514 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 8, 1892. 
an outhouse, from which frost is excluded, by placing them on slated 
shelves and stringing them in the same way as Onions are often 
t eated. We used to keep them in sandy soil, but found that was not at 
all necessary, as they were not so liable to damp and kept just as plump 
if merely placed close together on shelves. The principal disadvantage 
of keeping them in sheds is that in periods of mild weather they start 
growing, and from want of light and air the leaves are so thin and 
devoid of substance that when planted out in spring the plants suffer 
very much, many of them losing their leaves to the centre. This can be 
partially avoided by admitting abundance of air during mild weather 
and by giving them all the light possible. 
In order to secure even-sized plants for tracing carpet beds seeds 
should be sown at once on fine sandy soil in well drained pots or seed 
pans, and the plants grown through the winter on a greenhouse shelf 
close to the glass. Abundance of new seed can now be secured from old 
plants that have been allowed to flower, and this will germinate much 
quicker than old. The seed pods should be dried and then rubbed 
through a hair sieve, but as the seed is so very fine no attempt should be 
made to clean it. It is best to give the soil a good watering before 
sowing, so as to avoid if possible having to water it after the seed is sown. 
The seed must be only very slightly covered with soil; indeed, it is not 
necessary to cover it at all, but a piece of glass should be placed over the 
pan so as to exclude air and thus preserve the surface soil of a uniform 
dampness. Place the pan in a shady place, either in a cold frame or 
greenhouse, and if the soil becomes dry before the seedlings are estab¬ 
lished it should be moistened by standing the pans in water deep enough 
for the latter to rise to within 1 inch of the surface of the soil. When 
the plants are large enough they will require pricking off first into 5-inch 
pots, and later on into shallow boxes, always using light sandy soil and 
providing plenty of drainage. If the seedlings are grown through the 
winter in a warm greenhouse and early in spring carefully hardened 
they will make useful plants for tracing designs or edgings in May. 
The larva of the beetle Otiorhyncus sulcatus sometimes attacks this 
Echeveria. Last year we lost many hundreds of plants through its 
ravages alone. The female appears to deposit her eggs between the 
base of the plant and the roots, and as soon as they are hatched the 
larvae commence eating their way through the centre of the stem 
until they reach the heart of the plant. Insecticides strong enough 
to destroy them cannot be used whilst the plants are growing, but 
much may be done when the latter are taken up by cutting away 
the affected stems and burning them. If possible, a few inches of 
the surface soil where badly affected plants have been growing should 
be taken away and burnt. A sharp look-out should be kept for the 
beetle in spring. It belongs to the great weevil family, and can be 
generally known by the head, which is produced in a rostrum. The 
abdomen is large and long in proportion to the thorax. In the present 
species the elytra is brownish black, irregularly splashed with greyish- 
yellow spots, and is about three-eighths of an inch long.—J. H. W. 
WOKK.foii.the WEEK- 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earliest Forced House. —Although a 
moist genial condition of the atmosphere assists the buds in swelling, 
and their scales are more freely burst by the developing blossom when the 
trees are syringed, it must not be practised to the extent of keeping 
them constantly wet, for an excess of moisture has a weakening ten¬ 
dency. An occasional syringing is all that is necessary when the 
weather is moist, the border being properly moistened and the surface 
damped when it becomes dry. In bright weather the trees may be 
syringed in the morning and early in the afternoon, until the colour of 
the blossom can be discerned. Maintain a genial condition of the atmo¬ 
sphere by sprinkling available surfaces other than the trees in the morning 
and early afternoon. The atmosphere must not then be kept so close, 
as it is essential that the blossoms come on steadily, and have time to 
develop a strong flower, perfect in all its parts. If the blossom buds 
are too numerous rub off those on the under side or at the back of the 
trellis ; a gloved hand drawn the contrary way of the growth will do this 
expeditiously. Allow a little ventilation constantly ; commence to 
increase it at 50°, above which it should be correspondingly enlarged, 
but not permitting a decline below 50° in the daytime, sufficient arti¬ 
ficial heat being employed to raise the temperature to 50° shortly after 
daybreak, and maintain it at that during the day. With sun heat an 
advance may be allowed to 65°, but only with free ventilation, and close 
for the day before the temperature has receded to 55°. Avoid a close 
moist atmosphere, also warm at night, a temperature of 40° to 45° being 
ample in cold weather and 50° when mild. Supply water to inside 
borders, so as to moisten the soil through to the drainage ; but where 
the roof lights have been off until the trees were started the border will 
not need any until the fruit is set or later. 
Second Early House. —This is usually started at the new year. If it 
contain Alexander and Early Louise Peaches, the fruit will ripen in May 
without need of hard forcing ; if planted with Stirling Castle or Royal 
George Peaches and Elruge Nectarine their fruit will not ripen before 
June. If the roof lights were removed when the growth was matured, 
they should now be replaced, and the pruning, cleansing of the house, 
dressing the trees, tying them to the trellis, and top-dressing the 
border effected. The borders will be moist enough, but a sprinkling of 
bone meal three parts and one part sulphate of potash being given, in 
mixture, at the rate of 4 ozs. per square yard, wash it in moderately. 
Inside borders under fixed roof must be made thoroughly moist, soaking 
again and again with water so as to moisten every particle of soil down 
to the drainage, and if the trees are weakly follow the watering with 
liquid manure. Protect the outside border with dry leaves and a little 
litter, a few inches thickness sufficing. Exclude frost, employing fire 
heat only to effect it, and ventilate fully at and above 50°, forcing not 
being commenced before the new year. 
Succession House. —It is much the best plan to remove the roof lights 
and expose the trees to the elements for the winter. This is an excellent 
practice, for the coddling of Peach and Nectarine trees in a r ouse kept 
above freezing point to insure safety for plants is antagonistic to the 
production of fruit by depriving the trees of that rest they are naturally 
accorded. It is not safe to remove the roof lights when the wood is 
soft and unripe, as it is then liable to damage by frost. Trees with that 
kind of wood set the fruit badly, stone it worse, and are always ailing 
something. They are radically wrong, generally at the roots, and lifting 
is a panacea for such ills. Exposure also aids the trees to retain their 
blossom buds, and the flowers attain to a much finer development than 
attends trees that are kept in alternating excitements and checks under 
glass. Even if there are no plants and the house is fully ventilated, the 
trees are kept constantly evaporating from the young wood when that is 
not checked by frost, and it can only aid trees that have unripe wood 
and are liable to suffer in severe winters. Proceed .with the pruning, 
bringing matters in that respect, cleansing the house and trees, to as 
speedy a conclusion as possible. Houses with fixed roofs should be 
ventilated to the fullest extent in all but very severe weather, the hot- 
water pipes having had the water run off. 
Fig's. — Earliest Tre^s in Pots. — Early Violet, St. John’s, and 
Angelique are the best for early work, the fruit being small and good, 
and in use several days before those of the two best of Figs for any 
purpose, namely, Brown Turkey and White Marseilles. A commence¬ 
ment should be made at once to have fruit of the first three ripe early in 
April, and of the two last-named at the end of that month, or early in 
May. The trees must have been well prepared for early forcing, not 
allowed to bear a heavy second crop of fruit, but have the points of last 
season’s wood well stored with matter and bristling with embryonic 
Figs. They must also be clean and healthy. If the trees are not yet 
started dress them with an insecticide, taking care not to rub off the 
young fruit nor damage the shoots. Place the potted trees on pillars of 
loose brickwork, so that they may not settle with the fermenting material, 
and only have sufficient of the latter so that the heat about the pots does 
not exceed 65° until the trees are fairly in growth ; but when the leaves 
are unfolding the bottom heat may be increased to 75° or even 80° at 
the base of the pots. Start with a top heat of 50° to 55° at night and 
65° by day, gradually raising the temperature to 60° at night, 65° to 70° 
by day, but 5° less all round in severe weather, 70° to 75° with sun heat 
and moderate ventilation when the leaves appear is not too much, 
closing at 75°. Be careful, however, not to bring on the trees too 
rapidly, especially in dull weather, as foliage produced under such 
conditions is flabby and liable to scorch under bright sun and invite red 
spider and scale. Sprinkle the trees and house in the morning of fine 
days and again early in the afternoon to allow the foliage to become dry 
before night, and the floor can be damped later in the day if it has 
become dry. Supply water to the roots to keep the soil evenly moist, 
but not making it sodden, and not less in temperature than that of the 
fermenting material about the pots. 
Fig Trees in Borders. —These are less under control than those in 
pots, and are not so certainly early forced, because the warmth encourages 
top growth before the roots are in a position to sustain it. They may, 
however, be started at the new year to supply fruit at the end of May 
and in June. The trees must be pruned, if not already attended to in 
that respect. Cut back the shoots that have attained to the limits of 
the trellis to where the successional shoots start, in order that they may 
occupy their places in the ensuing season, and thin out the crowded 
growths, also remove all long and bare limbs so as to give room for 
young and fruitful growths. Cut away entirely all elongated spurs, 
retaining only the short-jointed and promising where there is room for 
them. Loosen the trees from the trellis, thoroughly cleanse the woodwork 
with soap and water, the glass inside and outside with clear water, scald 
and limewash the walls, adding a handful of flowers of sulphur to each 
pailful of limewash, wash the trees with soft-soapy tepid water with a 
brush, doing this effectually, and taking care not to break the growths 
nor rub off the scarcely visible first crop Figs, then dress them with an 
insecticide. When this is completed tie the trees to tbe trellis so as the 
growths can swell without injury from the ligatures. Remove the 
remains of mulchings and the loose surface soil, and top-dress with a 
couple of inches thickness of good turfy loam, mixing with it a fourth 
of decayed manure and a 10-inch potful of bonemeal to every three 
bushels of the compost. Keep the houses dry, freely ventilated, and 
merely exclude frost, but a few degrees of that will do no harm. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Epacrls. —Any plants that only made puny growth during the past 
season and are healthy, as well as those that have not ripened their shoots 
sufficiently to flower profusely, may be cut well back. If done at 
