Jtine 21, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
507 
leaving a fair number of we’l placed shoots, judiciously thinned as soon 
as the fruit is gathered, results in securing good crops. One advantage 
of a little thinning in summer is that a better idea can be formed of the 
number of branches required when the foliage is present, and the 
tendency to overcrowding is thus diminished. 
layering Strawberries.— Some of the most forward runners may 
be pegged down on the surface of good soil in small pots partly sunk in 
the ground. Strong early plants are thus secured either for pots or 
forming fresh beds. Keep them moist until rooted well. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peacbes and ITectarlnes. —Early House. —The fruit will shortly 
be all gathered, therefore admit all the air possible day and night. If 
the roof lights of the earliest forced house are moveable take them off 
after the trees have had full ventilation for a fortnight, and keep the 
foliage free from insects by forcible syringings. If there be any red 
spider use a solution of softsoap 2 ozs. to a gallon of water ; if scale be 
present employ petroleum, adding a wineglassful to 4 gallons of water, 
with which has been mixed 1 oz. of washing soda and 4 ozs. of softsoap. 
The soda and soap should be thoroughly dissolved in hot water, and the 
petroleum kept well mixed with the solution during its application. 
Keep the borders well watered, affording liquid manure to weakly trees, 
which helps them to plump the buds, and mulch with short manure. 
Cut away the wood which has borne fruit to the shoot at the base 
intended to bear fruit next season, unless such shoot is required for 
extension. If there be a superfluity of shoots remove them now ; they 
only keep air and light from the principal foliage, and hinder cleansing 
operations. Keep laterals and any gross shoots closely stopped. 
Houses with Fruit Ripening .—The trees must not be syringed, but 
moderate moisture should be maintained until the fruit is ripe; even 
when ripe an arid atmosphere should be avoided, as it is highly preju¬ 
dicial to the foliage. Water must also be given liberally at the roots. 
Admit air abundantly. In gathering Peaches great care is necessary, as 
the least pressure makes a mark and spoils their appearance. A piece 
of wadding should be held in the hand, and the fruit removed by 
gentle pressure, then laid gently in a padded basket or tray. A cool 
and airy fruit room is the best place to keep Peaches and Nectarines in 
after they are gathered. 
Trees Swelling their Crops. —When the stoning is over the trees will 
endure strong heat without fear of the fruit falling. Afford tepid liquid 
manure to the roots of trees carrying full crops, and otherwise not too 
vigorous. Be careful in giving liquid manure to very vigorous trees, as 
it tends to over-luxuriance, and may interfere with setting and stoning 
in the succeeding year. Still, liberal treatment is necessary, such as 
light surface mulchings and copious waterings every W3ek or ten days 
in well drained borders. Syringe twice a day to keep down red spider, 
ventilate early, keep the temperature through the day at 70° to 75° 
artificially, and 80° to 85° with sun heat, and close it sufficiently early 
to increase it to 90°. This, with abundance of moisture in the house, 
will insure large fruit, and if ventilation is given before nightfall and 
increased early in the morning all will be well ; but if a close and 
moist atmosphere be maintained with high temperature the fruit, 
though large, will lack flavour. Keep the fruit with the apex to the 
light ; laths across the trellis will admit of this being done, and clear 
away the leaves from the fruit, but do not remove them if it can be 
avoided. When approaching ripening cease syringing, admit air freely, 
and 60° to 65° at night will be a sufficiently high temperature or arti¬ 
ficially in the daytime, unless it is wished to accelerate the ripening, 
when it should range from 70° to 75°, with a rise of 10° from sun heat. 
Fruit Stoning. —Maintain a steady temperature of 60° to 65° at night, 
and 5° to 10° rise by day, with the usual advance of 5° to 10° or even 
15° at closing time from sun heat. Avoid a close atmosphere, and main¬ 
tain a uniform temperature and as equable a condition of moisture as 
practicable. Sudden fluctuations of temperature and cold draughts are 
pernicious, and equally disastrous is insufficient water at the roots. 
Allow a moderate extension of growth during this trying time, and do 
not permit a great per-centage of fruit to stone that must be removed 
afterwards, but remove it in good time. A superfluity of fruit at 
stoning prejudices the crop, and even if stoning takes place the fruit 
rarely finishes well, but falls off small and favourless, and a partial 
failure another year may be anticipated. Stop gross shoots, or remove 
them altogether, so as to maintain an equal diffusion of growth through¬ 
out each individual tree. 
Late Houses. —Train the growths thinly, reserving a shoot at the 
base of the current bearing wood, and stop those on a level with or 
above the fruit at two or three leaves, and succeeding growths at a joint 
or two. Side shoots on extensions not required to form bearing shoots 
or for furnishing the trees stop at an inch or two of growth to form 
spurs, and by adding to the foliage will much encourage root action and 
benefit the fruit; besides, these spurs usually set fruit and swell it, 
when those on stronger growths do not. Thin the fruit to a few more 
than will be required for the crop, retaining the largest and best p'aced. 
There should not be more than one fruit to each square foot of trellis 
covered by the trees, but a few more may be left to meet casualties in 
stoning. Syringe twice daily except on dull days. During the 
prevalence of dull weather an occasional syringing will be all that is 
•necessary, as it does not answer to keep moisture hanging on the foliage ; 
indeed, the leaves should be dry or nearly so before dark. Water inside 
borders fortnightly, and afford liquid manure to weakly trees. Mulch 
the borders lightly with short manure, and keep it moist; mulching dry 
ground is very little use. 
Melons. —Fruit Ripening. —Plants with the fruit ripening must 
have a plentiful supply of air, and water should be withheld from the 
fruit. If the plants are strong and there is a disposition to crack, in 
addition to withholding water from the Melons cut the growths carrying 
them half through a few inches below the fruit. A dry atmosphere 
is essential, and a temperature of 70° to 75° artificially, falling about 5° 
at night. If the sun be powerful place a slight shade of some kind 
directly over the fruit, as Melons ripening become heated, and do not 
mature nearly so regularly nor become so high in flavour as those that 
come on more gradually. Water need only be given to prevent flagging, 
and a slight shade from bright sun after a dull period is a much better 
way of preventing flagging than heavy waterings and a close vitiated 
atmosphere. 
Fr^iit Swelling. —Add more soil to the ridges or hillocks. Let it be 
warm, moderately heavy, rather moist, and press it firmly. Give a 
thorough soaking of water when the fruit is the size of an egg, and 
follow in the course of a day or two with liquid manure, then mulch 
with horse droppings, exposed a few days in a sbed, and turned over 
daily. Water will be required about twice a week, or only once in 
dull w’eather. In narrow borders the waterings will need to be more 
frequent; in large borders over fermenting materials it will not be 
required so often. Remove all fruit but three or four on a plant, also 
blossoms, and afford the needful support. Stop or remove laterals 
freely, not great reduction at a time, but little and often, not allowing 
secondary or tertiary growths to interfere with the principal. Syringe 
twice daily—in the afternoon not later than four o’clock, having the 
foliage fairly dry before night, and sprinkle the floor about five or six 
o’clock with weak liquid manure, and give a little ventilation at the 
top of the house when looking round the last thing at night. This will 
save some trouble if air is not given early in the morning. On bright 
mornings commence ventilating about seven o’clock, or at 75°, and increase 
it with the advancing sun, keeping through the day at 80° to 90° with 
bright sun, and 80° to 85° with alternating gleams. Close at 80° to 85°, 
increasing to 90°, 95°, or more. Fire heat will only be necessary on 
cold nights and in dull weather, for it is essential to guard against 
a sluggish circulation of the sap. 
Plants Setting their Fruit. —The planls should have the foliage 
thin in disposal, so that air and light may have free access. The growths 
will then be stout and short jointed, and the foliage thick in texture. 
The blossom also will be proportionately strong. Ventilate a little 
constantly, and, if dull, have a little warmth in the pipes to cause a 
circulation of air, and when the heat falls below 65° at night or 70° to 75° 
in the daytime. The soil must be suflflciently moist to prevent the leaves 
flagging, and only moderate moisture will be required in the atmosphere, 
damping in the morning and again in the afternoon, but keep the water 
from the plants. To prevent the deposition of moisture on the flowers 
keep a warm buoyant atmosphere. Fertilise the blossoms about noon on 
fine days, and when several are expanded on a plant stop at one joint 
beyond the fruit to insure uniformity of swelling. 
Young Plants. —Train with one shoot for trellises, and rub off the 
laterals up to the first wire, and then every alternate lateral on opposite 
sides afterwards, stopping the leading shoots when about two-thirds up 
the trellis. Flowers ought to show on the laterals ; if they do not show 
at the second joint stop at that. Plants for training over the bed should 
be stopped at the second leaf. Select four of the resulting shoots, 
training two to the back and two to the front of the frame or pit. 
Remove all others carefully with the point of a knife, but if only two 
shoots result stop them at the second or third leaf, and make a selection 
of the best for training as before advised. Keep the stem clear of 
laterals and leaves for a space of about 6 inches from the collar. Remove 
every alternate lateral on the shoots, stopping these when 12 to 15 inches 
from the sides of the frame. Let there be no deficiency of moisture at 
the roots, and add fresh soil to the ridges or hillocks as the roots pro¬ 
trude. Syringe at closing time, but avoid wetting the foliage, as it may 
lead to canker, which should be kept under by rubbing quicklime into 
the affected parts until dry. Provide the necessary ventilation for 
insuring sturdy short-jointed growth. Put out plants as pits or frames 
become vacant, and if a gentle warmth at the roots be afforded it will 
give the plants a start and be all that is necessary. Close early, and 
keep the growth well regulated not less frequently than once a week. 
Shade only to prevent flagging ; it will only be necessary for an hour or 
two at midday under powerful sun. 
Sowing for Late Fruit.—A last sowing should be made at once for 
planting in manure-heated pits and frames. Plants from this sowing 
will afford fruit at the latter part of September, and be useful if properly 
attended to. Those with light, well-heated structures may continue 
making sowings as required until the end of July. The plants from the 
last-named sowing will continue the supply up to the beginning of 
November, after which the fruit is generally of very moderate quality. 
GARDENERS’ CHARITABLE AND PROVIDENT 
INSTITUTIONS. 
The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution.—N ecrefary, 
Mr. G, J, Ingram, 50, Parliament Street, London, W.C. 
United Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society.— 
Secretary, Mr. W. Collins, 9, Martindale Road, Balham, London, S.W. 
Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund —Nd-crefary, Mr. A. F. Barron. 
Royal Horticultural Society's Gardens, Chiswick, London, W. 
