886 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 26, 1893. 
filled with a collection of the most useful spring flowering and other 
plants most in demand in gardens, and on each side of the long nursery 
glade are specimens of Hollies and other evergreens, including 
Osmanthus illicifolius, flowering freely and dispersing Hawthorn-like 
perfume ; also a choice collection of Coniferae associated with herbaceous 
plants. 
Passing through the town we come to an hostelry, Ye Olde Foure 
Swans, bearing date 1260, and near it the splendid memorial cross, the 
finest existing of the series commemorative of an historic event in the 
long past centuries. Not far distant is Mr. Paul’s capacious residence, 
once the home of the late Mr. Anthony Trollope, with well-wooded 
pleasure grounds and park-like surroundings. Near it is the stately 
Ailantus tree, with its three main stems, recently alluded to in “ The 
Times,” and the alleged unpleasantness of the flowers is regarded by Mr. 
Arthur W. Paul, the diligent junior member of the Arm, as mythical, as 
the spreading branches are close to the windows of his bedroom, and 
without causing the slightest inconvenience. The Ailantus glandulosa 
is a beautiful tree for town or country, and it is a wonder it is not more 
freely planted. 
One is tempted to dwell on Mr. Paul’s library, said to contain the 
finest assortment of horticultural works in possession of any individual 
except Dr. Hogg. It is a rieh collection, ancient and modern, including, 
of course, the various works of the author, prominent among them being 
his magnum opus, the “ Rose Garden,” the most compendious and 
exhaustive work on the subject on which it treats. An hour with Mr. 
Paul in his sanctum, as in his nursery, is time well spent, and a man 
must know a very great deal if he does not learn a little more after 
spending two hours with the senior bearer of an honourable name, 
writ large in the annals of horticulture—a privilege the second time 
enjoyed by— Lindum. 
WOl 
^K.F01 
ItheWEE 
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l&i'S 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peacbes and "NectATines.- Earliest House. —The trees in this 
structure have been at rest for some time, the roof lights having been 
removed when the wood was sufficiently firm and the buds formed, but 
not over-developed. The house was thoroughly cleansed when the 
leaves were all down, the trees untied, pruned, dressed with an approved 
insecticide, re-arranged and tied on the trellis, the border surface dressed, 
all put in complete order ready for a start at the proper time, and they 
are now in a promising condition. The roof lights will not be replaced 
until early in December._ Where the roof lights have not been removed 
strenuously avoid allowing the soil to become dry at the roots of 
the trees, as this is sufficient to cause the buds to fall. If the trees are 
weakly and the buds plenteous a supply of liquid manure will be of 
great benefit. It is also advisable to remove the surface soil down to 
the roots, removing some of the old from amongst them, and supply 
fresh loam, not covering the roots near the collar more than 2 or 3 inches. 
If the loam be of a light nature add a fourth of clay marl, dried and 
pounded, and a barrowload of wood ashes to every cartload of loam, 
thoroughly incorporated, making it firm about and over the roots, and 
giving a good watering. Borders that have a close moist surface, and 
are rich in humus through heavy dressings of manure, may be dressed 
with freshly slaked lime, using about a bushel per rod, and mixing it 
with the soil as deeply as practicable without disturbing the roots to 
any great extent, omitting the top-dressing before mentioned. If the 
soil is very close and deficient of grit and calcareous matter, a dressing 
of calcareous gravel about an inch thick, mixed with the soil as deeply 
as the roots allow, would improve its staple and component elements. 
It should be practised on both the inside and outside borders. Com¬ 
plete the pruning and dressing of the trees, cleansing the house, and 
admitting all the air possible. 
Second Early House. —The trees that were started at the new eary 
or soon afterwards have been at rest a month, and those started in 
February are now leafless ; they should be pruned, after untying, 
dressed, and re-arrangei on the trellis. This, with a thorough cleansing 
of the house, makes an end of adult insects and larvEe before they have 
time to hibernate in the crevices of the bark and chinks of the wood¬ 
work and walls. In pruning early forced trees it is not desirable to cut 
away too much wood, nor proceed on any hard-and-fast lines, but confine 
it to removing any useless parts that have escaped removal at thinning 
after the fruit was gathered, and shortening any long shoots to a double 
or triple bud, making sure that one of them is a wood bud. This will 
mainly be necessary to originate growths at the required place for 
furnishing the trees, for shoots that are well ripened need not be 
shortened^and those of 8 to 12 inches length should be left entire, as 
they usually have a few wood buds at the base and one at the extremity, 
those beiween those points being usually blossom buds. It is, however, 
^ retain much wood, which weakens the trees in flowering, 
and there is not space to train-in the young growths without crowding, 
ire^ the trees in other respects as advised for the earliest forced, also 
he house and borders. 
Third Succession House. —This being started in February, the trees 
will now be leafless, or' nearly so, and should be subjected to similar 
treatment to the earlier ones, losing no opportunity of pushing forward 
the pruning, dressing the trees, and having all needful work done. If 
the wood is thoroughly ripened, the roof lights may be removed with 
advantage. Where the roof lights are not moveable do not allow the 
soil to become too dry, and admit air to the fullest extent, securing as 
complete rest as possible. Any trees growing too luxuriantly or not 
setting and stoning the fruit well should be root-pruned or lifted. 
Late Houses. —The late varieties are over this season sooner than 
usual, and the trees are shedding their leaves. It will be advisable to 
remove the roof lights as soon as the foliage is sufficiently advanced, but 
where green leaves hang long it is an indication of unripe wood, and 
the roof lights must not be removed for some time longer. If this 
condition prevails generally in the trees they should be lifted carefully 
and be root-pruned. When this is performed judiciously it will not 
prejudice next year’s crop, but it must be done when most of the leaves 
are down and the wood firm, keeping the house rather close, the trees 
syringed, and shaded if the weather be bright. Under ordinary 
circumstances as to the weather these precautions are not necessary. It 
is only when the trees are gross and the wood unripe that the careful 
treatment is requisite. 
In the case of young trees it will suffice to take out a trench one-third 
the distance from the stem the trees cover of trellis, and down, so as to 
cut off all roots to the drainage, leaving the trench open for a fortnight, 
not allowing the soil in the radius to become so dry as to distress the 
foliage to a severe degree of flagging, but not giving any water so long 
as the leaves maintain their persistence, and then the trench may be 
filled in, making the soil firm. This will check the tendency to 
exuberance and late growth, and ripen the wood and plump the buds. 
Luxuriant trees which may not safely be bodily lifted on account of 
their long, strong and few roots, may be treated in a similar manner, 
and a year afterwards they may be lifted. 
Unheatcd Houses or Wall Cases. —With a proper selection of varieties 
Peaches and Nectarines may be had from these structures from the 
middle of July to the middle of October. The structures should have 
south or south-west aspects, but they may have a west aspect in the 
southern parts of the country. Peaches :—* Alexander, Early Louise, 
*Hale’s Early, Dr. Hogg, Crimson Galande, “"Dymond, *Royal George, 
Grosse Mignonne, Goshawk, Alexandra Noblesse, *Bellegarde, Barrington, 
Princess of Wales, *Gladstone, Sea Eagle, Walburton Admirable, and 
*Golden Eagle. Nectarines:—Early Rivers, *Lord Napier, Goldoni, 
Darwin, *Stanwick Elruge, Rivers’ Orange, Milton, *Pine Apple, Dryden, 
Newton, Spencer, and *Victoria. Those requiring only a few may select 
those distinguished by a star. The chief thing with trees in unheated 
houses is to train the shoots thin so as to secure stout short-jointed, 
thoroughly solidified growth, to allow unobstructed light, and provide 
efficient ventilation. Proper attention must, of course, be given to 
cleanliness and due supplies of nourishment, but the most important 
point of all is retarding the blossom in the spring as far as practicable. 
This is best effected by removing the roof lights, and allowing them to 
remain off until the blossoms are swelling and showing colour. It 
has a good effect on the trees by the cleansing influence of rain, also in 
securing the thorough moistening of the border. Such trees can be 
kept perfectly under control by occasional lifting and root-pruning as 
may be considered expedient. Over-luxuriance or a tendency to late 
growth is overcome by judicious root-pruning and careful lifting, which 
should be done after the wood becomes firm, and whilst the foliage is 
still upon the trees. When intelligently practised lifting and laying of 
the roots near the surface and firming the soil well, is the surest remedy 
for trees that fail to set and stone full crops of fruit. 
Pines. —Liberal ventilation should be afforded to pits or houses 
containing young plants when the weather is favourable, and avoid 
too much moisture, as over-damping, keeping the surfaces of the house 
constantly saturated, is more injurious than otherwise. Water will not 
now be often required, yet the plants must not be neglected, looking 
them over every week or ten days, watering such as require it, as too 
great dryness at the roots causes a stunted growth and it is not easy 
afterwards made free. 
In the fruiting department lose no opportunity of admitting a little 
air early, closing the house at 85°, keeping the night temperature at 70°, 
or a few degrees less in cold weather. Remove all gills and superfluous 
suckers, retaining one only, the best to each plant. Suckers on suc- 
cessional plants that appear before the fruit should be removed, except 
an increase of stock is urgent, and then the fruit is more or less sacrificed 
to the nuckers. 
At this time of the year it is usual to make new beds of fermenting 
material and prepare them for the young plants. Tan is the best for the 
purpose, retaining its heat longer than any other, and subsiding least. 
In forming beds of it place lightly together. Oak or Beech leaves are a 
good substitute for tan, which should now be collected, and as dry as 
possible. The leaves should be firmly pressed so that they may not sink 
much, and also to regulate the heat and prevent it from becoming too 
violent and soon spent. 
Cucumbers.— The temperature should be maintained at 70° at night, 
falling 6° when cold, 70° to 75° by day artificially, advancing to 80° or 
85° with sun heat. Admit little air at the top of the house whenever 
the weather is favourable, but it must be done without lowering the 
temperature, it being better to shut off the top heat for an hour or two 
when the sun is powerful than to ventilate when the wind is very cold. 
