874 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 29, 1892. 
of gumming. Remove the surface soil down to the roots, and supply 
fresh loam°rather stiff, containing about a fortieth part of steamed 
bonemeal and a twentieth of wood ashes. Give a thorough supply of 
water to inside borders of houses with fixed roof lights, but it is better 
to remove the roof lights and allow the borders to become thoroughly 
soaked by the autumn rains. 
Any lifting and root-pruning of trees not in a satisfactory state 
should be attended to whilst the leaves are upon the trees, not, however, 
until the foliage becomes mature, and then acting with dispatch. If 
fresh trees have to be introduced it should be performed when they are 
safe for removal—namely, when the leaves part readily from them or as 
soon as they are nearly off the trees. The best description of trees for 
planting in houses are those three or more years trained to walls or to 
trellises under glass, and prepared by annual or biennial lifting. Such 
trees transplant safely with abundance of fibres. Carefully planted 
they can be forced the first year with every confidence of a crop if not 
started before the new year, not brought on too rapidly, and not over¬ 
cropped. It is always desirable to select trained trees in bearing in 
preference to planting young trees that are not furnished with some 
bearing woo:!, but if young trees must be planted select such as have a 
well furnished base, free from gum, not very strong in the wood, and 
that well matured. 
Late Houses .—The fruit except on a few of the latest trees, is now 
nearly all gathered, and the wood that has borne fruit and not required 
for extension should be cut out, as nothing is so prejudicial to late trees 
as too much wood. If the trees are young and not ripening the wood 
well, form a trench about one-third the distance from the stem the trees 
cover in height of trellis, and down to the drainage, so as to detach the 
roots, and after remaining open a fortnight, fill the trench firmly, 
adding calcareous matter to the soil if deficient of that substance. This 
will check the tendency to late growth and induce wood ripening. 
The surface soil in the undisturbed portion should be removed down to 
the roots, supplying fresh material, or replacing the old soil after adding 
some calcareous mat'er, and give a good watering. The trees will push 
fresh roots, and ripen the wood, but lifting must not be practised whilst 
the wood is soft and the leaves green and sappy, or the check will cause 
the wood to shrivel. Trees judiciously operated upon at the roots in¬ 
variably set the blossoms well after operations of this character, the 
roots in lifting being laid in again carefully and kept well up to the 
surface. 
Figs. —Early Forced Trees in Pots.— Those intended for affording 
fruit at the close of April or early in May will now need dressing with 
an insecticide, softsoap solution 4 ozs. to the gallon of water answering, 
applying in a tepid state with a brush, being careful when using the 
solution not to injure the points of the shoots or rub off the embryo 
fruits. Very little pruning will be necessary, the trees having been 
regularly stopped during the growing season, but if the growths are too 
crowded and irregular they may be thinned to render the trees symme¬ 
trical. The house in which the trees are forced should have the wood¬ 
work and walls washed with hot water, afterwards whitewashing the 
walls with hot lime and sulphur. A mild bottom heat is almost a 
necessity to a successful swelling and perfecting of the earliest crop, the 
pots being raised upon loose bricks pedestal-fashion in the positions they 
are to occupy in the bed, and the pit filled with Oak or Beech leaves 
pressed firmly. The depth of the pit needs to be 2£ to 3 feet, with a 
third of stable litter mixed through the leaves ; for leaves alone the 
depth should be 4 to 4£ feet. Care must be taken to avoid over-heating, 
not allowing the heat about the pots to exceed 65° until growth takes 
place. The trees should be started about the middle of November, 
bringing them forward very gently, keeping the house close and moist 
by sprinkling twice a day in bright weather, employing fire heat to 
maintain a temperature of 50° at night, 65° by day, and with sun heat 
00° to 65°. The soil in the pots must be brought into a thoroughly 
moist condition by needful watering. 
Early Forced Planted-out Trees .—The trees should now be untied 
from the trellis, and the needful pruning effected. Those with the roots 
restricted to small borders will only require to have the shoots thinned 
where too crowded, cutting back growths extended to the limits of the 
trellis and not necessary for fruit production, so as to allow space for 
successional growths. Trees that have not the roots restricted will 
require cutting back at the upper part of the trellis, allowing room for 
the extension of the lower branches ; but luxuriant trees may be root- 
pruned, or the cutting-out of growths will only tend to render the trees 
more unfruitful. The trees may be washed with soapy water as advised 
for trees in pots, and be secured to the trellis loosely. Remove the 
loose soil, remains of mulchings, point over the surface with a fork, and 
apply a surface dressing of fresh loam not more than 2 inches thick ; 
sprinkle over that 2 ozs. per square yard of steamed bonemeal, and apply 
a mulch of partially decayed manure, lumpy yet short. Give a good 
watering ; ventilate freely at all times, except when frost prevails, when 
keep closed, and turn on heat to exclude it. 
Succession Houses .—The trees are not ripening their wood well, and 
it will be wise to turn on the heat in the morning, and admit air only 
to induce a circulation, throwing the windows open at night, the heat 
having been turned off at midday. This will assist the maturation of 
the foliage ; but any unfruitful trees must be severely root-pruned, and 
the roots restricted to moderate sized borders, depending more upon 
active feeders near the surface, encouraged by light mulchings, than a 
large extension of roots. These operations must be performed when the 
leaves give indication of falling. Make the soil firm, employing one- 
sixth of old mortar rubbish and a similar proportion of road scrapings. 
Figs always do better with the roots restricted to moderate sized borders, 
and are more manageable and fruitful when the roots are confined to 
limited space than those with an unlimited rooting area. Prune the 
trees when the leaves have fallen, cleanse the house, put everything into 
order. Dress trees that have been infested with insects with an insecti¬ 
cide. Scald the woodwork and walls with hot water, keeping it off the 
trees, yet washing them with a warm soapy solution before applying 
the insecticide. Keep the house cool and dry, yet exclude frost. 
Late Houses .—Excessively luxuriant trees should be attended to in 
lifting and root-pruning as advised above, and Fig trees can hardly 
have the roots too much restricted for fruitfulness, being also more 
under control, and can be fed according to requirements. Trees in 
unheated houses should have free ventilation, and when the leaves fall 
the trees must be unloosed from the trellis, be tied together in conve¬ 
nient bundles, and made safe against frost with some straw or fern over 
them, encasing the bundles in mats. In heated houses this is not 
necessary, but the trees in those must not be exposed to severe frost, or 
they are liable to be injured, therefore a little warmth will be necessary 
in severe weather. Trees in cool houses should have the roots protected 
by a covering of dry material. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Zonal Pelargoniums. — Plants that have been protected for some 
weeks from heavy rains will come quickly into flower if placed in a 
temperature of 60°. If possible give them a span-roofed structure, 
where they can be arranged close to the glass. Apply a little artificial 
manure to the surface of the soil, and the roots will quickly come to the 
surface and take possession of it. Water in the morning carefully, and 
throw about no more water than is really necessary. Admit air daily to 
prevent the foliage and blooms damping. Few plants are more useful 
for supplying cut flowers in abundance than Pelargoniums during the 
dull days of autumn. The season has been unfavourable for ripening 
their wood, but plants that were potted firmly and kept in a small size 
should be promising. Place a good number of young plants into 5-inch 
pots for flowering early in the year; pot firmly, water with care, and 
keep the plants slowly moving in an airy structure, where the tempera¬ 
ture does not fall below 45° to 50° ; pinch the shoots if they need it for 
the last time. 
Cinerarias .—The earliest plants will soon come into flower if placed 
in any structure that does not fall below 50°, and can be kept mode¬ 
rately close. These plants will bear slight forcing if a close, confined 
atmosphere is not attempted. Throughout November and December a 
few with blue flowers are especially serviceable, and are telling in the 
conservatory amongst Roman Hyacinths, Solanums, Pelargoniums, 
Chrysanthemums, and similar plants. Repot later plants as they 
need more root room; once they are checked they quickly produce their 
flower spikes. It is useless to pot those that are showing flower spikes. 
If these are not needed in small pots they can be thrown out. It is a 
good plan to pot a few more than are required for spring flowering, so 
that those that show for flowering can be thrown out as soon as they 
are discovered. The latest supplies should be ready for 4 and 6-inch 
pots respectively. If large specimens are needed, earlier plants that 
are not showing flower may be placed into 8 and 9-inch pots. Do not 
allow these plants to suffer by an insufficient supply of water, and keep 
them cool and on a moisture-holding base. All plants that are well 
rooted in their pots may have clear soot water every time they need 
water. Watch for aphides, and fumigate as soon as they are observed. 
Primula o~bconica .—Place into 5-inch pots all plants intended for 
spring flowering ; grow them in the greenhouse, or a cool frame will do 
for the present. Early plants will soon come into flower in a tempera¬ 
ture of 45° to 50°. Plants raised from seed sown as soon as it was 
ripe, should be pricked off singly into pans or boxes and grown on a 
shelf in the greenhouse. 
Chinese Primulas .—Those intended for spring flowering should be 
placed into 4-inch pots-. Grow these close to the glass in a cool 
structure, where they will be safe from frost. If stood on a cool moist 
base growth will only be slow, which should be aimed at, for if drawn 
up weakly they only flower poorly in spring, and are liable to damp. 
Admit air liberally to these as well as to larger plants that are not required 
in bloom for the present. Double varieties should be placed where they 
can have gentle warmth, and they will commence flowering profusely 
and yield quantities useful for cutting. A moderately dry atmosphere 
suits these best. They are very liable to damp in a cool moist atmosphere. 
Callas .—The main stock of these should enjoy a light but cool house, 
where they can be well syringed and freely watered. Admit abundance 
of air to keep them dwarf and sturdy. Where these are appreciated for 
Christmas select the strongest and most promising, in fact a good 
number may be picked up that are already showing their spikes. Keep 
them a little closer, but do not attempt to force them, or their spathes 
will not develop properly ; they can be brought gradually forward, but 
cannot endure forcing. Give plenty of air, or they will soon run up 
weakly. 
Bouvardias .—These only move slowly in a cool house and are liable to 
damp. Where it is practicable place them in an intermediate structure, 
where air can be admitted daily. Water carefully and give weak 
stimulants frequently, or apply artificial manure to the surface to keep 
their roots moving, which is the secret of a long succession of flower. 
When well cared for the plants continue to grow and flower, provided 
they have been well grown and ripened. 
Solanums .—Where an increase of stock is needed seed may be sown 
in heat from well-berried plants. Pot singly as soon as they are large 
enough to handle, and grow them in a temperature of 60°. 
