Jatmary 19, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
53 
(lay. The men who most object to it arc not those who devote their 
spare time to study, but rather those who spend their time in idleness or 
questionable pursuits. I do not say this is always so, but generally 
speaking it is, and I fully believe the same rule applies to those whose 
lamentations .are so loud at not receiving their share of prize money. 
Those who do least towards preparing things for show expect as much 
or more than those who do mosL 
It would seem by what an “ Under Gardener ” says that he considers 
it unlikely for a man to become a thorough gardener if he serves in 
places where exhibiting is carried on to any great extent. This I con¬ 
sider a very erroneous idea. Supposing a few things are grown super¬ 
latively well, as he terms it, is that any reason why everything else 
should of necessity be badly grown I say, Decidedly not. Again, sup¬ 
posing in the early part of his career he was to serve a term where fruit¬ 
growing was the chief feature, in fact, grown well for showing, the 
next change he made—I think it good for a young man to change—was 
to a place where plants were largely grown also for show ; does he mean 
to say that a man of that ex[)erience would not be as likely to prove as 
good an all-round gardener as one who had always lived in places where 
things were grown in just a presentable condition only ? I think the 
former would be likely to prove the better man of the two. 
Let us see, too, if there are not some other advantages likely to be 
gained by assisting a gardener in a subordinate position. I do not sup¬ 
pose there are many of us who always wish to remain subordinate. 
Then, who is the man most likely to assist you in gaining a responsible 
situation ? The head gardener, as a rule. Which will he use the most 
influence for, then—the man who has assisted him to the best of his abili¬ 
ties, or the one who when asked to give a little extra help has either 
grumbled, or did it with a frown and in a manner which m^e his help 
worse than his absence would have been ? Perhaps when he does gain 
that goal of bliss which an “ Under Gardener ” seems to think a head 
gardener’s place is, it may happen his employer will be wishful for him 
to become an exhibitor, when he will probably And the knowledge he 
had previously gained in that respect as an assistant of great value to 
him. Supposing a head gardener (ioes get the benefit of exhibiting in a 
pecuniary sense, as well as the bulk of congratulations, he has the 
greater portion of the anxiety in preparation, as W'ell as the disappoint¬ 
ment and expense if failure. One could hardly expect every friend of 
an exhibitor to come and congratulate each assistant that he may 
have at a show, and perhaps totally unknown to him. No, “ Under 
Gardener,” I cannot .agree with you that exhibiting is detrimental to 
young men, quite the reverse ; and” if they are not to any g- eat extent 
financially benefited by it, they can if they choose benefit in a way 
which is worthy of greater efforts than the majority of young men are 
willing to put forth in that direction. Many a man (vorthy of the good 
position he holds owes it to the fact of having lived in places which 
have become noted for their exhibits coupled with the influence of the 
gardener whom he helped to the best of his abilities.— Another Under 
Gardener. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Pruning; Fruit Busiie.s and Protecting the Buds.— But for 
the birds now is the best time for completing the pruning of both 
Currants and Gooseberries. The latter, however, are so liable to 
be stripped of the greater portion of their buds by bullfinches that 
many defer pruning till the spring, and we have known cases where 
market growers do what thinning is necessary when the fruit is large 
enough for picking. The more dense the growth the less likelihood of 
the buds being cleared off wholesale, but delaying pruning was of 
little avail last winter. The best course to pursue is to either prune 
the bushes, and then coat them with thin lime water and soot water 
applied through a syringe, or dusted over them when wet, or else 
to tie all the principal branches and young shoots up into a conical 
heap. Unless the bushes are very stubborn two men with gloves can 
so dispose the branches with the aid of tar twine as to make them 
almost impenetrable by birds, only a few of the outside buds being 
taken. The bushes are opened out just as the buds are bursting. 
Where this plan is tried light crops are the exception. If the bushes 
are coated with lime and soot this must be renewed whenever it is 
wa.shed off by rains. Where a framework to support wire netting is 
erected over a quarter of fruit bushes, the ends at least should be 
moveable, so as to admit birds between the flowering and ripening periods, 
otherwise caterpillars do more harm than birds. Now is the best 
time to put up such permanent protections, and it should be kept 
closed in all the winter and spring. When pruning Gooseberries the 
best course is to lightly thin out the old wood and some of the young 
growths, and remove all that are near the ground. Young bushes to 
be cut freely back and the centre of those of erect habit kept open till 
such time as a good head is formed. Wall and trellis trees to have 
leading growths laid in wherever there is room, and all lateral giowth 
spurretl back to the main branches. The bushes also may have all 
young growth closely spurred back, but we prefer the plan of leaving a 
number of young shoots untouched, these usually fruiting to their 
entire length. Black Currants also bear fruit on the young shoots ; 
thinning out and foreshortening the straggling branches in order to 
keep them within bounds is all that is necessary. Young trees need not 
be cut back after the second season, as these are constantly pushing 
young shoots. Fully formed Red Currant bushes, too, have all lateral 
growth spurred back to the main branches, and the leading shoots 
freely shortened back. Young bushes to be cut rather hard back, and 
the centres kept clear till such times as a good head is formed. The 
leading branches must be shortened back to a length of about 6 inches 
at each pruning, in order to clothe them with fruiting spurs. 
Cordon Apricots. —This termed is employed for want of a better 
one to describe a system of training Apricot trees that ought to be 
adopted in gaixlens where they are apt to die off wholesale. We prefer 
the fan-shaped trees, but when these suddenly lose one or more of ^the 
main branches they are disfigured for life, and, what is still more re- 
gretable, other limbs soon follow suit. A wall can be most quickly 
furnished by trees trained with one main stem, the fruits being borne 
on the branches laid in right and left and treated very similarly to a 
Peach tree. The start should be made wifh well-ripened maidens, these 
being planted in fresh loamy soil not less (han 6 feet apart, and trained 
obliquely in order to prevent the top of the tree from growing more 
vigorously than the lower branches. Cut them back to a length of 
alx)ut 2 feet, lay in side branches thinly, and one central shoot to con¬ 
tinue the stem. Each winter the leader should be lightly shortened, 
and more side branches and a leader laid in during the summer, in 
which manner quite a high wall may be furnished in about four years. 
The trees being planted against a sunny wall and the subsoil well 
drained, the young shoots laid in thinly will usually flower and fruit 
freely the following season, and may then be cut out and their places 
taken by other growths purposely laid in during the summer. If they 
fail to fruit during the first year save them to the next. 
Pruning the Grape Vine. —Plenty of good Grapes were ripened 
in the open air last season, and the wood also is much better ripened 
than usual. It is a mistake to closely prune them, for if spurred back 
as closely as those rods under glass, many of the laterals will fail to 
show bunches. Where possible lay in short lengths of young and well- 
ripened rods, as it is these that give the best bunches. This can fre¬ 
quently be done without destroying the old rods, the simplest plan being 
to tie a number of laterals along the rods or very near to them, these 
being replaced next season (vith other young rods reserved for that pur¬ 
pose. The spurs on permanent rods ought to be fully 12 inches apart. If 
it is decided to spur back the laterals cut to a plump bud, or say at the 
second or third joint. Permanent rods ought to be disposed 2 feet apart, 
and all should be securely fastened to the walls or trellises at the pre¬ 
sent time. No skinning or cleaning is necessary, but if mildew is 
troublesome dress them with a mixture of liquid clay. Gishurst com¬ 
pound, and sulphur. It is useless to attempt fruiting Grape Vines on 
other than hot sunny walls or roofs. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Pines. — Fruiting Plants and Starters. —Those should now have 
a mean temperature of about 70°, varying it 5° according to external 
aspects, admitting air at 80° with sunshine, but not lowering the 
temperature, allowing the heat to rise to 8.5°, closing the house at 80®. 
Syringe all available surfaces twice every day, but do not syringe 
the surface of the bed between the plants. Avoid dense steam pro¬ 
duced by syringing highly heated hot-water pipes. The plants also- 
should be syringed occasionally early in the afternoon when the axils 
of the leaves become dry. 
Starting Plants for Successional Fruiting. —About the commence¬ 
ment of next month ^February) another supply of Queens should be 
started to supplement the supply of fru’t from those plants which 
are already introduced for that purpose. Beds having hot-water pipes 
beneath them can soon be prepared for the reception of the plants, 
but it is not the case where fermenting materials alone are employed, 
hence the subject is mentioned now so that the matter may be seen to 
at once, and 85° to 90° of bottom heat secured by the time required. 
When plants which have been kept somewhat drier are to be started see 
that the balls of the plants are made thoroughly moist, so that with the 
extra warmth root-action may commence at once. 
Successional Plants. —A night temperature of 00° to 65°, and 5° less 
in severe weather will be suitable for those, and 5° to 10° in the daytime 
according to external conditions. Keep the plants rather dry at the 
roots, but not excessively so, and when water is considered necessary 
give it thoroughly at a temperature of about 80°. Suckers should have 
a temperature of 65° to 00°, 00° to 05° by day from Are heat, and 10°' 
more with sun heat. 
Cucumbers. —The night temperature should be maintained at 65°, 
allowing 5° more in mild weather, whilst it may be 5° less on cold nights, 
70° to 75° by day and 80° to 85° with sun heat. When the external air 
is mild a little ventilation may be given at 80°, closing before the tem¬ 
perature is reduced below that degree, so as to raise it to 90° or 95° ; but 
if the external air is cold, although the sun shines, it is better to allow 
the temperature to advance a little beyond the above limits than to 
admit cold air, which injures the foliage, also causing the fruit to become 
stunted and to curl at the end. Plants in bearing will require to be 
examined about twice a week, removing all weakly and exhausted 
growths, reserving as much of the young bearing woocl as is necessary to 
fill the allotted space, stopping the shoots at one or two joints beyond the 
