August 27, 1891. ] 
■JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
187 
included in this comprehensive genus, but does not by any means 
exhaust it, as under the present classification what formerly comprised 
several genera have been combined in the single genus Nephrodium, thus 
giving it about 300 species.—W. H. Taplin (in American Florist'). 
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FRUIT FORCING. 
Pines. — Potting Rooted Suckers. —Suckers obtained from the 
summer-fruiting plants will soon be ready tor potting. It is well to 
divide the plants ; the strongest should be shifted into their largest pots 
as soon as ready, employing 10 or 11-inch pots according to the variety, 
affording them a position near the glass in a light airy house, keeping 
them gently growing through the winter. The plants so started will be 
readily excited into fruit next May or June, and will afford a good suc¬ 
cessions! supply of ripe fruit in late summer or early autumn. In other 
plants suckers from the summer fruiters not large enough to shift into 
the fruiting pots, winter best in 7 or 8-inch pots, transferring them to 
larger as soon as ready in spring, which, with suckers of Smooth-leaved 
Cayenne that were started last March, will afford a successional supply 
cf Pines through the winter months. 
Re-arranging Pine Plants. —A re-arrangement of the plants should 
now be made in order to separate the fruiting from the non-fruiting plants, 
as many of those that were started from suckers of last summer’s fruiting 
plants will have fruit swelling. Those plants not fruiting will have 
completed their growth, and should have air very liberally for the next 
six weeks when the temperature exceeds 80°, maintaining the bottom 
heat steady at 80°, and all plants well established—that is, well rooted, 
should have a bottom heat of 80° to 85°, but recently potted suckers, or 
those not having roots well established in the fresh compost, should have 
a bottom heat of 90°, steadily maintained to insure speedy rooting. 
Fruiting Plants. —Those swelling off their fruits should have mode¬ 
rate atmospheric moisture, admitting a little air at the top of the house 
early in the morning, so as to allow of any superfluous moisture escap¬ 
ing before the sun’s rays act powerfully or upon the fruit. Any fruit 
it is desired to retard should be moved to a rather cool or shady house, 
admitting abundance of air. 
Figs. — Earliest Fig House. —In the earliest house the trees will now 
be ripening their wood, and watering may be discontinued, air being 
given very liberally. If, however, the second crop is not yet ripened 
moderate moisture in the soil will be necessary, with a free circulation 
of warm air to insure high quality in the fruit. When the fruit is off 
take prompt measures to destroy insects. 
Earliest Forced Trees in Pots. —These may be placed outdoors when 
the wood is ripe ; but they must not be so treated if there is any doubt 
about this, keeping them under glass with a free circulation of air. 
These are matters in which the cultivator will need to exercise his judg¬ 
ment. In either case encourage surface roots by dressings of manure, 
rough loam, and a sprinkling of steamed bonemeal. See that those 
placed outdoors do not root from the base of the pots. Cut off all roots 
that have passed into the plunging material, top-dress, after which give 
a good watering, and they will need no more water than suffices to keep 
the foliage in health. 
Trees Unsatisfactory. —Fig trees planted out in houses not unfre- 
quently grow rampantly, and consequently produce thin crops of fruit. 
In that case root-pruning should be resorted to, and the roots confined 
to a narrow border of from 3 to 4 feet in width. A trench taken out 
at this distance from the stem after the fruit is gathered will check the 
tendency to a late growth, assist in the ripening of the wood, more par¬ 
ticularly if the growths are thinly disposed and the points of the shoots, 
instead of being tied closely in, are allowed to grow up to the glass. If 
the drainage be defective it will be necessary to lift the trees in the 
autumn as soon as the leaves commence falling, and replant in fresh 
soil. Place 9 to 12 inches of drainage, rough at the bottom, at the 
top, and on this place 3 inches thickness of old mortar rubbish, 
freed of old laths and other pieces of wood, smashed and sifted 
with a half-inch sieve, using that iemaining in the sieve, the 
finer particles being mixed with the soil to the extent of one-sixth. 
Turfy loam, inclined to be strong rather than light, forms a suitable 
rooting medium, adding to it a sixth part of old mortar rubbish, a 
tenth of calcined oyster shells, and a bushel of bonemeal or ground 
coprolites to every cartload or 30 bushels of loam. In replanting ram 
the compost, well incorporated, thoroughly about the roots, spreading 
them out evenly well up to the surface, and with soil between each 
layer so as not to have the roots altogether. . This will insure steady 
progressive growth, short-jointed fruitful wood, a solidified compost 
duly stored with nutrition securing, with judicious ventilation and 
management, solidified growth and large heavy fruit. The border may 
be 2 feet deep. Should the drainage be good it will only be necessary 
to detach the roots as advised, confine the trees to the narrow border, 
and remove some of the old soil from amongst the roots, replacing and 
top-dressing with the compost above stated. 
Late Houses. —The value of the fruit of trees in cool houses so as to 
ripen in late August and early September is considerable. The great 
point is to keep the growths thin and the roots restricted so as to insure 
a thoroughly solidified growth, short-jointed well ripened wood. If the 
wood does not ripen freely treat these as advised for “ unsatisfactory 
trees ” when the fruit is gathered, and lift when the foliage gives indica¬ 
tions of falling. Keep up a free circulation of air, expose the fruit as 
much as possible to the sun, but if spider be troublesome syringe on a 
fine morning after a close picking of the fruit, and afford no more water 
at the roots than is sufficient to keep the foliage in health. Ventilate 
freely in the early part of the day, and leave a little air on constantly to 
allow the moisture to escape and prevent its deposition upon the fruit, 
which may cause it to spot and decay prematurely. 
Vines. — Early Forced Vines in Pots. —These for starting in 
November must not be allowed to become dust dry at the roots. They 
will now be at re3t, the wool ripe, the laterals cut close home, and the 
canes shortened to about G feet, more or less, according to the situation 
of the plump eyes. Whilst the cuts are dry dres3 them with styptic or 
patent knotting to prevent trouble from bleeding; they should be kept in 
a cool airy house. 
Earliest Forced House. —It is not necessary to wait until all the 
leaves have fallen before pruning matured Vines for early forcing, but 
the wood must be brown and hard, and the leaves turning yellow. The 
pruning will cause the Vines to rest quickly and thoroughly. If in 
good condition they will afford bunches quite large enough when pruned 
to a couple of buds from the base, but if the Vines are weak from over¬ 
cropping or a long course of forcing, the spur shoots may be left a little 
longer with a view to large bunches. When this method is adopted 
take shoots from as near the base as possible when growth commences, 
which should not be allowed to carry fruit, but be stopped at about the 
sixth leaf, and the laterals at the first leaf, and subsequently as produced. 
Such shoots are sure to form good buds ; the extra foliage will tend to 
invigorate and support the fruit on the other shoot, which can be cut 
away in due time in favour of the other for fruiting the following season. 
This alternative system of fruiting necessitates keeping the shoots 
further apart for development and exposure to light and air. If the 
Vines are grown on the extension system it wdll only be necessary to 
cut back to plump buds on well ripened wood, being guided by the space 
at command, for there must not be overcrowding. It is important that 
the house be thoroughly cleansed and the Vines also. Any weakly 
Vines, or those in an unsatisfactory state, may be improved by removing 
the soil down to the roots, and substituting fresh loam with an admixture 
of steamed bonemeal to the extent of a thirtieth, and if calcareous matter 
be wanting add a sixth of old mortar rubbish to heavy soil, and chalk to 
light soil, or in the latter case clayey marl, dried, pounded and incorpo¬ 
rated with the soil is preferable. Lift any roots available for the purpose, 
laying them out upon the fresh compost, and cover them about 3 inches 
deep. This is best done over the whole extent of border occupied by 
the roots before the leaves fall. It is a mistake to allow Vines when 
at rest to become very dry at the roots. Comparative dryness is desirable, 
yet great injury is caused by allowing the soil to be dust dry. The 
outside borders should have a covering to protect the roots from the 
heavy autumn rains, which reduce the temperature considerably. 
Glass lights are preferable for throwing off heavy rains, while allowing 
the sun’s heat to penetrate the soil. Many, however, are obliged to rest 
content with a covering of leaves and litter after cold weather sets in, yet 
there is nothing like inside borders for early forcing, and reason and 
practice justify the employment of protective material on outside 
borders wherever available for the exclusion of moisture in undue pro¬ 
portion to the requirements of the Vines and preserving the soil 
warmth. 
Young Vines. —Tho-e that have made strong growth and are late 
in ripening should be assisted with fire heat, maintaining a minimum 
of 65°, and a maximum of 75° from fire heat, continuing it until the 
wood is ripe, accompanied with free top and front ventilation. Dis¬ 
courage any further growth by keeping the laterals well in hand, re¬ 
moving them as they appear, but be careful not to cause the principal 
buds to be forced into growth. 
Late Grapes.— These are now colouring rapidly, but are a long 
way from being properly finished, which in almost all cases i3 due to 
the lateness of starting. Late Grapes require plenty of time, and all 
the sun it is possible to insure to them. Keep the laterals well thinned, 
and thereby admit as much light as possible to insure the finishing of 
the crop, not by large reductions of foliage at a time, but bv frequent 
pinchings. Maintain a night temperature of 70° to 75°, falling 5° to 10° 
during the night, increasing to 80° to 85° by day, up to 90 in the after¬ 
noon, accompanied with a free circulation of air in the early part of the 
day, and a moderate amount day and night—always enough to insure a 
circulation. Make the most of the next month or six weeks in case of 
Grapes that are late in ripening, for when the days are short venti¬ 
lation cannot be freely admitted, and unless Grapes have a moderate 
amount of air moisture when ripening they do not swell freely, but are 
liable to shrivel, particularly Muscats, and it is not the moisture that 
causes Grapes to spot and crack, but the confined atmosphere—moisture 
condensed preventing evaporation from the surface of the fruit. Those 
Grapes well advanced in ripening may have the atmospheric moisture 
reduced; those only colouring should have a moderate amount of 
moisture to assist their swelling, not neglecting to apply water to the 
roots, but it will hardly be further needed by outside borders, whilst it 
must be given to inside borders as required. 
