December 29, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
571 
functionary who lived at Memphis 4000 years before the Christian era, 
are scenes in bas-relief representing the ingathering of the Grape 
harvest, and the bruising it with the feet, and other scenes remind us of 
the bibulous weakness of the great ark builder, since they represent 
people in the state of those who do not take wine in moderation. We 
need not pretend to talk of the deterioration of our modern cultivated 
fruits, when these bas-reliefs of Memphis speak to us across a gulf of 
five or six thousand years, and show the produce of the Vines of Egypt 
at that time to have been as fine as the Grapes of to-day. 
(To be continued.) 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Filberts and Cob Nuts. —These are a very profitable crop in 
Kent and some parts of Sussex, and in most districts they pay for good 
culture. They succeed admirably when planted in rows midway be¬ 
tween the lines of standard Apple and Pear trees, or a piece of good 
ground may be given wholly to them, the bushes being disposed about 
9 feet apart each way. Frequently they are grown outside the garden 
walls in a line next the shelter trees or tall hedgerows. Here, thanks 
to the shelter afforded by these trees or hedgerows, good crops of Nuts 
are often secured when those in the open have failed to bear. Cold 
frosty winds are most injurious to the delicate blossoms and catkins of 
the Filberts and Cobs, hence the advisability of affording them some 
kind of shelter. The bushes or trees that produce those extra fine 
bunches of Nuts are invariably pruned and well attended to, being 
raised and trained much the same as a Red Currant bush. The start 
being made with a strong-rooted sucker, this is first cut down to within 
15 inches of the ground, and supposing this results in the formation of 
three strong well placed branches, these must the following winter be 
cut back to within 4 inches of the main stem. Six branches, or suffi¬ 
cient for laying the foundation of a good bush, should then be selected 
and staked out in a circle, the centre being kept quite clear. In order 
to have these main branches both stout and' well furnished with bearing 
wood they must be gradually “ built up,” being at the winter pruning 
cut back to about 12 inches in length, or still harder if weakly. During 
the summer following a well placed growth should be selected, a leader 
on each branch, and staked if need be, the other coarse lateral growth 
being lightly shortened. This to be an annual practice till a height of 
about C feet is reached, when they may be stopped constantly. The 
winter pruning consists of freely shortening back all the long growths 
and old bearing wood, leaving the catkin-bearing spray untouched. 
Thus treated they soon commence bearing freely, and immense clusters 
are usually produced. These, in common with ordinary fruit trees, 
should be kept cleared of all sucker growth, and be freely manured at 
least biennially. Naturally grown bushes and trees are, however, more 
common than the trained and closely pruned bushes just described. 
Even these merit better treatment than is usually given them, or other¬ 
wise the produce is but slightly superior to the Hazel Nuts. For instance, 
the ground about the stems may well be cleared of suckers and weeds, 
say as far as covered by top growth, a liberal dressing of half-decayed 
manure being then lightly forked into the surface. A little thinning- 
out of the branches is not thrown away, and any old and rather stunted 
trees may with advantage be cut down to within 18 inches of the ground. 
This will be followed by a thicket of young growth, which ought to be 
freely thinned out early in the summer. A new tree may be then 
formed either on the lines just laid down or by allowing the branches to 
grow naturally. Anyway, a marked improvement in the quality of the 
Nuts will soon be apparent. Both the common red and white Filberts 
are suitable for planting, and the thin-shelled or Cosford is reliable and 
good. The Spanish and dwarf Prolific Cobs are large and free-bearing, 
and may well be planted in quantity. 
Winter Dressing for Wall Trees. —Fruit trees of all kinds, and 
more especially those growing against walls, require a winter dressing 
for the purpose of destroying insect pests nearly or quite as much as 
do those under glass. Pears are infested by scale, Apples by American 
blight, Peaches by aphis and red spider, Apricots by red spider, Cherries 
and Piums by aphis, all being more or less injurious to the trees. Now, 
or while the buds are dormant, is the time to exterminate them. At no 
other time can it be done so thoroughly and simply. Gishurst compound 
mixed and applied exactly as the vendors direct on each box is, no 
doubt, a good remedy, plenty of practical gardeners using no other in¬ 
secticide. Some, however, prefer the hot water and petroleum dressing, 
The water should be heated to a temperature of about 120°, and to 
every 3 gallons should be added 6 ozs. or three wineglassfuls of 
petroleum, or paraffin as it is more commonly called. Ordinary 8-oz. 
medicine bottles are found very handy for measuring the oil. Some 
further add a lump of softsoap of near the size of a hen’s egg to each 
3-gallon can of water. The old directions as to preventing the oil from 
collecting on the surface of the water remain good. We set two syringes 
at work, one being constantly and forcibly discharging back into the 
can, the other distributing the temporary mixture over the trees. If 
only one syringe is used the contents every other time must lie dis¬ 
charged into the can. The oil without water would be injurious, and 
w ater without oil of no avail. A second dressing may sometimes be 
necessary for Pear trees. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
"V ines. —Earliest Forced. — Great care is required at this time, being 
careful to avoid chills, such as those resulting from cold currents of 
air and watering the borders with cold water. Now the foliage is 
becoming active, root action will be excited, and should be encouraged 
by supplying tepid water at a temperature not exceeding 90°, and not 
allowing the fermenting materials to decline in heat at this critical 
stage. It is a good plan to keep a heap of leaves and stable manure in 
reserve, from which the supply may be drawn as required. Disbud 
and tie down before the shoots touch the glass, not being in too great a 
hurry in stopping, nor restricting to a certain number of joints beyond 
the bunch (yet there ought to be two, and better three or four), but 
extend the growth so as to insure a supply of well-developed foliage all 
over the house, avoiding overcrowding. Remove superfluous bunches as 
soon as choice can be made of the best, avoiding overcropping. Keep 
the house at 70° to 75° by artificial means as the flowers open, and 
maintain a rather drier condition of the atmosphere. Vines in pots 
should as soon as the fruit is set, be copiously supplied with liquid 
manure, maintaining a moist atmosphere. Damp the paths two or three 
times a day, and occasionally with liquid manure, keeping the avapora- 
tion troughs charged with the same. 
Houses to Afford Ripe Grapes in J une. —The Vines that are to 
supply these should be started at once, abundance of fermenting 
materials being placed on the outside border, or if it be already pro¬ 
tected with a good thickness of dry fern or litter, fermenting materials 
may be dispensed with, and if wooden shutters or glazed lights are at 
command for throwing off the wet it will be an advantage. Water the 
inside border thoroughly with water at a temperature of 90°, and 
economise fuel by the free use of fermenting materials being placed 
inside the house. Damp the house and Vines two or three times a day 
when the weather is bright, but in dull weather once or at most twice 
a day will be ample. The temperature should be 50° to 55° by artificial 
means, and 65° from sun heat. 
Hovses from which the Grapes have been Cut.— The Vines should be 
pruned with as little delay as possible. Cut to a plump eye or bud as 
near to the main stem as possible. This will cause the spurs in course 
of time to become long ; and so they do by any mode, but it is easy to 
train up young canes for the displacement of there. All loose bark 
should be stripped off, no attempt at scraping being made, and the Vines 
washed with softsoap and water. Avoid pigments which leave a deposit 
on the Vines calculated to interfere with their power of respiration. 
Remove the surface soil or mulching down to the roots, and replace with 
fresh material. The house should be kept cool, but, if utilised for plants 
the temperature artificially should not exceed 45° ; indeed plants that 
require safety from frost only should be placed in vineries when the 
Vines are at rest. 
Late Houses. —Maintain a mean temperature of 45°, with a dry 
atmosphere in houses in which Grapes are hanging. Examine every 
bunch frequently, and remove all decayed berries. Ventilate the house 
on fine dry mornings, and keep it closed when the weather is damp. 
Where late Grapes were ripened comparatively early, and it is 
desired to start the Vines soon after the middle of February, the Grapes 
may be cut, the ends of the stems being inserted in bottles of rain water 
secured in an inclined position so as to admit of the fruit hanging clear 
of the bottles. Any dry room will be a suitable place where an equable 
temperature of 40° to 45° is maintained. This will admit of the Vines 
being pruned and the house cleaned. 
PLANT HOUSE3. 
French and Fancy Pelargoniums .—The plants intended for early 
flowering are now well established in 5-inch pots, and are sturdy little 
specimens with five or six shoots. Arrange these near to the glass, 
where a temperature of 50° to 55° can be maintained. Keep the 
atmosphere moderately dry, and water the plants carefully at their 
roots. Admit a little air daily when the weather will allow of this being 
done. A firm sturdy growth must be encouraged, or they will run up 
tall and weakly. This will spoil the appearance of the plants, and they 
will not flower freely. Directly flower buds are visible give the plants 
a little artificial manure on the surface of the soil, which may be re¬ 
peated at intervals of a fortnight until they are in full flower. Bushy 
young plants in 3-inch pots may be placed into 5-inch pots for succes¬ 
sion ; these should be potted firmly in loam, a little sand, and one- 
seventh of decayed manure. After potting return them to the position 
close to the glass that they have been previously occupying, in a night 
temperature of 45°. Pinch the shoots of later plants in the same size 
pots, and also of all old stock plants that need it. 
Zonal Pelargoniums. —Those well established in 5-inch pots, whether 
single or double varieties, may be treated the same as advised for French 
and fancy varieties that are required early. All that are in 3-inch pots 
may now be placed into 5-inch, except any few plants that are not 
ready, which can be left a few weeks longer. These will grow slowly if 
placed close to the glass, and a temperature of 45° maintained at night. 
All that are not needed in flower before the middle of May may have 
their shoots again pinched as soon as they are established and have made 
