484 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r r c member 8, 1891. 
variety called Moorpark is unfortunately more subject to this than the 
ether kinds, and should not be extensively planted where there is reason 
to anticipate failure from the above cause, otherwise it is one of the very 
best kinds. Other good varieties, which are stronger in constitution and 
not so liable to disease, are Royal, Hemskerk, Kaisha, and Roman. 
A south aspect is not so essential for Apricots as it is for Peaches and 
Nectarines. They will succeed in the warmer counties on west and south¬ 
west aspects provided other conditions are favourable. They should be 
trained on the dwarf fan system. 
Plums.— The choicer kinds of these deserve the next be 3 t position 
to Peaches and Apricots, which will vary according to locality. In bad 
situations Plums should take the place of the above fruits. A long 
succession of choice dessert fruit may be had by planting a good 
selection. They may be grown either as cordons or as fan-trained trees ; 
the former cover the walls quickest and give better returns, although 
costing more in the first instance. Plums on walls are apt to get un¬ 
sightly and fail to give satisfaction through the spurs growing too long 
and projecting from the wall; the grower should always be watchful 
about this, especially at pruning time. The following are good varieties 
for a succession of fruit :—Dessert, July Green Gage, Oullins Golden 
Gage, Green Gage, Prince Englebert, Kirke’s, Jefferson, Coe’s Golden 
Drop, Reine Claude de Bavay. Kitchen—Early Rivers, Early Orleans, 
Czar, Victoria, Pond’s Seedling, Pershore Monarch, Grand Duke. 
Suckers. —In planting all kinds of stone fruits it is necessary to 
carefully remove every appearance of a sucker or bud on the roots. 
Some stocks produce the3e much more freely than others, and are very 
troublesome when they get older ; they may generally be known in the 
nursery by the knotty appearance of the stem and should be carefully 
avoided. 
Pears. —The best varieties of these should always find a place on 
the walls of the fruit garden. No matter how well they succeed as 
pyramid trees, &c., it is impossible to obtain such fine clean fruit as trees 
on walls will give. In good localities Pears will succeed on any aspect 
if other conditions are suitable, but north of London they should not be 
planted on north walls, and only the hardiest and earliest varieties 
will succeed there in the south. As a general rule the west aspect 
will be found the best of all. Cordon trees are preferred by many to 
the old horizontal style, which takes such a long time to cover a wall 
properly, and only continues in full prosperity for a few years after 
gaining its full size. By growing cordons also it is possible to grow more 
varieties on each aspect, and thus prolong the season of many of them. 
The following varieties will give a succession of good fruit:—Beacon, 
Jargonelle, Williams’ Bon Chretien, Beurr6 d’Amanlis, Seckle(must have 
a warm position), Fondante d’Automne, Emile d’Heyst, Marie Louise, 
Louise Bonne of Jersey, Pitmaston Duchess, Doyennb du Comice, 
Winter Nelis, Passe Colmar, Glou Morgeau, Easter Beurrb, and for the 
south Beurr£ Ranee may be included also. 
North Walls. —Generally speakiDg these are most profitably 
occupied by Morello Cherrie3, dessert Gooseberries for late use, and 
Red or White Currants. A good arrangement is to plant the Cherries as 
dwarf fan-trained trees about 15 feet apart, and grow the other varieties 
between as upright cordons, eventually reducing the latter to three 
cordons between each Cherry when these get to their full size. The Red 
Warrington Gooseberry is most useful for this purpose, as it keeps longer 
and better than any other variety ; but if others are required, Thumper, 
Leveller, Husbandman, Crown Bob, and Lancashire Lass are good ones. 
Victoria is the best Red Currant for late use, and White Dutch should 
a’so be grown. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. — Houses Started Early in November. —Whether the Vines 
are in pots or planted out in inside borders the temperature will 
need to be increased to 60° at night in mild weather, 55° in severe 
weather after the buds break, gradually increasing it from that 
stage to 60° at night when the Vines are in leaf, 65° by day in 
severe weather, and 70° to 75° in mild weather. Ventilation 
should begin at 70°, just a little to insure a change of atmosphere, 
increasing it with the sun heat, having it rather free at 75°, and above 
that temperature, for it is important that the foliage be well formed 
and solidified. Avoid, however, sharp and drying currents of air, as 
that cripples the foliage, stunting the growth. Sprinkle the Vines in 
the afternoon of fine days, and damp the floors and other available 
surfaces twice a day according to external influences, avoiding a 
saturated atmosphere on the one hand and a dry one on the other. If 
there be evaporation troughs charge them with liquid manure, the clear 
drainings of stables and cow byres, but avoid those of pigstyes. Guano, 
1 lb. to 20 gallons of water, is suitable for filling the troughs, also for 
watering Vines in pots or planted out, the liquid being applied at the 
same temperature of the house. Disbudding should not be practised 
until the bunches show in the points of the shoots, but the Vines 
should be tied in position as soon as growth has well commenced, 
and before the shoots are so long as to be liable to be damaged in the 
operation. 
Houses to Afford Grapes in May. —The Vines that are to afford 
Grapes for table at the time stated must be started at once, these 
Laving had a few weeks’ rest after being pruned and the house cleansed, 
and everything put into proper order. To insure a good break the 
atmosphere must be kept moist ; nothing insures this better than a 
bed of leaves and stable litter properly sweetened, placing the materials 
on the floor and turning daily, adding fresh as requisite. Outside 
'borders should have the needful protection from cold rains and snow ; 
iwo-thirds of leaves and one of stable litter afford a less violent 
but more lasting heat than manure, but it is not desirable to use ferment¬ 
ing materials on outside borders unless they can be properly attended 
to afterwards in removing the spent, and replenishing with fresh as 
required; then they are useful, not otherwise. Where outside borders 
were covered with leaves, bracken, or litter in early autumn, so as to 
throw off the wet, the temperature will be considerably warmer than 
that of borders exposed, and in the case covering with fermenting 
material may be dispensed with, but where the roots of Vines are 
wholly outside a covering of warm litter is preferable. Such Vines, 
however, are not suitable for early forcing, as for that purpose the 
roots should be inside mainly, if not wholly ; the outside border, if 
any, being properly protected from cold and wet. Inside borders must 
be brought into a thoroughly moist state by applying water in a tepid 
state. Weakly Vines, and the border in a proper state as regards 
texture and drainage, may have liquid manure supplied at 90°. Main¬ 
tain a moist atmosphere by syringing two or three times a day in bright 
weather, occasionally only in dull, avoiding excessive moisture and a 
close atmosphere, as these excite the emission of aerial roots from the 
rods. The temperature should be 50° at night in severe weather, 55° 
when mild, and 65° by day, except the weather be severe, then main¬ 
tain at 55°, not exceeding those figures until the Vines commence 
growth. Young Vines will need the rods depressed to the horizontal 
line, or below it, to insure the regular breaking of the buds; without 
this they push growths from the upper buds only. 
Midseason Houses .—Prune the Vines directly the leaves have fallen. 
This is advantageous in securing complete rest. Thin-skinned Grapes 
keep better cut and placed in bottles of clear rain water with a piece of 
charcoal in each than on the Vines, especially under a leaky roof, and 
where plants are in the house. In a suitable room the Grapes have a 
more equable temperature than is possible in vineries, and they keep 
longer and quite as plump. Keeping late Grapes on the Vines to mature 
after the leaves have fallen certainly improves those having a coarse 
earthy flavour, such as Gros Colman, and the Grape3 from their leathery 
skins are not so liable to injury from damp as the thin-skinned Grapes, 
therefore they are left until the new year, or later, before cutting and 
bottling; but in the case of midseason Vines it is well to prune them 
directly all the leaves are down, and cut and bottle any Grapes at that 
time remaining. Thoroughly cleanse the house, dress the Vines, top- 
dress the border after removing the loose surface soil, and keep the 
house as cool as possible. 
Late Houses .—Take every possible precaution against damp. Drip 
is fatal to late (Grapes, a single drop of water getting inside a bunch 
being sufficient to spoil it, as the decay spreads rapidly. Drip is often 
caused by keeping the house closed and the pipes cold, so that moisture 
condenses on the glass and falls from the rafters or sash- 
bars on to the Grapes. This is common when early ventilation is 
neglected on fine days. A little air and gentle warmth in the pipes 
dissipates the moisture and prevents decay in the berrie3, but too much 
heat and too dry air causes the Grapes to shrivel; seek therefore a dry, 
cool, and equable temperature, 40° to 45° being sufficient, keeping the 
house closed in damp weather, and when clear admit air freely. Remove 
all leaves as they become ripe, avoiding sweeping, as dust greatly 
impairs the appearance of Grapes. 
Cherry House. —The trees must now be pruned. Full-grown trees, 
properly attended to in stopping during growth, will require very little 
pruning now. Any summer shoots that have grown censiderably should 
be cut back to about an inch from the base, and the worn out spurs may 
be shortened or removed as required. Cut out deid spurs and thin 
those which are crowded, always reserving sufficient for producing a 
crop. The terminal shoots in the case of trees extending must not be 
shortened, but when they reach the extremity of the trellis they will 
need shortening, always to a wood bud. Young trees will require to be 
cut back as may be necessary, the central shoots being shortened so as 
to originate others for filling the space regularly, but it is not desirable 
to start them too closely together, as that may cause the branches to 
press against each other, and this is a common cause of gumming. 
Fan-training is unquestionably the best for Cherries, as it admits of 
replacing any branch that may fall a prey to gumming. Thoroughly 
cleanse the house—the woodwork with soapy water and a brush, lime- 
wash the walls, using fresh burned lime, with a sixth of flowers of 
sulphur and a little dissolved glue to cause it to adhere firmly. Wash 
the trees with soapy water, and afterwards dress them with an 
insecticide, being careful not to injure the buds. Remove the 
loose surface soil, and supply fresh loam. The roof lights being 
off they need not be replaced until the time arrives for starting 
the trees, which to have Cherries ripe early in May should be at 
the middle of this month. The very early varieties will ripen sooner, 
such as Early Rivers and Belle d’Orleans, these being well in advance of 
Black Tartarian and Governor Wood. These divergencies in ripening 
must be kept in mind in forcing Cherries, and it is necessary not to 
bring them forward too rapidly, especially when forcing them for the 
first time. Trees under fixed roofs should be well supplied with water 
if necessary to keep the soil moist. Fixed roofs, however, are mistakes 
in the early forcing of Cherries. 
Figs. —Forcing Planted-out Trees .—The earliest house should be 
closed in December to have ripe Figs in May. Where, however, the 
earliest Figs are obtained from trees in pots, starting the trees in 
borders may be deferred until the new year, so as to afford a succession. 
Planted-out trees, even with the roots confined (as they should be for 
early forcing) to inside borders, will not ripen the fruit so early as pot 
trees, and if started at the same time they will afford a close succession 
