Ju’y 2, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
11 
and York-and-Lancaster (striped), true, and supposed to be between the two 
former. I have never seen these before, and should be glad to know if 
some light could be thrown on this interesting subject—Charles Lawson, 
the old Cabbage, Maiden’s Blush, Coupe d’Hhbd, White Moss, Seven Sisters, 
Blairii No. 2, and Crested Moss. 
The prize given by Mr. John Hollingworth, value five guineas, for the 
best stand of Roses combined with Ferns or other foliage, was won by Mrs. 
f t. B. Biron with a stand arranged in her usual good taste, and clearly show¬ 
ing that her hand had not lost its cunning. The second wa3 taken by Miss 
Bensted ; Miss Lawrence was third, and Miss Henwood fourth. In the class 
for shoulder knots Mrs. Robert Knight was first, Mrs. Biron second, Miss 
S. Mercer third, Mrs. H. White fourth, and Mrs. H. A. Hughes fifth. In 
buttonhole bouquets there was a keen competition, and most of them 
exhibited much simplicity and good tast a . Mrs. Tatham was first, Mrs. 
H. White second, Miss Henwood third, Mrs. Knight fourth, and Mrs. S. 
Mercer. 
I may add that it was to all lovers of the Rose a g'eat pleasure to see 
that veteran rosarian Mr. John Hollingworth quite himself again, and 
bearing no trace of the severe illness which caused so much distress to his 
many friends. He was as keen and as hearty as ever.—D., Deal. 
WORK fouthe WE EK.. <3 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Strawberry time has c me again, later than usual it may be, but 
never with greater abundance of this wholesome and popular fruit. The 
late season has caused ripe fruit of the early sorts to be eagerly sought 
after and more highly prized than usual, and where special provision had 
been made to ob'ain early fruit in the open air such care has been well 
rewarded. Now is the time to see if there are any faults in our method 
of culture, and to strive to obtain clear knowledge of the cause of failure 
and its remedy. In the second week cf June we saw a very steep and 
high bank in a railway cutting, upon which there was a Strawberry bed 
with ripe fruit c'ustering thickly upon the plants. Let the lesson con¬ 
veyed by the tempting sight be turned to general account. It is true 
that we cannot have railway cuttings in our gardens, but we may con¬ 
trive some banks with a high slope at an acute angle in many a snug 
sheltered corner facing the south-west. We have previously called atten¬ 
tion to the importance of some such plan, as well as of planting large 
beds oflate sorts under standard fruit trees and near high walls facing 
the north to retard the ripening of the fruit as much as possible, so as to 
prolong the season of ripe fruit by every means in our power. Never 
waste valuable space upon inferior sorts. We have so many really excellent 
varieties now that there should be no difficulty in making a selection to 
«uit every garden, and to this important end we strongly recommend our 
own plan, which is to procure a dozen plants of each new sort, and to make 
little trial beds so as test them fairly with older varieties. Certainly 
space could be found for such trial beds in all large gardens, and it is the 
only safe way to ascertain the real value of any sort, and to obtain the 
best. 
Repeatedly have we advised our readers not to dig between Gooseberry 
bushes after they are established in the soil, and to apply manure as a 
surface dressing only. By this treatment the roots are preserved from 
laceration, and, being drawn to the surface by the manure, health and 
vigour of growth is ensured. The merit of economy of labour may a'so 
be claimed for it, and the still more impirtant one of immunity from the 
attacks of the Gooseberry caterpillar. A grower of Gooseberries by the 
ton has recently called attention to this fact as of vital importance to 
Iruit farmers. He tells how a considerable sum of money was spent upon 
planting several acres cf Gooseberries, how careful he was to break up 
the soil well annually between the bushes, how the foliage was eaten by 
caterpillars to such a serious extent that growth was checked. Hand¬ 
picking, dusting with lime and hellebore powder, were all tried and found 
ineffectual, when, with failure apparently inevitable, he one day happened 
to turn from his almost leafless bushes to look over the enclosure of a 
neighbour, where, to his agreeable surprise, he saw Gooseberry bushes 
untouched by caterpillars, and found it was simply owing to the hard 
surface of the undug toil affording them no protection during winter. 
The hint was turned to account; there was henceforward no more digging 
between Gooseberry bushes, and no more caterpillars. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —Earliest Forced Trees .—Directly the 
last of the fruit is gathered cleanse the foliage of dust and insects by fre¬ 
quent washings with the syringe or garden engine, and if red spider or 
other insect pests are present an insecticide may be necessary to effect a 
clearance. The free exposure of the current year’s growth to light and 
air by taking out the shoots that have borne fruit, as well as any others 
that are not likely to be wanted when the autumn tying-in takes place, is 
equally important. If this operation is judiciously performed, little 
pruning will be necessary in the autumn, and the young growths having 
had full exposure will be thoroughly ripe and well set with flower buds. 
The inside borders must have liberal supplies of water, and of a stimu¬ 
lating nature if the trees have been heavily cropped and show signs of 
exhaustion. If the wood is in a forward condition as to ripeness the roof 
lights may be removed or remain on a little longer, but the question as 
to early forced trees is not so much in getting the wood ripe as in prevent¬ 
ing premature ripening of the foliage. Before the lights are removed it 
will be advisable to mark well any trees requiring lifting, to check any 
exuberant growth, or for supplying fresh loam to any showing signs of 
failing vigour. The operation is best performed just before the fait of 
the leaf. Trees so treated seldom cast their buds or fail to set good 
crops of fruit, responding quickly on the application of genial heat when 
the bouse is closed, as might be expected from the presence of active 
surface feeders, the formation of which the lifting accelerates. 
Succession Houses.— Trees ripening their fruit will be the better for a 
little ventilation night and day, and although moisture must be kept from 
the fruit a moderate amount of air moisture is necessary for the benefit 
of the foliage, available surfaces being damped occasionally, and the 
border must not on any account be allowed to become dry, but be kept 
moist. Artificial heat may now be dispensed with, except during a dull 
col 1 period, when a gentle heat in the pipes will contribute to a circulation 
of air and improve the quality of the fruit. 
Trees after Stoning .—The exhausting process ofstoning being completed, 
the trees should be thoroughly examined, and all pendant fruit that can 
be turned up to the sun brought round and supported, apex upwards, on 
pieces of lath placed across the wires forming the trellis. Keep the shoots 
carrying fruit stopped, and guard against overcropping. A fruit to every 
square foot of trellis covered by the trees is ample where size and quality 
is a chief consideration, and timely thinning to that number will not 
only increase the size of the fruit, but will often prevent its being cast 
in the process of stoning, or result in premature ripening. Syringe twice 
a day thoroughly until the fruit begins to ripen or soften, using dear soft 
water as any other is likely to stain the fruit. Let there be no coddling, 
but leave a little air on all night, increasing it early in the morning, and 
rise to 80° after closing time in the afternoon. 
Late Houses .—Keep the trees thin of wood, not allowing more to 
remain than will be necessary for furnishing next year’s bearing wood, the 
extension of the trees, or that essential to attracting the sap to the present 
crop Stopping will only be necessary with laterals and shoots above the 
fruit, unless it be advisable to stop any strong growth so as to divert the 
sap to other parts and secure an equal distribution of the growth. Let 
the borders be well supplied with moisture, and mulched si as to encou¬ 
rage surface roots. If the ripening is to be accelerated ensure it by early 
closing and husbanding the sun heat in the latter rather than the early 
part of the day, being careful to ventilate early. 
F Strawberries in Pots.— It is now time that these were secured, and 
as nearly every cultivator has his own favourites we need only mention 
those that have done us good service. Foremost may be mentioned La 
Grosse Sucre?, Yicomtesse Hericart de Thury and Sm Harry. Keen s 
Seedling is an admirable sort, but a bad traveller, and though Mr. Rad- 
clyffe is a good forcer and large, it is a bad colour—at least, for market 
purposes. Presi lent is an excellent second early, and James Veitch with 
Sir Charles Napier to succeed, finishing with Dr. Hogg and Cockscomb. 
The runners should be laid at once, either in small pots filled with good 
loam and a sprinkling of short manure, or they may be layered direct 
in the fruiting pots. The latter must be well drained, and the soil con¬ 
sisting of wood loam, with a sprinkling of hone meal and decayed manure 
rammed quite firm. The runners of two rows may be drawn into one 
alley, which will facilitate watering. The runners shomd be taken from 
fruitful plants only and from young plants, as these afford the earliest 
and most vigorous runners. ., ,. 
Cherry House.— The crop being gathered, the next consideration is 
to secure the perfect development of the buds for the subsequent season, 
it beinw essential to this end to keep the foliage of the trees clean and 
free from insects. The trees should, therefore, be syringed similarly to 
wbat they were before the fruit began ripening; the ventilators should 
remain open constantly, but as the growth will now be complete, or nearly 
so the best plan is to take the roof lights off. The border must not be 
allowed to become dry, but an examination can be made from time to 
time, and whenever the necessity for water arises a thorough supply 
should be given. If there are any trees in pots they should be moved out¬ 
doors directly the fruit is gathered, placing them on a bed of ashes in a 
sunny situation, protecting the roots by plunging the pots. In this posi¬ 
tion they must be well supplied with water at the roots and over the 
foliage, so as to keep it clean and healthy. 
I 
ifHE BEE-KEEPER. 
T -- . I 1 - I ■ I ■ , - 1 - I - T-I •. - . - 
vs 
CASTING ACCOUNTS. 
At last most bee-keepers are awakening to the fact that 
in apiculture, as in every other business undertaking, accounts 
of expenditure and income must be rigidly kept, or the 
balance can never be clearly shown to be on the right side, 
and therefore it is impossible for any individual to prove to 
a sceptical person that there is a reasonable margin of profit 
to be obtained from bees kept upon any principle not that 
of destroying the bees in order to take their honey. It is 
not at all an easy matter to keep accounts in a regular 
