146 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August H, 1890* 
•Germania, The Bride, Alfred Grey, Agnes Chambers, and Mrs. Alfred, 
■very fine. Second, Mr. J. Beswick. Third, Mr. W. Taylor. 
Single Blooms.—Scarlet Bizarres.—First, Mr. Barlow with Robert 
Houlgrave. Second, third, fourth, and fifth, Thomson & Co. with 
'C. H. Herbert. Crimson Bizarres.—First, third, and fifth, Mr. Lord 
with Master Fred ; and fourth with Richard Bealey. Second, Mr. 
Thornley with Master Fred. Pink and Purple Bizarres.—First, Messrs. 
Thomson & Co. with Sarah Payne, second with a s&edling, and fourth 
with Rifleman. Third, Mr. Lord with William Skirving ; and fourth 
Mr. HelliweU with E. S. Dodwell. 
Scarlet Flakes.—First, Mr. Lord with Robert Cannell. Second, 
Mr. Geggie with a seedling. Third, Mr. Helliwell with Sportsman. 
Fourth, Mr. Lord with Alisemond. Fifth, Mr. Sydenham with 
Alisemond. Purple Flakes. — First, Mr. Simonite with President. 
Second, Thomson & Co. with George Melville. Third, Mr. Syden¬ 
ham with George Melville. Fourth and fifth, Mr. Lord with Jas. 
Douglas and Gordon Lewis. Rose Flakes. — First, Mr. Lord with 
Tim Bobbin, second with Thalia, and third with a seedling. Fourth, 
Mr. Helliwell with Sybil ; and fifth, Mr. Brown, with Thalia. 
Picotees. —Heavy Red Edge.—First, Mr. Jones, with John Smith. 
Second, Mr. Brown, with Mary D. Anstiss. Third, Mr. Sydenham, 
with Dr. Epps. Fourth, Mr. Taylor, with John Smith. Fifth, Thomson 
and Co., with Dr. Epps. Light Red Edge.—First, Mr. Lord, with Violet 
Douglas. Second, third, and fifth, Mr. Jones, and fourth, Mr. Whitham, 
all with Thomas William. Heavy Purple Edge.—First, third, and 
fourth, Mr. Jones, with Muriel. Second, Thomson and Co., with Mrs. 
•Chancellor; and fifth, Mr. Edwards, with Zerlina. Light Purple Edge. 
—First and second, Mr. Jones, with Sylvia. Third and fourth, Mr. 
Shaw, with Clara Penson. Fifth, Mr. Sydenham, with Sylvia. Heavy 
Rose Edge.—First, Mr. Sydenham, and second, Mr. Brown, with Lady 
Louisa. Third and fifth, Thomson & Co., with Campanini and Mrs. 
Payne. Fourth, Mr. Jones, with Mrs. Sharp. Light Rose Edge.—First, 
Mr. Barlow. Third, Thomson & Co., and fourth and fifth, Mr. Shaw, 
with Favourite. Second, Mr. Jones, with Nellie. There were 405 single 
blooms in competition. 
The premier Carnation was Master Fred, exhibited by Mr. T. Lord. 
The premier Picotee was Lady Louisa, exhibited by Mr. J. Edwards. 
Mr. Chas. Turner, Royal Nursery, Slougb, sent down a fine exhibit 
of yellow grounds. The varieties were Mrs. Walford, Romulus, Mrs. 
Fenwood, Old Coin, Remembrance, Countess of Jersey, Victory, and 
Adela. 
First-class certificates were awarded to Messrs. Thomson & Co. for 
•their new S.B. C. H. Herbert; to Mr. B. Simonite for H. Pomroy C.B.; 
to Mr. J. Edwards for H. Rose E. Mrs. Edwards; and to Mr. C. Turner 
for yellow grounds Remembrance and Romulus. — A Northern 
Florist. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Birds Eating Fruit. —No sooner are the various small fruits 
finished than the blackbirds start eating the Apples and Pears. They 
seem to know exactly which are the softest or most forward, and if 
■undisturbed will spoil the best of the fruit in a few hours. Jargonelle 
Pears are among the first to suffer, and Beurr^ d’Amanlis is another 
■variety hard to preserve. Apples Irish Peach, Duchess of Oldenburg, 
Keswick Codlin, and Lord Suffield have already been attacked by birds, 
■and those who have good crops of these, or indeed any other good Apples 
or Pears, will do well to net them over at once. Wall trees can be very 
simply covered. Pyramids, bush, and cordon trained trees will require to 
have a temporary framework erected over them to support the netting 
nlear of the fruit. Especially is it necessary to net over such fine yet 
■comparatively soft Apples as Peasgood’s Nonesuch, Potts’ Seedling, 
■Queen, Cellini, Bismarck, and Blenheim Pippin. Pears are also liable 
to have small pieces pecked out of them by tomtits, and to ward off these 
either J-inch mesh netting must be used, or the ordinary netting should 
be doubled and hung over the trees. 
Gathering and Ripening Pears. —Pears evident’y like plenty 
of moisture at the roots, the fruit being very fine this season. Doyenn6 
d’Et6 and Citron des Carmes are best gathered and eaten direct from 
■the trees, as they soon become dry and mealy after they are picked. 
Jargonelle is plentiful in many gardens. This again keeps badly, and 
in order to lengthen the season of this delicious variety it is advisable 
to gather a few before the seeds are become brown, wrapping the fruit 
in soft paper, and placing in gentle heat to ripen. More may be 
gathered and similarly treated about every four days, and in this manner 
every fruit will be utilised. Williams’ Bon Chretien, though scarce on 
trees in the open, is plentiful enough against walls, and this variety a 
few days later on may be treated similarly to the Jargonelles. It is the 
■only way to prolong the season, as the fruit will not keep, and Souvenir 
du Congres is very little better in that respect. Beurre d’Amanlis 
should be watched closely, as it ripens fairly early and will not keep 
•long. Those who have large quantities of either of the four last named, 
or more than are required for home consumption, ought to market the 
surplus rather than risk spoiling good fruit. Only sound and not very 
ripe specimens should be selected for the purpose, these being wrapped 
separately in soft paper and carefully packed, bruised or badly scratched 
fruit realising but poor prices. 
Early Apples. —Early Apples would appear to be the most plenti¬ 
ful this season, this remark applying to both dessert and culinary 
varieties. Plums being scarce there will be a greater demand for 
Apples, especially good dessert sorts, and a ready market will be found 
for all good surplus fruit. All the early varieties, including Margaret, 
Early Harvest, Early Julyan, Irish Peach, Beauty of Bath, and Devon¬ 
shire Quarrenden are poor keepers, and are of the best flavour when 
eaten directly after they part freely from the tree. Early kitchen 
Apples, including Carlisle and Keswick Codlins, Duchess of Oldenburg, 
Lord Suffield, Hawthornden, and Stirling Castle, keep much better than 
the dessert varieties, and in this case thinnings ought to be used and also 
marketed if desirable. None should be gathered and stored before the 
seeds have browned or they part readily from the trees. If gathered too 
early premature shrivelling is the result. 
Thinning ShooTS on Fruit Trees.— In very many cases pyramid, 
bush, and half-standard trees are not pruned in any way till the winter, 
and then far too severely. The more vigorous trees are pruned in the 
winter the more dense the thickets of growth made, the crops being 
correspondingly light. Nor is it wise to closely prune in the summer, 
this quite paralysing the action of old trees especially, as well as any 
not treated liberally at the roots. Now is a very good time to go over 
the trees and freely thiu out the shoots, leaving a few of the best placed 
their entire length. These thus favoured will mature properly, and 
it not interfered with next winter will most probably form fruit buds 
throughout their entire length during next year. This treatment soon 
alters the character of Apple, Pear, Cherry, and Plum trees for the 
better, and finer fruit in greater profusion usually results. Young 
Raspberry canes ought where at all crowded to be freely thinned out, 
and the old canes may well be removed at the same time. 
Strawberries. —If not already done, the beds of these ought to be 
cleared of rubbish, and the runners, as well as the oldest of the foliage, 
trimmed off the plants and burnt at the same time. Well rooted run¬ 
ners have been obtained in abundance without much trouble this season, 
and it is not yet too late to move the strongest of these with a good 
ball of soil and roots and replant. During dry hot weather plants newly 
put out ought to be watered frequently, otherwise progress will be 
slow. See that all are firmly fixed in the ground, a sturdy growth, which 
this brings about, being most to beidesired. Weakly runners put out 
at this date rarely attain a serviceable size before wintry weather 
sets in, and if they are planted where they are to remain they ought 
not to be allowed to fruit next season. Runners taken off now and 
planted about 4 inches apart in beds would be available for finally 
planting out next season, and the bloom being kept pinched out fine 
clumps will be formed during the growing season. Such plants are 
also admirable for potting. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earliest Forced Houses .— Trees 
started in December and early January must not lack water at the 
roots. When this occurs the buds often fall instead of expanding when 
started. Afford water or liquid manure to weakly trees as may be 
necessary to maintain the soil in a moist condition. Needless waterings 
only saturate, sour the soil, and destroy the fibrous roots. This 
applies to artificial watering, as rain is accompanied by a lower tempera¬ 
ture, and no harm results provided the borders are properly drained ; 
indeed the ammonia and nitric acid of rain have a most beneficial 
tendency. Allow some laterals that are green and unripe to remain as 
an outlet for any excess of sap. They act as a safeguard against starting 
the buds, and promote the activity of the roots. Early-forced trees do 
not as a rule make strong growth, and there is often a preponderance of 
fruit over wood buds, hence in pruning it is not desirable to cut back 
next year’s bearing wood unless the shoots are of great length. Very 
little pruning will be needed provided disbudding has been properly 
attended to, and no more wood been trained in than is necessary to 
replace the bearing shoots of the current year, and to renew worn-out 
growths. If the trees are enfeebled by long subjection to early forcing, 
and a rest cannot be given, they will be benefited by cutting out some 
of the old wood, especially the long branches, but this must be done 
judiciously, always having an eye to a crop. Some trees are the exact 
opposite, and those making too vigorous, long-jointed growth, should be 
restrained. This is not effected by stopping, though it is useful in 
causing a diversion of sap from the strong to the weaker parts of the 
trees, thereby assisting in an equal distribution of nutriment, con¬ 
sequently tending to maturity of the wood and buds. Any trees which 
grow too vigorously must be lifted and their roots laid in firmer material 
nearer the surface. Those showing symptoms of weakness may have 
the old soil carefully removed from amongst the roots, supplying turfy 
loam with an admixture of equal parts of steamed bonemeal and wood 
ashes. A bushel to a cartload of loam is a proper quantity, well incor¬ 
porated. Give a good watering both to the lifted and replanted trees. 
These operations require to be performed as soon as the leaves have 
matured, but before they fall from the trees. 
Trees Cleared of their Crops .—Out away the shoots that have borne 
fruit unless required for extension, and where the growths are too 
crowded they should be thinned. This will allow air and light to harden 
the wood by increasing elaboration and storing assimilated matter in 
the buds and adjacent stems. It will also allow of the foliage being 
kept clean and healthy through freer access of water by the syringe or 
