June 22,1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 521 
Dessert Cherries on walls may be treated similarly to Apricots, but 
Morellos should have as many young growths laid in as will uni¬ 
formly furnish bearing wood for next season. Nail or tie in all 
other wall trees, such as Plums and Pears, securing a sufficiency 
of young shoots to fill up or extend the trees where necessary. In 
pruning Pears the foreright shoots should be shortened to three or 
four buds, as if cut in too hard the trees will probably start again 
into growth instead of forming fruit buds for next season. Any long 
spurs that have little beyond sappy growths should be cut back to 
short stubby shoots— i.e., spurs nearer the base, and these, from the 
greatest advantages of light and air consequent upon the removal of 
the useless spray, will in all probability develope into fruit buds for 
next season. Peaches and Nectarines should have the shoots laid in, 
and growths retained and pinched to attract the sap to the fruit. 
Avoid overcrowding the shoots, retaining no more growths than will 
allow full exposure of the foliage to light. Pinch all laterals to one 
joint as produced. Aphides are unusually abundant; the removal of 
the useless spray will admit of the more effectual application of an 
insecticide, such as tobacco water. Similar means should be adopted 
with Plum and Cherry trees infested with blue or black aphides, 
adding 3 ozs. of soft soap to each gallon of tobacco water, and it is 
more effectual applied at a temperature of 90° to 100° than when 
cold. Blistered leaves have been induced by the recent cold weather 
on Peaches and Nectarines. These should be removed, but gradually, 
so as not to give a sudden check to the growth, and be at once 
burned. With more genial weather the trees will grow out of it. 
Pyramidal, bush, espalier, or cordon Apple, Pear, and Plum trees 
may also now be pruned, pinching the shoots to three or four 
leaves, leaving extensions about a foot distance asunder, and taking 
care that the pyramid and bush trees do not become crowded in the 
centre, as it is important that light and air have full access to the 
interior of the trees. Bushes or pyramids extending should have the 
leads pinched at about 12 inches of growth, and side growth to about 
6 inches. The leads of espalier trees trained horizontally should be 
stopped at 12 inches to originate side growths for training to the 
wires at that distance, these to be trained in their full length until 
the available space is covered; afterwards the spray produced should 
be kept closely stopped to three or four leaves. Now is a good time 
to remove any barren or bare attenuated spurs, which will divert the 
sap into other channels to the benefit of the present crop and the 
formation and development of spurs for the future. All fruit trees 
carrying heavy crops of fruit, or from enfeeblement of growth need¬ 
ing additional support, should be well supplied with liquid manure, 
mulching over the roots with partially decayed manure as a means of 
retaining moisture and encouraging surface roots. The growths of 
bush fruits, such as Gooseberries, Bed and White Currants, should 
when over-abundant be shortened to within a few joints of the base, 
which will allow of more light and air to benefit the fruit and assist 
in the development of the spurs. Raspberries in dry weather should 
be well supplied with water or liquid manure, especially in light 
soils, and the ground be mulched. Protection against birds must be 
afforded to bush fruits as they change colour, also Strawberries, 
and Cherries against walls. 
Strawberries in Pots .—Where it is contemplated to form new plan¬ 
tations it is advisable to take the runners from fruitful plants only 
and layer them in 3-inch pots. When the pots are filled with roots 
the runners may be detached and planted in their permanent quarters, 
the ground being trenched or deeply dug and well manured. If due 
attention be given to watering and the removal of runners and 
weeds an abundant crop of fine fruit may be looked forward to next 
season. The kinds that do best with us on light soil are Pioneer, 
Yicomtesse Hericart de Thury, President, Sir Joseph Paxton, Eureka, 
and Loxford Hall Seedling. 
For forcing, the runners should be layered so soon as available 
either in 3-inch pots for transferring to the fruiting pots when rooted, 
or into the fruiting pots at once, the latter perhaps being preferable 
when practicable ; in either case it is important that the runners be 
from young, vigorous, and fruitful plants. If layered in small pots 
no drainage is needed, but the soil should be well pressed in the pots, 
whilst for the fruiting pots good drainage is essential, and the com¬ 
post rammed as firmly as practicable. Turfy rather strong loam, 
with a fifth of decayed manure and about a quart of bone meal to a 
bushel of compost, is suitable material for potting. Horn or the dust 
from comb-manufacturers is the best substance we have used for 
mixing with the soil for Strawberries, using it at the rate of a twen¬ 
tieth part. A slight indent should be made in the soil in the centre 
of the pot, and the runners there fixed by a peg to prevent displace¬ 
ment. Always keep the soil in the pots moist, and the runners will 
soon become established. For early forcing 5-inch pots are suitable, 
and 6-inch for succession and later work. The kinds that succeed 
best with us are, for early forcing, La Grosse Sucree and Yicomtesse 
Hericart de Thury, which are good for succession, along with Presi¬ 
dent, Marguerite, Dr. Mor6re, Sir Charles Napier, and James Yeitch, 
with British Queen, Dr. Hogg, and Cockscomb for late work. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Under ordinary circumstances fire heat may be discontinued in 
most Pine structures, except for affording the requisite degree of 
warmth (80° to 90°) at the roots, or to assist in accelerating plants 
with fruit in an advanced condition of growth. Its use for houses 
containing successional stock will, if longer continued, prove ulti¬ 
mately to be more injurious than beneficial, as the temperature rarely 
falls below 65® by reason of the assistance which is obtained from the 
heated beds wherein the plants are plunged, and this temperature 
under such conditions is most suitable at this season for the satisfac¬ 
tory development of the plants. Newly potted plants will, as soon 
as the roots have taken hold of the fresh soil, make growth rapidly, 
and will need strict attention to the ventilation so as to avoid an at¬ 
tenuated state of growth. On fine days admit air from 75° to 80°, 
gradually increasing the supply until the temperature reaches 85°, 
when a plentiful amount will be needed at the top or sides of the 
house as the case may be. In the afternoon it should be diminished 
by degrees to about 80°, and at finally closing the house for the day 
a light sprinkling with the syringe should be given when sunny 
weather prevails. The early section of fruiting Pines will soon be 
finished, and from the stock of suckers on these plants a number suf¬ 
ficient to meet the demand for fruit will be required from this time 
onwards next season, and will form a supplementary batch to those 
started in March. The requirements of these plants will be identical 
of the suckers started at that time, only they will need more 
moisture and shade. When Pine Apples commence colouring cease 
to syringe them, but continue the supply of water at the roots 
for the benefit of the suckers, and to improve the colour and quality 
of the fruit more air will now be beneficial; therefore, whenever cir¬ 
cumstances admit ventilate liberally, but do not let the temperature 
fall below 80°, and gradually diminish the quantity of moisture in 
the house, applying fire heat to maintain the temperature at night at 
70° to 75°. 
Peaches and Nectarines .—When the fruit is gathered from the earliest 
house the trees should have all the ventilation practicable, as trees 
long subjected to early forcing have a tendency to over-development 
of buds, or rather to mature so early as to be liable to start into 
growth prematurely, especially the early varieties. All growth not 
required for fruiting next season or for extending the trees should be 
cut out and any lateral growth kept closely pinched, as it is important 
that the foliage have full exposure to light and air to mature the buds 
properly, and it is equally important that it be kept clean and healthy 
by employing the syringe or engine, and apply water sufficiently to 
the inside borders. Trees ripening their fruit should be kept duly 
watered both as regards the inside and outside borders, but a mode¬ 
rate atmospheric moisture will be sufficient, and may be obtained by 
occasionally damping the borders on fine afternoons, but the fruit 
must be kept dry or it will be deteriorated in appearance and quality. 
In succession houses former instructions must still be attended to— 
i.e., syringing the trees frequently to keep down red spider, and tying 
in and regulating the shoots. Remove any leaves that shade the 
fruit too much, so that the influence of sun and air may colour them 
equally from the apex. 
Cherry Souse .—As soon as the Cherries are gathered spare no effort 
to eradicate red spider by syringing twice daily, and if there be any 
black fly (which, like every other kind of insect, appears in plenty 
this season) destroy it by fumigation. Open the house fully, and 
