to rub off the young fruit, the shoots 
of the current year requiring to be carefully handled. Very little 
pruning will be required, the trees having been regularly pinched 
or stopped during the growing season, but if the growths are too 
crowded or irregular they may be thinned or cut-in so as to render 
the trees symmetrical in shape. The woodwork and the walls of 
the house should be washed with scalding water and then done 
over with quicklime and sulphur. As a mild bottom heat is 
essential to a successful swelling and perfecting of the earliest 
- crop, the pots should be raised upon loose bricks in the position 
they are to occupy, and the pits be filled with Oak or Beech leaves 
and pressed firmly. If the pit be no more than about 2 feet to 
21 feet in depth a third of stable litter may be added. Care must 
be taken in that case to avoid overheating, not allowing the heat 
about the pots to exceed 65° until growth takes place. The house 
may be kept close and moist by sprinkling twice or thrice a day 
in bright weather, employing fire heat to maintain a temperature 
of 50° at night. 55° by day, and with sun heat 60° to 65°. If the 
soil in the pots be at all dry a thorough soaking of water must be 
given. 
~ Trees permanently planted out in borders intended for early 
forcing should now be untied from the trellis and pruned. Those 
with the roots restricted to small borders will require little more 
than thinning out the shoots where too crowded, but those not 
having the roots restricted will require a hard pruning at the 
upper part of the trellis, cutting back those shoots that have 
attained to the limit of the trellis to where the succeeding shoots 
start, in order that they may occupy their place in the ensuing 
season. Thin-out, removing entirely any elongated spurs, reserv- 
ing such as are short-jointed and fruitful. The house should then 
be thoroughly cleaned as before advised, and the trees also dressed. 
‘The trees should then be secured to the trellis, allowing room for 
the growth of the branches, forking over the surface of the border 
slightly, removing the loose material, ana apply a top-dressing 
of short partially decayed manure about 3 inches thick, giving a 
good watering. Ventilate fully at all times, except when frost 
prevails, which it is well to exclude. Succession houses should 
be pruned and cleaned without delay, especially where insects have 
obtained a footing. Complete any root-pruning, lifting, &c., re- 
membering that Figs with the roots restricted or confined to 
limited space are more manageable and fruitful than those with 
an unlimited root area. Any unfruitiul trees should be severely 
root-pruned, and the roots restricted to moderate-sized borders, 
depending more upon active feeders near the surface encouraged 
by mulching than a large extension of roots. 
Peaches and Nectarines—If ripe fruit is required in late April 
or early in May forcing may now be commenced. If the crop is 
taken from trees in pots they should be placed in a light airy 
house, and a good watering should be given unless the soil is in 
a thoroughly moist condition. If the earliest crop is taken from 
trees planted out a thorough watering should be given the inside 
borders, and if the trees are weakly a soaking of liquid manure 
not too strong will tend to a more vigorous break. The house 
may be kept close and the trees sprinkled overhead in the morning 
and afternoon of bright days, admitting air abundantly whenever 
the weather is bright, and employing no fire heat only to exclude 
frost, for the slower the trees are excited the stronger will be the 
blossom. The outside border must be well protected with litter, 
and if tarpauling is put on the top it will be useful in preventing 
the soil from becoming chilled by snow and excessive rains. 
All the trees in the succession houses will now be bare of leaves 
except in the case of a few late varieties, which should not be 
removed until they part readily from the shoots ; but when they 
are all off, or brush off easily with the hand or a broom, undo the 
trees from the trellis, prune them, thoroughly clean the house, and 
if need be paint the woodwork and trellis, dressing the trees, and 
tie them to the trellis, leaving room for the branches to swell, tight 
tying being prolific of gum. Remove the surface soil and replace 
with fresh, and give a good watering to the inside borders, thereby 
having all in readiness for a start when required. Any lifting, 
root-pruning, or the introducing of fresh trees should be per- 
formed forthwith, the planting of houses now proceeded with or 
so soon as the leaves are nearly off the trees to be removed. Trees 
for planting in houses are best three to five years trained and 
prepared for lifting by digging round them a year previously. 
Such trees lift with an abundance of fibres ; and being carefully 
planted they force very well indeed the first season, not being 
brought on too rapidly, and a moderate crop taken. It is always 
best to select such trees in preference to planting young ones, 
which do not fruit much the first three or four years ; hence the 
advantage of planting trees in an already bearing state. 
Orchard House —Complete the top-dressing of all fruit trees in 
pots. A good watering should be given where the soil has be- 
come at all dry, after which the pots should be well covered up 
with litter in a dry state. It is a mistake not to dress the trees 
so soon as the leaves have fallen ; at least give them a good 
syringing with quassia water, 4 ozs. to a gallon of water, boiled 
for fifteen minutes, then straining and adding 4 ozs. of soft soap; 
but it is preferable to dress the branches with 1 lb. of soft soap 
dissolved in a gallon of water, adding tobacco powder to bring it 
to the consistency of thin paint, or tobacco juice may be added 
in the proportion of half the soapy solution, applying it to the 
trees with a brush, taking care not to dislocate the buds. The 
soil of borders in which trees are growing must not be allowed to 
become too dry. The top-dressing or root-pruning being com- 
pleted a good watering should be given and the surface mulched 
with partially decayed manure. Unless the weather be frosty the 
ventilators may yet remain open day and night, closing, however, 
in severe weather. Fig trees in pots placed in some other struc- 
ture to finish ripening the second crop of frnit should, so soon 
as that is completed, be surface-dressed and returned to this 
structure, 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Orchids—With the gradual lowering of the temperature such 
plants as Aérides, Vandas, Phalzenopsis, Saccolabiums, and similar 
kinds, will have been brought into a partial state of rest, con-- 
sequently only sufficient water should be given at the roots to 
keep the moss damp, for if allowed to become too dry the bottom 
leaves will suffer and fall off. Premature growth should be pre- 
vented by keeping the house comparatively dry and cool. A little 
water should be poured over the paths on fine mornings to create 
a moist atmosphere. Very little air will be required, except to 
keep down the temperature. Dendrobiums for the most part will 
now be at rest, and must be kept cool and dry. Cattleyas require 
to be kept rather dry, but the growths must not be allowed to 
shrivel. Very little water will be necessary to keep them plump. 
Lelia purpurata not having completed its growth should be 
placed at the warmest end of the house in plenty of light. Cypri- 
pediums require liberal supplies of water at all seasons, requiring 
no rest. Lycaste Skinneri, though a water-loving plant, requires 
less at this season, but the roots must not be allowed to become 
too dry, or the pseudo-bulbs will shrivel. The plants should be 
well elevated in the pots so as to allow the water to pass away 
freely, or the flower buds decay when only an inch or so long. 
Calanthe vestita will not require much water after the plants com- 
mence flowering. They should have plenty of light and a dry 
atmosphere, too much atmospheric moisture and insufficient light 
causing the buds to drop and the flowers to spot. Many Odonto- 
glossums and Masdevallias will be growing freely, and must be 
kept moist at the roots. Care must be taken at this season not to 
produce a yery moist atmosphere. Odontoglossums Alexandre 
and Pescatorei, with others of the same type, are growing vigor- 
ously, and require a good supply of water, damping overhead on 
fine mornings with a syringe or fine-rose watering pot, using tepid 
water for the purpose. Plants in flower may be removed to a 
drier atmosphere. Anzctochiluses will now reauire great care. A 
little air must be left on the frames or bellglasses, and the glasses 
be cleared every morning. Very little water will be required for 
two or three months, only sufficient to keep the sphagnum moist. 
A strict look-out must be kept for slugs at night. 3 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
E. G. Henderson & Son, Pine Apple Nursery, Maida Vale, Lon- 
don.— Catalogue of Fruit Trees, Roses, §c. 
H. Lane & Sons, Great Berkhampstead—Catalogue of Roses, 
Fruit Trees, Conifers, §c. 
J. Cheal & Sons, Crawley, Sussex.—Catalogue of Trees, Shrubs, 
Roses, §c. 
Elwanger & Barry, Rochester, New York.—Descriptive Catalogue 
of Fruits. 
Soupert et Notting, Luxembourg—General Catalogue of Roses. 
Louis Van Houtte, Ghent, Belgium.— Catalogue of Trees, Shrubs, 
Roses, Alpine Plants, §c. 
H. Merryweather, Southwell, Notts.—Catalogue of Roses. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
** AJl correspondence should be directed either to “The Editor's ” 
or to “The Publisher.” Letters addressed to Mr. Johnson or 
Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoidably. We request 
that no one will write privately to any of our correspondents, 
as doing so subjects them to unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
PLAN OF ROSE GARDEN (Subscriber’)—We do not furnish plans, but are 
always ready to advise on those submitted to us and also on the planting of 
the beds. We shall, however, shortly publish a plan of a Rose garden that 
may be of use to you in common with other readers. 
BIRDS PECKING FRUIT (M. A.).—Various birds are addicted to this 
practice,and the common tomtit is a frequent offender, pecking, as if for 
mischief rather than food, many fruits near the stalk. You can only deter- 
mine what particular bird is the delinquent in your garden by close observa- 
tion. Possibly we have named the culprit—watch him. 
FRUIT TREES FOR WALLS (Smethwick).—The selection of varieties to 
which you refer is a good one for your district. You will find reliable in- 
aia 
