24 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 13, 1893. 
Tomatoes will endure, and the drought they will resist. They are 
all right in a close dry air, like a desert, but would soon be a mass 
of decay if kept close and moist. 
Contrast the plants alluded to with others grown in a heated 
house, watered probably too often, syringed, it may be, too fre¬ 
quently. A night temperature of about 60° has been provided, 
and a genial atmosphere maintained to “ encourage ” growth and 
obtain early fruit. The soil in many such cases is too much in 
bulk, too rich, and too lightly put together. The growth of the 
plants is succulent rather than firm ; the stems rather long than 
short-jointed; the leaves large but thin and soft in texture. 
Space is covered freely ; the days are hot, and a few nights warm. 
Then the thought arises of saving a shilling or two by ceasing 
firing. The pipes get stone cold, there is a sudden fall in the night 
temperature outside, and of course in. The house has been 
sprinkled, and there is consequently moisture in the atmosphere 
which condenses on the colder leaves, and if there are fungus 
spores about they find the precise conditions for germination, both 
as regards moisture, leaf texture, and temperature. In a warmer, 
drier atmosphere there would have been no moisture on the leaves 
for the tailed zoospores to float in—the real communicators of 
disease—and the plants would remain healthy. They are first 
made tender with fire heat, this is withdrawn, and they are then 
made vulnerable to the disease ; the historic “’haporth o’ tar ” is 
saved, but the ship—the Tomato crop—jeopardised. 
That Tomatoes like abundance of air is evident by the sturdy, 
healthy growth of plants now ripening excellent fruit in the open 
air ; also in frames with the sashes drawn otf most of the time. But 
that is because the air has been dry and days warm and bright. 
Had the weather been close and wet with a murky atmosphere the 
fungoid enemy would probably have taken possession of them. In 
large, airy, heated houses the right conditions can be maintained. 
The chief requirements are a free circulation of air, but please 
mark well—it must be warm, dry, or dryish air, not chilling 
currents, while a close moisture-laden atmosphere is a forerunner 
of diseased plants. Dry heat on the other hand is inimical to 
fungoid growths on the plants, as many large growers have found 
who provide them with a temperature of 80°-90° over three or 
four days and nights. Bordeaux mixture and other preparations, 
which have been repeatedly named, will if applied in time be of 
enormous benefit ; but it should be remembered that they are 
preventive rather than curative. This has been said at the least 
a hundred times, and will perhaps have to be said a hundred more, 
before the fact takes possession of the minds of all Tomato 
growers. We should like to reduce their difficulties and ours too. 
SHADING FRUIT HOUSES. 
It has long been an established belief with many fruit growers 
that shading under almost any circumstances is inimical to the 
well-being of fruit trees, whether they are grown under glass or in 
the open air. They are, moreover, inclined to look with a com¬ 
bination of mystery and contempt upon the cultivator who 
advocates and practises giving shade to Tines or Peach trees, 
except in the case of newly planted ones or those carrying a crop 
of ripe fruit, these being exceptions in which shading is generally 
acknowledged to be beneficial. That harm may be done by over¬ 
shading I do not deny, but between this and the other extreme of 
not shading at all there are instances innumerable in which shade 
when judiciously given is productive of superior results, which 
under similar circumstances in other respects could not be obtained 
without its aid. 
It might be advanced that I have chosen an exceptional season 
during which to bring this matter forward, but in my opinion 
there are times in the majority of summers when fruit houses may 
with advantage be shaded, although perhaps it may be only in hot 
seasons that converts to the practice are so readily made. Red 
spider is at present unusually rampant in houses which during 
ordinary seasons are entirely free from it, and I am fully convinced 
that where such is the case a much more satisfactory state of 
affairs might have been maintained had timely shade been given, for 
it frequently happens that during a long fight against drought 
Vines and fruit trees do not get enough moisture at the roots 
or in the atmosphere. Shade, by lessening evaporation, would have 
done away with the necessity for so much water. The supply 
given being, therefore, more proportionate to their requirements 
would have maintained the trees in a healthier condition, in which 
state they do not easily fall a prey to the attack of insects. 
In determining whether or not the practice of shading fruit 
houses at certain times is a good one, we must bear in mind 
the great diversity in the size, situation, and construction of the 
innumerable houses in use for fruit growing throughout the 
country. Some of these being small, imperfectly ventilated, and 
situated in very warm positions are veritable sun traps, in which 
during a season like the present it is almost impossible to keep 
either plants or fruit trees healthy without resorting to shade. In 
such instances the Tines or fruit trees growing in them should be 
shaded by the time the growth of the fruit stops temporarily till 
the stoning process is completed. A little whitening strained through 
a fine wire sieve mixed in water, and syringed evenly over the 
roof, effects the object in view. Light houses, the framework of 
which is iron or other metal, ought also to be similarly treated, 
for however large they may be, the materials used in their con¬ 
struction being such great conductors of heat as well as cold, 
render very strong sunlight too powerful for vegetation growing 
inside them, especially if trained near the roof. Houses of all 
descriptions are now built much lighter than formerly, and for this 
reason alone it is absolutely necessary to provide shade for many 
plants, which under more antiquated conditions did not require it. 
Thus far I have dealt with the management of houses requiring 
special treatment in the matter of shading, and I wish it to be 
distinctly understood that I do not advocate the indiscriminate 
shading of all fruit houses at the stage above indicated, though in 
nearly all instances a little shade later on is beneficial should the 
weather prove hot. The exact stage at which I consider this 
should be given I will endeavour to describe. Black Hamburgh 
Grapes colour best when direct sunshine does not reach the bunches 
during the latter part of the afternoon. I have always experienced 
the least difficulty in colouring them perfectly where the aspect 
has been an east one. When dealing with a house principally 
occupied by this variety, and having a southern aspect, I always 
give a light shade after colouring has fairly begun all over the 
house provided the weather is bright at the time, and I am con¬ 
vinced the practice does much toward securing good colour and 
bloom. With a house having a west aspect the practice is quite, as 
necessary, for the sun generally comes upon such a house suddenly, 
and with full force near the middle of the day. The rapid change 
thus brought about is not conducive to good colour in the fruit. 
Madresfield Court will colour under bright sunshine better than 
any black variety I know, but even this should be shaded when 
fully ripe, or the colour will not be retained. If Muscats are 
trained from 2 to 3 feet from the glass, shading will not be required 
till the fruit is ripe to prevent shrivelling, but in many instances 
the rods are unfortunately not more than 15 or 18 inches from it, 
often a less distance than that. Under these conditions during hot 
weather the leaves cannot properly perform their functions. In 
such cases a light shade when the colouring process is somewhat 
advanced is of great benefit in preserving the foliage in a healthy 
state, a few of the main leaves immediately over the best bunches 
being afterwards tied back to allow the fruit to get plenty of sub¬ 
dued light. 
Turning to Peaches and Nectarines I find the former will bear 
sunshine with impunity much better than the latter, and it is only 
when trained very near the glass in particularly hot positions, or 
very small houses, that shading is required till the fruit commences 
ripening. If it is necessary to retard this a canvas shade should 
be given. If only to prevent the fruit drying by sunshine, 
whitening applied with a syringe will answer admirably. Nectarines 
require more careful treatment, especially such varieties as Lord 
Napier, Pineapple, or Tictoria ; these become much disfigured, 
and frequently burnt, when disposed near the glass unless shading 
is resorted to shortly after colouring begins. 
Intimately connected with the question of shading is that of 
training the shoots of Tines and fruit trees at a reasonable distance 
from the glass, and until the advantage of the latter practice 
is more fully recognised shading during hot weather becomes 
imperative if the best results are to be obtained.—D. W. 
INSECTS OF THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
(^Continued, from page 476, last vol.') 
The dry spring and summer of this season have had very re¬ 
markable effects upon animal as well as on vegetable life. I have 
observed that among the spiders many have made more rapid 
progress towards maturity than is usual ; this may be because the 
