162 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ February 22 , ws. 
detached tree in the open squares, and destroy the blossom so fre¬ 
quently, that a really abundant fruit crop is an exception. Stand¬ 
ards and other unpruned trees must be left exposed to this risk of 
failure, but closely pruned bushes, pyramids, and espaliers should 
be protected by every means in our power. Now is the time to 
prepare for this important work, and there are few gardens with¬ 
out some materials for rough-and-ready shelter. For espaliers 
there is nothing better than thatched hurdles. Straw, rushes, 
heather, green Broom, branches of Box or Yew—all or any of 
them answering for “ thatch,” provided the thatching is well done. 
Pack the material used so thickly upon the hurdle that wind can¬ 
not blow through it, and take especial care to fasten it securely 
by means of bean stakes or thatching rods laid upon it and tied 
to the hurdles. Buds are already swelling, and protection will 
probably be required early this year. Put a row of thatched 
hurdles upright, with the lower ends thrust into the soil, a foot 
from the trees on the north or east side ; put another row of 
hurdles upon them, leaning forward sufficiently to project over 
the tops of the espaliers, fastening the top hurdle securely to the 
lower one with string, and supporting the top with poles driven 
into the ground in front of the espaliers, and you will thus give 
shelter from frost, and break the force of the wind sufficiently to 
save the blossom from injury. Diagonal cordons out in the open 
can also be protected by this means, and a single row of hurdles 
driven into the ground aslant and fastened to stakes will suffice 
for the lower horizontal cordons. 
Dwarf bushes and pyramids should have a skeleton framework 
of poles driven into the ground and tied together at the tops for a 
Fig.48. 
covering of mats on the cold north and east sides, or any other 
contrivance with materials ready to our hands. In thus advising 
an elaborate use of every means of protection, in fairness to 
gardeners it should be mentioned that it will involve much extra 
labour at a busy season of the year, and where there are many 
trees extra assistance should be allowed. 
FRUIT-FORCING. 
Pcaclics and Nectarines .—Disbudding in the early house should 
be completed by the time the fruit commences swelling freely, 
but if this has been delayed it must at once have attention. As 
a rule the gross foreright shoots should be removed first, as 
otherwise they would rob the weak ones formed at the base of 
the bearing wood and intended to give next year’s supply of 
fruit. Disbudding, if deferred until the fruit commences swelling, 
must be done very gradually, taking off a few shoots daily, 
together with any small fruit at the under side of the trellis, or 
otherwise badly placed for receiving light and air. A little 
stimulus may now be given weakly trees by mulching with short 
sweetened horse manure, and occasional dampings of the borders 
and paths with liquid manure. Syringe twice a day. Trees in 
the house started early in the year will have set their fruit, and 
when this is completed syringing must be commenced, and they 
must be disbudded as advised for the earliest trees. In the 
earliest house maintain a temperature of 55° to 60° at night, 5° 
more by day, rising to 80° from sun heat with a free circulation of 
air, and close at 70° with a copious syringing. 
The trees in succession houses are coming strongly into bloom, 
and where this is abundant a portion of it should be removed by 
drawing the hand the reverse way of the growth on the under 
side of the trellis. Attention where it is considered necessary 
must be given to fertilisation. Although it is inadvisable in most 
cases to syringe the trees when in flower, yet the borders, floors, 
and walls should be damped two or three times a day, except 
when the weather is very wet. Late houses should be well venti¬ 
lated, every means for retarding the blooming being adopted. 
Water the borders thoroughly. 
Pines .—For the plants in pots soil will need to be prepared in 
quantity, as during this and subsequent months the plants that 
have been wintered in small pots must be transferred to a larger 
size. Plants in 7 or 8-inch pots should be shifted into pots 10 or 
11 inches in diameter for Queens, and 11 or 12 inches in diameter 
for the more robust-growing kinds. As the operation must be 
carried out without much further postponement, a sufficient quan¬ 
tity of materials should be housed at once, in order that it 
may become drier, reducing the sods to pieces about 2 inches 
square, discarding the small and retaining the fibrous portion 
only. In potting ram the soil firmly around the old balls of soil, 
water at once thoroughly, and replunge into a brisk bottom heat 
of 90° to 95°, keeping the top heat at 60° at night and 65° by 
day from fire heat, and 70° to 80° from sun heat, it not being 
desirable to encourage top growth until external conditions are 
more favourable. Make provision for potting the suckers which 
are to be started next month, and, if space will admit, it is advis¬ 
able to keep them on the stools until they are wanted for starting. 
In the fruiting department early plants will be rapidly approach¬ 
ing the flowering period, and should be wetted as little as possible, 
as the sun has not sufficient power at this season to evaporate the 
moisture which settles at the base of the flower, and is the cause 
of the discolouration which exists too frequently at the base of 
the pips, spoiling the appearance of the fruit. Maintain a steady 
temperature of 70° at night, 75° to 80° by day, and 80° to 90° from 
sun heat. Ventilate at 80°, and close with moderate moisture at 
85° to 90°. 
Figs.— Continue the treatment recommended for early trees in 
pots, avoiding a high night temperature until the days are longer 
and brighter, when all that is now apparently lost will be gained 
by the increased vigour of the trees and rapid advancement of 
the fruit by judicious management in early closing with plenty of 
sun heat and moisture. If the roots fill up the space left for 
watering, place a rim of lead inside the pots about 3 inches deep, 
and fill this with rich mulching. Syringe twice a day in fine 
weather, but moisten the paths, walls, and surface of the bed 
only when dull, as it is important the foliage be dry before 
nightfall. Stop gross shoots a few at a time, following as far as 
space admits the extension principle, and remove a few of the 
badly placed fruits if too thickly set, as will be the case with 
well-managed trees in pots allowed to rest early in the autumn. 
Continue the temperature at 55° to 60°, mulching and watering 
freely as a means of keeping the roots near the surface, and so 
securing the fertility of the trees. Complete the pruning of 
trees in the latest houses, the shoots being regularly thinned and 
trained over a trellis 16 to 18 inches from the glass, and when the 
bearing wood reaches the extremity of the trellis it should be cut 
away to make room for the most promising successional shoots, 
which produce an abundance of young fruits on ripe wood ready 
for development injhe spring. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Stove. —Ixoras, Francisceas, Tabernmmontanas, and other 
similar evergreen plants will now need attention, and should be 
repotted if they require it. They will flourish well in peat, loam, 
or a mixture of both, but the former with a good quantity of 
coarse silver sand is preferable, as it does not become sour so 
quickly as loam or a mixture of both, which is a decided advan¬ 
tage in the cultivation of these plants. In potting the roots of 
the old balls must not be disturbed, merely removing the crocks 
from amongst the roots at the base and the loose soil from the 
surface of the ball. No attempt should be made to liberate the 
roots with a pointed stick, as they are often much injured in 
that way. Press the new soil firmly into the pots round the old 
balls, and there need be no fear of the roots entering freely into 
the fresh soil. The old balls before potting should be moist, so 
that no water will be needed at the roots if liberally syringed for 
at least a week after completing the operation, which will give 
the roots a chance of recovering from the injury received in 
potting. These plants will bear hard cutting back if they have 
become straggling. The Ixoras should be pruned and allowed to 
start again before repotting. The other two can be potted and 
then cut back after flowering, by which time they will be well 
established in the new soil. 
Cuttings of Ixoras and Tabernmmontanas will now root freely 
if inserted in small pots and placed under a bellglass in brisk 
heat or in the propagating frame. The first-named are invaluable 
for decorative purposes in small pots, bearing one or two fine 
trusses of flower. Francisceas root freely when the young wood 
is employed for cuttings, taken off with a small heel after 
flowering. 
Anthurium Schertzerianum that has been resting in a tempera¬ 
ture of 50° to 55° can now be brought into the stove, and will 
quickly start into growth and produce its fine scarlet spathes. 
