July 21, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
61 
this point two courses are open—that is, either to retain them in pots 
until the foliage dies, or to plant them out in the position they are 
intended to occupy. Wherever they are planted they should be left 
undisturbed for some years,' when they will pay abundantly for the first 
trouble bestowed upon them. If the first plan is adopted they entail 
considerable labour in keeping them liberally supplied with water, or 
instead of thorough development their growth is prematurely brought to 
a standstill. This method is very frequently followed, so as to enable 
the cultivator, after the growth has ripened off naturally, to shake away 
the soil from the bulbs, and spread them out in the sun to dry and 
harden. It is contended that such measures are necessary, but the least 
labour and trouble is occasioned by the last method, and we have found 
that the bulbs do as well, if not better, the following season than when 
subjected to the artificial drying process. The better plan decidedly is 
to plant them out directly they have been well hardened, and then they 
complete their growth, and the foliage is ripened under natural 
conditions. 
Failure may in many instances be traced to planting the bulbs in 
shrubbery and other borders in soil that has become exhausted by the 
roots of other trees. Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus and other bulbs can 
no more be expected to thrive in unfertile soil than any other plant or 
tree, and yet such positions are frequently accorded them. Well 
developed growth and fine spikes of bloom cannot be produced from 
such positions, and under such circumstances we should not be surprised 
at them; degenerating rapidly. They will do, however, on borders 
overshaded by forest trees, provided the ground is liberally supplied 
with food. We have a border planted three or four years ago, and 
although the spikes are large enough for cutting purposes—in fact they 
are more useful than the larger ones—they will not compare with those 
tre WU ^ °^ en P os *^ ons and in good soil away from the roots of large 
The ground should be well dug and liberally manured as the work of 
planting proceeds ; if this is done they will need no further care for two 
or three years, without Mignonette or other plants are grown on the 
border during the summer. In this case—and plants of this description 
w ill do no harm after the plants are cleared off in autumn—the borders 
should receive a dressing of short manure in a fresh state. This should 
be forked into the surface, so that rains will wash the juices down to the 
roots ready for them when they commence activity. The bulbs will 
soon show their appreciation of such treatment. 
The first season they may prove somewhat disappointing, and here no 
doubt is one reason why they have been regarded as useless after the 
first. season.. The nearer perfection the bulbs have been produced 
previous to importation the more certain are they to come small, for they 
frequently divide into a number of small bulbs, while many of the 
bedding ones will grow for a season before they do so to any extent. 
After the bulbs divide into a number, which they do rapidly when 
planted out without any artificial treatment, the same as practised in 
.Holland, and attain their full development, that fine spikes are produced. 
A bed planted with bulbs that have flowered in pots, especially of 
Hyacinths, are certain to produce spikes of nearly every size. Ten years 
ago we planted out a bulb of Grand Lilas ; for two years it remained a 
single bulb and produced one spike only each year ; it has now increased 
to thu'teen, and eight of them have flowered, some of the spikes being 
unsurpassed by any of the bedding Hyacinths we purchased last 
autumn. ’When Hyacinths are grown three or four in a pot they should 
be planted out without division, for any attempt to divide them before 
their growth has been matured is certain to check them severely by the 
wholesale destruction of their roots. In planting be careful to place 
the bulbs at least 2 inches below the surface of the soil, or a little more, 
then the fork can be used without fear of damaging them. 
Although we grow none in glasses we are certain that they also will 
repay for the trouble of planting in outside borders. A lady who only 
grows Hyacinths in glasses in the windows of her house was advised to 
plant them out after flowering, and her little flower beds are gay every 
year with the old bulbs that thousands would have thrown away as 
useless. \\ hen old bulbs are preserved they are often kept out of the 
ground. too long, and I would rather plant them in July or August than 
leave them till November or December.—W. 13. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Early Strawberries. —Where space can be afforded on the 
sheltered wall borders it is there the earliest Strawberries should 
be grown. Young or one-year-old plants are the best, these invariably 
producing the earliest and usually the finest fruit, without unduly 
robbing the fruit borders. Being cleared of fruit early, plenty of strong 
runners soon follow, and the required number for planting, both on the 
warm borders and also on the open ground, ought at once to be layered 
into 3-inch pots. If properly attended to the runners will soon fill the 
pots with roots, and before they are badly root-bound ought to be finally 
planted out. Supposing they arc put out in succession to early Potatoes jj 
Cauliflowers, or Peas, for all of which the ground was well manured, it 
is yet advisable to fork in, not too deeply, another dressing of solid 
manure, there is not much danger of the plants forming too much 
foliage in these hot positions, especially if the precaution of well 
trampling the ground is taken. If planted in succession to Tripoli 
Onions we neither apply manure nor dig the ground, but merely draw 
dulls, saturate these with liquid manure, and plant as soon as the 
giound can be worked. It being unwise, for several reasons, to leave the 
plants on the ground for a second season, they may be planted in rows 
lt> inches apart and 15 inches apart in the rows. They ought to be in a. 
moist state when put out, be well and firmly planted, and receive good 
attention subsequently. Thus treated they will form large crowns and' 
yield very profitable early crops the following season. Many proprietors 
of gardens prefer to gather the fruit for themselves, in which case along 
row ought to be planted alongside the principal sunny walks. They 
succeed admirably in such positions, especially if there are no Box 
edgings to interfere with them, and the fruit is of easy access, there' 
being then no need to trample on and spoil one half to get at the other 
half of the crop. Black Prince is yet the earliest sort we have, and on 
some soils produces extra heavy crops of fair-sized fruit. Another good 
variety, Keens’ Seedling, still holds its own in numerous gardens, 
and is gradually finding its way back into gardens from which it has 
been banished for a time. Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury, although 
excellent in pots, is not so profitable in the open, being neither early nor 
of a taking size. Both King of the Earlies and Pauline may well be 
given a trial, and room should certainly be found for the invaluable Sir 
Joseph. Paxton. These warm border p’ants are also the best for 
furnishing a good supply of strong runners for forcing. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines.— Early-forced, Trees.—Those which 
were started from early December to the new year will, whether the 
varieties are very early, as Alexander, Waterloo, and Early Beatrice, or. 
such as Hale’s Early, Early Alfred, A Bee, and Royal George, for some time 
have been cleared of their fruit. They have had the wood on which the - 
fruit was borne removed, if not extension, also any superfluous growths, so 
that those retained can have light and air, the foliage being fully 
exposed to the influences essential to forming and perfecting the fruit 
buds and. the thorough maturity of the wood, which is encouraged by 
clean foliage, and proper supplies of nutriment. The trees, therefore, 
must be stringed—cleansed of insects, if necessary, by the prompt 
application of an approved insecticide, and supplied with water, or in 
the case of weakly trees liquid manure at the roots. Mulching will also 
tend to keep the roots active at the surface, and prevent the premature 
ripening of the foliage. The buds will be sufficiently plumped and the 
wood sufficiently matured to allow the roof lights being removed, 
which should not be further delayed, if not already done. This is a 
commendable practice, not the least of its advantages being the thorough 
moistening of the border by the autumn rains. 
Succession Houses .—Trees that were started in February have the 
fruit ripe, and some are still ripening, the fruit being later than usual 
on account of the cold that prevailed in the early summer months, bub 
it has been well worth waiting for—we never remember having finer, 
particularly of Royal George, its freer and finer form Stirling Castle 
being superb, and Grosse Mignonne, whilst Lord Napier Nectarine and 
Elruge deserve special note. It is clear that the improvement, both in 
size and quality, is due to their having had more time than they would 
have had if the early summer months had been warmer and sunnier, bub 
we attribute much of the increased value of the crop to having fed the 
trees with the drainings of the house. Ours is a large tank, and receives, 
the whole waste of . a large establishment. We give it undiluted, and 
the smell is anything but unpleasant. As the fruit is cleared off the 
trees cut out the wood that has borne fruit, and thin the growths where 
too close, or where they are so close that the foliage cannot have exposure 
to light and air ; cleanse the foliage by means of the syringe or engine 
with water of dust and red spider or other insect pests, if necessary 
using an insecticide. Keep the borders thoroughly moist, feeding if the 
trees have carried heavy crops, are at all weakly, or do not plump the 
bloom buds. Stop all laterals to one joint, or allow a little lateral 
extension if the trees have the buds in an advanced state, preventing 
premature ripening of the foliage by continuing the root action with at 
the same time growth on which to expend it without danger of forcing 
the principal buds into growth. When the buds are well formed, the 
fruit having been cleared from the trees, remove the roof lights. The 
exposure to rains and dew has an invigorating effect. 
Trees Swelling their Fruit .—This is the case with those started in 
the middle of March. The fruit has stoned satisfactorily, as it will when 
three conditions are observed—viz., to have a border composed of rather 
strong loam with some clay or marl in it, so as to afford potash, old 
mortar rubbish or chalk to supply calcareous matter, good drainage, 
neither too wide nor too deep borders—2 feet is plenty as regards depth, 
and half the width the trees have of trellis, duly watered and fed from 
the surface ; the shoots thinly trained ; no overcropping or neglect of 
thinning in the early stages, and a genial atmosphere so as to insure 
steady progressive growth. The leaves should be drawn aside, and the 
fruit raised by means of laths across the tiees, so that the apex will be 
to the light. Water the border both inside and outside with liquid 
manure, and keep the surface mulched with rather lumpy manure. 
Avoid a close fine surface likely to form a soapy mass and exclude air. 
Ventilate early, in fact leave a little air on all night, syringing by 7 A.M., 
and through the early part of the day ventilate freely. When the sun 
