Febrnary 23, 188S. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
145 
Disbudding I consider to be a point of great importance. Of 
course I understand that this and thinning the fruits are recognised 
points in the cultivation of these fruits, but I do not think either 
process is carried so far as is profitable. To leave a number of 
joung budding growths, which by-and-by crowd those which are 
to remain, to pinch them back, and finally to have to remove them 
altogether, after allowing them to interfere with the foliage and 
growths, is not economy. Far better is it to thin freely both fruit 
uind growths early in the season. 
The time to prune is doubtless as soon as the fruit is removed. 
!Pruning under this system is a very simple process, but there are 
always a few spurs which outgrow their bounds, some of them 
needing removal altogether, others merely cutting back. The 
Avork at nailing time, which is most expeditiously overcome in early 
spring and on Avarm days, is reduced very considerably by this 
autumn pruning. As to nailing, those who have not adopted the 
spring practice can form no conception of the rapidity with which 
it is overtaken at this season. There are no cold feet to be warmed, 
no numbed fingers to be restored to a state of semi-torpidity. Recall- 
■ing my own experience, I failed sometimes to be aware of the 
possession of fingers at all until a smart knock with a hammer 
demonstrated the fact. When mornings are chilly the time is best 
•employed in digging or any other similar Avork until the air gets 
warmed, leaving the nailing altogether on cold days. I have said 
aiothing about making borders, for the simple reason that it is often 
unnecessary, most often I should say. The soil in which young 
trees are planted may be any good loam, not turf, unless plenty of 
water can be given. But the most remarkable root-producing, and 
at the same time fruit-producing, material I have tried is common 
garden refuse. Our Apricots haA’e so completely taken possession 
of the borders dressed with the above material—properly prepared, 
of course—that it is impossible to get anything on the borders for 
■roots. Last autumn we had simply to add a further coating of this 
material, and no doubt by the end of another season they AviU be 
ready for more. 
It only remains to say a foAV words as to the gathering of the 
fruits. The best practice I find is to examine the ti’ees at intervals, 
xlepending on the heat or coolness of the weather, and remove all 
that are ripe or nearly approaching ripeness. Laid on the shelves 
rtf a cool fruit room they keep for a feAv days, and as a rule im¬ 
prove in flavour. Coe’s Golden Drop Plum if gathered in a fit 
.state and kept dry keeps a very long time. In seasons when it does 
not ripen Avell, the advantage of placing the fruits in a warm house 
will be noted, as they ripen very well under such treatment. The 
■old Green Gage should be alloAved to become dead ripe if possible 
before gathering. Moorpark Apricot is also best alloAved to hang 
as long as possible on the tree, but if the Aveather is not of a 
■ripening nature it is safer to remove as above recommended. 
Jefferson Plum, it may be noted, is groAvn alike for cooking and 
preserving purposes.—B. 
GARDENERS’ DIARIES. 
The.se few remarks on the above subject are especially 
addressed to under gardeners. A well kept diary of garden opera- 
■tions is nevertheless very useful to head gardeners also ; but every 
young gardener, without exception, should keep one. 
I know of no system so calculated to impart a thorough know¬ 
ledge of gardening and all pertaining thereto as a systematic and 
well kept diary of operations. They are now so cheap as to be 
within the reach of all, and a shilling or two per year invested in 
them will amply repay the purchaser. To those employed in very 
large gardens I would say. Rather keep two than one, so that one 
can be used for the inside work, and the other for the kitchen 
garden. 
Most young men will have ample means for obtaining particu¬ 
lars as to all indoor work, either from personal observation (which 
•is always advisable) or from the foremen of each department ; and 
if he will take a walk round the kitchen garden each evening after 
•tea he will be able to see what has been done during the day in 
that department. I think also head gardeners would assist with 
any information asked for in connection with the outside work. 
All seeds sown and crops planted should be written with red ink, 
leaving a space opposite for remarks “ as to what time such crops 
reach maturity, also for particulars as to quality and fruitfulness.” 
This with other items as to preparation of ground to be written 
with black ink. Finishing each day with the state of the weather 
and temperature. 
The diary of indoor work should be much on the same principle 
-—viz., all important matters, such as starting vineries. Peach 
houses, and forcing of all kinds, sowing seeds and potting to be in 
red ink, leaving as previously advised a space opposite for remarks. 
And the temperatures of each department. Notice should also be 
made of the composts the different plants are grown in, also re¬ 
sults ; in fact, any little matters noticed as worth recording should 
be added ; and I venture to say any young man who is at all 
observant and interested in his work may collect a large amount of 
valuable information, which he will find most useful when the cares 
and responsibility of managing a garden devolve upon himself ; 
and the very fact of looking into things and carefully noticing 
them (which he will be obliged to do if he keeps a diary as it 
should be kept) Avill tend towards gaining a thorough knowledge of 
the work more than any other mode of teaching. —J. II. L. 
SPARMANNIA AFRICANA. 
Tins Sparmannia is a most useful winter flowering greenhouse 
plant, either in a large or a small state. WeU developed trusses of 
floAvers arranged singly in specimen glasses with some Maidenhair 
or other Fern fronds are very pleasing. Bushy dAvarf plants in 
48 or 32-sized pots can be had, and are useful alike for the house 
or conserA^atory decoration. Short stout side shoots about 3 inches 
long may be taken early in March and rooted in a gentle bottom 
heat, repotted into a larger size as required, pinching the points of 
the shoots Avhen 4 inches high, and again Avhen the succeeding 
branches have advanced that length. The soil best suited for its 
culture is a mixture of loam and peat, two of the former to one of 
the latter, some partly decayed horse manure, and some sand, 
potting the plants firmly to induce a stocky growth. Take the 
young plants from the bottom heat Avdiere the cuttings were struck, 
and gradually harden them until they can be placed in a cool 
greenhouse, where they may remain during the summer and 
autumn. During the months of December and January a few 
degrees warmer will much assist the development of their flowers. 
At all seasons, particularly during the hot summer days, a plentiful 
supply of water to the roots is necessary to keep the foliage a deep 
green colour, otherwise a delicate colour is quickly discerned if the 
plants are allowed to remain dry at the roots for any length. Deep 
green foliage enhances the appearance of the plants so much tliat 
especial pains should be taken to procure it. — E. Molyneux. 
HOW TO GROW MELONS. 
I H.VVE received a letter from a young gardener asking me to 
tell him how to grow Melons, and it struck me that the infor¬ 
mation might also prove useful to readers of the Journal. So I 
append it. 
Assuming that you have ordinary garden frames and that you 
understand how td make a hotbed, sow the seeds singly in small 
pots three parts filled with light loamy soil, covering lightly 
with some of the same mould, and plunge in the hotbed, covering 
the pots with glass. This, however, should be removed as soon as 
the young plants appear, and when they have made 2 inches of 
growth top-dress with soil which had been previously in the frame 
for twenty-four hours to become slightly Ai'armed, taking care not 
to damage the stems of the plants, as they are very easily injured 
by the slightest pressure of the hand at this stage of their growth. 
When the plants haA’e made three rough leaves plant them on 
a ridge along the centre of the bed about 15 inches wide and 
9 inches deep, the surface of the edge being 9 inches from the glass. 
Set two plants at 9 inches apart on the ridge in each light, being 
careful not to bury the stems any deeper in the ridge than they 
were in the pots, and make the soil firm about the roots. Then 
give a little lukewarm water through a rose to settle the soil, and 
shade the plants from sun for a few days until the roots have taken 
to the soil, when it may be discontinued. As the roots push through 
the sides of the ridge add a couple of inches thick of soil, and con¬ 
tinue to make such additions until the space betw'een the ridge and 
frame is filled. 
When the plants have made fresh growth pinch out the points 
to cause them to branch. Three of the shoots resulting from this 
stopping should be trained thinly over the surface of the bed, and 
when thes^ have made about 15 inches of growth they also must 
be stopped, which will result in fruit-beai'ing laterals being pro¬ 
duced, in their turn to be stopped at one joint beyond the fruit. 
Keep all other shoots that may afterwards appear pinched out. 
When the fruit blossoms open fertilise them, until sufficient fruits 
for a crop are secured. Four fruits will be enough for each plant 
to ripen, and these should be about the same size, and distributed 
pretty regularly over the individual plants. When the plants are 
in flower, and again when the fruit is approaching maturity, water 
should not be distributed over the leaves or bed, and air must be 
admitted more freely than hitherto until the fruit is set. Then 
close the frame early enough in the afternoon to raise the tem¬ 
perature to So” or 90° with sun heat, damping the foliage at the 
same time. Very little w’ater need be given at the roots after the 
