August 19, 1836. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
1G7 
a goodly number of cuttings, somewhat like Pine Apple crowns or small 
suckers, they may be bad in greater numbers than hitherto if the demand 
should increase. 
With regard to the hardiness of the plants, I have never seen our 
most severe winter have the least effect on them ; but heavy falls of 
snow sometimes load the tops so much that these break off, or where a 
plant has two or three heads, one of them may be split off. A mild 
winter is, however, serviceable in one respect, as the plants disposed to 
bloom do so earlier than when the winter is severe, for the Yuccas seem 
to bloom indiscriminately at all times of the year when the weather is 
open. I have had several in full bloom in December, but more frequently 
a number of plants are just rising into bloom at that time, and are cut 
off by the hard weather that may not set in till after Christmas, a fine 
autumn, unfortunately, starting such plants into flower at that unfavour¬ 
able period. Hot, dry seasons are most favourable to the plants’ bloom¬ 
ing. Those who have not seen Yucca gloriosa with a full-grown spike 
of flowers have certainly not seen one of the noblest of all flowering 
plants, for the beauty of the spike is not less remarkable than its weight, 
and altogether the tropical aspect of the plant gives it an importance 
entitling it to a more extended cultivation than it has yet received. 
WORK/oh,™ WEEK. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Let there be no more close pruning of fruit trees till the winter 
pruning is done. Good work is being done now by shortening the shoots 
of Pears, Apples, and Plums to about 6 or 9 inches, according to the con¬ 
dition of the growth. By this shortening, the buds near the bottom of 
the shoots become plump and full without actually starting into growth, 
as they would do if close pruning were done, and new growth so late in 
the season can only prove abortive and worthless. It is important that 
light and air should go freely to every part of a fruit, both to ripe fruit 
and branch. For tbi3 reason we have for several years given preference 
to shortening growth in autumn. At one time we used to give the young 
shoots a twist at a point a few inches from the bottom, and turn them 
downwards without breaking them quite off. This plan answered well to 
check the flow of sap, but the bent down branches shaded the fruit and 
the interior of the trees so much that we discontinued the practice, and 
'adopted what may be termed the Chiswick plan of shortening the growth. 
Valuable lessons in the culture of hardy fruit are always to be had in the 
garden of the Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick. Just now gar¬ 
deners may gain useful knowledge from an inspection of the fruit trees, 
and gentlemen who are so fortunate as to retain the services of an intelli¬ 
gent energetic gardener would find it a profitable investment to send him 
to Chiswick for a day. 
As fruit ripens we must be on the alert to gather it with care 8nd 
judgment. Early summer Pears soon spoil, yet we manage to keep up a 
Eupply of sound ripe fruit by having a few cordons on different aspects, 
and by gathering the first ripe fruit from the upper part of the cordon, 
where it is always ready first, and so downwards to the bottom fiuit, which 
is frequently a fortnight later in ripening. By such management we are 
able to have Summer Doyennfi fit for table at the end of July, and to 
maintain a tolerably regular supply of ripe fruit, with Citron des Cannes, 
Ananas de Courtrai, Benrrd Giffard, Jargonelle, Ddsirfi Corndlis, Souvenir 
du Congrhi, Williams’ Bon Chretien, Colman d’Etd, Summer Beurrd 
d’Aremberg, and Beurrd d’Amanlis, till we reach what may be termed the 
great Pear season, and revel among the delicious fruit of Fondante 
d’Automne. Beurrb Superfin, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Marie Louise, 
Comte de Lamy, Doyennd du Comice, Seckle, Duchesse d’Orleans, and 
numerous other fine sorts, the best of which will be enumerated iD time 
for planting. At one time it was only iu large gardens that many sorts 
of Pears could be found ; the introduction of cordons enables everyone 
having a garden to have asele :tion of the best sorts of Pears, and to have 
trees in full bearing in a shor time. Now is the time to see what space 
can be had against walls, outbulting 1 , or fences for cordons, and to make 
preparations for early planting in autumn. 
The crop of Apples on dwarf bushes, cordons, and pyramids is a good 
one, and we have now a useful supply of Duchess of Oldenburg and Lord 
SufEeld for cooking purposes. Frogmore Prolific is fruiting well ; it is 
worth knowing that cordons of this valuable Apple bear fruit very early. 
A tree of Mela Carla, the Italian Apple, has a fine crop of fruit. This 
tree has branches against south, east, and north walls, and it will be 
curious to note the difference in flavour of fruit from each aspect. 
The Plum crop is one of singular abundance. That valuable sort, 
Rivers' Early Prolific, is now ripe, and, though later than usual, is very 
useful. A row of bush trees of Prince of Wales is remarkable for the 
very large clusters of fruit crowding every part of the branches. As a 
second-rate dessert Plum this sort is hardly worthy of the wall space 
which we sometimes see given it, but it is one of the best cooking Plums 
for planting out in the fruit garien. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —Earliest Forced Houses .—The foliage 
of the trees is now giving way— i.e., beginning to fall, and the trees being 
exposed as advised by the removal of the roof lights, there will be no 
necessity to assist their falling by lightly brushing the trees with a broom, 
as the wind will do it most effectually. There must not be any attempt 
at a forcible removal of the leaves. Allow them to remain until they part 
from the trees readily. Although a dry condition of the border is to 
be avoided when the trees are leafless, excessive moisture at the roots is 
frequently the cause of premature growth, which must be guarded against, 
even if it cannot be effected without replacing the roof lights. Early 
forced trees do not, as a rule, make strong growth, and have a much 
larger per-centage of single fruit buds than those started in spring under 
more favourable-conditions, hence in pruning it is not so desirable to cut 
back next year’s bearing wood unless they are of excessive length, and 
in that case it must be to a wood bud, so as to insure growth on a level 
with or above the fruit, so as to attract the sap to the fruit. Very little 
pruning will be needed provided disbudding has been properly attended 
to, no more wood being laid in than is necessary to take the place of the 
current year’s bearing shcots, and to renew worn-out growths, as well as 
to provide for the proper extension of the trees. Trees that have long 
been subjected to very early forcing are seldom too vigorous, but not in¬ 
frequently become so enfeebled as to need the removal of the weak 
growths, which, though plentifully furnished with fruit buds, are un¬ 
desirable from their affording smaller fruit than is furnished by the better 
fed and more vigorous growths. Remove the old soil carefully from 
amongst the roots of such trees, and supply fresh turfy loam, to which 
has been added a twentieth part of crushed bones and half that quantity 
of wood ashes. Carefully lay the roots in the fresh material, a moderate 
watering being given, and the surface mulched with fresh short stable 
litter. Lift any trees that grow too vigorously, prune their roots, and lay 
the more fibrous ones in nearer the surface, makiig the soil firm. These 
operations require to be performed as soon as the leaves are mature, and 
before they fall from the trees. 
Succession Houses .—As the trees are cleared of fruit, cut out all tL 6 
current year’s bearing wood, not being extensions, and thin all the 
rowths where too crowded. Syringing must be practised as necessary 
keep down red spider, and the borders kept duly supplied with water or 
I'quid manure. Ventilation should be given to the fullest extent, unless 
the wood is not ripening, when by allowing the temperature to rise in the 
daytime by keeoing the ventilators close, and admitting air freely at 
night, will induce its ripening. Any trees that are too vigorous should 
have a trench taken out about one-third the height of the tree from the 
stem, and the roots cut, filling the trench again firmly. 
Making New Borders .—If any planting of trees in new houses or 
replacing of old is contemplated, materials for making the border should 
be procured, so that the work may be executed with dispatch, and the 
borders made so as to have time to settle somewhat before the trees are. 
planted. Strong turfy loam with a sixth part of marl and a tenth of old 
mortar rubbish, free from laths and other woody matter, will grow Peaches 
well. If the loam is light, increase the clay or marl to a fourth, or more 
according to its texture, whilst if the loam be heavy a larger proportion of 
lime rubble should be added, a sixth part not being too much. Medium 
textured loam will be the better for a tenth of oil mortar rubbish and a 
fourth of marl. No manure is necessary ; the whole being thoroughly in¬ 
corporated. The best description of loam is the top 3 or 4 inches of 
pasture where the soil is a good friable loam inclined to be strong rather 
than light on the limestone or oolitic formation. Most excellent Peaches, 
however, are grown on strong loams over new red sandstone as about 
Liverpool, and freestone as in the West RidiEg of York, the strong loams 
of Northampton, Lincoln, and Norfolk, so that strong loams, wherever 
they occur, only require the addition of old mortar rubbish or chalk to 
render them suited to the growth of the Peach, and light loam a goodly 
admixture of both marly clay and old mortar rubbish or chalk. Chalk is 
more particularly valuable on a light soil devoid of calcareous matter, and 
the lime rubbish on heavy, from its containing silica or sand. New 
borders must have efficient drainage. If the bottom of the border, the 
strata underneath is unfavourable, it should be concreted 6 inches thick, 
gravel, coarse and fine together, with a third of lime made into a mortar¬ 
like mass, put in so as to slope to a drain of 3-inch tiles, having proper fall 
and outlet. Nine to 12 inches of drainage should be given after the concrete 
has hardened, the roughest at the bottom and finest at the top. Secure the 
drainage with a layer of turves grass side downwards, but preferably with a 
layer of old mortar rubbish or chalk broken t > the size of road metal 
3 inches thick, which may form part of the thickness of the drainage. 
Instead of making the border all at once a 4 feet width iu front and the 
same at the back are ample for a couple of years, and the openings in the 
front wall to let out the roots should be bricked up so as to insure the 
occupation of the inside border before they pass into the outside one. 
Loose bricks or dry walls will do for holding up the soil of the borders. 
The border need not exceed 30 inches, and should not be less than 
24 inches deco. The compost should be neither wet nor dry, and be put 
together firmly. They should be ready for planting by the end of 
September. 
As to the varieties of Peaches to plant it is best to have houses of 
moderate size, so that those that ripen about the same time can be grown 
together. For very early forcing—Alexander and Waterloo. There are 
no Nectarines suitable— i.e., ripening at the same time. The earliest is 
! Advance, but t is not nearly so large as Lord Napier, which is three 
