April 8, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
279 
between the rows of Potatoes just appearing above ground, and others in 
improvised frames on warm borders. Consequent upon the favourable 
change in the weather good plan'ings and sowings of Potatoes, Cauli¬ 
flowers, Lettuces, Peas, and Broad Beans and Spinach were made forth¬ 
with, also of Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, Carrots, 
Parsnips, Lettuce, and Leek seed. Several dozen ranks of Peas and 
Broad Beans were transplanted from pots and boxes early in February, 
and by way of showing that the plants after being raised in forcing houses 
had been properly hardened, it may be interesting to state that notwith¬ 
standing the severe frosts and easterly winds which these Peas and Beans 
experienced during the interval, not a single plant of either has been 
killed. On the contrary, the plants, though very little advanced in 
growth since they were turned out of the pots and boxes, are in capital 
condition. The varieties referred to are Sutton’s Ringleader and William I. 
on warm borders, Carter’s Telephone, Caiter’s Piide of the Market, 
Carter’s Stratagem, and Culver well’s Telegraph in open plots of ground, 
and in the same situation are ranks of Carter’s Leviathan Broad Beans, 
the individual plants being supported by a stick. Seeds of Webb’s 
Wordsley Wonder and Chancellor Peas, which were sown on the 1st of 
February, I find, by examining the soil, are just pushing into growth. I 
sowed my Onions on the 20th of February, when I also made a sowing of 
Turnips. From the 15th of February to the 18th inst. there have been 
from 2° to 18° of frost every night, that of the 7th being the most 
severe.—H. W. Ward, Lonqiord Castle. 
jO WOKK/ofv rHE W E EK„iI? 
ji i 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Swelling buds remind us that fruit blossom will soon be open, and no 
time must be lost in providing all available means of shelter to afford pro¬ 
tection against cold winds and late frost. Wall copings of glass or wood 
should now be in position, and if we are so fortunate as to have plenty of 
hexagon netting, a double covering of it stretched tightly over poles driven 
into the ground, and fastened to the coping so that the netting is about 
2 feet from the trees, answers admirably to protect blossom and foliage. 
Do not forget that a little extra care now may save the fruit crop; without 
it the crop may be lost. Hurdles thatched with straw, garden mats, 
branches of Fir and Yew, dried bracken, are all useful for various pur¬ 
poses of shelter, and all should be turned to account. Whatever is used 
see that there is eo risk of its being loosened by high wind, or the blossom 
which it is intended to protect may be battered to pieces by it. Bracken 
may be shaken lightly upon the tops of Gooseberry bushes as a means of 
protection from late frost, which not unfrequently destroys the crop. 
New Strawberry beds may now be made if a due provision of plants 
was made last autumn by planting rooted runners thickly in nursery beds 
of 6 or 8 inches of rough leaf mould. Once established in such material the 
plants are lifted with a large ball of roots and soil, they are soon grow¬ 
ing freely in the fruiting bed, they will afford a few fine fruits this year 
and a full crop next year. This method of making new Strawberry beds 
is especially recommended for small gardens where space cannot be spared 
in July or August. Plant in well-drained, highly manured soil, in rows 
2 feet apart, and with the plants a foot apart in the rows. Do not forget 
that now and onwards through the season of growth Strawberry plants 
are much better for a liberal supply of liquid manure, and this may easily 
be bad for every garden in the convenient guise of house sewage. It is 
withheld as the fruit approaches ripeness, but it is again given after the 
fruit is all gathered to prom 1 te the development of strong plump crowns, 
from which spring the fruit crop of the following season. 
As the catkins of Fdbert and Nut trees become fully developed and 
shed pollen freely upon the pink female blossoms, the pruning may be 
done, care being taken to keep open the middle of each tree so as to give 
free admission of light and air to every part of it. In the extensive Fil¬ 
bert plantations of Kent the form of a shallow basin is imparted to the 
trees by careful training and pruning, that form being the best for the pro¬ 
duction of full crops of nuts. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Pines. —Utilise solar heat as much as possible, employing no more 
Are heat than is absolutely necessary. Attend to watering regularly at 
least once a week, each plant being examined before water is given, and 
when needed supply sufficient t > moisten the soil down to the drainage. 
Syringing may now be more freely practised at the time of closing the 
house for the day. Disturb fermenting beds but little, or the heat may 
be increased to an extent that will be injurious to the roots. Plants 
placed near large squares of glass will be much benefited by slight shade 
during the hottest part of sunny days, until the tissues of the leaves have 
become more hardened. Examine fruiting plants occasionally, and 
remove all suckers not wanted for stock, stake the fruit to keep it in an 
erect position. The temperature in fruiting houses should range from 
70° to 75° at night, and 80° to 95° by day, 6Uccessional plants 65° to 70° by 
night, and 80° to 90° in the day, the younger stock of plants not taking 
any barm at 60° at night, and a proportionate rise in the daytime 
according to the weather. 
Figs. — Early-forced Trees in Pots. —When the fruit show signs of 
ripening the ventilation may be increased, and the flavour will be much 
improved by full exposure to the sun. Many of the fruits on large pot 
trees cannot have this, but judicious stopping, thinning, and tying will 
help them, as Figs ripened in a close moist house are insipid. Figs under 
glass have two enemies—viz,, red spider and brown scale. Red spider 
does not make much progress under good syringing, but when atmospheric 
moisture is reduced it increases rapidly, and on this account no effort 
should be spared to keep the foliage quite clean up to the ripening time. 
Brown scale also spreads rapidly over the young shoots, and extends to 
the leaves and fruit. Spare no pains to prevent this by the timely use 
of an insecticide, carefully using it with a brush or sponge upon the first 
appearance of the pest. Supplies of water at the roots are needed 
through all stages, and favourable opportunities for washing the trees 
may often be found through the ripening season by gathering all the 
ripe fruit at one time. For private use Figs should be ripe when taken 
from the trees, but for market purposes they must be gathered before 
thev are fully ripe. The temperature should be 60° to 65° at night, with 
a little air, and 80° to 85° by day. Top ventilation must be given at 70°, 
and increased at 80°, with plenty of moisture rising from water applied to 
the mulching. 
Succession Houses. —Permanently planted trees in borders inside will 
now need large quantities of water through the mulching. Syringe twice 
a day. Let the night temperature range from 55° to 60°, 70° to 75° by 
day, wth gleams of sun, and 80° from sun heat, ventilating from 70°, and 
fully at 75°, hut with an advancing temperature to 80° or 85°, closing at 
80°, and sufficiently early to cause the temperature to rise 5°. 
Late Houses. —Trees in these and wall cases must now be tied in and 
syringed on fine days, but sufficiently early to allow the trees becoming 
dry before night. In low cold localities unfavourable to the culture of 
Figs on walls, excellent crops may be grown under glass, but cold houses 
are not the best to insure annual success, there should be some provision 
for keeping out frost in the spring and ripening the wood in the autumn. 
Fires are unnecessary through the winter, and possibly injurious, as the 
trees may be unfastened in the autumn, tied in bundles, and protected 
with dry straw or bracken, and with dryness at the roots they will have a 
safe and complete sea on of rest. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earliest House. —The stoning process 
with Alexander and Waterloo (the two best very early Peaches) will soon 
be completed, and may be given a temperature of 70° to 75° by artificial 
means, but as this attenuates the wood if continued through the night, the 
temperature should be allowed to fall 5° through tbe night, and the tempe¬ 
rature from sun heat may be kept through the day at 80° to 85°, venti¬ 
lating by the top at 75°, and opening the front at 80°, so as to insure a 
circulation. Admit a little air constantly. Close the house at 80°, and 
sufficiently early to allow of an advance to 85° or 90°, the trees being well 
syringed and a good atmospheric moisture secured, which will insure the 
fruit swelling to a large size, but the foliage and fruit must become fairly 
dry befi re night, and clear rain water must be used, as spring water is 
liable to leave a stain upon the fruit. Remove the leaves over or in front 
of the fruit, and turn it up to the light by thin laths placed across 
the trellis, as it adds greatly to the appearance of the fruit when it is 
well and evenly coloured from the apex, besides making all the difference 
between high and poor flavoured fruit. Syringing should cease when the 
fruit commences ripening, but a genial condition of the atmosphere must 
be maintained for the benefit of the foliage by damping available surfaces 
twice a day and keeping the mulching thoroughly moist. Grow the very 
early varieties in a house by themselves, as they precede Hales’ Early and 
A Bee by nearly a month, and Royal George by six weeks. If they are 
grown with the last-named, then the night temperature must not be more 
than 60° to 65°, and 70° to 75° by day with gleams of sun, and 5° to 10° 
advance on bright days until the stoning is completed, in another fort¬ 
night or three weeks, if the trees were started in December to ripen Hales’ 
Early by the end of May. The prolonged cold weather has retarded 
forcing considerably, and when the stoning is completed they will bear 
a considerable advance in temperature with safety. Pay particular 
attention to syringing the trees, using clear soft water twice a day, and 
see that every part of the foliage and old wood is thoroughly washed. 
Keep the roots well mulched and supplied with weak tepid liquid manure. 
Regulate the flow of the sap by stopping all gross shoots before they have 
time to draw the supplies from the weakest parts of the trees. Allow 
leading shoots, particularly of young trees, to extend over uncovered parts 
of tbe trellis, and pinch out the points when the fruit begins to take the 
last swelling, at the same time turning aside any leaves that are likely 
to shade or otherwise interfere with the colouring or ripening. 
Second House. —The trees in the house started early in January will 
have the fruit in a forward state, the disbudding completed, and the 
shoots that are to succeed those now fruiting have been heeled in. Allow 
plenty of room in the ties, and do not keep them very closely tied down 
for some time longer. Allow no more growths to remain than are 
necessary for next year’s fruiting or for the extension of the trees. Stop 
gross growths or remove them, as it is highly important the sap be 
equally distributed, and an equality of vigour maintained through the 
branches of each tree. Pinch laterals at the first joint, and shoots 
retained to attract the sap to the fruit should only be allowed moderate 
extension, stopping them in the first instance at three or four joints of 
growth. Endeavour to provide an equal distribution of foliage that will 
