December 2 5 , 1899. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
569 
difference between them, and that if you look a few times at the Dutch 
method of arranging the alphabeticals you will soon evolve English out 
of them. There is something in that, no doubt, but all the same the one- 
language man finds some rather awkward words to deal with. As 
puzzles are in season at Christmas time I will set two for young British 
gardeners who are ignorant of Dutch to render into English without any 
assistance from dictionaries or otherwise, but simply by “ looking at 
them a few times.” One of these I managed to interpret because it is 
easy, but the other beat me. Here are the word puzzles :— 
Indeniewepellicaan. 
Gebreveteerdesuikerbakkerij. 
To the foreman or journeyman gardener, who puzzles out the English 
of both, subject to the above conditions, I will send a prize ; and 
if more than one succeeds he whose letter is first opened must have 
priority ; if all fail I must give a little lesson in languages another day, 
for I have not quite done with Belgium. Replies may be sent to 171, 
Fleet Street, addressed to— Wanderer. 
PEACH TREES UNDER GLASS. 
Growing Peaches under glass is one of the most important duties of 
many gardeners. No time should be lost in pushing to completion the 
work of pruning, washing, and tying to the trellises both Peach and 
Nectarine trees, afterwards giving attention to the borders in the manner 
set forth below. In pruning thin the shoots well, cutting back the 
old wood which bore fruit this season to a good healthy shoot of this 
year’s growth, retaining those shoots which are situate lowest down on 
the old wood, and which are best furnished with fruit buds and sufficient 
in number to cover the trellis at about 5 inches apart. Shorten back 
weak growths to a wood bud, and any extra strong shoots of the current 
year’s growth that can be dispensed with cut clean away, so as to divert 
the flow of sap into the weaker shoots, and thereby promote a balance of 
growth in the individual trees. This is an object that should never be 
lost sight of in the pruning any kind of tree. This done wash the 
glass and woodwork, and limewash the other parts. A few handfuls of 
sulphur stirred into the lime before using it is useful in making it dis¬ 
tasteful to insects. Unless quite free from insects the trees should be 
washed with a solution consisting of 4 ozs. softsoap dissolved in one 
gallon of warm water, with two handfuls of sulphur well mixed. This 
should be applied to every part of them with a soft brush without doing 
damage to the buds. Should scale exist on the trees it will be necessary 
to add a wineglassful of petroleum to the above solution and sufficient 
clay to give it the consistency of paint. When dry, the branches are 
ready to be tied to the trellis, allowing, as already stated, a space of 
about 5 inches between shoots. This will admit of one young growth of 
next year’s making being tied in between each pair of branchlets. Do 
not tie the shoots too tightly to the wires, otherwise growth will be 
impaired. 
The borders next claim attention. Point over the surface down to 
the roots with a fork, removing the loose soil, and adding a mixture com¬ 
posed of three parts good fibry loam and one of lime rubble and wood 
ashes, following this with a coating 2 inches thick of horse droppings or 
short manure, and finishing with a good soaking of tepid water. If 
ripe Peaches are required towards the end of next May or early in June 
the house should be kept close the middle or third week in this month, 
and the trees be syringed two or three times a day with water at a 
temperature of about 75°, and only use the heating apparatus to pre¬ 
vent the temperature in the house falling below 40° at night and 45° in 
the daytime. Admit fresh air to the house every favourable opportunity 
that presents itself. When the trees come into flower a drier and more 
airy atmosphere should be maintained, and to secure a good set the 
flowers should have a camel’s-hair pencil or some other soft substance 
passed over them every day at about 11 o’clock. The probability is that 
during the time the syringe is withheld from the trees while the crop of 
fruit is being set that aphides will effect a lodgment on them. Therefore 
as soon as the fruit is set the house should be fumigated lightly a couple 
of evenings in succession to dislodge this pest, after which a free and 
well directed use being made of the syringe and tepid water morning 
and afternoon on bright days, together with judicious supplies of clear 
water and tepid liquid manure being given alternately at the roots, will 
be the means of keeping the trees free from the attack of aphis and red 
spider. 
Disbudding the trees should be done by degrees, so as not to sub¬ 
ject them to any cl.eik, which if done all at one time would follow 
the operation, and in the carrying out of which the formation of the 
trees for next year must not be lost sight of, as the necessary number 
of side buds should be left as low down on the old wood as they appear 
to balance the growth of the tree for another year. In thinning the 
fruit on healthy vigorous trees leave a space of about 44 inches between 
the fruits at the first thinning, removing every other fruit a week or 
ten days later, and before the stoning process has been completed, as 
with such trees there need be no apprehension of the fruit dropping 
during that otherwise critical period. But in the case of trees the opposite 
of those indicated it will be wise to defer finally thinning the fruit 
until the stoning process is completed. After this the night tempera¬ 
ture should range from 55° to 60°, with 10° higher by day of fire heat, 
increasing by 10° with sun heat, until the fruit begins colouring, when 
a more airy and dry atmosphere should be preserved so as to give colour 
and flavour to the fruits. In determining the number of fruit to be 
left on each tree the size and condition of the latter must be taken into 
consideration, the best shaped and placed fruits being retained as a 
matter of course.—H. W. Ward, Longford Castle. 
CLARKIAS. 
Sprightly and charming flowers are Clarkias, and the improvement 
by selection that has been established in these hardy annuals of late 
years is very considerable. They are highly attractive in gardens 
during the summer from seed sown in spring, and the spikes when cut 
are suitable for furnishing vases gracefully. Our best displays of these 
flowers are usually towards the end of May and in June, from seed 
sown in the open in September. If sown sooner the plants grow too 
FIG. 77.— CLARKIA HORNING GLORY. 
tall before winter. At present those which were sturdy are safe under 
the snow. We are reminded of Clarkias now by an illustration of a 
new variety in Carter’s “ Vade Mecum” for 1801, and named Morning 
Glory. Flowers were sent to us in August, and were distinct in form 
from any we had seen, and very attractive. How far their peculiarity 
is fixed we have obviously not had time for testing; but it is well 
pourtrayed in the figure, with which we are favoured by the Holborn 
firm. 
AS OF A DREAM. 
“ The error is not contradicted about my jams. Why don’t you 
write and contradict it ? ” Thus was I addressed some time ago at 
home. “ Oh, well, I do not think it signifies.” “ But it do signify,” 
was the quick response. “ You have for the last thirty years wanted to- 
take up my jams along with your home-made wines, and now the Royal 
Horticultural Society have invited me to do so, I feel quite jealous to 
find my exhibits reported in my favourite paper as having been shown 
by Mr. Roupell, who only took one jar of an exceptional kind.” “ Oh, 
well, I am auite sure Mr. Roupell does not want to be burdened with 
your forty extra pots ; besides, the pages of the horticultural journals 
are so filled up about Chrysanthemums just now that they could not 
find room to give heed to our necessaries of life : so good-night, my 
