January 29, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
97 
obtained of the surrounding district, including Matlock Bath, the Heights 
of Abraham, the High Tor, the new Pavilion, the Riyal Hotel, and other 
places of interest. 
Leaving the pleasure grounds, we enter the kitchen gardens, which are 
enclosed with lofty brick walls, clothed with well-trained trees of various 
kinds. A grand range of glass recently erected nest takes our attention. 
This was built by Messrs. Perry of Banbury, who deserve special praise 
for the design and workmanship. The houses are glazed without putty, 
and give great satisfaction. They comprise early and late vineries, 
Peach houses, forcing houses, a large stove, and a small Pine house. The 
Pines are planted out in narrow brick beds. The plants were in various 
stages of growth, some carrying very fine fruits. This house produces a 
moderate supply the year round, the varieties grown being Smooth-leaved 
Cayenne, Black Jamaica, and The Queen. The stove contains a good 
collection of plants for decorative purposes, which are in great demand. 
Over the roof are trained Allamandas, Stephanotis, and Hoyas, which are 
very pretty when in bloom, but obstruct the light too much for the plants 
beneath them. In one vinery a fine crop of late Grapes was still hanging, 
chiefly Lady Downe’s. These were very sound and well coloured. I am 
sorry to state that Mr. Tissington, who has held the position of head 
gardener for many years, is now unable to perform his duties through 
illness; but every department is now kept in excellent order by the 
intelligent gardener, Mr. W. Bailis.— A. Anderson, Lea Wood. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Pruning. —With the exception of Filberts, the pruning of all fiuit trees 
and bushes should now be finished as speedily as possible, Filberts being 
left till after the catkins—the male blossom—have shed the yellow pollen 
freely upon the pink brush-like female flowers. When this is done the 
crop of nuts is secured, and we may prune at once. Of bushes Black 
Currants only require crowded growth to be thinned slightly, and old 
exhausted wood to le cut clean out. When the main branches of old 
bushes become stunted in growth and bear small fruits the bushes should 
not be destroyed hastily, rather would we remove the old branches, and 
encourage suckers from the roots—and they are generally plentiful 
enough—to form a new head. For this especial reason Black Currant 
bushes should always be stemless. Remember what a gross feeder it is, 
and not only take care to plant it in very rich soil, but to give it regularly 
heavy top-dressings of rich manure and plentiful soakings of sewage or 
other liquid manure weekly in summer, both to assist the swelling fruit 
and to promote a stout free wood growth. A well-grown Black Currant 
bush measures fully 6 feet in height and qude as much in diameter. 
Better, far better, is it to have a row of such fine bushes than many rows 
of under-fed starvelings. Red and White Currants should always have 
the chief part of the pruning done in summer by nipping off the lateral 
growth to two or three buds, only leaving three or four shoots at the top of 
each main branch to promote healthy sap action. The removal of these 
shoots and shortening of the leader therefore comprises the whole of the 
winter pruning. 
Some caution is necessary in Gooseberry pruning wherever there are 
bullfinches. A mixture of lime and soot scattered thickly upon the 
branches on a damp day does much to prevent the ravages of these pest®. 
Do this, and defer the pruning till you are reasonably safe. Late pruning 
no doubt makes a tax upon the health of the bushes, which, however, is 
soon set right by a top-dressing of manure and plenty of sewage during 
the season of growth. Raspberries have been pruned, and the canes tied 
to the tarred strings stretched to stout stakes. Training Raspberries is 
considered unnecessary, and is not now done in many gardens. We 
prefer doing it to facilitate fruit-gathering, and find that although our 
rows are 5 feet apart, yet the laterals laden with fruit project so far that 
we have barely room to get between the rows for fruit-picking. 
Advantage has been taken of recent frosts to wheel on manure among the 
bushes and Raspberries. 
Planting Raspberries. —Since writing our last calenderial note we 
have paid a visit to a lady and gentleman who have for a long time been 
readers of the Journal, and who are fond of fruit, but have been grievously 
disappointed by failures owing to the ignorance of an incompetent 
gardener. The most conspicuous failure was a Raspberry bed planted 
about a year ago. Strong canes were evidently procured, for they left 
full 5 feet high when planted, and so we found them with the old canes 
carefully tied to stakes, and the new growth consisting of a few slender 
shoots only 1 or 2 feet in height, so that this year instead of a full crop of 
fruit there will be none. Now there were two faults here—faulty pruning, 
and faulty planting. The canes should have been shortened to 18 inches, 
and the soil should have been made thoroughly and richly fertile and 
porous by heavy dressings of old decayed manure and coal ashes worked 
well into it. But first, if the subsoil was cold, heavy, and poor it should 
have been excavated, and 2 feet deep of the best soil to be had prepared 
for the Raspberries. For a depth of 2 feet another foot of manure would 
not be too much, and we shall in future insist upon a third part of manure 
to two-thirds of soil and ashes. Raspberries to grow to perfection really 
require a compost, or a soil so rich in humus as to leave no doubt of its 
fertility. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Figs —Early Trees in Pots .—With a continuance of severe weather 
the night temperature must not be increased, but what is lost at night 
must be made up by taking advantage of whatever sun heat we are 
favoured with by closing early in the afternoon, or about one o’clock, 
and with a rising temperature. If the nights are very cold some mats, or, 
better still, blinds for covering the roof at night, the check to radia¬ 
tion will be so considerable that the necessity for hard firing will be 
greatly reduced, and it may prevent the trees receiving a check that not 
unfrequentlv is fatal to the crop. The fermenting material placed about 
the pots should receive frequent additions of warm leaves on the surface, 
which are to be worked-in in turning when considered necessary to main¬ 
tain the bottom heat at the base of the pots at from 75° to 80°. Examine 
the pots frequently, and whenever moisture is necessary at the roots it 
must be given without delay, having to hand some liquid manure heated 
to the temperature of the home. It must be applied before the soil 
becomes dry, and if properly drained and the trees stood on pedestals of 
open brickwork, there is little danger of giving a pot Fig tree well fur¬ 
nished with foliage and fruit too much water, but there is a certainty of 
the fruit falling if the trees are ever allowed to feel the want of it. 
Syringe the trees and watch closely for red spider. Stop all gross shoots 
at the sixth leaf, and thin inside shoots, and remove useless spray that 
the youDg spurs and fruit may have the benefit of air and light as the 
season advances. Thinning the fruits must have attention as soon as the 
most promising and best placed can be decided upon for the crop. Trees 
that bave been subjected to forcing for some years invariably show more 
fruit than they can bring to maturity, hence the importance of thinning 
before the last swelling takes place, as this is the time when trees over¬ 
cropped cast their finest fruits, those left being poor in size and quality. 
Succession Houses .—Encourage the trees by providing the needful 
temperature, with a corresponding increase from fire heat, as the night 
temperature is reduced in severe weather, and maintain a good moisture 
in the atmosphere by damping available surfaces occasionally, syringing 
sufficiently early to allow the trees to become dry before dark. Keep the 
borders well mulched, and afford plentiful supplies of tepid water to the 
roots. 
Young Trees in Pots .—Trees that were raised from eyes last year 
should now be encouraged with heat and moisture, as future success 
depends upon having early and thoroughly ripened growth. Remove all 
suckers, stop the strongest shoots, and train the leaders to straight stakes. 
Insert cuttings or eyes of the favoured varieties, and plunge in bottom 
heat. Trees raised from single eyes and grown on clean straight stems 
always make the best plants, especially as pyramids. 
Planting Young Trees .—Where the planting of fre9h trees is contem' 
plated the necessary preparations must be made as soon as possible. The 
house for Figs must be a light one, and have ample means for ventilating 
and heating. A limited space only is required for the roots, and even 
then the borders should be made gradually. If the site be damp, concrete 
the bottom of the border, providing suitable drains and a proper outlet, 
and 12 to 18 inches depth of clean drainage are the essentials. The 
compost should consist of turfy loam rather strong, old mortar rubbish a 
tenth, road scrapings a tenth, and a similar proportion of charred refuse. 
These thoroughly incorporated will last a number of years. Secure the 
drainage with a layer of turves grass downwards, and raise with the soil 
to within 6 inches of the intended level, beating it down with a fork ; the 
depth of the border when completed being 24 inches. The borders need 
not exceed 3 feet wide in the first instance. Turn the trees out of the 
pots, remove the soil, disentangle the roots and spread them evenly on the 
surface, and in layers with soil between each, the top roots being covered 
2 or 3 inches, watering moderately to settle the soil about the roots. 
Mulching may be deferred until the roots are active. There is no Fig to 
equal the Brown Turkey for general use. 
Pines. —The weather has been such of late as to necessitate the strictest 
attention, as in these houses much heat is absolutely necessary, especially 
in fruiting houses and those containing plants about starting into fruit, 
and as a consequence a dry atmosphere results unless sprinkling or 
syringing be vigorously enforced. Daily attention must be given, taking 
advantage of times when the pipes are least hot to well saturate their sur¬ 
roundings. In light structures and lofty houses the plants will need 
sprinkling much more frequently than in low or damp houses. The 
necessity for syringing can be satisfactory ascertained by examining the 
base of the leaves, as if the axils contain moisture none need be given 
until that existing becomes nearly exhausted. Avoid wetting the flower, 
as if syringing be practised then discolouration of the fruit not infrequently 
results. 
Summer Fruiters .—The fruits of Queen and other varieties for the 
summer supply will soon be emerging from the centres of the plants, and 
in order to afford them every encouragement to throw the fruit well up 
above the foliage careful attention must be given to watering and moisture, 
the bottom heat being kept steady at about 90° at the base of the pots, 
and the temperature kept at 65° to 70° ; 75° in the day artificially, and 
10° to 15° rise from sun heat. Keep successional plants and suckers at 
the same temperature as indicated in our last calendar, and take advan¬ 
tage of suitable weather to have materials ready for use when required, 
as materials for fermenting beds and for potting purposes. 
CnERRY House.—I t is advisable before the trees flower to either fumi¬ 
gate the house on two or three consecutive evenings to make sure of the 
