54 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Ju'y 1G, 189’. 
Apricots. —These must now have their final thinning, leaving them 
evenly dispjsed over the trees at not less than 9 inches apart each way 
for the large fruited varieties, and 6 inches in the case of the smaller 
fruited kinds ; the latter are often left much thicker than this, as they 
are generally used for kitchen purposes, but this is no reason why they 
should be overcropped one year at the risk of failure in the next. All 
fruit that is thinned off now will do for the kitchen ; besides being useful 
for tarts they make excellent preserve. 
Summer Pruning. —All fruit trees on wal's, &c., should now be 
looked over, and those shoots which are required for furnishing the tree 
must be fastened into position, and all others removed, leaving three or 
four sound leaves at the base of each one that is taken off to assist in 
perfecting the crop. The shoots left on may in most instances be easily 
fastened by placing a shoot of Privet or some similar plant in front of 
them, and tucking the ends of this under some of the permanent 
branches. This is much quicker than nailing, which is really of little 
use at this period, as most of these shoots have to be removed to another 
place at the winter pruning, and by this means the young wood is not 
so liable to be damaged. All extremities of branches which are required 
to extend must be carefully nailed in the direction they are required to 
go. Peaches, Apricots, and Nectarines should be first attended to in 
this respect, afterwards Cherries, Currants, &c , leaving Pears and Apples 
until last, as most of the shoots have to be cut away from the latter, 
except the extremities of the branches ; and it is best to defer their 
pruning until the first or second week in August, when the wood is 
firmer and the buds left are not so liable to start into fresh growth 
again. In summer pruning of all fan-trained trees a certain amount of 
young wood must be laid in every year to keep a supply near the 
centre of the tree, and allow of the gradual removal of the old wood, 
but this must be done judiciously so as not to overcrowd the tree w r ith 
foliage. The young wood that remains must always have access to 
abundance of light and air, so that it may get well stored with the 
necessary materials for the support of the next season’s crop, and be 
fully exposed to the autumn sun to ripen it. If these conditions are 
not fulfilled a crop of fruit cannot reasonably be expected in the 
following season. 
Mulching. —All wall fruit trees that have good crops of fruit, and 
any that have been recently planted, will be much benefited by mulching 
with some half-decomposed manure or some similar material, and in dry 
weather this should be supplemented with an occasional soaking of 
water or liquid manure, the latter not to be used where the trees are in 
the habit of growing too strongly at the expense of fruiting. In all cases 
enough should be given each time to thoroughly soak the border. Trees 
sheltered by walls are especially liable to suffer from dryness at the roots 
during summer, and east aspects are the worst in this respect. In dry 
seasons mulching is very beneficial to fruit trees in any position which 
have good crops of fruit, especially Raspberries, Currants, Gooseberries, 
Morello and Rigarreau Cherries, Peaches and Nectarines, as it checks 
evaporation at a time when great quantities of water are require i by the 
trees in order to swell off the crops of fruit. Too often there is very little 
rain at this period, and any assistance to the trees is amply repaid after¬ 
wards by the better quality and larger size of the fruit, also by its 
assisting the foliage to retain its freshness and plump up the buds for 
next season’s fruiting. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. —Earliest Vines .—These will now require a dry atmosphere 
to thoroughly ripen the wood, but it will not be necessary to employ 
artificial heat to insure the requisite warmth, as that can be effected by 
regulating the ventilators according to the weather; but avoid a close 
atmosphere, especially at night, which would have the effect of inducing 
lateral growths that must be restrained, keeping the latera’s and all late 
growths well in hand, and seek complete rest by keeping the house cool 
and dry. A drier condition of the border is also desirable, but it is not 
advisable to allow the soil to become parched and cracked, which will 
not occur if the mulching ha9 been attended to, or the surface kept loose. 
The outside borders, which are great mistakes in early forcing, may be 
covered with dry bracken or litter, and in case of heavy rains with 
tarpaulin. 
Vines in Pots for Early Forcing .—Those intended for fruiting next 
season should by this time have completed their growth, especially those 
required for very early work, which should have no more water than 
will prevent the foliage from becoming limp, and they should be ex¬ 
posed to all the light and sun possible, so as to thoroughly ripen the 
wo 3d and buds. Keep the Vines free from insects, as it is important 
that the leaves perform their functions to the last. After the wood 
becomes brown and hard the Vines may be stood in front of a wall 
with a south aspect, securing the canes to the wall to prevent the foliage 
being damaged by wind. 
Mixed Houses .—In early forcing it is hardly possible to escape 
attacks of red spider on Vines; more especially is this the case when the 
Grapes are kept for any length of time upon the Vines after they are 
ripe. On account of this liability to red spider and the disastrous effect 
loss of foliage has on the succeeding year’s crop we do not advise large 
houses with a number of varieties of Vines for forcing, but houses only 
of such size as will admit of a supply of Grapes for the establishment 
for a period of not more than six to eight weeks, and the shorter the 
time the better for the health of the Vines. The dry warm air essential 
to the ripening of early kinds will cause red spider to increase on the 
foliage of the Muscats and other late sorts before they are ripe. This 
is most disastrous to the present and next year’s crop of Grapes. 
Instead of having a mixed collection, that would afford a supply of 
Grapes from May to August inclusive, we would divide the house into 
three compartments, so that the respective kinds may have secured to 
them their essential conditions. Incase of an attack of red spider print 
the hot-water pipes with a mixture of lime and sulphur, heating them 
to 170°, at which point sulphur vapourises, and keep hot about an hour, 
having the house, closed, after which allow to fall to the ordinary heat. 
Care must be taken not to overdo the printing of the pipes with the 
sulphur, or it will spoil such tender skinned Frontignans and Muscats, 
it often causing brown spots upon the skins, and imparts a purple hue 
to white Grapes ; therefore sulphur applied to heated surfaces must be 
done very carefully. 
Muscats Ripening .—These require time and assistance from fire heat, 
so as to insure a night temperature of 70° to 75°, 85° to 90° by day, with 
abundance of air. They also require a rather dry warm atmosphere, for 
under no other conditions will they attain to that rich golden hue character¬ 
istic of their inapproachable vinous flavour. Muscats require very plentiful 
supplies of water when swelling and in the early stages of finishing 
their fruit. They can hardly be overdone with water at the roots after 
the leaves are full-s’zed until the Grapes are well advanced in ripening, 
the border having thorough drainage; therefore, attend well to the 
watering of inside borders, and outside also in dry weather. Too much 
atmospheric moisture, however, is fatal to Muscats when ripening, 
causing them to spot ; therefore, keep a gentle warmth in the pipes, and 
admit a little air constantly to prevent the deposition of moisture on 
the berries, surfacing the borders inside, after a final watering, with a 
few inches thickness of dry material. 
Scalding .—This season Vines have scorched leaves and scalded 
Grapes to a greater extent than ordinary, which usually prevails where 
the panes of glass are large and ventilation inadequate ; but it occurs 
often through neglect of early ventilation and a gentle heat in the pipes, 
so as to maintain a buoyant atmosphere. Various causes have been 
assigned to scalding, but there is no question that it is accelerated by 
the same conditions that cause the foliage to scorch. Both can be 
avoided by careful attention to the temperature and ventilation. Air 
should be admitted rather freely, especially in the early part of the day, 
with a little at night and a genial warmth in the pipes, so as to main¬ 
tain a temperature of about 70° artificially. It is most prevalent on 
Lady Downe’s, and in lesser degree Muscats; but Hamburghs will scald 
especially when the Grapes are exposed to the fierce rays of powerful 
sun after a period of dull cold weather, and always occurs at the close 
of the stoning period just before (a fortnight to three weeks) the Grapes 
change colour for ripening. A slight shade is advantageous at this period 
and during the early stages of ripening in houses with large panes of 
glass, particularly for Muscats, a double thickness of herring nets drawn 
over the roof-lights being of great service in breaking the fierce rays of 
the sun from mid-June to the latter part of July or August, according 
to time of the Grape3 finish stoning. Some vineries are the better 
for a slight shade during the hot summer months. This applies only to 
those with large panes of glass and clear. 
Shanldng .—This may be due to suspended root action at the critical 
period of the Grapes ripening. To avoid it properly made borders, or 
soil of suitable staple, with efficient drainage and well-managed Vines 
are essential. The foliage must be fully exposed to light, allowing no 
more growths than can have space for development without crowding, 
and at no time seeking to encourage root action by a thicket of growth, 
which must sooner or later be removed in quantity, and give a check, 
accelerating the failure of supplies when most needed ; but contrariwise, 
keeping as much foliage as can have due exposure and no more in a 
healthy state, so that the supplies of nutriment may be properly main¬ 
tained. Vines prone to shank should be given time, avoiding sudden 
fluctuations of temperature, paying particular attention to the ventila¬ 
tion, thereby securing a steady supply of nutriment for the formation of 
starch and the storing of chlorophyll, so that at the proper time they 
may be converted respectively into sugar and the purple-black or golden- 
amber of the Grapes. This securement can only be effected by judicious 
ventilation in the early stages of development, not keeping the air too 
moist, so as to insure firm textured foliage, sturdy short-jointed wood. 
The young growths must be kept well regulated, adopting the extension 
rather than the restrictive system where there is room for it without 
crowding, keeping all gross laterals stopped so as to cause an equal flow of 
sap throughout the Vines, and this will do much to prevent the liability 
to shank. The great cause, however, of shanking is unsuitable border 
material, its effeteness through inefficient drainage, or roots deep in 
staple more suitable than the surface. Heavy coverings of manure in 
autumn or winter allowed to become soapy, soddening and souring the 
soil, and then exposing the soil to the heat and drought, are certain 
means of securing shanked Grapes. Souring the soil with liquid manure 
whilst it is saturated and cold destroys what few fibrelets remain, and 
the Grapes shank ; in fact, the evil is a result of errors in treatment. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Hydrangeas .—Plants that were assisted to make their growth indoors 
will have produced abundance of cuttings suitable for striking. The 
sooner the cuttings are rooted after the shoots have ceased to lengthen 
out the better. The softer the wood the quicker they root. It is not 
necessary to cut the shoots to a joint, but two good leaves should be left 
at the base of each cutting. The cuttings should be inserted singly in 
2\ or 3-inch pots filled with loam, manure, and sand, a little sand being 
placed in the centre of the pot. They root quickly under handlights in 
a vinery or any structure that can be kept moderately close. After 
insertion give a good soaking of water, and keep the cuttings close, 
shaded, and moist, until they arc rooted, then gradually harden and 
