August 24, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



173 



remarkable for their size and regularity, being If inch in 

 longitudinal diameter, and they are highly finished. The 

 Vines in this garden are young and in admirable condition, 

 and are fully as noteworthy as are the many fine examples of 

 Orchids for which this place is famed. 



The Apple attains a large size in Nova Scotia, and in 



favourable seasons is of fine flavour, well ripened and coloured. 

 This is owing largely to the beautiful autumn months of Sep- 

 tember and October — the heat of the sun and the warm dry 

 weather being almost peculiar to the climate at this season of 

 the year. The recorded weight of several varieties exhibited 

 at the shows of the Fruit-Growers' Association is as follows : — 



Dozen. 



Single 



Specimen. 



. ISt ozs. 



: # ;: 



20 



Gravenstein 7 lbs. 9 ozs. 



Eibston Pippin 6 „ 14 „ 



Yellow Belletteur 7 „ 10 „ 



Baldwin 7 „ 10 „ 



Gloria Mundi 10 ,, 7 ,, 



Ohebuoto Beanty 9 „ 7i „ 18J ',', 



Emperor Alexander 9 „ 3" „ 18$ „ 



King of Tompkins Co 6 „ 14 „ 11" „ 



Northern Spy 8 „ 6 „ .... 12 „ 



The Apples for winter use and for commercial purposes are 

 taken from the trees in the month of October, and from the 

 5th to the 25th, and sometimes even later. The early sorts, 

 such as Red Astrachan, Early Harvest, Early Joe, Early Red, 

 Bough and Sutton's Early, a native of Nova Scotia, ripen in 

 August and September ; then come Porter, Williams' Early, 

 Munson's Sweet, and Gravenstein in the month of September 

 and early in October, the Gravenstein often attaining its 

 greatest perfection when left on the tree as late as the 5th and 

 10th of October. The Baldwin, Greening, Nonpareil, Russet, 

 Northern Spy, King of Tompkins County, Blue Pearmain, 

 Yellow Bellefleur, Ribston Pippin, and other varieties do not 

 attain their perfection till the 10th to the 25th of October. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



The pyramid and dwarf-trained trees have until now not 

 been interfered with. They would have been looked over and 

 all superfluous wood removed, but a press of other work pre- 

 vented it. We are now cutting out all the young wood that is 

 not required, leaving only two or three buds at the base of the 

 shoots. Some of the Pear trees, and also a few Apple trees, 

 have made a large quantity of young wood, and treeB planted 

 only 6 feet apart had grown into each other. There is a great 

 difference in the quality of the soil for causing trees to grow to 

 wood buds. Our experience is that light soils have a greater 

 tendency to produce young wood than heavy or clay soils. We 

 have seen the young trees at Sawbridgeworth grafted on dwarf- 

 ing stocks make but little growth in a young state, producing 

 far more fruit than leaf buds, and when the same trees were 

 removed to a light moderately rich soil they produced young 

 wood too freely. 



Constant summer pruning and pinohing will cause the pro- 

 duction of fruit buds in many instances ; but it is sometimes 

 necessary to supplement this with root-pruning. For instance, 

 we have not been able to repress the vigorous growth of Waltham 

 Abbey Seedling or Tower of Glamis Apples by any system of 

 pruning, and equally difficult has been the management of 

 General Todtleben and Marshal de Cour Pears ; but cutting 

 back the roots in autumn as an aid to summer pruning is gene- 

 rally sufficient. The hot summer weather has developed an 

 unusually large number of the Apple maggot. As the trees are 

 being pruned all fruit that has been bored by the maggot is 

 gathered from the trees, in order if possible to diminish the 

 numbers of the pest in future years. Removing the young 

 wood has allowed the influence of light and air to act upon the 

 fruit. Apples, Pears, and Plums are very much below the 

 average of previous years. Bullace trees, which have not failed to 

 produce a crop during the last twelve years, are a total failure, 

 and the same maybe said of Damsons. Raspberries were a good 

 crop, and they are making stroDg young wood for next year. 

 Cherries and Red Currants were good crops, and Gooseberries 

 were up to the avsrage. 



Strawberry plants put out a month ago are now making 

 vigorous growth. It has been necessary to look over the plants 

 and to cut away the runners. In a week or two it will improve 

 the plants to run the Dutch hoe through between the rows. 

 We have noticed on wall trees, especially this year, a number 

 of branches on Plums, Peaches, and Apricots that have died off. 

 The dead or decaying leaves are unsightly, and the branches 

 ought to be removed, laying the fresh growths from each side 

 closer together to fill up the vacant space. Any trees that have 

 suffered from drought now show the effects of it by the fruit 



dropping off after a good soaking of rain. Morello Cherry trees 

 reqnire but little pruning; they have carried a very good crop 

 of fruit this year. When the wood is too thick the present i3 

 a good time to thin it out. 



VINERIES. 



It is too early to prune the Vines in the houses intended to 

 be started about the end of November. The top lights should be 

 pulled down night and day, and the front sashes be open to their 

 fullest extent. All lateral growths should be stopped as they 

 are formed. The late Grapes are not yet ripe, but with a night 

 temperature ranging from 55° to 63° we do not think it neces- 

 sary to apply artificial heat. The ventilators have been opened 

 to their fullest extent by day owing to the intense heat, the 

 thermometer having risen in the shade on many occasions over 

 90°, once to 95°. A little air is admitted all night both at the 

 front and back of the houses. The temperature has now fallen 

 considerably, and a fall of 0.72 inch of rain has oooled the 

 ground, and it will doubtless gradually become colder. In 

 northern districts it may be necessary to apply artificial heat to 

 the Muscat house ; with air on the night temperature should be- 

 about 70°, rising about 10° higher in the day from sun heat. 

 North of the Forth in Scotland and in some of the wet dis- 

 tricts of England it is necessary to use artificial heat all through 

 the summer months for Muscats. The atmosphere is kept 

 rather dry and the ventilators are constantly open ; a very Bmall 

 chink of air will keep up the circulation. 



Vines in pots that have not yet ripened their wood must be 

 encouraged with a high temperature, and if the growth is over- 

 luxuriant water must not be too freely applied to the roots. 

 When in full growth and when the pots are well filled with 

 roots a very large quantity of water is absorbed ; but we have 

 not always found the strongest canes bear the best fruit ; mode- 

 rate canes with prominent buds generally give the most satis- 

 factory results. Early-ripened canes intended for early forcing 

 should be kept moderately dry at the roots. It is a great mis- 

 take to dry them off, thinking that the wood will be ripened in 

 that way. It does not follow that because the wood is brown 

 that it iB necessarily ripe. The main object of the cultivator 

 is to produce well developed buds. If the pots have been placed 

 in front of a wall facing south, or where they are fully exposed 

 to the sun, a slate, tile, or board Bhould be placed against the 

 pots to prevent the heat injuring the roots. 



MELONS AND CUCUMBERS. 



Late Melons will now be flowering, and a temperature of 65*5 

 at night should be kept up, rising considerably in the day. Close 

 the house early, and syringe freely to keep the plants free from 

 red spider. Melons in frames are liable to suffer from damp 

 after this month. The fruit should be laid on a bit of tile, but 

 it should also be partially shaded by the leaves. Melons under 

 glass fnlly exposed to hot sunshine not unfrequently receive in- 

 jury before the fruit is ripe. 



It is now a good time to bow Cucumbers for an early winter 

 supply. They come into beariDg early in October, and will, if 

 not overcropped, continue to produce Cucumbers till March. 

 After that time it is best to trust to plants raised from seeds in 

 January. It is a great mistake to allow the plants to bear too 

 much at any time during the winter months ; it checks the de- 

 velopment of young growths, and the plants take a long time 

 to recover. 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HOUSES. 



There is no potting required at present, but all plants that 

 have sufficient rooting space make vigorous growth during the 

 next six weeks. It is well to see that this growth does not 

 become overcrowded. One not unfrequently sees the young 

 wood, or rather the growing shoots, bundled together so thatit is 

 impossible that any of them can be well ripened. To give stove 

 climbing plants anything like justice they ought to have suffi- 

 cient space. One growth that has been exposed to light and 

 air is worth any number of immature shoots which tbe sun has 

 not reached. It is a good time also to destroy mealy bog. Thia 

 must be washed off with a sponge and soapy water. Thrips are 

 also very active, and they attack plants that are quite freB from 

 bug. They prefer the younger leaves, and when they attack the 

 centre of the young growths it is very difficult to eradicate. Red 

 spider has also been very active during the hot dry weather, 

 especially on Dendrobiums, such aB D. Devonianum, D. Ben- 

 sonia, and other sorts. Daily syringings are needed to keep 

 such Orchids in good health. 



Flowering stove plants that are being grown-on for decorative 

 purposes in the winter require careful attention ; they should be 

 trained into proper shape and kept free from insect pests. In 

 order that such plants as Euphorbias, Aphelandras, Eranthe- 

 mums, Thyrsacanthus, &c, may flower freely the plants must 

 after this he freely exposed to light and air. Poinsettia pul- 

 oherrima is generally grown in too much heat through the sum- 

 mer months ; the plants make the most satisfactory growth in 

 a cool greenhouse, or in a sheltered position out of doors. They 

 must not be placed where they are exposed to tbe fury of south- 

 west winds ; in dry weather they must be syringed twice a-day. 

 The general collection of Orchids require less water at the rocts, 



