474 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 29,1883. 
the fermenting material, and have a good covering of dry fern or litter 
with shutters or tarpaulin over to exclude rain, for fermenting materials 
allowed to become a sodden cold mass are highly injurious. Stir the fer¬ 
menting materials in the house used for warmth and moisture, and if neces¬ 
sary add a few fresh leaves. Examine the inside border carefully, and if 
any part of the soil be dry steady watering must be followed up until the 
whole is brought into a thoroughly moist condition. Admit a little air 
when the weather is mild, but in no instance must it be given to lower the 
temperature ; yet it is always advisable to admit a little air, so as to effect 
a change of atmosphere at least once in twenty-four hours. Raise the 
temperature early, when there is the prospect of a fine day, to 65° by 
artificial means, advancing to 75° from sun heat, ventilating a little from 
70°, and close at 75°, maintaining the night temperature at GO 0 , allowing it 
to fall 5° during the night in severe weather. 
Houses to Afford Grapes Early in June. —Houses that are to afford ripe 
Grapes early in June must now be closed. For the first fortnight a 
temperature of 50 p to 55° artificially is ample, advancing to 60° or 65° from 
sun. Syringe two or three days a week in favourable weather, and make 
up some heaps or ridges of fermenting materials in the house on the inside 
borders, which will help the surface roots and give off warmth and genial 
moisture to the atmosphere, saving fuel and lessening the necessity for 
syringing. Water the inside borders with tepid water, which will be most 
suitable for vigorous young Vines, but old Vines requiring stimulating should 
have liquid manure, and at a temperature of 80° to 90°. Young canes that 
have not been forced early will require bending down to a horizontal posi¬ 
tion to insure an even break down to the base, but old Vines that have been 
some years at work will not need to be slung, as they will break evenly 
throughout. 
Early Vines in Pots. —Attend to the fermenting materials in pits con¬ 
taining early Vines in pots; and if every pot is placed on a solid pedestal from 
the bottom of the pit frequent additions may be made as the heat declines, 
which should be kept steady at from 70° to 75°, the whole mass being turned 
over and the pots being only partially surrounded by the plunging 
material. The top heat should, now that the Vines are showing fruit, be 
maintained at 60° to 65° at night, and 70° to 75° in the daytime. Stop not 
less than two joints beyond the show of fruit. Feed the roots with tepid 
liquid manure, and damp available surfaces two or three times a day in 
preference to syringing overhead, which only tends to give a thin texture 
to the leaves. 
Pruning and Cleansing Succession Vines. —As soon as the Grapes are all 
cut in succession houses no time should be lost in having the Vines pruned 
as soon after the leaves have fallen as possible, in order to give a long find 
complete period of rest. Vines that are in good health and ripen the wood 
well may be pruned to two buds with a certainty of a show of compact 
hunches ; yet where there is room for extension the number of buds may be 
increased to four or six, and the bunches resulting will usually be larger but 
not nearly so compact as those from buds nearer the base. In dressing the 
Vines only remove the loose bark, and if there have been any insect pests 
syringe the house and Vines with a solution of petroleum, and repeat so 
soon as dry. This will destroy almost every kind of insect, and the wood¬ 
work and trellis may, in the case of mealy bug, be brushed over with 
petroleum and the walls scalded prior to limewashing. Remove the loose 
surface soil and supply fresh material—loam, crushed bones, and charred 
refuse. Collect and save thoroughly ripened wood for eyes and grafts, 
inserting the ends in moist soil or clay. 
Figs. — Early Trees in Pots. — The fermenting materials that have been 
placed loosely about the pots should be examined, and if the heat around 
them at the base does not exceed 80° they may be pressed down firmly 
and some more introduced from the reserve heap, care being taken not to 
raise the heat about the pots over 75°. The fermenting materials have 
been sufficient so far to maintain the suitable temperature—viz., 50° 
minimum, with an advance of 5° to 10° more by day in mild weather 
without much fire heat; but it is not advisable to dispense with it 
altogether, as a gentle warmth in the hot-water pipes admits of a little 
air being given, or when not it induces a circulation of air and prevents 
condensation. Continue former instructions in respect of damping, 
syringing, and watering. 
Pruning and Cleansing Late Trees. —Pruning now is chiefly thinning, 
taking out the old shoots that have reached the extremity of the trellis, 
and cutting back the spurs that have been stopped. Remove every 
particle of scale from the wood by repeated washing with soapy water, 
6 ozs. soft soap to a gallon of water, adding half a wineglassful of spirits of 
turpentine to two gallons. This should be applied with a soft brush and 
with great care, as the slightest injury to the embryo fruit would disfigure 
if it does not destroy the most forward. Train on the fan system, tying 
in loosely so as to allow for swelling, and leave plenty of room for the 
extension of the new growths, as the finest fruits are borne on those 
having well-developed leathery foliage, plenty of light being essential to 
fine quality. 
Cucumbers. —When the plants are producing and swelling off their 
fruit, which takes place more or less between now and March, liberal 
treatment is necessary; hence copious and frequent applications of tepid 
liquid manure in a weak state should be given, as by this time the plants 
will have filled the bed with a number of roots hungering for food. A 
surface dressing of rich compost previously warmed will be of great benefit 
in keeping the roots active, especially if the bottom heat be kept steady at 
80°. ^ The day temperature should range from 70° to 75°, advancing 5° 
1 o from sun heat, the night temperature being maintained at 60° to 65°, 
or 5 more in mild weather. In very severe weather it is advisable to 
cover the house with mats or other protecting materials, by which means 
the necessary temperature could be maintained without overheating the 
hot-water pipes, and the heat thus obtained is more favourable to the plants 
than that radiated by a highly heated surface. Attend frequently to 
regulating the growths, and stop them moderately for the present, keeping 
free of insects. 
Strawberries in Pots. —When forcing these is carried on to any extent 
it will be necessary to prepare and arrange batches of plants for succeeding 
one another in the supply of fruit, according to the demands of individual 
establishments. Under ordinary forcing such varieties as Black Prince 
started now will afford fruit at the end of February, and Vicomtesse 
Hericart de Thury, also La Grosse Sucree, started at the same time, will 
afford a succession. A second batch of the two latter and Keen’s Seedling 
started at the middle of next month will afford fruit about the middle of 
March, and early in January will give fruit earty in April, President being 
admirable for starting at that time. The plants intended to be introduced 
to the various forcing houses now being set to work, should have the 
drainage seen to, and if necessary rectified, and any decayed leaves 
removed, stirring the surface of the pots, removing the loose portion, and 
replace with fresh horse droppings rubbed through a sieve, and water 
through a fine rose the first time of watering after top-dressing. Examine 
the plants at least once a day, and any that need water should be given a 
thorough supply. Avoid saturating the soil when it is already moist, and 
guard against the soil becoming too dry, or the roots will suffer. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Pruning. —Let the pruning of Pears, Apples, Plums, and Cherries 
proceed with all possible dispatch while the weather is mild as the trees 
become clear of leaves. The important considerations which induce this 
advice are that early pruning is usually deliberate and careful; the 
condition of the tree may be thoughtfully examined, each spur and 
branch taken in detail, crowded growth thinned, diseased parts removed, 
the work of the year passed in review, its faults set right so far as is 
possible, and the tree made ready for the next season’s growth and 
fruiting. We cannot reckon upon a continuance of fine open weather in 
winter, and pruning left till the new year frequently has then to be 
deferred till spring draws nigh, and a pressure of other work leads to a 
hasty rush over the trees, and not unfrequently some involuntary 
negligence. Young half-formed trees should be carefully examined, and 
each tree treated solely on its merits, and not by line and rule. Stout 
vigorous trees should only be shortened sufficiently to induce necessary 
lateral growth for spurs and branches. Weakly trees require hard 
pruning, for slender growth cannot yield fine fruit. Trees that are 
termed fruiting pyramids are frequently sent from a nursery with 
vigorous branches on the upper half or two-thirds of the stem, but with 
the lower part either bare or with only weakly branches. Having regard 
to the future appearance of the trees, there must be no hesitation about 
cutting them down to about 2 feet from the base of the stem when the 
planting is done. Nor will this severe pruning involve any serious loss, 
for such vigorous young trees invariably break freely into growth in the 
following spring, and afford a choice of stout branches for the lower tiers 
and leading shoots of such strength that the top may be nipped off once 
and not unfrequently twice during the summer, whereby there is a clear 
gain of one or two years’ stem and lateral growth. Young standards and 
unspurred bushes should have the necessary thinning of crowded 
branches and useless growth removed from the centre of the trees to 
admit light and air freely to promote health and fruitfulness. 
Feeding. —Fruiting trees for which stations had to be prepared when 
they were planted should be carefully examined, and if necessary the 
soil must be removed down to the roots, and a trench excavated round 
the stations for a supply of rich soil. Prompt attention should be given 
to this matter, so as rather to anticipate the wants of the trees than to 
wait till unmistakeable signs of debility compel attention to it. Give a 
surface dressing of old hotbed or farmyard manure 3 or 4 inches thick 
to Gooseberries, Currants, Raspberries, and Blackberries, among which 
there should be no digging after they are thoroughly established. 
Rhubarb should have its annual supply of manure now dug in so as to 
thoroughly enrich the bed. A warm corner should always be devoted 
to a few plants of Prince Albert or Johnstone’s St. Martin’s for an early 
supply to follow the forced Rhubarb. 
Training. —Let the training of trees, young and old, closely follow 
the pruning. Look closely over old fastenings, remove any that are 
tight, and replace all that are rotten with new ones. Train no young 
trees horizontally, but let every branch point upwards either vertically 
or diagonally, for that is the only way to maintain an equal distribution 
of vigour. Make this a fundamental rule in training, and then impart 
whatever form to each tree expediency or fancy may suggest. The most 
popular and useful forms are the Fan, which has the branches spreading 
out right and left diagonally in the form of a fan ; the Palmette Vender, 
with stem from which the branches start in pairs on either side of and at 
right angles to it, with each end turning upwards parallel to the stem, so 
that eventually the tops of the branches are all at the same height; the 
Cordon, with a single or double stem trained either diagonally or 
vertically, with fruiting spurs on the entire length of stem, but with 
no branches ; the Pyramid, which is a symmetrical cone having a stem 
with branches longest at the bottom tier and shortened gradually in the 
upper ones, so as to impart the requisite tapering outline ; the Bush, 
having its branches trained in the form of a basin, and the laterals either 
pruned to spurs or left altogether unpruned. The Standard suffers so 
much from wind that it is only suitable for sheltered orchards. The 
small branches of Peaches and Nectarines may be unfastened in readiness 
L for pruning, which should not be done for a couple of months. 
