November 19 , 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
441 
WOKK/o^ THE WEEK 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earliest Forced House. —The trees 
must now be started to ripen the fruit in May, when the varieties con¬ 
sist of Hale’s Early, Stirling Castle, Royal George, and Crimson Galande 
Peachey with Lord Napier, Elrage, and Dryden Nectarines. The very 
early varieties, Alexander, Waterloo, and Early Rivers Peaches, with 
Advance Nectarine, need not be started until the new year to ripen at 
the time named. The trees should be thoroughly examined for brown 
aphis, and if there be the least trace of the pest the affected parts should 
■be brushed over the same way as the growths with tobacco water, and 
the house thoroughly fumigated on two consecutive evenings. If the 
lights have been off, the border will have been thoroughly moistened 
down to the drainage, but there must be no mistake about this, for it is 
important that the trees have sufficient water at the roots ; therefore if 
any doubt exists as to the moisture of the soil give a thorough supply 
.slightly in advance of the temperature of the house. Weakly trees will 
be benefited by an application of liquid manure. Fire heat need only be 
employed at night to exclude frost, and by day to insure a temperature 
of 50°. Commence ventilating at 50°, and close the house at that 
temperature, ventilating fully without lowering the heat below 50° in 
the daytime. Syringe the trees in the morning and early afternoon of 
fine days until the buds begin to show colour, but then (and on dull 
days prior thereto) discontinue the syringing, yet maintain a suitable 
moisture in the atmosphere by damping the paths, borders, and other 
available surfaces on bright mornings and fine afternoons, admitting a 
little air constantly at the top of the house. Aim at bringing the trees 
on gradually to secure well developed blossoms, strong in the stamens 
with anthers laden with perfect pollen and the pistils stout, well 
advanced above the ovary, and perfect for fertilisation. These, however, 
will be perfect or imperfect, as they were formed in embryo in the 
previous season ; but they can be enfeebled by bringing them on too rapidly, 
and made thin in the petals, weak in stamens, and slender in pistil, with 
ill-developed ovary, by not affording time for their perfect development. 
Houses Started at the New Year. —Trees started early in the year for 
affording fruit at the end of May or early in June, the trees being the 
older forcing varieties, must now be kept as cool as possible. This is 
best effected by keeping the roof lights off the hou e until the time of 
starting. The severest weather does not injure the wood or buds, and 
the trees are insured perfect rest, so far as it is practicable in our climate. 
The lights, however, should be replaced about a fortnight in advance of 
starting the house, and they must be cleansed, repaired, and, if necessary, 
painted. The woodwork of the house must be washed with soapy water, 
and the walls washed with hot lime. Pruning will have been attended 
to, which is a light affair where proper attention has been given to dis¬ 
budding, retaining growth only essential for extension and next year’s 
crops, and cutting out, after the fruit is gathered, the useless wood. 
The trees, however, must be examined to remove wood not required and 
that having been overlooked during growth. Brown scale is sometimes 
troublesome, and it is impatient of extremes. Syringing with water at 
a temperature of 140° to 160° frees the branches of the pest, but the 
water must not be used excessively, it suffices to thoroughly reach every 
part with the hot water. Frost also has a very decisive effect on brown 
ecale, and trees exposed in the rest season are seldom affected with it, 
but it is often introduced from plant houses by persons in charge of 
ventilation. Trees under fixed roofs may be cleansed of scale by 
washing them with a solution of softsoap, 4 ozs. to a gallon of water, 
using a stiffish brush, taking care not to dislocate the buds. Secure the 
■trees to the trellis, allowing plenty of space in the ties for the swelling 
of the branches. Remove any loose inert surface soil, supplying fresh 
loam not more than a couple of inches thick on the roots, and to which 
has been added a quart of bonemeal to every bushel, and double that 
quantity of wood ashes, the whole well incorporated, or 4 ozs. of the 
following mixture may be applied as a surface dressing per square yard, 
steamed bonemeal 7 lbs., kainit 3 lbs., mixed. Superphosphate may be 
used instead of steamed bonemeal, and nitrate of potash instead of 
kainit, but 2 ozs. only of the mixture must be applied before starting the 
■trees, and a similar dressing when the fruit is about the size of marbles. 
Mulching with short manure should be deferred until the trees are 
somewhat in growth. Houses with fixed roof lights should be kept as 
cool as possible, ventilating to the fullest extent except when severe 
frost prevails. 
Houses for Starting in February. —The trees started early in February 
ripen the fruit late in June or early in July, and will now require 
similar treatment to that advised for those in the house to be started in the 
new year. The roof lights are very much better removed, but it is a 
ommon practice to use houses of this kind for plants requiring protec¬ 
tion from frost, especially Chrysanthemums. It is not a good pract ce, 
f or the Poach trees are deprived of that rest so e ssential to success, and it 
often excites the trees prematurely, being then followed by a check, as is 
usually caused when the Chrysanthemums are over by throwing the house 
open, inducing the buds to fall. It is also a ba 1 system to leave houses 
and trees unattended after the leaves fall until the absolute necessity 
arises for starting the trees. The trees are never handled so safely as 
when the wood contains least sap, which is as soon as the leaves have 
fallen, and the delay is taken advantage of by red spider, thrips, and 
other insect pests to find safe retreats. The house, therefore, should be 
thoroughly cleansed, the trees pruned, readjusted to the trellis, and 
every needful operation performed, so that a start can be confidently 
made when the time arrives. 
Houses Started in March. —The trees in these structures and closed 
early in March, will ripen their fruit in July if brought forward by 
artificial heat, but where warmth is only given when the trees are in 
blossom, and to secure the safety of the young fruit from frost, the fruit 
will not ripen until August or September if kept cool. The house may 
be a Peach case or glass-covered wall, with sufficient hot-water piping 
to exclude frost, afford a genial warmth when the trees are in blossom, 
accelerating the ripening as may be necessary, and ripening the wood 
in cold districts. The trees are now leafless where they have been sub¬ 
jected to artificial heat to ripen the fruit in August, and should undergo 
the operation advised for those in the early house. The roof lights 
should be removed, the hot-water pipes emptied, leaving the lights off 
until the blossoms show colour, unless it is desired to start the trees 
before. If the lights are fixed, the ventilators should he thrown open 
to the fullest extent except when frost prevails. 
Latest Houses. —Late Peaches are quite as valuable as early ones, con¬ 
sidering that they are had at much less cost, for all that is necessary for late 
houses is a gentle warmth in spring and in autumn, and not always heat 
at those times. The fruits are noble at dessert, and when well done good 
in quality. Make no attempt to remove the leaves until they part readily 
from the trees by shaking the trellis. Cut out all the wood that has 
borne fruit and all superfluous growths. Do not allow the soil to become 
very dry, but if necessary give water to moisten the soil down to the 
drainage. Keep the house cool by free ventilation, clearing away the 
leaves as they fall. Trees that grow too luxuriantly should be root 
pruned and lifted whilst the leaves are upon the trees ; but the wood 
being unripe, they must not be lifted until the leaves have for the most 
part fallen, or the unripe wood will shrivel and die. If the wood 
does not ripen well, turn on the heat by day with moderate ventilation, 
and turn it off in the afternoon, so as to have the pipes cool before night, 
and then open all the ventilators, unless frost prevails, when ventilate 
according to circumstance, for a sudden collapse of the foliage is detri¬ 
mental to the trees’ health. When the wood does not ripen up to the 
points of the shoots a trench may be formed at some distance from 
the stem, and the roots be cut, which will check the tendency to growth 
and induce ripening. After remaining open ten days or a fortnight the 
trenches may be closed, making the soil firm, and giving a good 
watering. 
Wall Cases or Unheated Houses. —In some localities Peaches and 
Nectarines do not succeed against walls, and they are covered with glass, 
under which the trees afford more satisfactory crops. The walls should 
have south aspects in the northern parts of the kingdom ; in the south 
late Peaches and Nectarines ripen well in September and October in 
structures facing west. They are not, however, always satisfactory. 
Sometimes the border is at fault and the trees make late growth, not 
ripening the wood well. Where that occurs the trees should be lifted 
and the roots laid in fresh compost nearer the surface. This must he 
done carefully and not too soon, the leaves having for the most part 
fallen. If judiciously performed next year’s crop will not be jeopardised, 
but the blossoms will set well, stone certainly, and good fruit 1 e ha 1 by 
good management. Too severe root-pruning must not be practised If 
the drainage is not good it must be rectified, and the soil being unsuitable 
it should be put right by removing a part and adding fresh. Patching 
bad borders is not good practice, and it is often more profitable to make 
new ones. The border should have 3 or 4-inch drains, with proper fall 
and outlet to carry off superfluous water, and 1 foot of drainage over the 
drains formed of brickbats, rubble, &c., roughest at bottom and about 
the size of road mettle at top, with a 3-inches layer of older mortar 
rubbish over the drainage. Two feet depth of soil is sufficient, makiDg 
the border 2|- feet deep in the first instance to allow for settling. The 
top 3 inches of a pasture where the soil is a rather strong calcareous 
loam is most suitable, and if interspersed with pieces of limestone and 
flint it could not possibly be improved upon by any admixture. If light 
add a fourth of clay marl, dried and pounded, and one-sixth of old 
mortar rubbish, or weathered chalk if deficient in lime, incorporating 
all well together, and placing in the border rather firmly. The bolder 
need not bo wider than 4^ feet in the first instance for young tree3, ard 
all are accommodated in a border 1 foot wider than the extent of the 
roots, adding to it as the roots extend. A narrow' border is superior to a 
wide one, only due regard is had to watering and feeding, with judicious 
mulching. If new trees are to be put in select those just coming into 
bearing—say two or three years trained to walls, and lifted in the 
preceding year to moving. Carefully lifted and planted they will bear 
fruit the season following planting, and not being overcropped will not 
be materially hindered in extension. Introducing new trees and the 
lifting and replanting Peach and Nectarine trees should be effected as 
soon as practicable, a? upon that depends success in the following year. 
By a judicious selection of varieties fruit of first-class quality maybe 
had in a Peach case from the beginning of July until early October. 
Peaches : Alexander, Hale’s Early, Dagmar, Crimson Galande, Goshawk, 
Alexandra Noblesse, Dymond, Belle Beauce, Barrington, Princess if 
Wales, Sea Eagle, and Golden Eagle. Nectarin33 : Advance, Lo'd 
Napier, Dryden, Rivers’ Wnite, Pine Apple, and Victoria. Those varie'ies 
are good and come into cse snccessionally as named. 
