June 15, 1393. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
489 
kinds take the earliest opportunity of establishing themselves. If more 
attention were given to the roots of trees there would be better crops, 
cleaner growths, and a comparative immunity from diseases. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Uectarlnes .—Earliest Houses. —When the fruit is 
gathered admit all the air possible day and night unless the weather be 
exceptionally cold, when modify the ventilation. If the roof lights are 
rnoveable take them off about a month after the trees have been cleared 
kad full ventilation for at least a fortnight. Where red 
spider or brown scale has obtained a footing eradicate the pests promptly, 
red spider, by syringing with a solution of softsoap 2 ozs, to a gallon of 
water, applying it forcibly so as to destroy their webs. For the scale 
dissolve half a pound of softsoap in a gallon of boiling water, adding 
half an ounce of washing soda and a wineglassful of petroleum, and 
either churn vvith a force pump or place in a 2-gallon stone bottle, cork, 
and agitate violently for five minutes, then add enough hot water to 
make 4 gallons, mixing thoroughly. When cooled to 90° to 100° apply 
with a fine-rose syringe, or an apparatus with a spraying nozzle, keeping 
the mixture well stirred while it is being applied, in each case repeat 
at intervals of a few days, washing with clean water at least once between 
the applications. Cut away the wood which has borne fruit to the shoot 
at the base intended to fruit next year unless the wood is required for 
extension. Remove all superfluous shoots, and keep laterals closely 
stopped. The borders should be well watered, affording liquid manure 
to weakly trees. 
Houses of Ripening Fruit. —Cease syringing trees with the fruit 
ripening, but provide moisture by damping until the fruit is ripe ; even 
when ripe an arid atmosphere must he avoided. Supply water at the 
roots liberally. Great care is necessary in gathering Peaches, as the 
least pressure makes a mark and spoils their appearance. A piece of 
wadding may be held in the hand, and the fruit removed with gentle 
pressure, but experts take the fruit in the ball of the hand and bring to 
the fingers to act evenly on the base, and so remove it gently. Peaches 
and Nectarines keep best in a sweet, cool, and airy fruit room after they 
are gathered. 
Trees Swelling their Crops. —When the stoning has been completed 
the trees will bear strong heat without fear of the fruit falling. Trees 
carrying full crops should be supplied with nourishing food, either as 
top-dressings that act quickly, as dissolved bones and powdered salt¬ 
petre, say five parts superphosphate and three parts nitrate of potash, 
with one part sulphate of lime, mixed, using a quarter of a pound per 
square yard after the soil has been made moist, and after applying the 
manure wash it in moderately. House sewage is excellent if it is 
properly diluted, also stable and cow house drainings diluted with at 
least five parts of water. Red spider must be kept down by syringing 
twice a day in fine weather. Ventilate early, keep through the day at 
70° to 75° artificially, and 80° to 85° with sun heat, and close sufficiently 
early to increase to 90°. This, with plenty of moisture in the house, 
will insure large fruit, and if ventilation be given before nightfall no 
disaster will arise, provided more air is admitted sufficiently early in the 
morning to allow the foliage and fruit to warm equally with the atmo¬ 
sphere. Keep the fruit with its apex to the light, iaths across the trellis 
will admit of this being done perfectly. 
When the fruit approaches ripening cease syringing, admit air freely, 
and maintain a night temperature of 60® to 65°, that being sufficient in 
the daytime when dull. If the sun be very powerful, a slight shade over 
the fruits commenced to ripen will prevent their being ripened too 
quickly at the apex, whilst the base remains quite hard. Paper shades 
over the individual fruits are best. If it is wished to accelerate the 
ripening the temperature should range 70° to 75° by day, and 10° rise 
from sun heat. 
Fy^Ct Stoning .—During this important stage it is necessary to avoid 
a close atmosphere, and to keep as uniform a condition of temperature 
and moisture as possible. Maintain a steady temperature of 60° to 65° 
at night and on cold dull days, 5° to 10° advance with a little sun, and 
the usual still further rise of 5° to 10° at closing time from sun heat. 
Avoid sudden fluctuations of temperature and cold draughts, and keep 
the soil in a duly moist but not saturated condition. Do not permit 
fruits to stone that must be removed afterwards, but reduce the number 
in good time. Pinch gross growths or remove them altogether, and aim 
at an equal distribution of growth and vigour throughout each individual 
tree. 
Succession and Late Houses. —Thin the fruits to a few more than 
will be required for the crop, retaining the most perfect in shape, 
largest, and best placed, allowing about a fruit to each square foot of 
trellis covered by the trees. Train the wood thinly, reserving a shoot 
at the base of the current fruiting branch, stopping the growths on a 
level with or above the fruit at two or three leaves. Side growths on 
extensions not required for furnishing the trees may be stopped at two 
or three leaves to form spurs. These spurs usually set and swell fruit 
when the strong growths on young trees do not. Syringe twice a day in 
fine weather, but on dull days damping will be sufficient, with an 
occasional forcible syringing to keep down red spider. Inside borders 
will require water at weekly or fortnightly intervals, according to their 
proportions, supplying liquid manure to weakly trees. A light mulch 
of lumpy manure will keep the soil more uniformly moist, and encourage 
surface roots without excluding air. 
Melons.— Every available house, pit, or frame will now be utilised, 
or they should be at once to afford a supply of fruit in late August or 
September. Plants that were raised some time ago should be placed 
out, and they will make growth rapidly and set their fruit with very 
little trouble. Where there are no plants and frames are at liberty, a 
last sowing should be made for growing in manure-heated pits or 
frames. It is advisable to make the beds at once, or at the same time 
the seed is sown. Sow the seed in 4-inch pots half filled with soil, 
placing one or two seeds in each, with a pane of glass over the pot. 
Remove the glass when the plants appear, and place a little soil around 
the stems. When the bed is ready put one plant in the centre of each 
light, planting within half an inch of the seed leaves, with the soil 
inclining from the stem, firming the soil well, give a good watering, and 
shade from bright sun. Pinch out the point of the leader at the second 
rough leaf, which will induce side shoots ; reduce these to four, take 
two to the front and two to the back of the frame, rubbing off all the 
laterals to within 4 or 6 inches of the stem all round, and every other 
lateral upon the primary shoots, stopping these about 9 inches from the 
sides of the frame. 
Cucumbers.— When the night temperature can be kept from falling 
below 65° fire heat may be dispensed with, much being effected by 
husbanding the sun heat and closing early. Continue to look over the 
plants twice a week, well thinning the old growths, and train young in 
their place. Avoid overcrowding and overcropping, and remove the 
fruit when fit to cut. Supply liquid manure copiously twice a week, 
and surface dress with lumpy loam occasionally. Sprinkle the bed 
occasionally with horse droppings, but be careful not to overdo it, or the 
foliage will suffer irreparable in j ury. Syringe on clear days in the after¬ 
noon only, but keep a good moisture in the house all day long by damp¬ 
ing surfaces as they become dry. Morning syringing is often the cause 
of much injury, and if practised at all it should be done early and 
lightly. Promptly shade on bright weather succeeding a dull period, 
but at other times only to prevent flagging. Ventilate early, but avoid 
draughts, and never admit air to lower the temperature. Keep through 
the day at 75° to 90° as the force of the solar heat dictates, but in bright 
weather between 80° and 90° should prevail in the house from 8 A.M. 
to 6 P.M, Close early so as to increase to 90°-100°, and admit a little air 
before nightfall as a safeguard against condensed moisture, and increase 
the ventilation from seven to eight o’clock on sunny mornings. 
Pits and Frames. —Unless the weather prove cold night coverings 
will not be necessary ; if put on it must not be until the sun is off the 
lights, and it should be withdrawn early in the morning. Commence 
ventilating at 75°, and increase with the sun’s advance, keeping through the 
day 80° to 90°, closing at 3 to 4 p.m., then sprinkle the foliage, and after 
being closed for an hour or two admit a little air at the back of the lights 
to allow of any pent-up moisture escaping. Water will be required about 
twice a week, and weak tepid liquid manure may be given occasionally, 
keeping it from the foliage and fruit. Attend to the plants once a week, 
stopping the growths about one or two joints beyond the fruit, removing 
bad leaves and exhausted growths. If the plants show signs of ex¬ 
haustion top-dress with lumpy loam, and layer some of the younger 
shoots at a joint from which roots will be freely emitted and strengthen 
the succeeding growths, so that the plants will continue to produce clean 
fruit for a long period. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Sub-tropical Plants. —Most flower beds and borders will be filled 
ere this, but the efforts at beautifying a place ought not always to be 
confined to these details. Instead of keeping the houses crowded with 
plants which very few people care to see during the summer months, 
some of them should be transferred to sheltered nooks. Many an 
interesting corner might thus be rendered attractive. Strong plants of 
Musas, large specimens of Latanias, Chamserops, Seaforthias, and other 
comparatively hardy Palms, fall Cordylines or greenhouse Draemnas, 
Acacias, Cyperuses, Ficus elastica, Arundo donax, and the variegated 
form of Caladium esculentum. Yuccas, Aloes, and such like are all more 
less well adapted for this purpose. Shade is not indispensable, but 
many of the plants like a moderate amount of it, and these may thus be 
grouped where flowering plants would fail. Planting out is not recom¬ 
mended, the better plan being to plunge the pots to the rim. Extra 
good plants are most effective quite by themselves plunged in the turf 
in some sheltered nook, the others being very thinly grouped in some¬ 
what similar positions. The tallest of the Cordylines and Musas 
would be best disposed in shrubberies where they could be seen with 
only the upper part of their stems exposed. Most of them, if kept 
properly supplied with water, could be returned to the houses in the 
autumn before severe frosts damage them, and would then be available 
for the next season. 
Greenhouse riowerlng- Plants.— Some of these might also be 
utilised for the adornment of pleasure grounds. Fuchsias invariably 
thrive well in the open, oftentimes after they have refused to do so under 
glass. If it is desirous to save the plants for another year plunge the 
pots to the rims in the turf. Standards are very effective as “dot 
plants ” in beds of Begonias, while these, pyramids and bushes, may 
also be placed in groups on the lawn by plunging the pots. If kept well 
supplied with water and liquid manure they will flower grandly till 
the autumn. Gannas are very effective in masses, and continue flower¬ 
ing throughout the summer. These may either be plunged or planted 
out. Erythrina crista galli attracts far more attention than it does 
under glass. A mass is very effective either planted out in a bed or 
plunged in the turf. Hedychium Gardnerianum again grows very 
sturdily, and flowers grandly in the open ; and if plunged in pots can 
be moved when getting shabby, and some other plants take its place. 
Pyramids of Ivy-leaf Pelargoniums treated similarly to Fuchsias are 
very effective, and the same may be said of trained Pelargoniums 
generally, and also Heliotropes. Large Gelosias or feathered Cockscombs 
