August SO, 1888. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
203 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Strawberry Runners.— It is not always convenient or possible 
to form fresh beds in July or early in August, but unless this important 
work is carried out both timely and thoroughly it had far better be 
delayed till the following spring. This admits of the ground being well 
and deeply dug, plenty of manure being mixed with each spit, and if it 
is done early in the winter, or as soon as cleared of preceding crop, it 
will have settled down sufficiently for the Strawberries to be planted 
in April. In anticipation of this, the required number of rooted runners 
should now be taken from between the rows of old plants, these being 
bedded out in rows on a border or a good open piece of ground. They 
may be planted I inches asunder in rows 0 inches apart, and beyond 
being watered when first put out, and once or twice subsequently, and 
kept clear of runners and weeds, no further trouble need be taken with 
them till they are wanted next spring. Thus treated, they increase in 
size, form abundance of roots, and are transplanted readily with a trowel. 
Plantations formed in the spring ought not to be allowed to fruit the 
same season ; but if the flowers are pinched out as fast as they form 
grand plants will be Secured, which will bear heavily the following 
season. The ground need not be given up wholly to spring-planted 
Strawberries, and the spaces between the rows may be profitably 
utilised for Lettuces, Onions, and other quick-growing vegetables that 
do not attain a great size. 
Treatment of Old Strawberry Beds.— There are yet a few 
cultivators who cling to the old practice of cutting away all the foliage 
from Strawberry plants soon after the crops are cleared off, this result¬ 
ing in the formation of fresh foliage and crowns. It is not necessary or 
advisable to go to this extreme, but at the same-time it is preferable to 
allowing the beds to remain for many weeks in a rough and much 
crowded state. Directly sufficient runners are obtained for planting or 
fruiting in pots, all plants that are to be reserved for fruiting next 
season ought to be trimmed round with the knife, this removing all 
runners as well as many old leaves. The next proceeding should be to 
well hoe the ground about the plants, after which all rubbish should be 
lightly cleared off and burnt. It is unwise to thoroughly clear the 
ground of all the mulching material with the rubbish, as the former 
should be left on as much as possible in order to prevent cracking, and 
also to keep the roots near the surface. The aim ought to be to 
encourage healthy vigorous growth, this laying the foundation of a good 
crop of fruit next season. It is very unwise to preserve old or exhausted 
beds, these rarely producing fruit either of good size or quality. 
Younger plants produce the earliest and best crops, and a bed ought to 
be formed every season, and an old one destroyed. At this late date it 
is not advisable to follow Strawberries with Broccoli, Savoys, or 
Borecole, though all these succeed surprisingly well when planted earlier 
on solid rich ground. The first opportunity should be taken of digging 
the ground deeply and roughly, the action of frosts, winds, and rain 
thoroughly pulverising it during the winter. Wonderfully heavy crops 
of Potatoes have been taken from ground thus treated. 
Good Early Plums. —As a rule, Early Rivers or Rivers’ Early 
Prolific is principally relied upon to produce the earliest fruit, and it is, 
though small, a heavy and almost sure bearer. Morocco, a much older 
variety, does not seem to have retained its hold upon public favour; but it 
is well worthy a place in every garden where a certain amount of wall 
space is given up to Plums. Planted in an east or south-east aspect, it 
rarely fails to ripen a good crop early in August, the fruit being near 
the size of the Orleans, dark purple in colour, and good alike for dessert 
or culinary purposes. Dry’s Seedling, which was raised about twenty 
years ago, is as yet not much grown, but is a very profitable variety. It 
is of vigorous growth, and if not much pruned will bear freely in quite 
a young state, while well established trees rarely fail to produce heavy 
crops of very fine fruit, reddish purple in colour, and fit either for 
dessert or cooking purposes. It usually ripens early in August, but 
this season the first fruit were gathered in the third week of this 
month. 
Forwarding Pears.— The finest of the early varieties are natu¬ 
rally much later than usual, but are fairly plentiful. As neither the 
Jargonelle nor any of the Williams’ Bon Chretien type will keep many 
days or even many hours after they are fit to eat, the season should be 
lengthened as much as possible by artificial means. At the present 
time (August 20th) luscious fruits of Jargonelle are being sent to the 
table that were gathered about nine days previous, and while yet in a 
comparatively hard and green state. Placed in a box of quite sweet 
hay and set in a warm house or kitchen, the fruit being kept uniformly 
warm without being exposed to a drying atmosphere, soon ripen and do 
not shrivel. Only a few, and which appear to be the forwardest, should 
be gathered at short intervals, and thus treated till such time as those 
on the trees are fit for use. The Bon Chr6tien forms a fairly close 
succession to the Jargonelle, especially if treated as just advised. The 
old Windsor and the superior Beurre d’Amanlis may also be forwarded 
artificially ; in fact, the practice is well worthy of being followed in all 
cases, always, however, providing the natural season is not unduly 
anticipated. When gathered long before the seeds commence to change 
colour, or much before the fruit stalks part freely from the trees,, 
shrivelled, tough and flavourless fruit is the inevitable result. Nothing 
tainted or of an objectionable odour should come into contact with 
either ripening Pears or Apples, the latter being especially porous and 
absorbent, and therefore easily spoilt as regards flavour. 
Early Apples. —These also may be forwarded as advised in the- 
case of Pears, but as a rule are much more juicy and pleasantly flavoured 
when gathered direct from the trees, or when they drop off. Beauty of f 
Bath, Irish Peach, and Qoarrenden are all crisp, juicy, and sweet when 
gathered ripe from the trees, but after being stored a short time lose in 
quality most surprisingly. 
FRUIT FORDING. 
Figs. —Unsatisfactory Cropping. — Trees planted out not unfre- 
quently grow rampantly, and consequently produce thin crops of fruit. 
In that case root-pruning may be resorted to, and the roots be confined 
to a border 3 to -I feet in width. If the drainage be defective it will be 
necessary to lift the trees in the autumn as soon as the leaves commence 
falling and replant in fresh soil. Place 9 to 12 inches of rough stones- 
or brickbats for drainage, and over it a covering of rough lime rubbish,, 
using the finer parts for mixing with the compost in the proportion of' 
one part to five of turfy loam, the latter preferably rather strong than 
light, and a twentieth of crushed steamed bones. In replanting, ram 
the soil well about the roots, for short-jointed fruitful wood cannot so 
well be secured by any other means as by a solidified compost. The- 
border need not be more than 21 inches deep, due allowance being made 
for the compost subsiding. Should the drainage be good it will only be 
necessary to confine the roots to the narrow border, and removing some 
of the old soil from amongst them, replacing with fresh material, and 
top-dressing with the compost before named, but not covering the roots, 
more than 2 or 3 inches deep. 
Earliest Fig House .—The trees will now be ripening their wood,, 
and watering may be discontinued, air being admitted liberally. If,, 
however, the second crop is not yet ripened, moderate moisture in the 
soil will be necessary, with a rather free circulation of warm air to insure 
high quality in fruit. Trees in pots we prefer to place outside if the 
wood be ripe, but the season is so exceptional that the cultivator will 
require to exercise his judgment. 
Cucumbers. —It is usual to make a sowing early in August for 
raising plants to place out early in September to yield a supply of fruits 
by December and onwards through the winter. We prefer to rely on 
the autumn fruiters for a supply up to or over Christmas, when plants 
from a sowing made at the beginning of September will be in good' 
bearing, and continue the supply through the winter and spring months. 
There is no better variety for fruiting all through the year than a true- 
stock of Telegraph. We, however, have about an equal number of 
plants to Telegraph of Cardiff Castle, which last, in some plants, give 
fruits quite as long as Telegraph. We apprehend the pollen of Tele¬ 
graph had by some means been conveyed to the pistillate flowers of 
Cardiff Castle; anyway we have on plants from Cardiff Castle seed with, 
fruits surpassing Telegraph in size and freedom of production. The 
plants showing this freak are from last January sowing still in bearing,, 
whilst those for autumn fruiting (the seed being out of the same fruit), 
are in every respect the characteristic Cardiff Castle. 
Push forward the work of clearing out the house intended for the 
plants the seed of which is about to be sown. Attend to any repairs, 
that may be necessary, paint or thoroughly cleanse the woodwork with 
soap and water, limewash the walls, adding a little flowers of sulphur,, 
and clear out the old soil and spent manure. If fermenting materials 
are employed for bottom heat they must now be prepared ; stable litter, 
and Oak or Beech leaves in about equal proportions thrown together, 
moistened and turned over two or three times answer very well. Tan is 
a good material, as it retains heat a considerable time. Hot-water- 
pipes in addition to the fermenting materials will be necessary in the 
bed to maintain the required bottom heat after that of the fermenting 
materials is spent. 
Assist the autumn-fruiting plants to make strong growth, remove all 
the staminate flowers and tendrils as they appear, being careful neither 
to overcrop nor overcrowd the plants. Less moisture will now be 
necessary unless the weather is very bright, but lightly syringe the 
plants at closing time, not later than 3 P.M., and sprinkle the walls, &c., 
at 7 to 8 A.M. The night temperature should be maintained at 65°, 70°, 
to 75° by day artificially, 80° to 85° or 90° from sun heat, ventilating 
moderately in the early part of the day so as to insure thoroughly solidi¬ 
fied growth, and close sufficiently early to run up to 90° or more. 
In pits and frames linings of sweetened fermenting materials will be- 
necessary to maintain the plants in a free-bearing state ; keep the foliage 
rather thin, and stop the growths one joint beyond the fruit. Sprinkling 
the plants should be discontinued, except on sunny afternoons. Admit 
air early in the day, and close early in the afternoon. With linings and 
the protection of mats over the lights Cucumbers will be produced for 
a lengthened period. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Succession Houses. — Those that 
ripened the fruit in July will have the buds plumped and the wood 
sufficiently ripened for the removal of the lights. The removal of the 
roof lights will tend to the preservation of the foliage and counteract 
the tendency to over-maturity of the buds or their premature develop¬ 
ment, by affording the trees the benefit of rains and of night dews, the 
borders getting thoroughly soaked right through to the drainage by the 
