144 
JO URN XL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 13 1891. 
secure, and add extra supports where there are heavy crops, so that all 
may be safe before the fruit becomes too heavy and breaks the 
branches. 
Apricots, Nectarines, and Peaches. —Fruits that are ripening 
must be carefully attended to, gathering them before they are likely to 
fall, and laying them in a dry and warm place to finish. See that no 
wall nails are in the way of the fruit now it is swelling fast, and look 
out for woodlice and earwigs, which often do much damage by eating 
small holes in the fruit next to the wall. A piece of cotton wool placed 
behind the fruit is the best protector, and all the insects should be 
trapped by turning flower pots upside down and pacing a little dry 
moss in the bottom for them to hide in. A can partially filled with 
water and a little petroleum swimming on the surface soon makes short 
work of such things if they are dropped into it. Keep the fruit well 
exposed to the light and sun by removing all young shoots as they 
appear, and assist the trees that have heavy crops by a thorough 
soaking of weak liquid manure at the roots occasionally. If red spider 
appears before the fruit commences ripening lose no time in checking 
its advance by repeated syringings of cold water after the heat of the 
day is over. The foliage must be kept perfectly clean and healthy if 
a good crop of fruit is required next season. 
Strawberry Beds. —As soon as those layers are removed which 
are required for planting, the beds should be cleaned by hoeing up all 
weeds and young plants, trimming off the runners, and raking all away 
together with the mulching materials. Some persons still make a 
practice of cutting the old leaves off the plants as soon as fruiting is 
over, and in some instances no doubt good results are obtained under 
this system ; at the same time it is just possible better results would 
have been obtained if the best of the foliage had been preserved. We 
find an old sickle or some similar instrument useful for cleaning S raw- 
berry beds. By holding it almost perpendicular and working it round 
each plant the runners and oldest leaves are detached at the same time, 
and the best of the foliage in the centre of the plant is left entire. After 
this the beds must be hoed through about once every ten days to keep 
weeds in check and prevent the ground from becoming too much dried. 
In tvarm and dry localities defer cleaning the beds for another fortnight, 
merely pulling out the largest weeds, or another mulching may be 
applied in the place of that which is removed. 
The Fruit Room. —This must now have a thorough cleansing and 
be prepared for the early fruits. A clean, sweet room is absolutely 
necessaiy in order to have good flavoured fruit, and all strong-smelling 
substances must be rigidly excluded. Apples, Pears, &c., soon become 
tainted if any strong-smelling substance is near them in a room, and are 
then spoiled. The fruit room should therefore be reserved for storing 
fruit only, and not made a receptacle for all kinds of odd things, as is 
often done ; such things as petroleum, paint, tar, herbs of various kinds, 
Onions, Shallots, Garlic, often cause much mischief which cannot after¬ 
wards be rectified. It is important also that all windows be left open 
after the room is cleansed until fruit storing is commenced in order to 
keep the air sweet and pure. See that all holes are stopped where mice 
and rats are likely to enter. Broken glass finished off with Portland 
cement is the best substance for this purpose. Never store fruit on 
straw or paper, as these soon impart a musty flavour. Bare shelves are 
far better, and they should not be made of deal, but of some English 
w’ood, such as elm or ash, which has no odour. See that, all ventilators 
are in good order and everything right before fruit gathering commences. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches AND Nectarines. — Earliest Forced Houses. —Although the 
foliage of trees started in December is now beginning to fall they must 
not lack moisture at the roots, affording water or liquid manure to 
weakly trees as. necessary to maintain the soil in a moist but not 
saturated condition ; as if too much water is given when the trees are 
at rest and they are not exposed excessive moisture and the warm 
weather are apt to cause premature growth, which must be guarded 
against. It does not much matter about rain, as with it the air is 
comparatively cool; indeed, rain has a beneficial and invigorating 
tendency. As a safeguard against starting the bloom buds, allow such 
laterals as are green and unripe to remain as an outlet for any excess of 
aliment, and they are equally effective in maintaining activity at the 
roots. Early forced trees do not, as a rule, make strong growth, having 
generally a larger proportion of single fruit buds than trees grown under 
more favourable circumstances, triple buds not being nearly so frequent; 
hence in pruning it is not desirable to cut back next year’s bearing 
wood unless they are of great length. Very little pruning will be 
needed provided disbudding has been attended to, no more wood being 
trained in than is required to replace the bearing shoots of the current 
year, and to renew worn out growths, as well as provide for the extension 
of the trees. Trees that have long been subjected to early forcing are 
seldom vigorous, but not unfrequently become so enfeebled as to need 
the removal of the weak growths, which, though plentifully furnished 
with fruit buds, are undesirable from their affording much smaller 
fruit than is yielded by the moderately vigoious and well ripened 
growths. Some trees, however, make too vigorous or long-jointed wood, 
pushing laterals difficult to restrain, if they do not frustrate the forma¬ 
tion of fruit buds and interfere with an equal distribution of the sap. 
Any trees which grow too vigorously must be lifted, whilst those which 
show symptoms of weakness may have the old soil carefully removed 
from amongst the roots, supplying fre3h turfy loam with about one- 
fortietli part of bonemeal and a twentieth of wood ashes intermixed. 
Give a good watering both to the lifted trees and to those that have had 
the soil renewed about the roots. These operations require to be 
performed as soon as the leaves are mature and before they fall from 
the trees. 
Succession Houses. —Cut out the shoots that have borne fruit unless, 
required for extension, and all the shoots where the growths are crowded 
should be thinned. This will allow the foliage to be more readily 
cleansed by syringing, repeating that as necessary, it being important 
that the foliage be kept clean and healthy as long as possible. With 
free access to light and air the buds will form perfectly, attention being 
given to a due supply of water to the roots. Where the fruit is ripening 
a free circulation of air will enhance the quality considerably, sufficient 
water only at the roots being given to prevent the foliage becoming 
limp, and secure air moisture by an occasional damping of available 
surfaces other than the trees for the benefit of the foliage, also fruit, 
which in an arid atmosphere is liable to become mealy, whilst it ripens 
prematurely if the trees suffer from an insufficient supply of moisture in 
the soil. Ants in some cases are very troublesome, eating into the 
choicest and best fruits. Wrapping a little cotton wool round the stem 
of the trees hinders their ascent, securing it with soft twine in the- 
middle soaked in creosote or a saturated solution of camphor. If 
creosote be used it must be kept from the stem of the trees. Saucers, 
sunk in the soil, level with their edges and as near their haunts as 
possible, and pouring some treacle or syrup into each, attracts them from 
the fruit. 
Late Houses. — Attend to thinning and regulating the summer 
growths, and if they are laid in thinner than is customary with trees in 
early houses the wood will have a better chance of ripening, and the 
leaves will assimilate more food, storing it in the buds and wood for the 
support of the blossoms and embryonic fruit in the coming season. 
Gross growths tend to the impoverishment of the weaker, appropriate 
an undue amount of the sap, preventing an unequal distribution of the 
aliment, and favour nothing but unfruitfulness and gumming. They 
must be stopped, or better removed altogether. Endeavour to secure an 
even balance of moderately vigorous short jointed shoots, and to insure 
the wood ripening ventilate freely in the early part of the day, allowing 
a good heat through the day from sun, closing in good time so as to run 
up to 85° or 90°, for sun heat after evaporation has been goiDg on for 
some time will not do any harm if only care is taken to admit a little 
air before nightfall to allow the pent-up heat and concomitant moisture 
to escape and the gradual cooling down of the atmo-phere, thereby 
securing rest. The night and early day ventilation tends to the solidifi¬ 
cation of the growth and its ripening. Keep the trees free from red 
spider by forcible syringings until the fruit gives indications of ripening. 
The borders must be well supplied with water or liquid manure, and be 
mulched about an inch thick with short rather lumpy manure. 
Vines. — Early Houses. —The earliest forced have the wood ripe and 
some of the leaves falling. Do not attempt to remove them forcibly nor 
cut the laterals close in, as that would probably cause the principal buds 
to start, therefore remove the laterals by degrees, and shorten some of 
the strong shoots, preserving, however, some growth, especially when the 
principal leaves are down, above the buds to which the Vines are to be 
pruned, deferring the final pruning until the early part of September. 
The old soil should be removed from the surface of the border, forking 
some of it from amongst the roots, taking advantage of the opportunity 
to raise any that are deep and laying them in fresh material nearer the 
surface. Good calcareous loam is the most suitable, with an admixture 
of bonemeal and wood ashes to the extent of a twentieth part equal 
proportions of those elements being taken. If the soil be light, add a 
sixth of clayey marl; if heavy, a sixth of old mortar rubbish. Charcoal 
may be used to the extent of one-tenth. Give a moderate watering, and 
the roots will push, especially adventitious ones from near the collar, 
into the new soil at once, and be in capital condition for a start when 
the time of starting comes round. When lifting or renovating the border 
is delayed until the leaves are all down the Vines do not stai t so freely, 
the break often being unsatisfactory. 
Midseason Houses. —The Grapes upon the whole Lave been satis¬ 
factory as regards colour and bloom, and the season has favoured size 
and freedom from red spider. The Vine seems to delight in a good 
array of foliage fully exposed to light, as the wood is then stout, short- 
jointed, and the leaves thick, leathery, and deep green in colour, the 
Grapes well nourished, and the buds plumped for next year’s bearing. 
Copious supplie3 of water through a mulching, not a thick soapy masa 
but light open material, along with surface dressing or liquid manure of 
a sustaining rather than a stimu’ating kind, contribute to a satisfactory 
result. Fire heat is often necessary to ripen midseason Grapes per¬ 
fectly, but with ventilation day and night to insure a circulation of air 
it may often be dispensed with in warm weather. The nights, however, 
are now getting cold and fire heat may be necessary, though a good rest 
at night aids Vines wonderfully that are carrying heavy crops of 
Grapes. Enough fire heat should be given to maintain the temperature 
at 70° to 75° by day and GO 0 to 65° at night, allowing 5° more for 
Muscats. 
Late Houses. —Afford full supplies of water through a good surface 
mulching, swe;tened horse droppings, or stable litter freed of the straw 
answering well when not more than a couple of inches thick, continuing 
the supplies of nourishment until the Grapes are well advanced in colour, 
for most late Grapes take a long time to perfect thoroughly, and some, 
particularly Mrs. I’ince, even after appearing finished, are not so up to 
the shank, which is often a consequence of too short supplies of food, 
and in some erses the consequence of too early stopping the supplies of 
nutrition are manifest in the Grapes shrinking, as not unfiequently 
occurs with Muscats. All late Grapes require time. They ought now 
