232 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 19, 18!W- 
Protecting the Floiccrs.—These will now be developing fast, and 
must be made secure from frost as soon as they commence opening, 
or the whole crop may be lost in one night. A glass coping at the top 
of the wall about 18 inches wide, and fixed on iron brackets at an angle 
of 45° or thereabouts, is the best form of protection if provision is 
also made for fixing canvas or frigi-domo in front of the trees while 
they are in flower. This material must be drawn up on warm days 
and let down at night by means of rings working on iron rods, and 
should hang almost perpendiculaily from the front of the coping. If 
glass cannot be had deal boards may be fastened in the same form as 
above, and if taken down early will answer well, but in coll springs they 
sometimes have to remain too long after growth commences, and the 
upper part of the trees is mu h weakened in consequence. For this 
reason, and because of its better appearance, we much prefer glass, but 
some of our readers may not be able to obtaiit either boards or glass, 
and many gardeners who grow good crops of Peaches merely hang old 
Strawberry nets at a douHe thickness on the wall in front of the trees. 
These have one advantage over canvas, in not requiring to be re¬ 
moved in the daytime, and are with'n the reach of most people who 
grow Peaches. Branches of Spruce Fir may be stuck behind the thick 
branches so as to protect the flowers if nothing else can be obtained. 
Ants. —A sharp look-out short’d be kept for these insects while the 
trees are in flowsr, as they sometimes do much damage by eating tire 
pistil in order to get at the nectar inside the flowe’’. A few of them 
will spoil a large quantity in one day. They should be trapped with 
saircers of treacle, bones with a small quantity of meat on, dead birds 
cut open and laid in their runs (the two last will require dipping 
occasionally in boiling water) or boiling water, carbolic acid or petro¬ 
leum poured in their runs will kill them; they also do considerable mis¬ 
chief by distribirting aphides over the trees when tbe young leaves are 
forming. 
Strawberries —The foliage of these has been very much cut in 
many places this season by the frost and now looks untidy. Tender 
sorts, such as Sir C. Napier, have, in some instances, suffered severely, 
and some are killed. The brown leaves should now be pulled away 
wherever it is necessary to keep the plantations neat and tidy ; but in 
market gardens and simdar places they may be left on, as their presence 
is no detriment to the Avelfare of the plants. 
Mayiuring. —Plantations in poor soil and those that are exhausted 
will be much benefited now by an application of well-decomposed farm¬ 
yard manure, after the beds have been cleaned. Spread this evenly 
among the plants and br^ak it down fine, so that the rains may wash it 
down to the roots. Do not dig amongst Strawberry plants, as so many 
of the roots are close to the surface and are easily destroyed. 
Young Beds. —The best month for planting is August. But space 
should noov be selected before the kitchen garden cropping is completed, 
and arrangements made so that the ground may be at liberty by the 
first week in August. Early Potatoes, Cauliflowers, autumn-sown 
Onions, Lettuces may be {)lanted on the plots in the meantime, the 
ground to be heav'ly manured, and deeply dug or tienched after these 
crops are cleared off. 
Easpberries —If not already tied these ought to be finished as 
soon as possible. Instead of bundling four or five canes together around 
a stake, as many do, it is better to put stout larch stakes in at 20 feet 
apart in the rows, and strain three lengths of galvanised wire to them at 
various heights, the canes to be tied to these wires about 0 inches 
apart. Another plan may be followed Avhere the rows are thick enough 
and not less than 6 feet apart, by placing a line of stout stakes 10 feet 
apart on each side of the row at 2 feet from the bottom, a stout wire to 
be fixed to the top of these stakes, and the fruiting canes fastened to 
this at their points, half of them being pulled over to each side of the 
row. This system is best where there is room and convenience for it, 
as the young shoots can thus grow up freely in the centre of the row 
during summer and have plenty of light and air without interfering in 
any way with the ripening fruit. 
Raspberries are much benefited by a good dressing of 
farmyard manure in soring, which must be applied in a similar way as 
above recommended for Strawberries. Both fruits usually have the 
majority of their feeding roots near the surface, and for this reason 
should never be dug. All suckers must, however, be taken out frem 
the spaces between the rows, and may be replanted if required, care 
being taken to cut off their tops at once to within 2 inches of the 
surface. 
Apples and Pears for Grafting. —These may no^v have their 
branches sawn off to within a few inches of the place w’here the grafts 
will be inserted, leaving as many small branches as possible, so as to 
draw the sap and assist the growth of the scions. The quantity of 
scions required should be at once cut off (if not already done) and laid 
in by the heels in a moist and shady place until required for insertion, 
as it is necessary to success that the growth of the stocks be in advance 
of the scions. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. — Grapes Bipening. —After the Grapes commerce colouring 
ventilate as freely as possible, and gradually reduce the atmospheric 
moisture. The temperature should be well maintained in the daytime, 
70° to 75°, with 10° to 15° rise from sun heat, allowing the temperature 
to fall through the night to G5° or even G0°. 
Vines in Flower. —Maintain a steady circulation of Avarm rather dry 
air where Vines are in bloom, maintaining a temperature of 70° to 75° 
for Muscats, and 5° less for Black Hamburghs, allowing an advance of 
10° to 15° from sun heat. All shy-setting varieties must be artificially 
impregnated, brushing the bunches over carefully with a camel-hair 
brush, applying pollen from the free-setting varieties to the stigmas of 
the shy-setting sorts. We find it a good plan to dust over the bunches 
lightly of the latter first, and then apply the pollen w'ith another brush, 
proceeding very gently in both cases. 
Disbudding. —Let the bunches appear on the points of the shoots 
before attempting this, and then it must not be done in a hurry, nor a. 
large reduction made at a time, but proceed gradually and rationally, 
so as to give as little check as possible. Retain no more growths thaii_ 
will have full exposure to light, as crowding the foliage prevents the 
due elaboration of the sap and the storing of assimilated matter in the: 
fruit and adjacent wood. 
Stopping. —It is a safe plan to allow the shoots with fruit to extendi 
three or four leaves beyond the bunches before taking out their points- 
The laterals below the bunches may be rubbed off, or they should be 
pinched at the first joint, but those above the fruit may be allowed to 
extend until the available space is fairly furnished, then pinch them, 
and keep them within bounds afterwards by pinching to each joint of. 
growth as made. 
Thinning —This, as regards both bunches and berries, is an important 
operation. Remove all surplus bunches before they flower, particularly 
duplicates, as it is hardly likely one bunch will set well and the other- 
indifferently on the same shoot. Free-setting varieties may have the 
berries thinned as soon as they are out of flower, but Muscats and other 
shy setters must not be thinned until it is seen which berries have been*, 
properly fertilised. Instructions for thinning are difficult to give, as 
the berries vary considerably in size in different varieties, and even 
different individuals of the same variety. Each berry should have roono. 
to swell without becoming wedged, and yet leave sufficient berries ter 
ensure the bunch retaining its form when cut. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Second Early /Aw.?e.— Disbud care¬ 
fully and gradually, removing the strongest and ill-placed shoots, and 
have all the leading shoots tied down, taking care not to overcrowd 
them. Proceed by degrees in thinning the fruit; where thickly set pay 
extra attention to it, removing it very gradually, taking off those on the 
under side of the trellis or otherwise badly placed, but leave those that, 
are well exposed to light and air until they indicate by free swelling the 
need of further reduction, then remove the smallest. Syringe the trees, 
early during fine days, and ventilate early in favourable weather. The 
temperature may range from 55° to 60° at night, and 60° to 65° by day,, 
ventilating at the latter temperature and closing the house when the. 
heat is decreasing, allowing an advance of 5° to 10° from sun heat.. 
Avoid cold draughts of air, but admit it freely in favourable weather,, 
so as to ensure sturdy growth, well-developed foliage, and thoroughly 
solidified wood. 
Houses Started Early in February. —The trees being now in flower,, 
or nearly, should be examined, and if there are more blossoms or flower- 
buds than are needed all those on the under side of the shoots. 
should be removed by drawing the hand the reverse way of the growths,, 
and even then there may be three-quarters more than will be required 
for the crop ; therefore they may be still further thinned where mot t- 
crowded, especially on the wtaker shoots. Maintain the night temperr — 
ture at 50° to 55° and 55° by day, with a little ventilation, as a close 
atmosphere is fatal to a good set. Ventilate freely above 55° and allow 
an advance to 65° with sun heat. Ftrtilise the flowers in the early 
part of fine days, either by shaking the trellis or drawing a camel’s hair¬ 
brush over the flowers w'hen the pollen is ripe. If bees visit the: 
flowers they will effectually distribute the pollen. Syringing the trees., 
must cease whilst they are in flower, but the floor should be sprinkled 
in the morning and afternoon of fine days. Avoid cold currents of. 
air, but admit a little constantly, as a close stagnant atmosphere causes 
moisture to be deposited on the delicate organs of fructification,, 
impairiiig their vital power. 
Houses to Afford Pipe Fruit in Late July and August. —These being:, 
planted with the midseason varieties such as Royal George, Stirling 
Castle (perhaps the most certain cropper and best finishing of all Peache s. 
under all circumstances), Grosse Mignonne, Crimson Galande, Belle 
Beauce, Noblesse, Dymond, and Barrington, will afford fruit at the. 
time named, but if with early or late varieties the season will be: 
enhanced two or three weeks earlier or later. Close the houses, syringe^ 
the trees two or three times a day until the buds show colour, when it- 
must cease. Do not keep the trees, however, constantly dripping with, 
moisture, but damp sufficiently early to allow them to become fairly 
dry before night, and on dull days only damp the paths. The inside-- 
borders must be brought into a thoroughly moist state by repeated 
watering if necessary, and with the borders properly drained liquid 
manure may be given weakly trees or those having a superabundance.: 
of blossom buds. Where this is the case it is a good plan to rub off 
the bloom buds on the under side of the trellis, which will enable those, 
left to form finer flowers, and a sturdy blossom developes a much better- 
embryo fruit than a weakly. Maintain a temperature of 50° by day,., 
40° to 45° at night, advancing to G5° with sun and full ventilation. 
Late Peac^i Hou.ses —If the lights are off there need not be any 
hurry in replacing them before the middle of March, as that will be, 
early enough to have the trees in full flower by the middle of April, and 
then they have the benefit of the sun heat. Many late houses are 
unheated, which is a great mistake, as the flowers, even in April, are not 
safe from severe spring frosts, and the fruit does not ripen well if the 
late summer be cold and sunless. A gentle heat during the flowering- 
period does much towards a good set, and in autumn artificial heab 
ripens the fruit and wood, plumping the buds wonderfully. Houses. 
