458 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[ No vein’ er 19, 1885. 
side of a broad path and train them to an arch overhead. Apples, Pears, 
Plums, and Cherries may all be so used, and on walls and buildings we 
have cordons of Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots that in all favourable 
seasons are laden with fruit. The special advantages of cordons are early 
and persistent fruitfulness, the ease with which the blossoms may ba 
sheltered, the small amount of space required—given 18 inches width from 
wall or fence and you have ample space for a cordon. Pray bear this 
in mind when you see spare nooks and angles of buildings which may be 
turned to account and afford you much fine fruit, for remember a cordon is 
no mere toy, but a valuable fruit tree. Some of the finest fruits at the 
recent Pear Congress were from cordons, and we can say that for several 
years our wall of cordon Pears has never failed us, a fair crop of fruit 
leing always forthcoming when pyramids, palmette verriers, and 
standards all failed us. To owners of small gardens cordons are a great 
boon, enabling them to have fruit in much greater variety, in longer suc¬ 
cession, and greater excellence than was possible from other trees. In 
connection with cordons we may call attention to the value of a wall f >r 
the development of flavour in fruit. Repeatedly have we had fruit of the 
same sort worthless from pyramids yet excellent from wall trees. Wall 
fruit, once a luxury only to be had by owners of walled gardens, is now 
obtained from cordons on a lodge or dwelling-house. A lofty chimney is 
one of our very best supports for vertical cordons. A border 6 feet wide 
and 2 feet deep of sound rich loam is all that is required for them, and it 
can easily be enriched before the trees show signs of exhaustion by the 
application of surface-dressings of manure ; or, better still, by the regular 
use of liquid manure every summer while the fruit is swelling. 
.FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earlwst-forced Trees .—The house will by 
this time have been cleansed, the trees dressed, and the shoots tied in. 
The lights, if not already replaced, must at once be seen to, and assuming 
that ripe fruit is wanted before the end of May it will be necessary to 
close the house at once, as it is advisable not to apply fire heat for at 
least a fortnieht after closing. Old trees that have been judiciously 
managed and forced for a number of years are more easily excited than 
young one a , but in either case it is well to exercise patience through the 
early stages, and on this account an early start is of great importance. 
When the weather is so cold as to necessitate fire heat to raise the day 
temperature to 50°, it should be so applied as to allow the pipes to become 
cool before nightfall. The lights having been off the house, the inside 
borders will be sufficiently moist, but they should be examined and watered 
with tepid water if necessary untill all the soil is moistened down to the 
drainage. A ridge of fermenting material placed on the inside’borders 
composed of Oak or Beech leaves and stable manure, will answer the 
twofold purpose of saving fire heat and giving off genial atmospheric 
moisture. The manure and leaves should be well fermented before being 
taken into the house, and if a portion of it is turned every day very little 
fire heat will be needed for the first three weeks. Ventilate a little every 
day to sweeten the atmosphere, syringing the trees, walls, and paths with 
tepid water about 9 A.M. and 2 p.m., when the weather is seasonably fine, 
but when there is a danger of the buds not getting dry before night the 
second syringing must be given earlier in the day or omitted. The tem¬ 
perature should range from 40° to 45° at nuht, and 45° to 55° by day, with 
a few degrees more from sun heat, or 5° to 10° until the buds are starting, 
when a slight increase on fine days may be allowed. Where the roots 
have the run of outside borders the latter should be well protected with 
some material for throwing off heavy rains and snow, and keeping the 
surface roots in action, as nothing can be gained by the mistaken practice 
of starving the roots while the branches are in a state of activity. 
Succession Houses .—Take advantage of unfavourable weather for out¬ 
door operations to have all pruning and cleansing operations brought to a 
close, seeing that the roots of trees under fixed roofs do not suffer from 
want of water, otherwise the blossom buds will fall when the time arrives 
for forcing, a season being thereby lost, and root-pruning will in all 
probability have to be resorted to to check the undue vigour which loss of 
crop on otherwise healthy trees entails. If the trees have been infested 
with red spider or scale they should be washed twice with a solution of 
softsoap, 4 ozs. to the gallon of tepid water, and afterwards dressed with 
an approved insecticide, that will not leave a thick deposit as some com¬ 
positions do, closing the pores of the wood, and often disfiguring the fruit 
when it is washed off by the syringe. When finished allow a free circula¬ 
tion of air through the houses until the time arrives for starting the trees, 
and where practicable they should be kept clear of plants of all kinds 
subject to insects, or which are liable to be injured by a few degrees of 
frost, as it is important the trees have perfect rest, and be not excited by 
heat foreign to their requirements. Young trees that have become too 
strong may be improved by lifting and relaying the roots in new loam 
free from animal manure, training them afterwards upon the extension 
principle, and allow them to grow into a fruitful state. Old trees that 
lack vigour may be strengthened by the removal of the surface soil, and 
watering thoroughly with liquid manure not too strong, prior to giving 
a dressing of new compost of rich turfy loam—preferably of a calcareous 
nature ; if not, add a tenth of old mortar rubbish, a twentieth of burnt 
refuse, and a fortieth of bone dust thoroughly incorporated. Surface- 
rooting should be encouraged by rich surface dressings of manure during 
growth. 
Pines .—It is of the greatest importance at this time of year to have 
the plants so placed as to obtain all the light possible, deriving all the 
benefit possible of every ray of sunshine, therefore keep the glass clean, 
and let the plants be placed as near to it as can be done consistently with 
safety. Fermenting beds settle through decomposition, and newly made 
ones, unless well trodden, subside very rapidly; in either case the 
necessary attention should be given to raising the plants into a position 
so as to afford the benefits indicated. It is a good practice to assort the. 
plants according to their respective needs before the winter, and to give 
the fruiting plants the best places for swelling their fruit properly at a 
time when natural means do not afford much help. Fruiting plants under 
any conditions should have a night temperature of 65°, and 70° to 75° by 
day, with an advance of 10° from sun heat. Successions need only have 
60° at night and 65° by day, with 5° to 10’ rise from sun heat. Other 
stock, which are not prepared or intended to make much growth, need 
only be kept at 60° at night, falling 5° on cold nights, with 60° to 65° in 
the daytime. Fruiting plants will need a genial condition of the atmo¬ 
sphere, atmospheric moisture being necessary at all times, therefore sprink¬ 
ling must be seen to regularly, and syringing in a light house will be 
needed at least two or three times a week. Successional plants and 
suckers will only need an occasional dash from the syringe, but anything 
like an acrid condition of the atmosphere should be avoided, as it stunts 
and cripples the growth irretrievably. As Oak and Beech leaves are now 
available, and being the best and most durable, new beds should be made 
as necessary. It is a good plan to free the pits of all the plants, make 
the beds, and not put ia the plants again until they are in a proper con¬ 
dition, as more injury arises from the plants being shifted about, and 
placing on cold, or its opposite, very hot beds, than is considered credit¬ 
able. The less check given these, indeed any plants, the better ; and 
although Pines may not show it immediately, as do some softer-textured 
plants, yet they will show it, and at a time when they are wanted to make 
growth, which they are unable to do from the results of the check given 
some time previously. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Oupripediuuis .—The old C. insigne should be placed in a temperature 
of 50° to 55° to unfold its flowers. It will open them very well under 
cool conditions, but a little heat draws up the flower stems well above 
the foliage, which gives to the plants a much more effective appearance 
for decorative purpose*. When the flowers are expanding the plants 
should be removed to the conservatory or any similar position while in 
flower, and they will be found to last in go>d condition for nearly 
three months. The plants intended to succeed these should be retarded 
by keeping them as cool as possible, or they will come forward too 
early. At this season of the year they will bear cool treatment without 
the slightest injury. The useful C. venustum, with its dark ornamental 
foliage, is now showing its flowers—that is, those that have been grown 
in heat, while those grown under cooler conditions are not yet showing. 
This variety forms a good succession to the preceding, and. can be re¬ 
tarded or brought forward according to requirements or circumstances. 
C. Spicerianum is a gem amongst autumn and winter-flowering Lady’s 
Slippers, and it appears to stand moderately cool treatment after growth 
is completed, or while in flower, without injury ; in fact the lower tem¬ 
perature of the conservatory is beneficial to it while in flower, and 
growth afterwards is more robust. C. Sedeni is very beautiful, and its 
rose-coloured slippers render it very telling and effective at this season 
of the year, for the colour is distinct from any others. The flowers being 
produced in succession for several months renders it a very useful variety. 
Cypripediumq whether unier cool or warm treatment, should not be 
allowed to suffer by an insufficient supply of water at their roots, for 
they have no pseudo-bulbs from which they can draw support. Less 
water will be needed than during the growing season, but the compost 
about their roots should never be allowed to become really dry. At this 
period of the year watering over the foliage should not be practised, or 
the foliage of some species is liable to become spotted. The atmosphere 
must not be kept too moist, or the same results are liable to follow. The 
structure in which the warm varieties are grown should be kept about 60°" 
at night, with a rise of 5° by day, while those under cool treatment 
should not be subjected to a lower temperature than 45°. Those that it 
is anxious to retard may be kept 5° lower for a time without any injury 
to them, providing the atmosphere is not too moist. 
Lalias .—Some of these, such as L. purpurata and others of that style 
of growth, must be kept in the same structure as Cattleyas. The plants 
should be arranged at the cooleBt portion of the house, according to the 
condition of their growth. Toe treatment for these during the resting 
period is similar to that advised for Cattleyas. L. anceps and its varieties 
will be in various stages of development according to the treatment, as 
regards heat, that they have been given during the season of growth. 
Those that have been grown warm will have their flower spikes well 
advanced, and may be kept in a temperature of 60° until the flowers ex¬ 
pand, and then be removed to a cooler and drier atmosphere while in 
bloom, a temperature of 50° to 55° being very suitable for them, and if 
kept dry they will rest well under these conditions after flowering. All 
that have been growing in an intermediate temperature for the purpose 
of giving a succession will, although growth to all appearance has been 
completed, now be making roots freely. These must be regularly supplied 
with water as they need it until root extension ceases, for fine large well- 
coloured flowers and plump pseudo-bulbs cannot be expected if those in 
this condition are sent prematurely to rest by withholding water. Smaller¬ 
growing kinds on blocks and in small pans that are suspended at the 
warmest end of the cool bouse, should be watered until growth is 
thoroughly completed ; then water should be gradually withheld and the 
plants kept as dry as can be done without allowing the pseudo-bulbs to- 
shrivel. 
Odontoglossums .—Such species as O. Roezlii, O. vexillarium, O. cir- 
, rhosum, O. citrosmum, and others, require a little more heat during the 
