November 23. 1893. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
4 79 
was first, also for six Primulas and Puinsettias. The prizes for plants, 
incurved and Japanese, six of each, and group of plants, went to Mr, 
W. Lyon, gardener to A. M. Smith, Esq., Bolton Hey, Boby ; and for 
white Grapes, one Orchid and three dishes dessert Apples, to Mr. W. 
Oldham, gardener to Jos. Beecham, Esq,, Ewanville, Huy ton. 
An effective group of plants and a choice one of Chrysanthemums 
was arranged (not for competition) by Mr. J. Wattie, gardener to J. A, 
Willcox, Esq., M.Pq Parkside, Huyton ; certificates granted. The trade 
were represented by the Liverpool Horticultural Co., Garston, for fine 
stand of Orchids and plants in variety, and to Mr. H. Middlehurst, 
seedsman, Manchester Street, Liverpool, for well berried Solanums and 
other plants. 
WQKK.foiitheWEEK.. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Ifectarlnes. — Earliest Forced, House. —The trees 
having been started, they must have sufficient water at the roots, 
examining the border for ascertaining its condition, and if it is doubt¬ 
ful whether the soil be moist enough a good watering must be given, 
supplying liquid manure to weakly trees. Fire heat should only be 
employed at night to exclude frost, and by day to insure a temperature 
of 50°, above which ventilate freely. A close, vitiated atmosphere must 
be avoided after the buds commence swelling, syringing the trees in 
the morning and early afternoon of bright days until the buds begin to 
show colour; then maintain a suitable moisture by damping the paths 
and borders. Allow a little ventilation by the top openings of the 
house constantly. Aim at slow, gradual development in the growths to 
secure sturdy well expanded blossoms, with strong stamens and anthers 
well laden with pollen, and the pistils stout and perfect. This is essen¬ 
tial to a good set of fruit. 
Second Early Forced House. —The trees to be started for affording 
fruit in May or early in June, must now be kept as cool as possible. 
The lights having been removed, they may remain off until the weather 
sets in very severe or snow falls, when they should be replaced, after 
thoroughly cleansing, repairing, and, if need be, painting. The trees 
will require little pruning if they have received proper attention in 
disbudding, reserving only the growths needful for extension and next 
year’s crop, and cutting out that which has borne fruit this year and is 
not required. If the trees have been affected with brown scale nothing 
assists in its destruction better than exposing the trees to frost. 
Where the lights are fixed the trees may be syringed with water at a 
temperature between 140° and 160°. This will bring off most of the 
scale, then the trees can be washed with a solution of softsoap, 3 or 
4 ozs, to a gallon of water, using a brush to dislodge the scale, and being 
careful not to dislocate the buds. In bad cases it is advisable to go 
over the trees a second time before they are tied to the trellis. Plenty 
of space must be left in the ties for the swelling of the branches. 
Remove the remains of mulching and any inert surface soil; supply" 
fresh turfy loam about 2 inches deep, chopped moderately small, and 
adding a 6-inch potful each of steamed bonemeal and Thomas’s phos¬ 
phate, with as much as of both of wood ashes to every 3 bushels, incor¬ 
porating well. Ventilate to the fullest extent except when the weather 
is severe, and see that the soil is kept properly moist. 
Third Forced House. —The trees in this structure will be started with 
the advent of February to ripen their fruit late in June or early in 
July, and they should now be subjected to the same treatment as 
advised for the trees in the second early house. It is a bad practice to 
leave houses and trees unattended after the leaves fall until the time of 
closing the structures, and favours insect pests immensely. The trees 
can never be handled so safely, either for the needful cleaning and 
pruning or eradication of insects as when the buds are least active, 
which is as soon as the leaves have fallen, and the insects are reached 
before they are obliged by cold to make their retreat to safe quarters. 
Such pests as brown aphis live on the growths constantly. Any shoots 
infested should be cleansed with a brush dipped in tobacco water. It is 
a common practice to use houses of this kind for plants, especially 
Chrysanthemums ; but it is fatal to that rest so essential to the success 
of Peach trees, and a primary cause of the buds subsequently dropping. 
The better plan is to let the water run out of the hot-water pipes, and 
remove the roof lights. 
Fourth House. —This can hardly be termed a forcing structure, yet 
there should be means of affording a genial heat when the trees are in 
blossom, and for accelerating the ripening of the fruit as may be 
necessary, also for maturing the wood in cold districcs. It may be 
analogous to a Peach case or covered wall, against which the choicest 
raidseason Peaches and Nectarines are planted and trained, but the trees 
do better on trellises about a foot from the glass. The house being 
closed early in March, the trees will ripen their fruit early in August 
and September if kept cool. They are now leafless, and should undergo 
the process advised for the second early forced trees in every particular. 
It is an old and excellent practice to empty the hot-water pipes and 
remove the lights, leaving them off until the blossoms begin showing 
colour, or admit air to the fullest extent in all weather, for no amount 
of frost will injure the wood provided it is thoroughly ripe. 
Late House. —Cut out all the wood that has borne fruit if not 
otherwise required. Do not allow the soil to become dry, but give a 
thorough soaking of water if necessary. If the wool does not ripen 
well employ heat by day with moderate ventilation, and turn it off in 
the afternoon, so as to have the pipes cool before the night, and then 
open all the ventilators unless keen frost prevails. The house must 
otherwise be kept cool by free ventilation and the fallen leaves cleared 
away. Late Peaches are valuable, and when well grown good in quality. 
If any of the trees grow too luxuriantly root-pruning and lifting must 
be attended to without delay. 
Unheated Houses. —The leaves of the trees in unheated houses against 
south walls are off except where the trees are unsatisfactory, and such 
should be lifted and the roots laid in fresh rather strong calcareous 
compost nearer the surface. With proper treatment the crop for next year 
will not be prejudiced. In lifting the trees do not manipulate the roots 
too much, and do not lift them before the wood becomes firm. If the 
drainage is defective it should be rectified, and soil of an unsuitable 
nature removed. It is, however, almost useless trying to patch up bad 
borders, and it would in most cases be more satisfactory to make new 
ones. A 4-inch tile drain should be at the base, with a proper fall and 
outlet to carry off superfluous water, with a foot of rubble over the 
bottom of the border and above the drain, and if the drainage is covered 
with a layer of old mortar rubbish it will insure the keeping of the 
rubble open and supply lime. About 24 inches depth of soil is ample, 
but it will need to be 30 inches at first to allow for settling. 
Peaches and Nectarines like a firm soil. This should be strong, pre¬ 
ferably a calcareous clay—loam—the top 3 inches of a pasture, and 
where the formation is limestone or chalk. If the soil is light add to it 
a fourth part of clay-marl, dried and pounded, incorporating well 
together. Soil of this character usually induces a stout short-jointed 
growth, and the fruit is large, high coloured, heavy, juicy, and full 
flavoured. The border need not be wider than a foot beyond the exten¬ 
sion of the roots in the first instance, adding to it as the roots extend. 
A narrow border is in many respects superior to a large one. The 
restriction of the roots entails more frequent supplies of water and 
liquid nourishment with top-dressings and surface mulching, but the 
results are better than in the wider border, as the food is supplied fresh, 
and the trees are completely under control. The wide border may have 
some part sour before the roots reach it, and in any case its freshness 
is gone, and roots never thrive so well in stale as in fresh loam. If 
any new trees are wanted they should be procured and planted with¬ 
out delay. In a Peach case fruit can be had from early July to the 
beginning of October by a proper selection of varieties—say, Waterloo, 
Hale’s Early, Dr. Hogg, Crimson Galande, Dymond, Goshawk, Royal 
George, Alexandra Noblesse, Grosse Mignonne, Bellegarde, Gladstone, 
Sea Eagle, and Golden Eagle—excellent Peaches in every respect. 
Suitable Nectarines are Early Rivers, Lord Napier, Rivers’ White, Elruge 
(some prefer Stanwick Elruge), Newton, Dryden, Pine Apple, Spencer, 
and Victoria. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Globe Artichokes. —Frosts have reduced the leaves considerably! 
and it is now possible to take the requisite protective measures. Unless 
either leaves covered with strawy manure to keep them from blowing 
about, litter or ashes are banked well up around the plants, the best of the 
crowns will be either killed or badly crippled during the coming winter. 
When the best crowns are damaged by frosts, the early growths are 
weak and the flowering stems feeble and late accordingly. As a rule 
only a very small per-centage of seedling Artichokes are worth saving, 
and if those of a worthless character have been duly marked, they may 
well be rooted out, those reserved being protected. 
Protectlngr Celery. —Unless Celery is well moulded up, it is a very 
difficult matter to afford proper protection against severe frosts. It is the 
stalks and coarser midribs that suffer most, and once they are badly 
frozen decay soon spreads. Instead of leaving the whole of the leaves 
exposed, the stalks only be covered with soil, the wiser plan is to bank 
up the soil sufficiently high to bury about one-half of them, and the rest, 
unless in very cold localities, may well be left unprotected. We some¬ 
times experience very severe frosts early in December, and no time 
should be lost therefore before completing the earthing up. Compara¬ 
tive dryness of soil is essential, and the ridges should be well rounded. 
Fresh dry straw and bracken covered over the tops of Celery will ward 
off severe frost, but if in a wet state it may easily do more harm than 
good. If protection must be afforded, let it be in the shape of boards 
nailed together in the form of the letter V, and inverted over the rows 
whenever necessary, as being the least trouble and the most effective in 
the end. 
Celerlac. —The “ bulbs” of Celeriac are far from being hardy. They 
may be protected against a moderately severe frost by drawing the 
soil up to them much as Potatoes are moulded up, but in order to be 
prepared for all emergencies some portion at least of the crop should 
be lifted, and after having the tops trimmed off be stored in a cool 
shed, enough fine soil or sand surrounding them to afford some protec¬ 
tion from frosts, and also to prevent premature shrivelling. Celeriac may 
also be kept in a “ clamp ” or heap in the open, all being well covered 
with straw and banked over with soil. 
The Broccoli Supply. —Autumn Cauliflowers have not held out 
nearly so well as usual, and autumn Broccoli have also been somewhat 
coarse as well as earlier than desirable. Late plants of Veitch’s 
Autumn Protecting are doing good service, but even these commenced 
hearting prematurely. What are left should be taken care of. Very 
severe frosts may spoil them, merely covering the hearts with large 
old leaves being little avail against 10° or more of frost. They will pay 
