April 5, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
£87 
Crooked Orchard Trees. —A ride through many rural districts 
■will bring into view numerous young fruit trees, and which, whether in 
orchards or singly, are in a very unsatisfactory state. Not one in twenty 
are properly staked, and the consequence is a number of trees with very 
crooked stems, and which will not greatly improve as they gain in 
strength. All young trees ought to be kept carefully staked and well 
protected from cattle. This leads to the formation of clean straight 
stems, these in their turn being conducive to the growth of large healthy 
fruitful heads. Either one stout stake or three moderately strong ones 
ought to be placed to each tree directly they are planted, this in addition 
to keeping the stems straight also preventing wind waving them and 
consequent injury to the roots. If strong rope yarn or tar twine is used 
for tying purposes the trees must be first bandaged, or the bark will 
soon be badly cut. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Meloks. —Plants swelling their fruits in the early house will require 
to have supports placed for them. Half-inch deal boards, G or 
7 inches square, with a hole through each corner, and suspended by four 
pieces of string or copper wire from the trellis in a slanting direction to 
prevent water lodging, may be employed for the purpose. Pieces of 
slate with holes drilled in the corners are preferable to wooden supports, 
and glass would be still better. Remove all flowers from such plants; 
also superfluous growths, stopping and tying as necessary. See 
that the plants do not suffer through insufficient supplies of water, 
affording weak liquid manure occasionally. The evaporation troughs 
should be filled with liquid manure, and a good atmospheric moisture 
secured by damping early in the morninir and afternoon, s.\ ringing the 
plants lightly about 3 p.m. on bright afternoons. Later plants will be 
showing fruit, and, unless abundant, remove the first blossoms, it being 
important that the female blossoms Ise nearly of one stage of growth. 
Maintain a somewhat higher temperature and dryer atmosphere during 
the setting, only affording as much moisture as will prevent flagging. 
Stop the shoots at one joint beyond the fruit, but employ the knife as 
little as possible during the setting periotl. In pits and frames a good 
bottom heat must still be maintained, observing the conditions previously 
given during setting. When the fruits are set they should be placed on 
a piece of slate. Look out for canker at the collar, placing a little 
quicklime around the stem as a preventive. 
Cucumbers.— Those that have been bearing through the winter will 
need to be renovated at the roots, removing with a hand fork as much of 
the exhausted soil as is possible without much injury to the roots, and 
fill with rich lumpy compost pressed down firmly. Stopping, train¬ 
ing, and cutting out the old growths must be followed up, and abundant 
waterings given as necessary. Assist plants in full bearing with 
copious supplies of weak liquid manure, and earth the roots occasion¬ 
ally. Damp the floors and other available surfaces before 8 A.M. and 
about 3 p.m., the foliage being syringed lightly on fine afternoons, and 
keep the evaporation trsughs filled with weak guano water or other form 
of liquid manure. There on, ht not to be any further delay in having 
the blinds in readiness, so that they maybe employed for an hour or two 
at midday, when the sun is brightest. Shading is most needed after a 
period of dull weather, to prevent flagging. Worms may be expelled by 
lime water. 
Vines. —Early Forced Vines .—Although Vines in pots afford credit¬ 
able crops of early Grapes, better results ai‘e often had by planting the 
Vines out in beds or borders such as arc employed for Cucumbers. A 
span or lean-to house answers perfectly, having borders 3 to I feet wide 
and about 2 feet deep, so as to admit of G to 1) inches of drainage, and 
15 to 18 inches depth of soil. The Vines being raised from eyes or cut¬ 
backs will need to be forwarded in another structure until the Grapes 
are cut. These being ripe in March or early April will be off by the 
close of April or early May. The Vines that have fruited are cleared 
out. fresh soil is placed in the borders or beds, and the Vines that are 
to fruit the following year are planted at 27 to 30 inches apart. If they 
have made considerable progress, but are not root-bound, they may be 
turned out with the ball entire, firming the soil well about them, and 
watering well. If in small pots they shouhl be disentangled and the 
roots spread out. Turfy loam with an admixture of about a tenth of 
old mortar rubbish forms a suitable compost, adding about a quart of 
some approved fertiliser to every bushel of soil. Manure can readily be 
given as a mulch or in liquid form. The canes being trained near the 
gla.ss will make short-jointed wood. Almost any amount of vigour can be 
had by encouraging the laterals, but not allowing them to interfere with 
the principal leaves; in<leed under good treatment they will make canes 
like walking sticks, with eyes like nuts, and being as much under control 
as Vines in pots they can be matured so as to be ready for starting by 
late October or early November. By this plan the root action is con¬ 
siderably extended as compared with Vines in pots. The Vines are 
taken up after fruiting, as is the case with early fruited pot Vines, treat¬ 
ing them as annuals. Cut-backs arc very much the best for treating in 
this way. 
Grapes Ripening .—The fruit swells considerably after commencing 
to colour. In order to ensure a full swelling of the berries inside 
borders should have a thorough watering and mulching early on a fine 
day, ventilating freely to allow excessive moisture to e.scape. A full crop 
of early Grapes is a great strain on the energies of the Vines, and 
through it in early forcing perfection in colour is not always obtainable, 
much may be done by a liberal and constant supply of warm dry air 
combined with a moderately low night temperature, but the temperature 
must be well maintained by day—70° to 7.5° from fire heat, and 80° to 
85° with sun heat. M'hen hard forcing is practised red spider usually 
makes its appearance, and should be destroyed by painting the pipe.-t 
with a mixture of sulphur and skim milk. Care, however, must be 
taken not to use too much, or it will act injuriously upon the skin of the 
berries and spoil their appearance. 
Succession Houses. —Attend to thinning the bunches and berries. 
Stop and remove laterals, especially where there is not room for exten¬ 
sion, as to allow them to e.xtend considerably, or so as to necessitate large 
reduction of foliage at one time, results in a check, very often in¬ 
ducing shanking at a later period. See that the borders have plenty of 
water, and weakly Vines will be benefited by tepid liquid manure. 
Vines swelling their fruit should have a moist atmosphere, damping 
available surfaces two or three times a day, and if liquid manure be 
used at the latest damping it will improve the Vines and act as a check 
to red spider. An ounce of the ammonia manures to a gallon of water 
is suitable. Syringing the Vines must not be practised after the Grapes 
are set. 
Late Vines .—Disbud and tie out these as they require it. Close the 
houses early in the afternoon with sun heat, and maintain plenty of 
atmospheric moisture by frequently damping available surfaces. They 
are now making rapid progress. 
Young Vines. —Those planted last spring will now be breaking 
naturally, and when the buds have grown about half an inch a little 
fire heat will prove beneficial, especially on cold days. Remove all buds 
except one at each break, retaining the strongest, and crop lightly, but 
supernumeraries may be weighted with as much fruit as there is prospect 
of their bringing to maturity. 
Pines. —Plants started into fruit early in the ye<ar are fast approach¬ 
ing the flowering period, and will be benefited by an occasional sprink¬ 
ling oa-erhead at the time the house is closed, but avhen in flower they 
must not be so treated. The foliage being as yet tender, it will be 
desirable in the case of houses with large panes of glass to afford a 
slight shading for an hour or two in the hottest part of the day for a few 
aveeks until the foliage becomes inured to the sun’s influence. When 
the flowering is over the fruit will ada-ance rapidly if the roots are in 
good condition, and plentiful snpplies of aveak liquid manure will be 
requisite. Attend to ventilating early in the morning, commencing avhera 
the temperature is at 80°, and closing at 85° with sun heat. Keep the 
atmosphere moist avhen the house is closed, the bottom heat steady at 
80° to 90°, the night temperature 70°, and 75° by day artificially. As 
soon as the suckers appear remove all except one to each plant. 
The busy time of the bee-keeper’s year is noav fast approach¬ 
ing. The fast lengthening days betoken the near approach of 
flower clad fields and honey-yielding blossoms. It is now that full 
and complete preparation for the long-expected honey flow must be 
made—if a great part of the work has not already been done 
during the past dreary months when the frost-locked earth has- 
forbidden outdoor labour in the field or garden. Sections should 
at once be purchased, and after being carefully fitted with the 
best super foundation, these may be arranged in crates, and stored 
away ready for instant use when the stocks grow strong and honey 
is freely coming in. Boxes of frames must also have our care if 
ave desire to obtain our surplus in a liquid form instead of in the 
pure white comb. The combs in use last year have, of course,, 
been carefully preserved, and will be simply invaluable some six: 
aveeks hence, because while equally as useful as new built combs,, 
they are more able to withstand the strain put upon the cells avhen 
the honey is dragged out by the extractor now in general use. 
If there are no frames of ready built combs available, then full 
sheets of foundation may with advantage be used, and if “ wired 
foundation ” is used the combs will have more strength, and avill 
be therefore less liable to break out from the frames when being- 
extracted from at the close of the season. It it is preferred, “ wired 
frames ” may be used instead of the “ wired foundation ” with 
much the same result. It is not absolutely necessary to use the^ 
wire at all, for good foundations may be used alone, and the combs, 
need not be destroyed by the extractor provided that the bee-keeper 
carefully regulates the pace, and does what he can to minimise the- 
risk of breakage. In the hands of a novice the extractor does, 
however, woeful mischief in many cases where the combs are new 
and therefoie easily broken. 
It occurs to me that many have asked as to the pace at which 
