August 25, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
179 
co-operative cultivators are profiting by experience. A lack of cleanness 
was still observable in the case of a few kinds, but in the majority 
there is all-round high quality to record. 
It would not be of much interest to give full details of the awards, as 
the exhibitors are mostly cottagers ; but it may be of interest to indicate 
a few points in connection with the exhibits. Beans taken as a whole 
were excellent, Runners being very good, French creditable, and Long 
Pods moderate. Beet was mostly of high quality, but some of the roots 
were coarse and fibry. Cabbages were very good indeed, including red 
varieties. Carrots were extremely good, the Horn varieties being 
perhaps the best. The prize exhibits of Intermediate were excellent. 
Cauliflowers were very fine, though perhaps a little inclined to coarse¬ 
ness. Celery was very good as a whole, and there were some fine sticks 
included, showing that some of the cottagers understand the culture of 
this useful vegetable as well as anyone. Cucumbers were extensively 
and well shown. Leeks were not large, but well blanched. Cos and 
Cabbage Lettuces were only fair on the whole, lacking cleanness. Of 
Onions there was an extensive display, which included some very good 
produce. In Parsnips there was an inclination to coarseness, but Peas 
were splendidly shown. There were scores of dishes, and many of the 
pods were very fine indeed. Potatoes were divided into four classes, 
white and coloured kidneys and white and coloured rounds. There was 
an enormous quantity of them, including some very fine dishes. It 
is noteworthy that the exhibitors have secured some of the leading 
show varieties. Radishes and Shallots were fair, Tomatoes and 
Turnips very good ; the former, though not sensational, being of satis¬ 
factory average quality. There was an enormous number of Vegetable 
Marrows, and as a whole they were excellent. 
Fruit was hardly so well shown as usual, but the season is rather late. 
Small fruits were fair, Plums good. There was as usual a very extensive 
display of cut flowers. Taking into consideration that the greater bulk of 
the produce has been grown by cottagers, the Show must be classed as an 
excellent one. There was a large attendance on the opening day, 
when many special attractions were added to that of the Show. The 
arrangements were well carried out by Mr. W. Broomhall. The 
Managing Director, Mr. Edward Owen Greening, who has been the 
leading spirit in these great gatherings, continues to manage them with 
his usual tact and energy. 
WOKK.foh.the WEEK. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Pines. —Potting Rooted Suclters .—Those obtained from the summer- 
fruiting plants and potted some little time ago will soon be ready to 
shift into larger pots. It is well, however, to divide the plants into two 
batches ; one, the strongest, should be shifted into their fruiting pots as 
soon as ready, employing 10 or 11-inch pots, according to kind; the 
smaller size for Queens, affording them a position near the glass in a light 
airy house, where they can be kept gently growing through the winter. 
The plants treated in that manner will be readily excited into fruit next 
May or June, and will afford a good successional supply of ripe fruit in 
late summer or early autumn. The other plants—suckers from the 
summer fruiters—not large enough to shift into fruiting pots winter 
best in 7 or 8-inch pots, transferring them to larger ones as soon as ready 
in spring, which, with suckers of Smooth-leaved Cayenne that were 
started last March, will afford a successional supply of ripe fruit 
through the winter months. 
Re-arranging Plants .—About this time a re arrangement should be 
made in order to secure the best conditions for them, separating the 
non-fruiting from the fruiting, as many of those started from suckers of 
last summer’s fruiting plants will have fruits swelling. These must 
have the best position possible, so as to insure the fruit finishing well. 
Those plants not fruiting will have completed their growth, and should 
have air very liberally for the next six weeks, when the temperature 
exceeds 80°, maintaining the bottom heat steady at 80°, and all well- 
established well-rooted plants should have a bottom heat of 80° to 85°. 
Recently potted suckers, or those not having roots well established in 
the fresh compost, should have a bottom heat of 90°, so as to accelerate 
the free emission of roots. 
Fruiting Plants .—Moderate atmospheric moisture is essential to 
the swelling of the fruit, but a close atmosphere unduly enlarges the 
crowns, and the sun acting powerfully on the fruits while damp, causes 
their discolouration ; therefore admit a little air at the top of the house 
early in the morning, so as to allow of any superfluous moisture 
escaping before the sun’s rays act powerfully or directly upon the fruit. 
Any fruit it is desired to retard should be moved to a cool or shady 
house, affording abundance of air. 
rigs. —Earliest Forced Trees .—The earliest trees in pots may be 
placed outside if the wood be ripe ; but if there is any doubt about it 
the trees must be continued under glass with a free circulation of air. 
These are matters on which the cultivator will need to exercise judg¬ 
ment. In either case the trees must not suffer for water at the roots, 
and any roots that have extended beyond the pots should be cut off, 
affording water only to keep the foliage fresh. 
The earliest forced planted-out trees will now be ripening their wood, 
and watering may be discontinued, air being given very liberally. If, 
however, the second crop is not yet ripened moderate moisture in the 
soil will be necessary, with a free circulation of air to insure high 
quality in the fruit. When the fruit is all gathered the wood not 
further required should be cut away in favour of the successional 
growths, and these being allowed to point towards the light will become 
well matured at their extremities, which is vital to a full first crop 
another season. 
Trees Unsatisfactory .—If any of those planted out in houses grow 
too rampantly, and produce thin crops in consequence, root-pruning 
should be resorted to, and the roots confined to a narrow border from 
3 to 4 feet in width. But to secure a first crop of fruit another season 
it is necessary to accelerate and thoroughly ripen the wood. Trees, 
therefore, which are unsatisfactory in cropping, should have a trench 
made as deeply as the roots at a distance of 3 or 4 feet from the 
stem, and all the roots being detached, the tendency to a late growth 
will be checked, and the vital forces will be concentrated on the growths, 
so that the wood will ripen, particularly if the growths are thinly dis¬ 
posed, and the points of the shoots, instead of being very closely tied in, 
are allowed to grow up to the glass. This will induce the formation of 
embryonic Figs instead of wuod buds, and should be attended to as soon 
as the fruit is gathered. The trees may be lifted as soon as the leaves 
give indications of falling, replanting in fresh soil. If the drainage be 
defective, place in 12 inches of rather rough brick rubbish, and a 3-inch 
layer of the rougher parts of old mortar rubbish, using the finer parts 
for mixing with the compost. This may consist of turfy loam of a 
calcareous nature, or have one-sixth of old mortar rubbish mixed with 
it, and in replanting ram the compost, thoroughly incorporated, well 
amongst the roots, for sbort-jointed wood cannot so well be secured by 
other means as by a compact soil. The border should be 24 inches 
deep, or, if the trellis space is small, the width or depth of the border 
should be proportionately less. Where the drainage is efficient and the 
border in good order, it will only be necessary to confine the roots to 
the narrow border, removing some of the old soil from amongst the 
rools, relaying them in fresh loam, or the old, with an addition of old 
mortar rubbish, well solidified. 
Late Houses .—The fruit on trees in wall cases ripens about this time 
and in September, and is generally superior to outdoor fruit, which is 
seriously hampered by wet in some seasons at the time dryness is 
necessary to secure high flavour and keep the fruit from decaying. In 
a large house, and with the roots confined so as to secure sturdy, 
thoroughly solidified and well ripened growths, Brunswick is a very 
fine Fig, but it grows too luxuriantly for small houses. S milar remarks 
apply to Negro Largo, which is a very fine large fruit of good quality, 
and succeeds Brunswick. White Marseilles precedes Brown Tuikey in 
ripening. These are the best Figs for general purposes, and when well 
grown and ripened are excellent in quality. The great point to aim at 
is sturdy growths, which are best secured by keeping them thin, and the 
roots restricted to a border of compact materials. Unless thoroughly 
solidified growths are made, with short-jointed and well ripened wood, 
it is useless expecting abundant crops of fine fruit. Keep up a circula¬ 
tion oi air constantly, expose the fruit as much as possible to the sun, 
but if red spider be troublesome syringe on a fine morning after a^ close 
picking ot the fruit, and afford no more water at the roots than sufficient 
to keep the foliage in health. If the trees are too luxuriant and the 
wood docs not ripen well treat them as advised for unsatisfactory 
trees. 
Melons.— Plants in Houses. —As the days are shorter lessened 
supplies of water will be required, yet give sufficient to keep the soil in a 
moist condition whilst the fruit is swelling. After it has ceased swelling 
afford no more water than suffices to prevent the foliage flagging. Keep 
the laterals stopped to one leaf of successional growth, rub off all 
superfluous shoots as they show, thin the laterals where too crowded, 
not allowing these to interfere with the principal leaves or to retard the 
swelling of the fruit. Plants with fruit advanced for ripening should 
be keptdrier at the roots and have air liberally, avoiding a close atmo¬ 
sphere, as that frequently results in the fruit cracking and generally 
causes the flavour to be inferior. The night temperature should be 
maintained at 65° to 70°, 70° to 75° by day artificially, and 10° to 15° 
rise from sun heat. 
Latest Plants in Houses .—In some establishments the latest batch of 
plants are not put out until the end of this month or the beginning of 
next to afford a supply of fruit about Martinmas, but the plants are 
generally strong from a late July sowing, and fruit with little delay. 
They are usually trained with a single stem two-thirds up the trellis 
without stopping, and every other lateral being rubbed off on opposite 
sides of the stem fruit is shown freely on the first laterals at the second 
or third joint. By carefully fertilising the pistillate with the staminate 
blossoms the fruit sets freely in a rather dry and warm atmosphere, and 
by afterwards maintaining a temperature of 70° to 75° by artificial 
means the fruit swells rapidly, the bottom heat being kept steady at 80 
to 85° and the atmosphere moderately moist. Excessive moisture, 
however, is apt to cause the plants to canker at the collar and in the 
stem, and must be guarded against, rubbing quicklime into any affected 
^ &Tt piants in Pits and Frames .—The latest plants have the fruit set 
and swelling freely, and will be better for good linings, so as to 
insure steady progress and the free admission of air. Those in hot-water 
heated pits will be the better for a gentle warmth in the pipes on cold 
nights and dull wet days. Gentle heat affords facilities for ventilation, 
