570 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 20, 1888. 
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WORK fopjhe WEEK.. Si 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Early-forced House. —The buds of 
These trees are swelling freely ; 45° should be the minimum temperature 
on cold nights, between that and 50° being ample even on mild nights, 
with a rise of 10° to 15° by day from sun heat. Nothing is gained by 
undue haste until we have increased light and length of days. Peach 
blossoms allowed to unfold in a low temperature, particularly at night, 
with free ventilation, always set and the fruit stone well. Good crops 
will in a higher temperature, by which means time lost at the commence¬ 
ment is redeemed, the trees make strong short-jointed wood, and with 
due attention to thinning long remain profitable. Large crops of 
Peaches are only the forerunners of disaster, as Peach trees, like other 
fruit trees, are only capable of maturing a given quantity or weight of 
fruit, and if overcropped they do not exceed that weight in the aggregate, 
consequently the extra quantity is obtained at the expense of size and 
quality. Cease syringing as soon as the flowers open, but maintain a 
genial condition of the atmosphere by damping in the morning and 
afternoon of fine days. Raise the temperature early in the day to 50°, 
and not exceeding 55° from fire heat, and admit a little air, yet not to 
lower the temperature below 50°, and increase the ventilation with sun 
heat, having it full at 65°, and gradually reduce it with the declining 
beat, closing for the day at 55°. A little ventilation should be provided 
constantly at the top of the house. 
Suceessional Crops. —Where there are three or more Peach houses 
annually forced the second should be started not later than January 1st; 
or where the early varieties such as Alexander obtain, and Hales’ Early 
are grown, with Royal George for succession, this may be the earliest 
forced house in which fruit can with certainty be had in May of 
Alexander, followed by the'others named in June without having recourse 
to hard forcing. If the house has been open to receive the autumnal 
rains the borders may be in good condition—that is, thoroughly moist to 
the drainage ; but if there is any doubt about this an examination 
should be made, and if necessary repeated soakings given, so as to 
thoroughly moisten the soil in every part-, and if the trees are weakly 
liquid manure may be given. It has been a prevailing practice to allow 
the inside borders to become dry through the autumn and early winter 
months, but it is a mistake that is often followed by the buds falling, 
and the disaster is frequently attributed to every cause but the right 
one. With the borders of suitable material resting on ample drainage 
there is little danger of their receiving too much water either by 
exposure to the autumn rains or by giving liberal supplies from the 
tanks. Fire heat will not be necessary for the first fortnight except for 
excluding frost, and the house should be freely ventilated when the 
temperature reaches 50°. 
Later Houses. —The cleansing of the houses and trees should be pro¬ 
ceeded with as opportunity offer. Where the trees have been infested 
with insects, such as red spider, scale, and brown aphis, it is desirable to 
syringe them before untying with a solution of softsoap, 2 ozs. to the 
gallon of water and 1 oz. of soda to 4 gallons, adding a winegla«sful of 
petroleum ; the solution to be kept mixed whilst it is being applied to 
the trees and house, which should be done thoroughly, wetting every 
part. When drv the whole may be syringed with water at a tempera¬ 
ture of 140° to 150°. The trees will then be very bright, and the clean¬ 
ing of the woodwork with soap and water and the glass with clear 
water facilitated. The walls should be lime-washed, and the loose surface 
soil removed, adding rather lumpy loam with some steamed bonemeal or 
other approved fertiliser. This will stimulate the surface roots and 
encourage active feeders by the time the blossoms are expanding. Prior 
to this the trees will have been pruned and re-arranged and tied to the 
trellis. If the roof lights are fixed, ventilation should be given fully, the 
trees being afforded rest as complete as possible, care being taken not to 
allow them to become dry at the roots. If the roof lights are moveable, 
•and have been removed, they may remain off until the time arrives for 
starting the trees or until the buds commence swelling, when the sashes 
must of necessity be replaced to insure the safety of the buds and 
blossoms. 
Unheated Houses. —We have hitherto been in the habit of with¬ 
drawing the roof lights as soon as the leaves had fallen ; but this year, 
•owing to the cold season, the wood is not so ripe nor the bloom buds so 
•plentiful or so well developed as to render it advisable in our opinion to 
remove them. Therefore we shall keep the lights over the trees, and 
moderate the ventilation by day when the sun in bright, so as to induce 
the hardening of the wood, and ventilate freely at night and in mild 
weather to promote evaporation and increase the firmness of the wood. 
Hv maintaining a dry atmosphere it is anticipated the wood will not be 
injured by frost, as might be the case were the trees fully exposed. 
Trees in this state rarely have the bloom buds sufficiently advanced as 
to cause anxiety of their falling when the trees are kept somewhat drier 
a,t the roots than under ordinary circumstances would be inexpedient. 
Resides dread of the wood and buds not being sufficiently ripened to set 
and develope the fruit satisfactorily, there is cause to apprehend mildew, 
which attends immature wood— i.e., the growths that proceed from it 
and is the chief cause of blistered leaves. To still further assist the 
tree-ripening the wood we have had them dug round and the strongest 
roots detached at one-third the distance from the stem the trees cover of 
trellis, so that by reducing the supply of sap the wood will not be so 
gorged on a sunny day as to be liable to injury from frost in severe 
weather. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Keeping Bedding Plants. —A long spell of mild damp weather often 
causes the loss of more bedding plants than is the case frequently in 
frosty weather. Especially difficult to keep are the Zonal Pelargoniums 
in boxes, pans, and large pots, stored in cold or but little heated pits 
and houses. Damp is the worst evil to contend with, and in order to 
counteract it all should be kept as dry as possible, given good room as 
well as plenty of ventilation, and have all decaying leaves removed from 
them. Fire heat accompanied by night and day ventilation dries and 
hardens the growth, prevents damp, and renders the plants less liable to 
be injured by frosts. Lobelias, young Ageratums, Heliotropes, and 
Verbenas ought not to be kept very dry at the roots, and these keep 
well on the shelves of a greenhouse or near the glass in other slightly 
heated structures. Alternantheras, Coleuses, and Iresines ought to be 
stored on shelves in the plant, stove or forcing houses, and not kept dry 
at the roots. The greenhouse shelves or stages are most suitable posi¬ 
tions for choice succulents, and these must be kept dry. Give Calceo¬ 
larias, Violas, Gazanias and other bedding plants in frames all the air 
possible, the aim being to check weakly growth. Plenty of dry litter 
and mats ought to be in readiness for covering the frames and pits 
whenever severe frosts are imminent. 
Early Chrysanthemums. —Only the earliest or summer flowering 
varieties gave a good display this season, the suceessional and late flower¬ 
ing being much crippled by frosts in October. Most of the latter are 
usually also flowered in pots, and in this case sufficient stock plants are 
kept to afford cuttings both for pot and open air culture. The summer 
and early autumn flowering varieties, which include La Petite Marie, 
St. Mary, Mrs. ‘Cullingford, Fiberta, Frederick Pelh, Madame Piccol, 
Mdlle. Jolivart, Prhcocith, Yellow Petite Marie, Alexandre Dufour, and 
La Vierge, are not so generally grown in pots as they deserve to be ; 
unless, therefore, a fe'w strong plants of each are lifted and either 
potted or stored in frames surrounded by common soil, and lightly pro¬ 
tected from severe frosts, the stock may be lost. All are fairly hardy, 
but in cold wet soils especially they are liable to perish, and in any 
case the slugs are apt to eat every young shoot that appears. Lifting 
and storing as advised, either in pits, frames, or cool houses, is the surest 
method of preserving them, but if this is not practicable the least that 
can be done is to well mound up each plant with coal ashes, this protect¬ 
ing from frosts and slugs. It is advisable to strike cuttings every 
spring, young plants giving better results than old stools. 
Boses. —In open weather the work of planting these may continue- 
Those that have long been in one position are much benefited either by 
a change of site or by being replanted in fresh soil. Many of those 
well established on their own roots may frequently be divided with ad¬ 
vantage, this being the readiest method of increasing the stock of 
Souvenir de la Malmaison and such serviceable varieties. Plant rather 
firmly, stake if needed, and mulch with strawy manure. Standard 
Roses are the first to succumb to frost, and strange to say the Briar 
stems are the most vital part of the plants. In very .unfavourable 
districts, or where extra severe frosts are experienced, it is fre¬ 
quently necessary to bandage the stems with hay, straw, or bracken, 
and the large or principal stems of Marechal Niel and other choice 
climbing Roses need similar protection even in districts where 
Roses are considered quite hardy. Owing to the exceptional mild 
weather that has long prevailed Roses are still active, and are 
therefore more liable to injury than usual. Snow is a capital pro¬ 
tection to dwarf bushes, but this is not always present when most 
wanted, and those who value their beds or single bushes ought to have 
plenty of strawy litter or bracken in readiness for protecting them. 
Sufficient of this should, when a severe frost is threatened, be loosely 
distributed among the plants so as to cover them to the point where the 
young shoots will be pruned next spring. 
Work in the Pleasure Ground. —The late autumn months have been 
most favourable to the work of levelling and re-turfing lawns, as well as 
thinning old or forming new shrubberies. When this has to be delayed 
till the spring cold drying winds are apt to injure the roots, and also 
cause the foliage of evergreens to flag badly, and if transplanting 
Hollies is excepted, it is better for various reasons to push on the altera¬ 
tions and tree moving now than have to do it in the spring, when so much 
other work requires attention. Collect a large heap of leaves and store 
either above ground or in pits, and when duly converted into leaf soil 
this will prove of the greatest service for mixing with either planting or 
potting soil. It is also advisable to turn over the heap of sweepings, 
road trimmings, lawn grass, and other rubbish that has accumulated, 
and if the sticks are thrown out and burnt, and the ashes returned to 
the heap, a valuable compost will be the result. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
The weather throughout the autumn and until recently has been 
much in favour of vegetable crops. Cauliflowers have been very plenti¬ 
ful, and just before the frost came we stored ten dozen heads, which 
will tide us over the next two or three weeks. Broccoli would perhaps 
be the usual term to apply to these, as the variety which has been doing 
such good service is Veitch’s Autumn Self-protecting Broccoli, but it is so 
