February 5, 1885. j 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
117 
the plants divided, and replanted. Little pieces with roots and tops about 
3 inches high are very suitable for a new edging. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines.— Earliest Houses.—U any of the trees 
are still in flower the ventilators must be kept sufficiently open to admit 
a circulation of air, but not to cause a draught, and continue to assist the 
fertilisation until the setting is completed, when syringing once or twice 
a day with water slightly warmer than the house will be necessary for 
cleansing the trees of the remains of the blossoms and for keeping insects 
in check. On dull days syringing will not be necessary, but a proper 
amount of atmospheric moisture must be maintained by damping occasion¬ 
ally. Exhausted fermenting materials may, after the fruit is set, be re¬ 
moved from inside borders, and if these need water take advantage of a fine 
morning to give a thorough supply, which will be sufficient for young 
trees, but old trees showing signs of weakness should have weak tepid 
liquid manure. The young shoots will be growing fast under generous 
treatment, due attention being given to early ventilation and early closing 
to insure a thoroughly solidified and short-jointed growth, attention being 
needed daily in disbudding. By commencing at the extremities of the 
trees and taking the foreright shoots off first, a check to the sap will be 
avoided, and the weakest and least forward parts will gain strength, 
which may be increased by pinching out some of the points of the side 
shoots on the strongest and extending branches at subsequent disbuddings. 
Those closely stopped shoots form spurs that usually ripen and show 
plenty of flowers, which set well the following 
season. This method, however, i9 only applicable 
to the extending shoots or branches, as it is necessary 
to lay in a shoot from the base of the current bear¬ 
ing shoots in other parts of the tree, and to retain a 
shoot on a level with or above the fruit to attract the 
sap to the fruit, this shoot being stopped at the 
second or third joint, and kept regularly pinched to 
a joint or two of subsequent growth throughout the 
season. Unless the set is very thick defer thinning 
the fruit until it is seen by the swelling of the fruit 
which has been properly fertilised, when the fruit 
should be thinned by degrees until few more than 
one to every square foot of trellis covered by the 
trees remains for the crop. A few more Nectarines 
may be left than Peaches, but if fine fruits are 
wanted they must be left in similar numbers. 
Second Early House. —The buds are swelling satis¬ 
factorily, giving promise of abundant fine flowtrs. 
Where crowded they should be thinned on the under 
side of the shoots by drawing the hand downwards. 
If there are any aphides fumigate before the blossoms 
open, and cease syringing directly the anthers show 
clear of the petals. Maintain moderate moisture in 
the house by damping the paths, borders, &c., in the 
morning and afternoon of fine days. Admit air 
early in the day and close early, and ventilate a 
little at the top of the house constantly to promote 
a circulation of air. Let the inside borders be well 
supplied with tepid water, and lightly mulch the 
surface with short stable litter, which will help the 
surface roots. The night temperature may range 
from 45° to 50°, 5° more by day artificially, and 10° 
to 15° rise from sun heat, and a free circulation of 
air, especially in the early part of the day. When 
the blossoms are expanded increase the night tem¬ 
perature to 50°, falling to 45° on cold nights, whilst 
in mild weather 5° more will be safe. Provide 55° 
by day artificially, at which ventilate a little, in¬ 
creasing it with the sun heat to 65°, and reduce 
ventilation with the declining sun so as to keep up 
the temperature to 65°, at which close the house for 
the < ay. 
Fruit to Ripen in July. —Where there are several houses a third 
may now be started, the fruit on which from the ordinary kinds of 
Peaches and Nectarines will be ripe in July and onwards. The inside 
borders should be well watered with tepid water, repeating if there is any 
doubt of the soil being dry, as it is essential to strong flowering that the 
soil be thoroughly moist. Syringe the house and trees twice a day, the 
second time sufficiently early in the afternoon to allow of the trees becoming 
fairly dry before night. Turn the heat on early in the morning to raise 
the temperature to 50°, and allow an advance of 10° to 15° from sun heat, 
accompanied by free ventilation. Close at 55°, and allow it to fall 
through the night to 40° if cold or 45° if mild. 
Succession and Late Houses. —The trees are swelling the buds fast in 
houses that usually are relied on to give ripe fruit in August. They 
should be kept as cool as possible by ventilation on all occasions except 
during frost, which is best excluded. When the blossoms show colour 
nothing is gained by seeking to retard them ; indeed by starving them 
they are often made so puny as to set very badly, hence they should be 
kept cool until this stage is reached, and then have treatment that will 
insure the perfect development of the blossoms. They can readily be 
kept from lipening the fruit too early by free ventilation in the early 
stages of swelling, and such is not only better for the crop but the con¬ 
tinued health of the trees. See that the inside borders are in a thoroughly 
moist condition. 
Cucumbers. — Young Plants. —These will now be ready to plant in the 
Cucumber house. Press the soil firmly around each plant, place a stick to 
each and secure to the first wire of the trellis. Should there be bright 
sunshine at the time of planting shade lightly from about eleven to 
one o’clock for a few days to prevent flagging, but after they become 
established the shading must be discontinued. See that the linings of 
dung frames are properly attended to weekly or fortnightly according to 
the weather; and to meet the demand for materials for this purpose and 
making fresh beds keep a good supply of well-mixed dung and leaves in 
the reserve yard. 
Bearing Plants. —Maintain a night temperature of 65° to 70° on mild 
nights ; on cold it may fall to 60° in the morning, 70° to 75° by day, and 
80° to 90° with sun heat. Ventilate a little at 75° and increase it with the 
solar heat, closing early in the afternoon, with plenty of atmospheric 
moisture on bright sunny days. Keep the evaporation troughs charged 
with liquid manure, and afford tepid liquid manure to the roots, but only 
when moisture is required. Crop lightly, remove exhausted growths and 
encourage young in its place, and so keep up a succession of fruitful 
growths. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Azaleas. —Where these plants are forced early in the season they must 
not be returned to the greenhouse when they are past their best. This i 3 
done in maoy instances, and the result is serious injury to the plants, and 
frequently they do not recover again during the whole season. They 
should be accorded a position where a little heat can be maintained—say 
45° to 50° at night, with a rise of at least 5° by day until the season has 
advanced. If the atmosphere is kept close and the plants syringed twice 
daily they will start gradually into growth. It is utterly impossible to 
have plants in good condition for early forcing next autumn unless they 
are assisted at this season of the year to make an early growth, which 
will be ripened early, and leave ample time for the plants to enjoy a good 
season of repose, which is essential to the health of these plants. To 
flower plants months before their usual time cannot be accomplished 
unless the plants are trained for the purpose, and this can be done by 
assistance now, and thus render autumn forcing easy when the days are 
short and sunless. Vvhen the wood is cut with the flowers to any extent 
the plants flower very irregularly afterwards, whether forced early in the 
season or not. The uncut shoots start and complete their growth much 
earlier in the season than those that have been cut. It is a very good 
plan when the wood is cut to any extent to entirely cut over the head of 
the plant, and thus compel them to start evenly into growth. It is only 
by this means that an even head of bloom can be produced. Azaleas will 
bear this treatment without the slightest injury, and will break again 
freely in the temperature indicated. 
Epacris. —Where the flowers of these plants are used as much for 
cutting as for the decoration of the conservatory, the earliest batch will 
be ready for prunieg. No advantage is gained by leaving one or two 
Fig. 21.—Owen’s Patent Spray Engine. (See page 116.) 
