2G0 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 20, 1S83. 
George, Grosse Mignonne, Yiolette Hative, Belle Bauce, and Noblesse. 
Late houses should have Bellegarde, BarringtoD, Stirling Castle, and 
Late Admirable. Of Nectarines for an early house Lord Napier and 
Hunt’s Tawny ; second bouse, Elruge, Yiolette Hative, Pitmaston 
Orauge ; and "later houses, Pine Apple, Stanwick Elruge, Albert Yictor, 
and Victoria. 
Lifting Trees. —No trees pay better for lifting than the Peach. 
Operations of this kind in early and midseason varieties should be 
commenced without delay, the first consideration being thorough 
drainage, through which the water can pass freely. Commencing at 
the point of the border most distant from the tree stem, and working 
from the extremities of the roots inwards, all long and strong bare 
roots will be the better shortened back before laying in the fresh 
compost, which should be used in a moderately moist condition, so as 
to allow of its being firmly rammed to induce a fibry root-formation, 
and consequently the feeders. 
Late Houses. —When the trees in late houses are cleared of the fruit, 
every lateral and shoot that will not be required for extending the trees 
or fruiting next season should be removed, so that the young shoots now 
swelling their buds may have the benefit of the increased light and air, 
The foliage must be kept clean and healthy by an occasional syringing 
and the prompt application of an insecticide, if there be any trace of 
red spider or brown aphis. The inside borders must be kept moist, as 
dryness at any time is prejudicial to the health of the trees and the 
retention of the buds. 
Cucumbers.— Plants in Hearing. — These will now be considerably 
benefited by a top-dressing of three parts fibrous loam, preferably light, 
with one part of thoroughly decomposed manure, having previously 
removed the loose surface soil, but without injuring the roots. If the 
plants are dry at the roots they should be given a good watering, the 
water being tepid. Liquid manure should not be given until the roots 
are working freely into the fresh material, which they will soon do, and 
then it may be applied with advantage. Maintain a genial temperature 
during the day of 70° to 80°, and 85° from sun heat. Close early—from 
two to three o’clock—according to the weather, allowing an advance 
after closing to 90°. Tbe night temperature should be kept at 60° to 
65°. Ventilate freely in favourable weather, especially during the early 
part of the day, which will do much to keep the growth stout and the 
foliage leathery. Syringe the plants twice a day when the days are 
bright, but let damping suffice when the weather is dull. 
Winter Fruiters. —Young plants which some little time ago were 
put into their fruiting quarters will be the better of a little fresh com¬ 
post being added to the ridges or hillocks in such quantity as to cover 
the protruding roots. Similar remarks apply to those put out in pots 
or boxes. The plants have now reached the third or fourth wire, and 
being stopped, the laterals resulting therefrom should be trained evenly 
over the trellis. The treatment in other respects advised for fruiting 
plants is applicable to these. 
Plants in Hung-heated Pits. —In order to keep the plants in a healthy 
and fruitful condition some time longer the liniDgs will need to be 
attended to weekly or fortnightly as the condition of the fermenting 
materials and the state of the weather may determine. The plants 
should be examined weekly for stopping and regulating the growths, 
keeping it moderately thin, and removing bad leaves and exhausted 
growth, as also knob fruit, which shows itself pretty abundantly on 
plants that have been some time in bearing, especially at this time of 
year, and seed-bearing exhausts the energy of the plants considerably 
more than anything else. When the plants require water let it be given 
sufficiently early in the day for the foliage to become dry before night. 
If mildew appear dust the affected parts with flowers of sulphur. Place 
a covering of mats on the lights at night. 
HARDY BRUIT GARDEN. 
Gathering and Storing Fruit. —The fruit of Apples and Pears should 
be frequently looked over and gathered as soon as it parts easily from 
the tree and the pips are brown—not sooner, for fruit gathered prema¬ 
turely becomes shrivelled and flavourless. If left too long upon the 
trees early Pears are spoiled, and both Apples and Pears may then be 
swept from the trees by the first puff of wind. Much fruit is being 
spoiled by wasps, which are so numerous that they attack every exposed 
fruit. When gathering a heavy crop of Wormsley Pippin Apples on the 
15th inst., we found several decidedly sour fruits half eaten by wasps 
driven from the more tempting wall fruit by Haythorn’s hexagon 
netting, which is the best for the purpose, letting in air and light, yet 
excluding all winged insects. It must not be forgotten that wasps can 
crawl as well as fly, and they will make their way through any loose 
place along the top or bottom of the netting. We recently found some 
two dozen of them feasting upon Peaches, Nectarines, and Figs in our 
fruit-store, to which they had gained access by crawling through the 
keyhole. Brunswick Figs are especial favourites with wasps, but the 
large fruits are easily protected upon the tree by muslin bags. Let no 
careless person gather fruit—it should be put in the fruit-room without 
bruise or blemish, or it will not keep, and to that end must be handled 
carefully. Do not forget that the blossom bud of next year’s crop is 
frequently close to the fruitstalk, and should sustain no injury. The 
frequent breaking of spurs that it has taken several years to form, which 
occurs during the fruit-gathering, may easily be avoided by the exercise 
of due care. 
Hoot-pruning.— All fruit trees, but more particularly Pears and 
Apples, that are excessively vigorous and bear little or no fruit should 
be root-pruned at once before the leaf falls. Mark a circle 4 feet in 
diameter around the stem, dig a trench close outside it, but only half 
way round it, deep enough to sever all roots on that side, and then work 
from the trench well under the tree, so as to prune all strong roots, 
then fill in the soil, and put a stay to the tree to prevent its being 
blowm over. Enough roots remain in the undisturbed half of the circle 
to supply sufficient sap to keep the tree healthy. The pruned roots will 
contribute little or no sap till new rootlets are formed, and then only in 
moderate quantity for some time to come. Meanwhile fruit buds will 
appear. Little, if any, wood growth will come upon any of the lower spurs 
next year ; foliage will, however, be sufficiently abundant to elaborate 
enough sap for the development of plump fruit buds, which will become 
much more abundant in the second year, and in the third year the tree 
should be bearing a full crop of fine fruit. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Cleaning the Houses. —The season has again come round when the 
housing of tender plants must be attended to wdthout delay. It is 
good policy to commence this operation by thoroughly cleaning the 
houses which the plants are to occupy. The glass inside and out, as 
well as the woodwork of the house, should be well washed with hot 
water and soft soap, the walls whitewashed, and the pipes blacked before 
they are filled with plants. It is important to have the houses clean 
before the plants are placed in them, so that every ray of light and 
sunshine possible can reach them during the declining months of the 
year. Preparation should first be made for those plants that have been 
occupying cold frames, but will not bear a lower temperature at night, 
than 50° or 55°. This clears cold frames for the accommodation of less 
tender plants that have been standing fully exposed, and only require for 
some weeks yet protection at night from early frosts. 
Poinsettias and Euphorbias. —These, as well as many other plants, 
such as Linums, Centropogon Lucianus, Plumbagos, and others of the 
same or similar character must without delay be removed from cold 
frames to light positions in houses where an intermediate temperature 
can be maintained. The two former especially soon show tbe effects 
of being starved at this season of the year, more especially if they are 
injudiciously watered. The leaves soon turn yellow and present a sickly 
appearance, which arises mainly from inactive root-action, which is very 
soon the case if these plants are subjected to too low a night temperature. 
To secure good bracts on dwarf plants of Poinsettias their foliage must 
be retained, or their heads will be small. Attention is also needed, on the 
other hand, after housing these plants, not to give them too high a tempe¬ 
rature, or they will be excited into growth, and in consequence will be 
only poorly flowered specimens. Many plants of this description that- 
have been carefully tended through tbe summer are rendered almost 
useless by too high a temperature in autumn. After the plants are 
housed we prefer the application of a little heat, with ventilation at 
night, in preference to applying it only when there is fear of the 
temperature falling too low. As soon as these plants commence forming 
their bracts and flower buds give them a supply of Standee’s manure, 
which assists them wonderfully. 
Zonal Pelargoniums. —Plants that have been standing outside all 
summer in preparation for flowering in the autumn and winter should now 
be placed under cover. They are now in good condition, but if left out 
much longer they will undoubtedly commence rapid soft growth through 
the damp nights and heavy rainfalls, which are frequent in many 
localities at this season of the year. After these plants are housed, if 
not wanted to come into flower for some time, keep the atmosphere of 
the house or pit in which they are placed moderately dry, and give 
abundance of air during the day ; in fact, when very fine the lights may 
be entirely removed. 
A batch of plants housed now and brought forward gradually will 
come into flower early in November, and will continue to produce 
trusses freely until Christmas, even if the house in which they are placed 
is only second-rate, provided it can be kept moderately dry and a. 
temperature of 50° maintained. The double forms, where they are only 
required for cutting, should be kept by themselves if possible, where a 
little heat can be given them. These plants are very much benefited by 
being top-dressed when started to come into flower with a little good 
loam, in which has been mixed a little Standen’s manure. 
It is a good plan to strike a batch of cuttings in moderate heat at 
the present time, both single and double varieties. Place the cuttings- 
singly in 3-inch pots, and when rooted pinch out the points of the plants,, 
and winter them on a shelf close to the glass, where the temperature 
will not fall below 40°; if it can be kept 5° higher so much the better. 
These are ready for potting early in the year into 5 and 6-inch pots, and 
make, if taken care of, an invaluable batch for early flowering. 
Bjuvardias, Solanums, and Salvias of this description that have been 
planted out should be lifted without delay. The first-mentioned, after 
they are placed in pots, should be well watered and placed in cold’ 
frames and shaded from strong sun until they commence rooting. The- 
others, as well as Callas and plants of a similar description, establish 
themselves best when placed outside on the shady side of a wall, where 
they can have protection if necessary. These plants must not be allowed 
to flag after they are lifted, and this can readily be avoided when stood 
out of the sun’s rays and kept well supplied with water, and syringed 
frequently during the day. Do not expose them to the sun until they 
have commenced rooting, and then only gradually at first. 
