470 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 4, 1885. 
On bright days the atmosphere may be kept cool by damping the paths, 
&c., frequently with cold water. As the trees are cleared of fruit, which 
will be the case where such varieties as Alexander are grown, all shoots 
that have supported fruit and are no longer required should be cut 
out to make room for the shoots intended to supply next year’s crop, it 
being imperatively essential that they have room for the free admission of 
light and air, and full exposure of the foliage to the influence of water 
ejected through the syringe in order to keep it free from red spider, as it 
is of the utmost importance the foliage be clean and healthy. Any gross 
laterals should be stopped or entirely removed, but a very close system 
of stopping is not advisable, as progressive growth keeps the root-action 
active, but spray must not be encouraged and then removed in quantity, 
as that would cause a check, hastening the ripening of young wood, and 
is the reverse of what is required, a steady progressive growth being 
important. 
Houses in which the Fruit is Ripening. —Unless the weather be wet 
and cold fire heat will not be necessary, but as sudden depressions are 
inimical to flavour the command of gentle fire heat with a free circulation 
of air will favour the swelling and finishing, especially of the late varieties. 
Although a somewhat drier condition of the atmosphere is advisable when 
the fruit is ripening than during the swelling, it is necessary that 
moderate air moisture b« maintained by damping the house occasionally for 
the benefit of the foliage, and the border must not under any circumstances 
he allowed to become dry, as lack of moisture at the roots is certain to 
favour red spider and to interfere with the proper development of the 
buds. 
Trees Swelling their Crops. —Afford copious supplies of tepid water 
through a mulching 2 or 3 inches thick of manure, supplying weakly 
trees carrying full crops with liquid manure. This more particularly 
applies to trees in inside borders, but trees having the run of outside 
borders as well must not he neglected in mulching, also watering if the 
weather is not such as to insure their thorough moisture throughout. 
Syringe thoroughly twice a day, omitting the afternoon syringing, how¬ 
ever, on dull days, so as to have the foliage dry before nightfall, and 
damp available surfaces with liquid manure occasionally in the evening. 
Admit air early, increasing it with the sun heat, maintaining through the 
day at 75° to 85°, and close at 80° with plenty of moisture. Keep the 
laterals in check by pinching, but if there is space a rather free extension 
will cause the fruit to swell to a large size ; at the same time there must 
not be any crowding of the principal foliage, which must have free 
exposure to light and air for the solidification of the wood, and to keep 
the foliage free from red spider. It is advisable to leave the ventilators 
open constantly, an inch or two at the top of the house will cause a 
circulation, and prevent that condition after which the foliage is liable to 
he scorched under powerful sun—viz., a close vitiated atmosphere through 
the night. Allow the temperature to fall to 65° or less through the 
night. 
Trees Stoning. —Do not hurry the trees through the stoning process; a 
temperature of 60° to 65° by artificial means is ample, with a rise of 
10° to 15° from sun heat, not allowing an advance above 70° without full 
ventilation. Keep the borders well supplied with moisture, the trees 
syringed twice a day, and only encourage as much foliage as can have 
full exposure to light. Avoid sudden depressions of temperature, which 
can only be done by early air-giving, and reducing it as external con¬ 
ditions necessitate. Keep the shoots tied down, not too closely, and when 
the stoning is completed remove any superfluity that has been left to meet 
contingencies. A fruit to every square foot of trellis covered by the trees 
is ample, but Nectarines may be left a little closer. 
Late Houses. —Tying in the young shoots intended for carrying next 
year’s crop, as well as all extension growths, must have timely attention, 
pinching all intermediate growths not required for furnishing the trees ; 
afterwards allow a moderate extension, always being careful to avoid 
overcrowding, as somewhat free growth is advisable until the fruit takes its 
last swelling. The inside borders should be well mulched with manure, 
lime rubbish, and turfy loam, and water given when necessary in sufficient 
quantity to pass through into the drains. Ventilate fully in mild weather, 
and freely whenever favourable. 
Cherry House. —Directly the fruits are gathered let the trees be 
well washed morning and afternoon with the garden engine, continuing 
this until the growth ceases. In the event of aphides having obtained a 
footing they must be destroyed by fumigation or syringing with quassia 
water, repeating this until the trees are free of the pests. The main p unt 
now is to secure the proper development of the buds for next year’s crop, 
and in the case of trees that have been forced for consecutive years the 
process must not be hurried. It is necessary in the period between now 
and when the growth is completed to have the soil about the roots in a 
proper state as regards moisture, and in the case of trees which are not 
over-vigorous, or those enfeebled by heavy crops of fruit, it will be 
necessary to assist them by means of weak liquid manure. All the venti¬ 
lators should be fully opened and left so until the removal of the sashes. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUND. 
Preparing for Planting. —Where the flower beds are occupied with 
spring-flowering plants the summer plants will in most cases be put out 
much later than usual. The former invariably leave the ground in a dry 
exhausted state, and the later the beds are replanted the greater the need 
of a good dressing of rotten manure. In our case we not only dig in a 
quantity of manure, hut many of the beds receive a surface dressing of 
either leaf soil or thoroughly rotten manure, which was originally the short 
grass from the mowing machine. Some of this is worked in about the 
roots of the plants and the remainder acts as a mulching. Thus treated, 
Verbenas, Violas, Calceolarias, Heliotropes, Lobelias, Begonias, Dahlias, 
and other moisture-loving, once they are established, will thrive during a 
hot and dry summer without the aid of the watering pot. The ground 
should not he made rich for the various sorts of Pelargoniums, as these, if 
they grow strongly, either do not flower well or become too crowded. If 
the newly dug beds are found to be too dry to work well they should 
receive an overnight soaking of water, and in the morning it will then 
break down readily. Those beds that have been unoccupied and laid up 
roughly all the winter will work easily and may be planted most ex¬ 
peditiously. They should be stirred to a good depth with fork, so as to 
break up the clods without bringing them to the surface. If the surface 
is well pulverised the fine soil will work in with the roots and the plants 
will do well. 
Planting the Beds. —The beds being raked level and made tolerably 
firm, the first proceeding should be to put out any hardy or half-hardy 
edging plants that may be employed, such as Echeverias, Sempervivums, 
Sedums, Antennaria, Variegated Arabis, Golden Thyme, Cerastium, and 
Ajuga. The beds being well “ set up ” and the surface level, the sloping 
margins may be faced with any of the above-mentioned plants another 
dwarf-growing edging plant, such as either Golden Pyrethrums, Lobelias, 
Koniga, Ageratums, Festuca glauca, Dactylis glomerata, or later on the 
more tender Coleus Verschaffelti, and Alternantheras may be disposed in a 
single or double line just inside of the outer edging. This method of 
arranging the edging gives a finish to the beds, as it does away with the 
objectionable bare slopes. In the case of small beds the centres always 
look best when filled wholly with one kind of plant ; or to be plain, with 
one, or at the most two rows or rings of edging plants, and the remainder o5 
the space with taller-growing plants, the colour contrasting agreeably with 
the edging. In large beds also we prefer to have in the centre either a 
mass of one colour or a judicious mixture, such as Iresines and Calceolaria 
amplexicaulis, Silver Variegated or bronze-leaved Pelargoniums and 
blue Violas, Iresines and yellow Violas, Tuberous-rooted Begonias, and a- 
groundwork of Mesembryanthemum, Pelargonium Manglesi and Verbena 
venosa, Veronica Andersonii variegated, and Verbena venosa, mixed! 
seedling Verbenas, and other pleasing combinations that may suggest 
themselves to an intelligent planter. These centres may be surrounded 
with a broad hand of some other suitable plant, and an outer edging or 
edgings of dwarf plants. Planters will find strong wooden compasses of 
great service in marking the lines near the edges ; failing these the lines 
may be formed tolerably correct with the back of a rake. When once 
the outer lines are planted the centres may be filled easily and effectively. 
If the attempt is made to plant the centres first a great difficulty will 
most probably be experienced in finishing off the beds properly. Spaces 
must be left for such tender plants as Iresines, Coleuses, Heliotropes, and 
Alternantheras, as if these are planted early a frost or cold rain may 
greatly damage them. The sub-tropical beds ought also to be the last to be 
filled, the second week in June being quite early enough for these even 
in warm localities. No plant should be put out with the ball in a dry 
state, and each when planted must have the soil well worked about the 
roots with a trowel, and be properly mixed. The majority will require 
to be watered in, but the ground ought not to be kept in a saturated state, 
especially when the nights are cold. Those not well hardened off, or 
which are put out with but little soil about the roots, should be roughly 
protected with branches of evergreens both from bright sunshine and 
slight frosts. 
Rullous-rooted Plants. —Where these must necessarily be lifted in 
order to make room for the summer bedding plants, they ought not to be¬ 
at once stored away in boxes. They in common with any that may have 
been grown in pots, including Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocuses, Snowdrops,, 
and Narcissi, should be carefully bedded-in in light soil till such times as 
the foliage has ripened, when they may be lifted and stored away in 
boxes of sand. As a rule Crocuses, Snowdrops, Tulips, and Narcissi 
thrive and flower most freely when left in the ground, and those in the 
mixed borders ought therefore to bs marked with durable pegs and not 
disturbed. 
THE SEASON—CLEANING FLOORS. 
Until now there has been little appearance of summer. 
Since the beginning of May there has been frost every night, 
snow more or less every day, with fitful gleams of sunshine 
enticing the bees out, but to be overtaken by snow or rain,, 
which prevented numbers returning to their hives. Doubt¬ 
less much of the brood on outside combs has perished by the 
bees deserting their charge, being compelled to concentrate 
themselves on account of the excessive cold, which has been 
collectively of frost alone in a fortnight’s time 60°, with very 
low day temperatures. Those who have been wise enough 
to let the bees spread their own brood may be thankful, 
because the loss to those who spread it must be very great. 
If such weather had continued, and with an increasing teeming 
population in the hive, great care would have been exercised 
