December 7, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



495 



be successfully planted until March ; but those who cannot 

 plant their trees until that time ought to purchase them at once. 

 The nurserymen will either send the trees home, when they 

 can ba laid-in until wanted, or they may be marked and sent at 

 any other convenient time. Tne principal preparation of the 

 ground required is trenching and draining. In soils not natu- 

 rally drained the latter operation is the most essential. Apple 

 trees in undrained Boil soon become covered with mosses and 

 the fruit with fungus, and the fruit is very inferior to what it 

 would have been on well-drained soil. 



The distances for planting must also be considered. Mr. 

 Rivers has recommended 3 feet apart for trees on the dwarfing 

 stock. At Clements near Ilford a large plantation was made 

 and the trees were planted 6 feet apart, but it was soon found 

 that this was too close. Every alternate row was then taken 

 out, which left the trees 12 feet one way and 6 the other. This 

 was also found to be too close, and every alternate tree was taken 

 out of the rows, which left the trees as they are now 12 feet 

 apart, and this is a very good distance for bush trees on the 

 Paradise stock. Orchards are not usually planted with these 

 trained bush trees, but they are preferred by many growers to 

 the usual system of standard trees with straight stems from 

 4 to 6 feet high and the trees 20 feet apart. In some soils the 

 dwarf-trained trees might be even 6 feet apart. In heavy clay 

 the trees have a great tendency to produce fruit when only three 

 or four years old, and in lighter soil to run more to young wood. 

 In the soil at Sawbridgeworth the two and three-year-old trees 

 may be seen bristling with blossom buds with very little young 

 wood, and from observations obtained amongst such trees Messrs. 

 Rivers in their catalogue recommend the trees to be permanently 

 planted much closer than is desirable on light Eoils. 



Those who plant their trees from 18 to 20 feet apart, if the 

 ground is not laid down with grass, will crop between the trees, 

 but this system of cropping the ground must not be carried too 

 far. Sometimes Strawberries are planted between the trees and 

 give a profitable return, but any kitchen-garden crops may be 

 cultivated, those of a dwarf habit to be preferred. The first year 

 the ground may be cropped to within 2 feet of the treos, nest 

 season 3 feet, and the third year the ground ought not to be 

 cropped nearer than 4 feet, but much will depend upon the size 

 of the trees and their growth after planting. In digging the 

 ground great care is necessary to avoid injuring the roots. It is 

 better to dig over them, but it must be done carefully with a 

 digging fork; indeed, this implement is much more efficient for 

 all purposes than the heavier and more clumsy spade. Apple 

 trees are by far the most useful to plant in an orchard, and bear 

 the most regular crops. Some of the more hardy sorts of Pear, 

 Plum, and Cherry trees may be planted, but birds have a great 

 fancy for Cherries, and they will have them whatever precau- 

 tions are taken. Pears and Plums are an uncertain crop. 



PINE HOUSES. 



We find that to have Queens ripe in May it is necessary to 

 start them into growth by the middle of this month. Our plants 

 have been kept dry at the roots and the atmosphere quite cool, 

 and very little artificial heat has been necessary for keeping up 

 the temperature to 55° or 60° at night. When the house is 

 started the temperature is raised about 5°. The plants are 

 thoroughly watered at the roots, and it is well to turn the tan 

 beds over and to mis some fresh tan with the old material; 

 this will sometimes raise the temperature of the bed too much — ■ 

 indeed, we have occasionally had the bottom heat raised to 110° 

 from merely turning the bed and adding a little fresh tan to it. 

 This is far too much : 90° or even 95° as the masimum is suffi- 

 cient, and if the thermometer stands above those figures the pots 

 must not be plunged to more than half their depth in the beds. 

 A high temperature in the beds does more harm than many 

 people are aware of. If the pots are well filled with healthy 

 roots the plants generally throw up fruit freely, but it is as well 

 not to give too much water until signs of fruit can be seen deep 

 in the centre of the plants ; even then too much water may be 

 applied. If the pots are plunged to the rims in moist tan it is 

 not likely that the roots will want water more than once a-week, 

 or perhaps not so often as that. 



One of our fruiting houses has been cleared of plants, and in 

 another house are Pines in various stages of development. They 

 will be placed in a house where they can be kept warmer, 65° at 

 night with the temperature rising to 75° or even S0° when the 

 sun shines brightly. The change to a warmer house will be 

 beneficial to the plants, and some of them will throw up at once, 

 others will start growing a little before doing so, but the latter 

 plants will no doubt produce the best fruit, and if it is later so 

 much the better, as we do not require many Pines to be ripe at 

 one time. The temperature of the succession house is best kept 

 about 55° for a month longer ; as the days lengthen after Christ- 

 mas this may be gradually increased. 



PEACH HOUSE. 



The instructions as to preparing the trees when in a dormant 

 state is so similar to that given under the heading for Vines, 

 that it is not necessary to say much about it here. The earliest 



house ought to be prepared at once if it' is not done, and if any 

 brown scale has formed a lodgment on the trees it ought to be 

 removed by washing it off with rain water in which has been dis- 

 solved some soft soap. Any Peach aphides which may be cluster- 

 ing on the young wood ought to be removed in the same way 

 preparatory to painting the trees with a mixture of soft soap, 

 sulphur, and a little tobacco liquor. This ought not to be made 

 quite so strong as has been recommended for Vines, else it is 

 likely to cause the buds to drop. 



A not uncommon mistake with the inside borders of Peach 

 houses is to allow them to become too dry, and when water is 

 applied abundantly to the roots it is not nnlikely that many of 

 the blossom buds will drop off. In places where gardeners are 

 required to keep up a succession of Peaches from May till No- 

 vember it is quite time that the first house was started by giving 

 the border a good supply of tepid water, and closing the house 

 early in the afternoon to take advantage oE sun heat. The 

 night temperature for the first ten days ought not to fall below 

 45° ; for the nest fortnight 50°, rising by the first day of the 

 new year to 55°. The trees ought to be dewed over on the morn- 

 ings of dull days with tepid water, and when the sun shines in 

 the afternoon shut up about 2.30, and again syringe them. A 

 pot of rain water ought always to be standing on the hot-water 

 pipes for this purpose. 



GBEENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



In previous numbers mention has been made of the care 

 required with hardwooded plants during the winter months. 

 At present the minimum supply of water should be given to 

 them, and the quantity required will depend much upon the 

 state of the roots of the plants and the time since they were last 

 potted. We have some specimens potted last September, and 

 the roots, of course, have not nearly filled the fresh compost. 

 These require but little water ; but what they do require must 

 not be given in driblets, but the plants ought to be allowed to 

 become sufficiently dry, and then enough water must be given 

 to moisten the whole ball of earth. This is the right system of 

 watering with all plants, but it ought more especially to be 

 insisted upon when delicate plants are in question at the dullest 

 period of the year. Any water that falls upon the paths ought 

 at once to be wiped up, and all the watering ought to be done 

 early in the day. 



We have tried propagating our own plants and also purchas- 

 ing from the nurserymen to keep up a supply, and unless in the 

 case of new, very rare, or choice plants, it is not worth while to 

 propagate them ourselves ; they can be bought much cheaper, 

 and the labour that is spent on their propagation and after- 

 management be advantageously diverted into other ohannels. 

 We generally buy a few about July or August, and the plants, as 

 a rule, require at once to be shifted into larger pots. August 

 or early in September is as good a time as any to repot them. 

 They will usually require another shift in the following spring 

 — say February or early in March. 



The present damp muggy weather has been trying to plants 

 in flower. The Cro wea saligna maj or stands damp better than any 

 other flower we have at present. Lapageria rosea and L. alba 

 have both suffered, and the perpetual-flowering Carnations have 

 not opened well owing to the want of sun, and the petals occa- 

 sionally become mouldy; these fine flowers open well in a night 

 temperature of 50° and a rather dry atmosphere. Damp is very 

 injurious to them ; all mouldy petals ought to be promptly re- 

 moved to prevent further decay. 



A few plants of Cyclamens may be moved into a house where 

 there is a night temperature of 50°, with considerable ventilation 

 during the daytime. They will come in earlier than those in 

 the ordinary greenhouse temperature, and prolong the season 

 of these useful spring flowers. Large plants of Cyclamens are 

 apt to suffer from damp and mould settling on the flowers in the 

 centre before they rise above the foliage. They ought to be 

 watched for this, and when water is applied it ought to be done 

 by carefully pouring it in round the sides of the pots. The plants 

 must not be placed too closely together, and they ought to be as 

 near to the glass as possible. 



Stage and fancy Pelargoniums should be placed in a light 

 airy position, the plants to be kept free from any decaying leaves, 

 and the house to be frequently fumigated to destroy green fly. 

 Cinerarias also are kept near to the glass, and as the plants_ in- 

 crease in growth the shoots are tied out. Aphides are particu- 

 larly fond of feeding on the under sides of the succulent leaves, 

 and whether any are observed on the plants or not it is best to 

 fumigate frequently during the winter months. — J. Douglas. 



HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 

 Secretaries will oblige us by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 



Newcastle-dpon-Tine. March 21st and 22nd, 1S77. Messrs. J. H. French, 



Benwell House, and J. Taylor, Rye Hill, Hon. Sees. 

 Wisbech. Jane 2Sth. Mr. Charles Parker, Hon. Sec. 

 Isle op Thanet. August 30th. Mr. C. D. Smith,' Hon. Sec. 



