82 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 24, 1895. 
Pears, the individual leaves of some varieties of the former being large, 
and if the branches are thickly placed the consequence is that the 
foliage and the spurs will be unduly shaded. Leaves deprived of light 
never attain their full size nor assume the proper texture indicative of 
health and the elaboration of the sap. There is nothing eventually lost 
by well opening out a crowded tree. Removing every other branch is not 
too much in many cases, those retained not being less than a foot apart, 
16 inches being more applicable to some. It is even better to have the 
branches thinly placed and fruitful at 16 or 18 inches apart than at 
9 or 10 inches asunder and fruitless. 
Spur Pruning. —When spurs are crowded as well as branches it will 
be necessary to reduce their number, though severe thinning of these 
following close on branch reduction is not always desirable, and it is 
better to proceed gradually. The upper tier of branches in neglected 
trees becomes the strongest, therefore the thinning of the spur clumps is 
imperative, and where they project conspicuously shortening them is 
essential. This is best done at once, so that the spurs on the branches 
below may receive the benefit of increased light. Foreright shoots, 
whether shortened in the summer or not, should be pruned back to the 
lowest bud above the point they originated from. If numerous some of 
the worst placed may be cut out entirely. 
Cordons. —The various forms of this style of training are simply 
managed after the branches have been formed in the proper position. 
To cover the space provided the leader may extend without being 
shortened, the side shoots being pinched in the summer to five or six 
leaves, and shortened at the winter pruning to one bud. Old-established 
cordons may require the spurs thinning or cutting back to obviate 
unsightly projections as well as to induce the best fruiting spurs to form 
near the wall. Young cordons growing too vigorously may have their 
energy subdued by careful lifting and replanting, but with those longer 
established cutting away the strong roots that extend beyond 3 feet will 
suflSce, 
Plums and Cherries. —Plums and sweet Cherries are grown on 
walls in fan-shaped, horizontal, and cordon forms. Fan-training admits 
of a judicious combination of spurs and training in young wood for 
fruiting the second year. It also provides a ready means of refurnishing 
trees with a fresh supply of wood originating from the base, cutting the 
old worn out branches away. The distance between the branches of 
horizontally trained trees, and those of cordons too, should be not less 
than a foot. This is ample, and admits light and air in abundance. 
The young growth, which in the summer was shortened to 3 inches, may 
now be reduced to half that length, fruit buds forming freely on the 
part left. Very severe reductions of old wood ought not to be carried 
out at one time, as gumming is induced. 
Cordon and horizontal trees are best trained to wires arranged closely 
to the wall. Fan-shaped trees are frequently nailed to the surface of 
the wall, using clean strong shreds and properly pointed nails according 
to the strength of the branches or shoots. The ordinary cast iron wall 
nail, having a flexible lead strip attached, will be found very useful for 
the smaller shoots. No shreds are needed where these are used, as they 
can easily be bent to enclose the shoot securely, and they give way to the 
swelling growth. Medicated shreds are neat and durable, and much 
superior to cloth shreds in damp positions. 
Pruning Gooseberries. —The main object to keep in view in 
managing Gooseberry bushes is to maintain them as shapely as possible 
in outline, well furnished with healthy branches and young wood thinly 
disposed, and the trees standing separate from each other. Fruit 
is produced freely on young wood of the previous year as well as on 
spurs on the old branches. Some growers spur in all the branches, 
while others rely on the young wood to produce the crop of fruit. 
Very few bushes, if healthy and vigorous, can accommodate, without 
crowding, all the young wood ; therefore, after forming a bush into 
shape and thinning out all the obviously crowded and ill-placed branches, 
shoots that cross and bend inwards, or reach closely to the ground, cut 
out the weakest spray. Retain the best of the annual wood evenly 
distributed over the bushes, shortening it but little. 
Currants. — The annual growth on Red and White Currants 
should be spurred-in to an inch, the leading growths at the end of the 
branches also being pruned if no further extension is required, but 
where they have not yet attained the desired length leave the growths 
6 or 8 inches long. Worn out branches may be replaced by strong 
growths from the base, shortening them to 9 or 10 inches. Black 
Currants must have abundance of young wood, either strong growths 
issuing from the base of the principal branches or sucker-like extensions 
from the roots. 
Protectlngr Gooseberry and Currant Buds. — Fine lime 
sprinkled over the trees wnen wet is a deterrent to birds attacking the 
buds. It is also beneficial as a cleanser of the trees and the ground 
below them. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Pines. — Fruiting Plants. —Afford a mean temperature of 70°, vary¬ 
ing it 5° according to external conditions, admitting air at 80“, with 
sunshine, but do not lower the temperature, allowing the heat to rise to 
85°, closing at 80°, with a prospect of a slight advance from sun heat. 
Syringe the paths and walls twice every day, but do not syringe the 
hot-water pipes or the surface of the bed between the plants, as the 
dense steam arising from the first is quickly condensed by the leaves of 
the plants or glass, and has a tendency to unduly enlarge the crowns of 
the fruit, while the steaming from the bed is prolific of the fruits 
becoming black in the centre. This is also accelerated by too free 
supplies of water and liquid nourishment at the roots, the first needing 
to be sparingly given and the latter discontinued when the fruit is 
swelled and gives the slightest indications of ripening. An occasional 
syringing, however, will greatly benefit plants swelling the fruit, pro¬ 
viding it is done early in the afternoon of fine days, but only when the- 
axils of the leaves become dry. 
Plants for Successional Fruiting.—At the beginning of February 
an additional number of Queens should be started to supplement 
the supply of fruit from those which are already introduced to 
afford fruit in May and June. Beds having hot-water pipes beneath 
them can soon be prepared for the plants, but it is not the case where 
fermenting materials alone are employed for bottom heat, hence it 
will be necessary in the latter case to see that material is duly provided 
and had in the proper condition for furnishing a heat of 85° to 90°* 
by the time it is required. When plants which have been kept some¬ 
what drier are to be started see that the balls are made thoroughly 
moist, so that when they are placed in the extra warmth root action 
may commence at once. 
Successional Plants. —Maintain a night temperature of 60° to 65°,. 
and 5° less in severe weather, with 5° to 10° advance in the daytime 
according to external conditions. Keep the plants rather dry at the roots, 
but not excessively so, and when water is needed give it thoroughly at a 
temperature of about 80°, and always with a little stimulating food in 
it, such as guano or liquid from manure tanks. Suckers should have 
a temperature of 65° to 60° at night, and 60° to 65° by day from fire 
heat, with 5° to 10° more from sun heat. 
Melons. —As the seedlings grow add a little warmed soil as top¬ 
dressing to those in single pots, while those several in a pot should be 
potted off singly in moist and warmed soil, which is necessary at this 
early season, so that water may not be required at the time of potting, 
placing the plants near the glass and keeping a sharp look out for slugs, 
crickets, cockroaches, woodlice, and even springtails, where fermenting 
materials are used. Brewers’ grains or moist bran are excellent traps 
for slugs ; hollowed Mangold Wurtzel for woodlice, phosphor paste being 
the best remedy for crickets and cockroaches, and for springtails a little 
boiled Potato placed at the edges of the bed, where they can be treated 
with boiling water. Soil should be placed under cover, so as to become 
dried preparatory to forming into ridges or hillocks in the Melon house. 
Good loam, rather strong than light, is suitable for Melons, and if it has 
been laid up in ridges so as to reduce the turf, it will be in a fit state for 
the purpose. If deficient in grit add a fifth of road scrapings, and if 
not calcareous a sixth of old mortar rubbish. If there is need of manure 
nothing answers so well as horse droppings. The compost in that case 
would consist of three parts loam, and one part each of horse droppings, 
road scrapings, and lime rubbish. This well mixed and made firm in 
the ridges or hillocks will grow Melons to perfection, other conditions 
being favourable. The only possible deficiency will be in mineral 
matter, such as phosphoric acid, potash, and soda, which can be supplied 
by an addition of wood ashes, using a peck to a good barrowload of 
soil. For frame culture seeds should be sown early in next month. 
This is quite early enough to begin when reliance for artificial heat has 
to be placed on fermenting material, as Melons do best when growth is 
maintained and there is ample of light and sun to perfect the fruit. 
The fruit of plants from this sowing will be ripe early in June, or at 
the close of May in the south. The bed for raising the seedlings should 
be made forthwith, unless one be made for Cucumbers, which will 
answer for raising Melon plants. 
Cucumbers. — Raising Plants in Frames. —Th.Q beginning of 
February is a good time for raising plants from seeds to produce fruit 
fit to cut at Easter or the second or third week in April. The greatest 
mistake is made by commencing too early. The materials for making- 
up the bed for raising the seedlings being in a fit state for turning over 
and mixing, so as to induce a sweet regular heat, a site for a bed should 
be chosen having a full southern exposure, with shelter to the north, as 
that of a wall or hedge, and if the ground be rather higher than the 
surrounding level all the better. In forming the bed, which should be 
about 6 inches larger than the frame all round, the sweetened manure 
and leaves, in the proportion of one of the former to two of the latter, 
must be beaten well down with the fork as the work proceeds, making 
the bed about 5 feet high at the back, and 4 feet 6 inches in front, which 
will allow for settling, as it will do, about one-third. A few Pea sticks 
placed across and along the bed at intervals not only prevent over¬ 
heating, but admits the heat from linings to be conveyed to the interior 
of the bed. For early work frames with double sides are preferable, 
three-eighths-inch boards 9 inches less in depth than the box at the- 
back, and 6 inches in front, with the boards at the ends sloping, and al> 
the boards secured to the inside by nailing strips of wood an inch wide 
and thick vertically to the box, then the boards which form a cavity an 
inch wide all round the lower part of the inside of the box, which is 
essential to get ample heat from the linings. In about a week front 
making the bed the heat will be up, then level the surface, or rather 
make it evenly sloping to the front, replace the box, apply sufficient 
sweetened material to raise the inside within 2 or 3 inches of the top of 
the inner frame or cavity, placing rather dry, partially decayed leaves 
or spent tan for plunging the pots in. This bed will afford a mild and 
regular bottom heat, and the top heat will more accord with it than is 
the case without the cavity. Such a bed is valuable for raising many 
other plants from seeds and cuttings besides seedling Melons and 
Cucumbers. To raise the plants, half fill 3-inch pots with rich light 
loam, placing one seed in the centre of each pot, covering with fine soil 
in a moist state, so that watering will not be required to insure the 
germination of the seeds. Space is thus left in the pot for top-dressing, 
