114 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 11, 1892. 
WINTER PRUNING. 
I WAS much interested in the article on page 35 written by my old 
friend Mr. Luckhnrst. “ Pruning,” he says, “ is a science.” True, but 
how many gardeners understand it ? I remember some twelve or 
thirteen years ago your able correspondent and myself bad quite a long 
controversy on this subject. His contention then was to get strong 
wood, for without this he said it is impossible to have fine fruit. I 
remember well the long shoots on his Peach trees, and used to chaff him 
about his “ bamboo fishing rods ”—“ flower sticks ” he now terms them. 
It would seem that our friend has now come to understand that it is 
not strong barren shoots, but healthy fruit buds that are required. If 
anyone will take the trouble to turn over the pages of the Journal of 
Uorticulture for the beginning of the year 1880, he will find several 
articles written by Mr. Luckhurst on pruning, but a change appears to 
have taken place since then. He now asks “ What is the use of all such 
growths ? ” “ What is the use of such pruning ? ” Then he goes on to 
say that every society for the mutual improvement of gardeners should 
take these queries into consideration for discussion at their next meet¬ 
ing. What queries ? Bamboo fishing rods ? Then follows, '■ If it is 
required to retain growth within prescribed limits recourse must be had 
to root-pruning to check undue growth.” This is good and sound, but 
coming from a man who has hitherto told us that strong growth is 
needed to produce fruit, sounds rather odd. But then follows, “ The 
first year or two after planting the trees should not be allowed to fruit.” 
I wonder how many gardeners would fail to take a crop of fruit from a 
tree the first year after planting provided it were possible to do so with¬ 
out injury. I have taken fifteen dozen as fine fruit from a Peach tree 
the year after planting as are usually seen on a show table ; and last 
season, though the spring was so ungenial, I had the satisfaction of grow¬ 
ing some bushels of Apples on trees that were planted the previous 
autumn ; each fruit would have done credit, not only to a Royal show, 
but to any show in the kingdom, for some of them weighed a pound 
and a quarter. The trees show no signs of exhaustion, neither have 
they any of those attenuated growths our friend talks so much about. 
Each growth made is from a foot to 18 inches long, well ripened, and is 
now studded with fruit buds which promise well for another season. 
I quite agree with your correspondent, and am glad to find that 
he too has at last come to understand that it is not bamboo fishing rods 
that are required for producing fine fruit, but wood that has been well 
ripened. Fruit trees, like “short-horn cattle” and ‘•'Sussex chickens,” 
may, through the help of man, be brought to a state of maturity in 
less time than is usually supposed. The old adage was, “ Men who plant 
Pears plant for their heirs,” and “ He who plants a Walnut tree seldom 
lives the fruit to see.” It is not only planting that those who desire 
good crops must study, neither is it altogether pruning ; the great secret 
lies in keeping the trees in that state of healthful productiveness in 
which the great majority of would-be teachers fail. I have seen trees 
which have never had a knife on them that are now between twenty 
and thirty years old, yet seldom fail to produce crops of fine fruit. It 
should be the cultivator’s aim to produce fruit on trees as early as 
possible, at the same time taking care that in so doing he does not in 
any degree cause deterioration, and if this can be done the first season 
after the trees are planted so much the better. 
Why do we have cordons ? Simply because by that mode of train¬ 
ing we are able to get fruit earlier than by any other. It would seem, 
according to Mr. Luckhurst’s statement, that it is useless to procure 
fruiting trees, for we are to wait two or three years before we allow 
them to fruit. If this be so, better by far to plant maidens and wait 
till they grow. To sum the whole matter up in a few words, if by 
superior management trees can be made to produce fine crops of fruit 
in the same season they are planted without injury, this will show that 
science in fruit culture has made some progress.—H. C. Prinsep. 
[We have no recollection of seeing in any garden a more abundant 
supply of superior fruit of different kinds than from trees planted four 
years previously by Mr. Luckhurst. They combined freedom of growth 
with productiveness, much in the same way as is exemplified at Cardiff 
Castle by Mr. A. Pettigrew, who does not believe in precocious pigmies,] 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. — Earliest Forced in Pots. —Where the bunches have been 
properly thinned and not too many retained, the Vines will push laterals, 
but overburdened with fruit they come to a standstill, and the fruit 
suffers more or less ; therefore to aid such Vines cut out all the eyes in 
the axils of the leaves below the bunch on each shoot, taking care not to 
injure the leaves. This will assist the Grapes in swelling and finishing, 
and may cause the shoots to push laterals above or on a level with the 
fruit. The laterals beyond the bunches will require pinching at every 
joint where the space is limited, rubbing off those below them, but where 
there is room those in advance of the fruit may be allowed more freedom, 
tying them down to the trellis. Top-dress the soil with half fresh turf 
in lumps as large as a hen’s egg and sweet horse droppings in equal 
parts, adding to every bushel a quart of superphosphate and two quarts 
of wood ashes, mixing well. To maintain the top-dressing in position 
peg strips of reversed turves around the rim, or strips of zinc 4 inches 
wide may be placed within the rim of the pots, thus forming a receptacle 
for the top-dressing. If the pots are standing on loose brick pedestals 
and fermenting materials are placed loosely round the pots, liberal 
supplies of stimulating liquid may be more frequently given than when 
they are tightly plunged to the rim, and in all cases where the pots are 
to remain undisturbed until the Grapes are ripe the roots may be 
allowed to follow the liquid through the loose brick pedestals and the 
plunging material, and the fruit is fine in proportion to the number of 
active feeders. 
Early Forced Planted-out Vines. —Give the needful attention to 
stopping, tying, and thinning, removing surplus bunches before they 
have time to rob the Vines, for that prejudices the current and next 
year’s crop. A judicious thinning of the bunches does not always mean a 
corresponding reduction in weight when the Grapes are ripe, and it 
always tends to good finish. Let the laterals extend as much above the 
bunches as the space warrants, but do not allow more to be made than 
can be duly exposed to light, making allowance for an increase of growth 
through stopping. Liquid manure in a weak and tepid state may be 
given inside borders, mulching with a little short manure from the 
stable to give off ammonia, but avoid excessive quantities, as too much 
ammonia injures the foliage, whilst a little is beneficial. Damp the 
house in the morning and at closing time or early in the afternoon, 
ventilatins a little between 70° and 75°, and keeping through the day at 
80° to 85° from sun heat. Close so as to maintain that temperature or 
run up to 90°, the temperature at night falling to 65° or 60° in the 
morning of cold nights, maintaining 70° to 75° by day artificially, or 5° 
less if cold and dull. 
Early Muscat Houses. —In some places these finest of all Grapes, 
are required at an early season ; even Frontignan Grapes, much as they 
are esteemed, do not supply the place of Muscat of Alexandria, and to 
have them ripe early, or by June, which is as soon as they may be relied 
on. they require to be started about the middle of December, and to be 
brought on steadily, as in too close and moist an atmosphere the foliage 
becomes thin and very liable to scorch. IVhere the house was closed at 
the time named the bunches are now approaching the flowering stage, 
and should be given a night temperature of 65° to 70°, with a rise of 
10° to 15° by day, closing for the day between 80° and 85° when bright 
weather prevails. When the bunches are in flower they should be care¬ 
fully brushed over with a camel’s-hair brush, fertilising every bunch 
with its own or Black Hambu'gh pollen, and so treated the Muscat of 
Alexandria and Black Muscat (Muscat Hamburgh) usually set we 1. 
The latter is very prone to produce seedless berries, which is not always 
overcome by fertilisation, as the ovaries are defective, but it is an aid to 
better set bunches, and Black Muscat ripens much earlier and in a lower 
temperature than is required by Muscat of Alexandria, which requires 
some time in ripening, the wood being thoroughly ripened and the roots 
having the benefit of a warm inside border. This must be mulched or 
top-dressed with lumpy material, through whic’n the roots must be well 
fed. They are supplied with superphosphate 3 lbs., nitrate of potash 
1 lb., sulphate of lime 1 lb., mix, and apply at the rate of 4 ozs. per 
square yard, when the Vines are starting into growth, and again 
wben the fruit is thinned. Double quantity may be given when 
the rooting area is small and the Vines carrying heavy crops. Blood 
formed into a powder by adding the requisite quantity of dry wood 
ashes is one of the best fertilisers for Vines, applying a good couple of 
handfuls per square yard from the Vines starting into growth at six- 
week intervals up to the Grapes commencing to colour. The waterings 
wash the fertilisers in fast enough. 
Succession Hojtses. —Attention must be given to disbudding after the 
bunches show in the points of the shoots, tying the latter down before 
they touch the gla.ss, stopping them a couple of joints beyond the fruit, 
and pinch the laterals below the bunch at the first leaf, and above allow 
them to extend, but only to cover vacant space with foliage fully 
exposed to light. Remove all surplus bunches before they flower, and 
maintain a moderate amount of moisture, even after commencing to 
flower, damping occasionally, keeping a temperature of 65° to 70° at 
night, and 70° to 75° by day artificially, with a gentle circulation of air. 
If there is any lack of moisture in the borders give a thorough supply 
before the flowers open. Houses to afford ripe Grapes in July must now 
be started, watering the inside border thoroughly with tepid water or 
weak liquid manure, damping the rods two or three times a day, and 
maintaining a tempera’.ure of 50° at night, 55° by day, advancing 
to 65° from sun heat. 
Late Houses —The Vines having been cleared of Grapes early in 
January, pruned, and the inside border top-dressed with fresh loam with 
a quart of steamed bonemeal and two quarts of wood ashes to every 
bushel of loam, and the house kept cool so as to insure rest, a good 
supply of tepid water should be given, and a start made without much 
further delay, as it is essential to the Grapes keeping well that they be 
thoroughly ripened by the middle of September. Depress strong rods 
and young canes to a horizontal position or lower, and seek an even 
break by syringing them three times a day. Keep the temperature at 
55° at night, rising 5° to 10° by day or more from sun heat. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earliest House. —The past month, 
and the present so far, have fairly favoured forcing operations, and 
where proper attention has been given to ventilation, fertilising the 
blossoms, and the maintenance of a suitable temperature—steady and low 
WQKK.Foil'rHEWEEK.. 
