October 27, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
369 
Bigarreau Napoleon, Black Tartarian, Elton, Governor Wood,'and Reine 
Hortense. For culinary purposes the best are Morello, Kentish, and 
Belle Magnifique, all of which do well as standards or against a cool 
wall. 
Plums. —Good dessert sorts are July Green Gage, suitable for 
standards or walls ; Denniston’s Superb, good second early ; Jefferson, 
very handsome and good for walls ; Green Gage, suitable for standards 
or walls ; Kirk’s, rather late, very fine walls and sheltered fruit quarters ; 
Transparent Gage, fine, midseason, especially good on walls ; Reine 
Claude de Bavay, good for all positions; Guthrie's Late Gage, fine on 
walls ; Coe’s Golden Drop, good alike on wall and standard trees, keeps 
late ; and Ickworth Imphratrice, suitable for walls and keeps longer 
than any. Good culinary Plums are Early Prolific, small and early ; 
Victoria the most reliable sort in cultivation ; Czar, Washington, 
White Magnum Bonum, Pond's Seedling, Michelson’s, Prince of Wales, 
Diamond and Winesour : all sncceed as bushes or standards, and we 
consider Victoria and Pond’s Seedling worthy of a place against an 
east wall. 
Figs. —Brown Turkey is the most reliable, White Marseilles being 
also hardy, prolific, and good in quality ; Brunswick is larger than 
either, and quite as hardy, but it is a shy bearer ; Black Bourgassotte 
has done well with us, though not quite so hardy as the foregoing. 
Grapes. —Royal Muscadine or Common Sweetwater is the variety 
most generally grown against sunny walls, and Black Cluster is a great 
bearer, the bunches and berries being small and sweet. 
Medlars. —The Dutch grows to the largest size and is a good bearer, 
but the Nottingham is superior in point of quality. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earliest Forced House .—The trees in 
this structure have been at rest for some time, the roof lights have been 
removed, the house thoroughly cleansed, the trees untied, pruned, dressed 
with an approved insecticide, re-arranged and tied on the trellis, the 
border surface dressed, and all is in complete order ready for a start 
when the time arrives. If, however, the roof lights have not been 
removed, care must be taken not to allow the soil to become dry at the 
roots of the trees, as this is sufficient to cause the buds to fall. If the 
trees are weakly, or with too many buds, as they generally are this 
season, a supply of liquid manure whenever water is necessary will be 
of great benefit. The surface soil also should be removed down to the 
roots, not disturbing them, replacing with 2 or 3 inches thickness of 
good loam, and if the soil be light, add a fourth of marl, with a bushel 
each of bone meal, soot, and wood ashes to every cartload of soil, 
thoroughly incorporated, making it firm, and giving a good watering. 
Borders that are rich in humus through heavy dressings of manure or 
liquid manure may be dressed with freshly slaked lime an inch thick, 
and mixed with the soil as deeply as practicable without disturbing the 
roots to any great extent, omitting the top-dressing b-fore named. In 
treating borders it should be pursued on both the inside and outside. 
Complete the pruning and dressing, cleansing the house, &c., admitting 
air to the fullest extent possible. The outside border being thoroughly 
moistened, it may be covered with a few inches thickness of leaves, with 
litter to prevent their blowing about. 
Second Early-forced House. —The trees are leafless, and should be 
pruned, after untying, dressed, and re-arranged on the trellis. This, with 
a thorough cleansing of the house, makes an end of all insects before 
they have time to find safe winter quarters. In pruning early-forced 
trees it is not desirable to cut away much wood, nor indeed trees of any 
sort at the winter pruning, confining it to removing any useless parts 
that have escaped the knife at thinning after the fruit was gathered, and 
any long unripened shoots may be cut back to a triple bud, making sure 
that the centre one is a wood bud, or to a wood bud on well ripened 
wood. Shoots, however, that are well ripened need not be shortened, 
and those of from 8 to 12 inches length should not be shortened under 
any circumstances, having usually a few wood buds at the base and one 
at the extremity, the rest being fruit buds. It is, however, a great 
mistake to retain much wood, which weakens the trees in flowering, and 
there is not space to train in the young growths without crowding. In 
other respects treat the trees, house, and borders as advised for the early 
house. 
Third Succession House. —In this the trees also are leafless or nearly 
so. As the trees in this structure were rather vigorous beyond that 
needed to a full crop of large fruit, yet not so luxuriant as in our 
opinion to necessitate lifting or root-pruning, the lights have been con¬ 
tinued over them, the house having been kept rather close by day and 
thrown open at night, which has browned or hardened the wood, and the 
roots being kept moist the buds have plumped well, so that the roof 
lights will be removed at once. Where the roof lights are not moveable 
care must be taken to prevent the soil becoming dry, and air must be 
admitted to the fullest extent, securing as complete rest as possible. 
Let no opportunity pass of pushing forward the pruning, dressing the 
trees, and having all needful work done. 
Later Houses. — These may contain midseason varieties or late 
sorts, in each case having fire heat to assist in spring at setting and in 
the early stages of growth, or in unfavourable weather during growth. 
The trees are shedding their leaves, and it will be advisable to remove 
the roof lights as soon as the foliage is sufficiently advanced, but where 
green leaves hang long it is an indication of unripe wood, and the roof 
lights must not be removed for some time longer, and if this condition 
prevails generally the trees should be lifted carefully and root-pruned. 
If this is performed judiciously it will not prejudice next years crop, 
but it must be done whilst the foliage is still upon the trees, but with 
the wood firm, keeping the house rather close, the trees syringed, and 
the house shaded if the weather be bright. Under ordinary circum¬ 
stances as to weather those precautions are not necessary. It is only 
when the trees are gross and the wood unripe that the careful treat¬ 
ment is requisite. In the case of young trees it will suffice to take out 
a trench one-third the distance from the stem the trees cover of trellis, 
and down so as to cut off all roots to the drainage, leaving the trench 
open for a fortnight, not allowing the soil in the radius to become so 
dry as to distress the foliage to a very severe degree of flagging, but not 
giving any water so long as the leaves maintain their persistence, and 
then the trench may be filled in firmly. This will check the tendency 
to a late growth and ripen the wood and buds. 
Unlieatcd Hous s .—These may be arranged to afford a succession of 
fruit over a lengthened period, or may be planted with early, mid¬ 
season, or late varieties. If to afford a succession over as long a period 
as possible, obtain Alexander, *Hale's Early, Dr. Hogg, *Stirling Castle, 
Alexandra Noblesse, Bellegarde, *Barrington, Walburton Admirable, 
and *Sea Eagle. If more are wanted, Condor, Crimson Galande, Grosse 
Mignonne, or Belle Beauce, Noblesse, Royal George, Violette Hative, and 
Princess of Wales. Under glass Prince of Wales is very large, highly 
coloured, and good in quality—indeed, one of the very finest, but its 
constitution is not hardy enough for outdoor culture. Of Nectarines, 
secure *Lonl Napier, Hardwicke Seedling, Rivers’ Orange, Milton, *Pine 
Apple, Newton, Spencer, and *Victoria. Those only requiring a few 
sorts may select those distinguished by a star. In making selection for 
unheated houses, have the following : — Early — Alexander, Hale’s 
Early, and Dr. Hogg; Nectarines, Lord Napier, Goldoni is likely to 
prove a fitting companion. Midseason — Stirling Castle, Alexandra 
Noblesse, Bellegarde, and Belle Beauce; Nectarines, Hardwicke and 
Rivers’ Orange. Late—Barrington, Princess of Wales, Walburton Ad¬ 
mirable, Sea Eagle, and Gladstone ; Nectarines, Pine Apple and Victoria. 
The structures should have south or south-west aspects. We have one a 
^ hundred feet long with a west aspect, which has been very satisfactory. 
East aspects are not nearly so good for fruit houses as westerly. The 
chief thing with trees in unheated houses is to train the growths rather 
thinly, so as to insure short-jointed wood, thoroughly solidified growth, 
to allow unobstructed light, and provide efficient ventilation. Of course, 
proper attention must be given to cleanliness and due supplies of ali¬ 
ment. There is also one other very important consideration, and one 
very often neglected—viz., retarding the blossom in spring as far as 
practicable. This we find best effected by removing the roof lights, and 
allowing them to remain off until the blossoms are swelling and showing 
colour. It also has a very beneficial effect on the trees by the cleansing 
influence of rain and snow ; also in securing the thorough moistening of 
the soil. Such trees can be kept perfectly under control by occasional 
lifting and root-pruning as may be considered expedient. Over-luxuri¬ 
ance, or a tendency to tate growth, is overcome by lifting, which should 
be done after the wood becomes firm, and whilst the foliage is still upon 
the trees. Intelligently practised lifting and laying of the roots near the 
surface, and firm soil is the surest remedy for trees that fail to set and 
stone full crops of fruit. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Cinerarias .—The earliest plants are producing their flower stems, 
and will be found invaluable towards the end of November and during 
the following month. These should be stood on some moisture-holding 
material where a night temperature of 45° to 50° is maintained, and 
they will come forward rapidly. Give these plants clear soot water 
every time they need water, and syringe them liberally on the mornings 
of bright days. If this is not done they are very liable to flag if they 
occupy a sunny position, and in consequence soon lose their lower leaves 
if stood on a dry base. The next plants now growing freely in their 
largest pots may still occupy cold frames. Those for spring-flowering 
should be placed at once into 5 and G-inch pots ; if these are well cared 
for they will be valuable for conservatory decoration. For the latest 
supply place the most advanced plants from the last sowing out of pans 
into 3 and 4-inch pots, and the remainder into pans or boxes to be potted 
singly towards the close of the year. 
Calceolarias .—These are growing rapidly since the weather has been 
cooler. The largest plants should be placed at once into 6-inch pots 
and stood on ashes in cold frames ; others may be transferred into 
different sizes, as they need more root room. Be careful not to allow 
them to become root-bound before they are transferred into larger pots. 
The smallest of all now growing in pans may be placed in 2-inch pots. 
These plants do well in three parts good loam, the remaining part being 
composed of leaf mould, sand, and manure, about one-seventh of the 
latter. When the weather compels these plants to be housed they must 
occupy a cool house from which the frost is excluded. Fire heat ruins 
them, and the same may be said of arranging them on shelves or any 
position with a dry base. Destroy aphides directly they appear by 
fumigating with tobacco smoke. 
Scented Pelargoniums .—These are invaluable in many .gardens where 
greenery is needed during the winter in quantity for associating with 
flowers. From the present they should occupy a light position where a 
temperature of 50° at night can be maintained and a circulation of air 
admitted during the day. They must not be drawn up soft and weakly, 
or they will not last half so long in a cut state. If the pots are full of 
