178 
JOURNAL OF HORIICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ AngTist 21, 18?4. 
although the season is getting over, there are abundant fine fruits. In a 
long vinery Grapes are also looking very well. In the kitchen garden 
are numbers of tricolor and bronze Pelargoniums for trial and stock, 
of which already some thousands of cuttings have been taken. These 
are placed in bog-earth in bottom heat in small thumb pots, shaded from 
bright sun, and the lights are allowed t) remain off, except when heavy 
rains occur. The cuttings lose little or no foliage in this way. I must 
not forget to mention that this garden is managed by a self-taught man, 
and Mr. Connell says he has gained much useful information from 
constant reference to the Journal.—J. Pithees, 
WORK.foiIthe week.. S 
mmm 
[TW!E^U_ sW I 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —The appearance and rapid increase of red 
spider upon the foliage of some frees growing against walls facing south 
and west, from which the coping boards had not been removed, induced 
us to give particular attention to them. The hot dry weather was 
doubtless favourable to the spider, but trees upon the same aspects but 
without coping boards are comparatively free from it. Syringing would 
have kept the foliage clean, but the pressure of work prevented this being 
done regularly. Time will, however, certainly be found to remove all the 
coping boards after the fruit and foliage are safe next spring. The more 
artificial we make the conditions under which these exotic fruits are 
cultivated, the greater is the amount of labour required in the culture. 
Continue to water freely during drought, and remove all superfluous 
lateral growths, by which expression we intend to convey that all lateral 
growth is not superfluous ; some of it upon healthy vigorous young trees, 
if selected with due care and tied in thinly, will become well set with 
triple buds and bear fine fruit next year. Only bear in mind that a 
single shoot retained unnecessarily shades the other wood, prevents it 
ripening, and represents ]ust so much wasted vigour and a not un¬ 
likely cause of incipient debility in a tree. 
Summer Pruning. —Lateral growth is still pushing freely. What 
shall we do with it ? We cannot reasonably claim to have more than 
five weeks before a considerable fall in temperature will check growth 
and hasten the decay of the foliage. Therefore, let all close pruning 
close forthwith, and do one of two things : either check lateral growth at 
once by shortening it to 8 inches, or, better still, give each shoot a twist 
2 inches from its base and bend it downwards carefully without actual 
breakage. This will divert just enough sap into the basal buds to render 
them plump without starting fully into growth, and it will also prove 
highly beneficial to flower buds by imparting much additional vigour 
now, the full benefit of which will be apparent next spring in the large 
blossom, free setting, and strong healthy growth of the fruit. If, how¬ 
ever, close pruning should still be persisted in, the legitimate spring 
growth will be spoiled, starting as it now must into a lot of weakly 
growth, upon which the chill breath of autumn will fall, while it is still 
green, soft, and altogether immature and useless. Prune with a purpose, 
or not at all. In the hands of an ignorant person a pruning knife is a 
positive source of mischief, and the best advice we can give such persons 
is simply to keep the branches of the fruit trees under their care far 
enough apart to admit light and air freely among them, and to leave the 
rest to Nature. Rest assured that if this is done fruit fine and abundant 
will come freely enough in due course. But it will involve some waiting, 
and it students of our pages do but follow our teaching intelligently and 
with caution there is no reason why they should not prune with a cer¬ 
tainty of aim that must lead to satisfactory results. 
Profitable Fruit-Grorcing. —Examine closely the peculiarities of each 
sort of fruit as it approaches maturity, and note how near it comes to a 
fair standard in quantity, quality, size, and appearance. Apples and 
Pears that are really good in quality, and which prove as generally pro¬ 
ductive as Keswick Codlin and Beuri6 Clairgeau, are the sorts to plant 
enough of to insure a supply of fruit. For market, earliness and lateness 
also tells, and we may usefully note that now in the middle of August we 
have still a few sound fruit of Gooseberry Apple, which have been in the 
fruit store since last October, so that we may literally claim to have 
Apples throughout the year, the fruit of Margaret being already over, 
and Duchess of Oldenburgh is now ready. 
FRUIT-FORCING. 
Melons. —When the fruits commence swelling thin them to three or 
four to a plant, leaving the best and most even-shaped fruits. Syringe 
the plants and house in the morning and afternoon of fine days, hut 
damp the house only in dull weather ; and when the temperature is 
likely to fall below 70° at night the fire should be lighted or the heat 
turned on. Ventilate freely on all favourable occasions, and close soon 
after three o’clock during sunshine with a temperature of 80^ to 86° and 
rise to 90°, with plenty of atmospheric moisture. Give the plants when 
necessary a good soaking of tepid liquid manure at the roots when 
swelling off their fruits, which will greatly assist in their development. 
The latest plants of all will by this time be showing fruit, and should 
have a somewhat dry, warm, and well-ventilated atmosphere, impreg¬ 
nating the blossoms daily as they expand, and stopping at the same time 
a joint beyond the fruit. Keep them somewhat dry at the roots, but not 
to the extent of flagging. Plants with the fruit advanced for ripening 
may have a lessened amount of moisture both at the roots and in the 
atmosphere ; and if they are very vigorous, or the fruits show an incli¬ 
nation to crack, cut the stem half to three parts through a little below 
the fruits, and admit a little air constantly. 
Frames. — Plants growing in dung-heated frames or pits will need 
water sparingly now tliat the days are getting shorter, and the moisture 
that must follow greater. The plants will also need little water at the 
roots, inasmuch as they can and do push into the dung and leaves at 
discretion, where they find a congenial and moist temperature, also a good 
supply of stimulating food. As the chance of ripening late crops in 
frames depends greatly on the weather, every opportunity available 
should be utilised. Close early in the afternoon, and if the day be fine 
damp the plants lightly at the same time. Keep the laterals well stopped 
and the foliage fairly thin. See that the linings are attended to by 
adding some fresh fermenting material, and place some mats over the 
lights when the nights are cold. 
Cucumbers. —The house in which winter Cucumbers are to be grown 
must be thoroughly cleaned. The woodwork should be washed with 
hot water and softsoap, and the brickwork with hot lime, making the 
whole sweet and clean for the reception of the plants. Examine the 
drainage and see that it is in perfect condition before putting in the soil. 
The soil most suitable is three parts turfy loam, light rather than heavy, 
and one part peat, with sufficient charcoal to keep the soil open. A dry 
day should be chosen for getting in the material, also for mixing ; and 
previous to putting in the soil the drainage must be secured by a layer 
of turf grassy side downwards. The soil should be laid in a ridge or in 
hillocks, and should have a base of about 2 feet, and about 10 inches 
deep in the centre, having a flattened top half the width of the base. It 
should be put together moderately firm. If the seed has been sown and 
treated as advised in cur last calendar the plants will be ready in the 
course of a week or so for shifting into their final quarters or planting on 
the hillocks. If a house cannot be devoted to them they may be put in 
their fruiting pots, and the plants trained with a single stem until they 
reach the trellis, for it is necessary that they have a position where they 
can have plenty of light and a stove temperature. The plants having 
been watered some time previous to planting-out should in being turned 
out have their roots disturbed as little as possible when planting, pressing 
the soil firmly around each plant, after which they should be supported 
by small sticks, and these fastened to the first wire of the trellis. If the 
sun be bright and powerful at the time of planting it will be advisable 
to shade them for a few days until the plants become established, when 
it should be discontinued altogether. 
Strmvberries in Runners for the most part are this season late, 
owing to the dry weather ; but the first batches are in their fruiting pots, 
and no time should be lost in getting in those for successional and late 
forcing. These may have pots a little larger than the earliest batch, but 
nothing is gained by large pots, those 6 or 7 inches in diameter being 
quite large enough. The potting should be done firmly, and the pot stood 
on a hard bottom in an open but sheltered situation, giving each space 
for development. A surfacing of horse droppings is placed on the soil, 
which encourages surface roots. The earliest batch are now rooting 
freely in their fruiting pots, and will need to be examined occasionally 
and kept free from weeds and runners. The general stock should be 
dewed overhead in the morning, and again in the afternoon between three 
and four o’clock, and water given at the roots whenever they require it. 
A small maggot is sometimes very troublesome, coiling itself on the leaves, 
and perforates them in a short time. It is readily disposed of by hand¬ 
picking carefully upon its first appearance. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Poinsettias. —The earliest hatches of the plants should be gradually 
hardened and placed in cold frames without further delay. When kept in 
heat the whole season the plants draw up tall and weak, and onl}' poor 
bracts are produced. The growth made while in cold frame will be stout, 
sturdy, and well matured, whicli is essential for the production of 
handsome dwarf plants with their foliage to the base, and large heads of 
brilliant scarlet bracts. While in frames ventilate liberally during the 
day when fine, and the frame may be closed in the afternoon. Plants 
that have just been rooted should be tranferred into 4 or 5-inch pots, and, 
as soon as they are rooting in the new soil and have been hardened, grow 
them as cool as possible. The whole of these plants should be grown 
exposed to light and the full force of the sun. The watering must be 
done carefully, and the plants not allowed to suffer by an insufficient 
supply. When the pots are full of roots feed with artificial manure on 
the surface and with clear soot water. Those in possession of strong 
firm cuttings may, if they are rooted at once, have some valuable late 
dwarf plants in 3 and 4-inch pots. 
Fuj?horbia jacguinicejlora. —One of the most effective winter 
decorative plants that can be grown. All that are established in their 
flowering pots should be in cold frames exposed to the sun and plenty 
of air. When grown in a confined atmosphere the plants grow 
tall and soft, ami flower very imperfectly; plants drawn up in heat 
are useless for decoration. When the.=e vary in height from 1 to 2 feet 
they are most useful, and when freely exposed to light and air they 
flower abundantly. In order to induce these plants to branch they 
must be allowed to grow, say, 18 inches high, and then be well cut back 
into the firm wood ; this should be done previous to placing them in the 
