May 10,1883.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 391 
cient given to keep the roots in a healthy state ; and although the 
use of the syringe over the trees is to be discontinued, damping 
available surfaces occasionally in bright weather will be very 
beneficial : even after the ripe fruit has been gathered a moderate 
syringing will act beneficially and check red spider. All side 
shoots should be closely pinched to the fourth or fifth leaf, train¬ 
ing forward all leading shoots where space admits of extension. 
Succession crops are making good progress. Former instructions 
as regards heat, moisture, and stimulants must be adhered to. 
Syringe well twice a day, and water with tepid liquid manure 
or warm water, which, passing through a heavy mulching of 
decayed dung, will act well for the trees. Do not allow the mid¬ 
season crops to he too great a strain on the trees, as it is thought 
they will carry much more fruit than those early forced, which 
not unfrequently jeopardises the crop. 
Cherry Ilovse.— Ripe Cherries at this season of the year are an 
acquisition to the dessert, it being remarkable that when fresh 
fruit is so limited the cultivation of the Cherry for an early supply 
is so much neglected, which cannot be because of the cost, neither 
can it be from any difficulty in the way of cultivation, as under 
judicious treatment success is certain. Black and white Cherries 
are unsurpassed in quality by any fruit at this period, and with 
ordinary attention can be kept in good condition for at least six 
weeks after being ripe. It will be necessary to ventilate liberally 
at all suitable times to keep the fruit from moisture, and from 
the effects of powerful sun by shading. To prevent, however, too 
dry a condition of the atmosphere the floors and other surfaces 
should be sprinkled occasionally. If aphides appear they must be 
promptly removed by hand, or in case of their being on the terminal 
shoots these can readily be dipped in tobacco water. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —The fruit in the early house will, as 
regards the very early kinds, have been ripe and ripening some 
time, and such kinds as Royal George, Grosse Mignonne, &c., will 
be swelling and colouring fast. If not already done get the young 
wood tied down to the trellis, stop the points of those in front or 
beyond the fruit to increase its size, and turn the leaves aside or 
shorten them where they shade it from the colouring influences 
of the sun. Provided former instructions have been followed the 
inside borders will be in a sufficiently moist condition to keep the 
trees in a healthy state until the fruit is ripe, but under no cir¬ 
cumstances must the soil be allowed to become so dry as to inju¬ 
riously affect the trees. The recent rains will have made all right 
as regards the outside borders. Until the fruit shows signs of 
ripening let the trees be well syringed, using clear soft water free 
from matter that will disfigure the fruit, but the foliage must be¬ 
come dry before night. Close early with plenty of sun heat, but 
admit a little air by 7 p.m., as the deposition of moisture on the 
ripening fruit may cause it to crack slightly. Tying and thinning 
in succession houses must be continued, watering inside borders 
copiously, and by an unsparing use of the syringe keep down red 
spider. As trees in late houses have set a great crop of fruit it 
requires much thinning, and this must be followed up promptly, 
as trees in good health at this season seldom cast much fruit if 
judiciously thinned before they receive a check. Promptly 
attend to disbudding and tying. Close in good time with sun 
heat, and syringe early in the afternoon. 
Stranlcrries in Pots. —Plants that have been forced should be 
given some little protection, with a view to harden them off before 
being turned out of doors. Plants stood on ashes in a sheltered 
position and duly attended to with water will have all they re¬ 
quire until they are planted out at the end of the month. The 
forced plants may be depended on to give a full crop next season. 
If any are wanted for autumn fruiting in pots a clean healthy 
batch should be reserved, and have the protection of a cold frame 
or pit for a few days after being turned out of warm houses, and 
be allowed to rest for a time by placing them on ashes in a position 
shaded from the sun. For this purpose no variety equals Vicom- 
tesse Hericart de Thury ; Sir Harry also is good for autumn 
fruiting after being forced. In order to have fine fruit from late- 
forced plants they should occupy shelves in an orchard house or 
late Peach house, or wherever there is a constant circulation of 
air, but not cutting cold draughts, and little or no fire heat. The 
pots should be set thinly on shelves, and have at least 6 inches 
space between the flowers and the glass, so that the air may cir¬ 
culate about them when warm and genial. In a period of dull 
weather shake the flower stems with the hand, or dust the flowers 
with a brush, in order to secure well-set handsome fruit. Thin 
the flowers early and examine the condition at the roots at fre¬ 
quent intervals, giving liquid manure at every alternate watering. 
As late varieties, British Queen, Dr. Hogg, Mr. Radclyffe, Cocks¬ 
comb, Sir Charles Napier, and James Yeitch are admirable, of 
which a batch for successional late forcing should be arranged in 
a cold pit or frame, to be shut early on the afternoon of fine days. 
Make sure there is no aphides before the flowers open, or if there 
be fumigate so as to eradicate the pest. Retard crops advancing 
too rapidly, and otherwise seek to maintain the successional 
supply unbroken. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
_ Stove. —Attention must now be paid to the propagation of 
Euphorbia jacquiniasflora, Poinsettias, Begonias of sorts, Justicias, 
'lhyrsacanthus rutilans, Plumbagos, Eranthemums, Linum tri- 
gynum, Sericographis Ghiesbreghtiana, Centropogon Lucyanus, 
Tydeas of the Madame Heine type, and of many other plants 
suitable for producing a display of bloom during the autumn and 
winter months. The first mentioned is much more difficult to 
root with success than any of the others named. The stool plants 
must not stand in too much heat, or the cuttings will be soft, and 
failure in obtaining a successful strike will result. If the cuttings 
are moderately firm and sturdy with a small portion of old wood 
attached, and a number are inserted in sand in 7-inch pots, and 
then well watered and covered with a bellglass before they have 
time to flag, the majority will strike. The pots containing them 
should then be plunged in slight bottom heat if possible, but any 
heated structure will do where they can be well shaded. 
The majority of the others mentioned should be inserted singly 
in small pots, placing a little sand for the base of the cuttings to 
rest upon. They strike readily, except, perhaps, Centropogon 
Lucyanus, which should be treated in every way similar to the 
Euphorbias. Cuttings of this plant will be rather scarce, but as 
soon as they can be obtained they should be rooted. This is one 
of the most beautiful plants that can be grown, and yet has no 
place in the majority of gardens. When in flower it is at home 
either in the stove or conservatory, and will commence expanding 
in November and continue until the month of April. For the 
adornment of the stove in spring it has few equals. After the young 
stock has been raised the old stools should be retained, partially 
reducing their roots and repotting them in the same size or larger 
pots, as the shoots produced from the base of these will be both 
longer and stronger than those from cuttings. The whole of 
these plants will do well in a compost of fibry loam, a seventh of 
manure, a little charcoal and sand, Begonias excepted, which 
should have a little lighter compost. Take care that Linum 
trigynum never suffers through the want of water after they are 
rooted, as this plant is very liable to the attacks of red spider. 
Poses. —Maiechal Niel, Lamarque, Gloire de Dijon, and others 
of this style of growth that are employed as climbers in con¬ 
servatories and greenhouses, and have finished flowering, should 
now be pruned. It is a mistake to attempt pruning Roses of this 
nature before they flower, as quantities are needlessly cut away 
in carrying out the operation. After flowering the knife can be 
freely used and the old flowering shoots liberally thinned out— 
ih fact cut well back, except where they are wanted to extend 
and cover a greater space of roof. By cutting well back strong 
growths are produced from the base, and if the plants are healthy 
and luxuriant they will already have started freely, and the growths 
should be encouraged, as from these the flowers will be produced 
next season. It is decidedly preferable to thin them liberally, 
and allow the plants to produce a number of strong shoots than 
to be crowded with poor, weak, puny growths. Shoots of Mardchal 
Niel will travel 25 feet or more in a season, and these if exposed 
to light and well ripened will produce beautiful large flowers 
from every joint along the shoots. While these plants are making 
their growth supply stimulants frequently, as few plants are 
benefited by liquid manure more than Roses. If confined at the 
roots remove as much of the old soil from the surface as possible, 
and top-dress with equal parts of loam and manure. 
Calanthes. —The general stock of these plants must now be 
potted without delay. A few pseudo-bulbs of C. Turneri and 
C. lutea may be retarded for a few weeks longer, as they can be 
had in bloom after the other varieties are past their best. If 
these have remained in their old pots shake from them the whole 
of the old soil and cut away their dead roots, leaving only suffi¬ 
cient to secure them in their fresh pots, a small stake being used 
for this purpose in the case of C. Veitchii, and the pseudo-bulbs 
made secure to it by means of matting. For decorative purposes 
pots from 5 to 7 inches in diameter are preferable, placing two 
pseudo-bulbs of the varieties of C. vestita in the first-named size, 
one bulb of C. Veitchii in that size being sufficient, and if strong 
can be placed in 7-inch pots after the former is fairly well filled 
with roots. The pots should be well and liberally drained, and 
the compost must consist of fibry loam and peat in equal parts, a 
little cow manure, a few small bones and charcoal broken mode¬ 
rately small, and a dash of coarse silver sand. In potting fill the 
pots moderately full of the compost, and allow the new growth 
starting from the base just to rest upon the surface, under which 
