816 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 2, 1884. 
time ttis is printed. Coe’s Golden Drop Plum has been most abundant, 
and we have still a quantity of it ripening in the fruit-room, and it is 
delicious when partly shrivelled. 
Preparations for Planting .—Stations should now he made in readi¬ 
ness for early planting ; 6 feet square and 2 J feet deep is the be-t size for a 
station. If we had materials we would always fill the bottom 6 inches with 
concrete, consisting of six parts broken stones to one part fresh lime, failing 
which stones should be rammed hard into the bottom and the holes filled 
with fresh fertile loam, allowing an extra 6 inches at the top for sinking. 
If the soil surrounding the stations is close or heavy each station should 
he connected by a branch drain to the garden drains. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —Earliest House .—The trees in this struc¬ 
ture are now losing their foliage, and in some it is entirely down. Provided 
the roof lights are moveable they wiU have been off the house some weeks, 
and the exposure to the atmosphere will have done the trees much good, 
cleansing them of dust and insects. If the lights have been replaced in 
case of the necessity for lifting the trees and laying-in in fresh compost 
they should be again removed as soon as the roots have taken to the fresh 
compost. They should remain off until the time arrives for closing the 
house, or until the middle of November. This will give the trees the 
benefit of the autumn rains, the borders will be thoroughly moist, and 
with proper drainage there is no need to fear its becoming over-satu¬ 
rated. In the meantime loosen the trees from the trellis, and if necessary 
have the house painted and the walls limewashed, after thoroughly wash¬ 
ing with softsoap and water and the glass with clear water. The trees 
should have all the wood not required for fruiting or the extension of the 
trees cut out, and if care has been taken to prevent overcrowding during 
growth there will he next to no need for the knife, as the shoots of the 
current year may be left their full length, as they will be ripened to the 
extremity. If it be necessary to shorten them for originating shoots to fill 
vacant space do so to a wood bud or a triple bud, making sure that the 
central one is a wood bud— i.e., small and pointed, as some kinds, notably 
Noblesse and Grosse Mignonne, form triple fruit buds, as do some others; 
and if the bearing shoots of next season are shortened it must be to a 
wood hud, but we never shorten these, no matter what their length, as 
it is on strong-jointed wood only that fine fruits are to be had. The trees 
may be dressed with an insecticide, being careful not to injure the buds, 
and secure to the trellis as opportunity offers before closing time. 
Planting Early Houses .—The borders having been prepared for the 
reception of the trees by providing efficient drainage through which the 
water can pass freely and be carried off by drains, the soil may be 
attended to. A compost of good loam, charred refuse with lime rubble, 
thoroughly mixed and put together firmly, is suitable. No manure should 
be added, as the trees wiU grow quite strongly enough without it, and if a 
stimulant is required, mulching and the application of liquid manure 
when the fruits are sweUing will give the most satisfactory results. The 
trees in such a case may he at once planted if they have been trained to 
walls for three or four years and subjected to annual lifting in prepara¬ 
tion for the purpose intended. Carefully lift and plant them, afterwards 
supplying water, shade, and sprinkle the branches, keeping the house rather 
close in the daytime, but throwing it open at night, and they wUl soon 
become established in the new borders. By keeping the house rather close 
in the day and throwing it open at night they wiU ripen well, and may he 
started at the new year with a certainty of a crop of fruit ripe early in 
June the first year, and the following one in May by starting in early 
December. If the trees have to be bought in make an early selection of 
young trees that have not made a gross growth, and the trees should be 
lifted carefully with all their fibres, and kept moist until they can be 
planted in the borders prepared for them. The best varieties for early 
forcing are Alexander, Hale’s Early, Large Early Mignonne, and A Bee. 
Belle Bauce, Violette Hative, and Grosse Mignonne come a little later, 
and are followed by the fine old varieties Royal George, Noblesse, Belle- 
garde, Barrington, and Stirling Castle, which will always have a place in 
gardens. _ In Nectarines Hunt’s Elruge, Violette Hative, Pitmaston 
Orange, Pine Apple, and Victoria follow, and all are good. 
Midseason Houses .—If the trees in this house require lifting they 
should be taken in hand without further delay, acting on directions given 
in a former calendar for early-forced trees. No trees pay better for lift¬ 
ing and replanting in good compost than the Peach and Nectarine. It is 
the best corrective of over-luxuriance, and the best aid to setting and 
stoning. 
Late Houses .—As soon as the trees in late houses have been cleared 
of fruit let every lateral and shoot that will not be required for use next 
season give way to young growths now swelling their buds. If the 
growths are crowded thin them well so as to admit light and air about 
them freely, keeping the foliage clean and healthy by means of the 
syringe; see also that the roots in inside borders do not suffer by want 
of water. If the borders are properly made and drained there is no fear 
of overwatering; the danger is in their being allowed to become dry, and 
that they never ought to be at any time, not even at the resting period, as 
when that is the case it is a most fertile cause of the buds dropping when 
they should be bursting into flower in spring. 
Figs. — Early-forced .—Grown well and properly ripened a dish of 
early-forced Figs, when there is not much variety of fresh ripe fruits, is 
now considered a valuable if not necessary addition to the dessert; besides, 
this wholesome fruit is becoming, and deservedly, more into repute, 
leading to its extended and profitable cultivation. The Fig is a great 
lover of heat, moisture, and liberal feeding when growing ; is most pro¬ 
lific when the root space is limited, thrives in a compost of good calcareous 
loam, crushed bones, and decayed manure, and must have a light well- 
ventilated house. Brown Turkey, White Marseilles, and Negro Largo 
are the best, as they force well, and carry heavy crops of fruits of the 
finest quality; but Early Violet and Early Prolific are well worth a place 
for giving a few early dishes. If trees for starting in December have to 
be purchased no time should be lost in making a selection. Choose 
trees with clean single stems, thoroughly established in pots, and well 
furnished with side shoots and spurs. Place them in a cool house fully 
exposed to light, and with ventilation day and night. This is preferable 
to setting them out of doors, where heavy rains, wind, and frost act 
injuriously upon the leaves before they have performed their functions. 
Water moderately, inclining to the dry side until the leaves turn yellow 
and commence falling, when the pots may be placed close together and 
protected with any dry material until the time arrives for taking them 
into heat. Fig trees in pots improve with age ; but they should be 
plunged in some mild fermenting material, into which the roots can run 
as the season advances. Oak or Beech leaves answer better than tan, as 
they gradually decay, affording a constant supply of nutriment through 
the most critical period of growth, when a check from want of water 
might prove fatal to the first crop of fruit. 
Strawberries in Pots.— The genial rains along with the bright 
weather have induced a good growth in the plants, and they are now 
maturing the crowns. In order to ripen them thoroughly keep thin in 
the lines, and never allow them to want for water. Although a few 
degrees of frost will not do any harm, it is not advisable to let the pots 
stand exposed until the soil becomes frozen, as that to a certainty will 
destroy the roots in contact with the sides of the pots. Hence the plants 
must be placed on a hard bottom, one of ashes or other material impervious 
to worms, and be plunged in that material, or cocoa-nut fibre refuse, to 
the rim in an open situation, but sheltered from winds before severe 
weather. With some dry litter or fern over them in severe weather, and 
removed upon the setting-in of a general thaw, they will winter better 
than in the dry atmosphere of Peach or other houses. Protection over¬ 
head will not be needed for some time. Plants intended for very early 
forcing may be plunged in ashes and in frames, only employing the lights 
in case of heavy rains, and then tilting them at the back ; but coddling 
spoils them. 
Autumn fruiters should now be placed on shelves near the glass, where 
they will ripen well and be better flavoured. Plants that have been 
lifted and potted from the open ground will, if in flower, require a rather 
dry situation, so that whilst they are encouraged by artificial conditions 
to take root afresh, they must not be kept too long in a saturated atmo¬ 
sphere. When the plants will bear exposure to the sun and a gentle 
current of air on a shelf near the glass success is certain, and the sooner 
this is effected the better it will be for the crop. Plants that are now 
ripening off their crop of fruits will do admirably in the same house with 
those that are flowering, the conditions being exactly the same for both— 
viz., a free circulation of air, a somewhat dry atmosphere, and if be 
secured to them at night, and 10” to 15° rise by day, they will be 
satisfactory. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Shading .—All shading that has been employed on plant houses should 
be ready for removal except in solitary cases, such as the Odontoglossum 
house or the fernery, where it may be needed if we have bright weather 
for a few weeks longer. It is not wise to remove the shading that may 
have been employed suddenly, or the occupants of the houses are almost 
sure to suffer. By this time they should have been inured to more light 
and sunshine, so that what sun may be experienced from this date would 
do no injury. Considerably less shade will have been employed for some 
weeks past in order to ripen and solidify the growth of the plants, where 
shading is applied judiciously. Plants that have been subject to such 
treatment will need shade no longer. 
Storing the Blinds .—The whole of the material, whether blinds or 
otherwise, that may have been used for shading purposes should now be 
placed under cover until it is again wanted in spring. Before storing it 
away, however, it must be perfectly dry, and then placed where it can be 
kept in that condition until required again. Much shading material is 
ruined annually through being put away damp. When stored in this 
condition mould is formed, and they quickly decay or fall into holes 
directly they are placed upon the houses or frames in spring. Too much 
attention cannot be devoted to matters of this description. Any blinds 
that have become old and useless again for covering the roofs of houses 
may be preserved for shading the frames, and new ones made during the 
winter to replace them. It is good policy to attend to these matters 
during the winter months, so that they will be ready for placing upon the 
houses in spring without having to be prepared when they are really 
wanted. The rollers or blinds should have the ropes that work them 
attached to them, and then labelled, so that they can be sorted out at once 
when required without causing confusion. 
Preparing Mats .—Material for protecting plants in cold frames is 
always in demand during the winter months, and should be prepared as 
opportunity offers. It is a great mistake to leave operations of this 
description until the mats are really wanted for covering the frames. 
When the tying of the ends of mats is neglected until they are wanted it 
frequently happens that it is not done, and they have to be used without. 
They do not last half as long in this condition as they do when properly 
tied and loose straggling ends removed. Untied mats very soon present 
a ragged appearance that is objectionable. There is always time in 
gardens large or small when operations of this nature can receive attention 
without interfering with the other work, providing a little judgment is 
exercised. 
