166 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Angust 22, 1889. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Melons.— Let the last plants be placed out without delay. Preserve 
fhe leading shoot until it reaches two-thirds across the trellis, pinch 
out the point, rubbing off the laterals up to the trellis, and then e\ery 
alternate one on the opposite sides of the primary. Maintain a tem- 
•perature of 65° to 70° at night, and 70° to 75° by day, 80° to 85° from 
sun heat, closing early so as to increase to 90° or 95°. Stopping the 
laterals should not be practised unless the plants are weak and they do 
not show fruit at the second or third joint. Weakly plants must have 
the first shows of fruit removed, relying on the sub-laterals. Early 
ventilation with plenty of light is essential to thoroughly solidified 
growth. 
Pits and Frames .—The latest plants in these are swelling freely. 
Earth up the roots if necessary, but late plants on dung beds do not 
require a large amount of soil. Close early, affording the needful 
supplies of water at that time, keeping laterals well in hand, not allow¬ 
ing them in any way to interfere with the principal leaves. If the 
weather be dull afford good linings and admit a little air, as nothing is 
so fatal to Melons as a close atmosphere. Sprinkling should only be 
practised on fine afternoons. If black aphides attack the plants 
fumigate on two or three consecutive evenings moderately. Examine 
frequently for canker, and promptly apply quicklime to the affected 
parts. Gradually withhold water at the roots and moisture in the 
atmosphere from plants ripening their fruit, and if a little extra heat is 
afforded by means of linings so as to admit of a free circulation of air, 
the quality of the fruit will be enhanced considerably. Damp weather 
is very disastrous to fruit ripening. The fruit should be raised well 
above the soil and foliage, keeping it clear, and to prevent moisture 
condensing on the fruit admit a little air constantly. In a close moist 
atmosphere the fruit swells freely enough, but when it is ripening often 
becomes cracked and decayed. 
Cucumbers. —Encourage the plants for autumn fruiting to make 
strong growth by adding fresh soil from time to time, affording plenty 
but not too much water at the roots, with a moist genial condition of 
the atmosphere by syringing at closing time and damping available 
surfaces occasionally. Sufficient fire heat must be employed to prevent 
the temperature falling below 65° at night, and to maintain it at 
70° to 75° by day. Old plants should have the exhausted growths cut 
out, and others where likely to be crowded thinned, so as to admit light 
and air, securing a sturdy solidified growth and a succession of bearing 
wood. 
_ The syringe should be regular’y emp’oyed about 3 P.M., and if 
mildew appears dust with flowers of sulphur in the evening whilst the 
foliage is damp, maintaining a somewhat freely ventilated atmosphere. 
Black aphides are often troublesome. These and green aphides suc¬ 
cumb to repeated fumigation with tobacco, taking care to have the 
•foliage dry, the smoke cool, and to ventilate freely the following day. 
Peaches and Nectarines.— Planting or Lifting Trees for Early 
Forcing. - If new houses have to be filled, and fruit is wanted next 
■season at an early period, plant the trees as soon in the late summer 
or early autumn as the growth is perfected, the wood and foliage being 
ripe and the buds plumped. The most suitable trees are those that have 
been two or three years trained to walls, and have been lifted annuaby 
or biennially. Those intended for moving to houses to be started early 
ought now, if there is any tendency to a late growth, or any doubt as to 
the maturity of the wood and buds, to have the soil taken out as deeply 
as the roots one-third the distance from the stem that the trees extend, 
and the trench so made should remain open for a fortnight or three 
wefks, when it may be filled again, care being taken that the trees have 
sufficient water whilst the trench is open. AH that is necessary, 
however, is to prevent severe flagging. This will effectually check the 
growth and ensure ripening, whilst it will materially assist lifting with 
a ball or mass of fibrous roots. Plant the trees for early forcing by the 
end of September, and commence lifting early forced trees as soon as 
the foliage gives indications of falling. It will not matter about a few 
€a ppy laterals, the softness will tend to the manufacture of roots. Soil 
should be obtained in readiness, so that work of this kind can be 
performed with the utmost promptness and despatch. Provide clean 
drainage too in different sizes. The soil may consist of any good loam, 
preferably strong and calcareous, nothing being lacking in the top 
3 or 4 inches of an old pasture overlying limestone or "chalk, and if 
intermingled with flints all the better. Such will grow Peaches and 
.Nectarines to perfection without any admixture. If the loam be at all 
light add a sixth of marly clay as finely divided as practicable. Any 
■deficiency of calcareous matter may be overcome by an addition of 
■chalk to sandy soil, and of lime rubbish to heavy soil. New borders 
must have efficient drainage, the bottom of the border being concreted 
if the soil beneath be unfavourable, or better laid with bricks on the 
flat run with cement, the border being further enclosed with walls, so 
ns to confine, the roots. A border one-third the width of the trellis 
- will be sufficient in the first instance. It is essential that the drains 
have proper fall and outlet, rubble being placed over them a foot thick, 
the roughest at the bottom and the finest at the top, and if covered 
with a layer 2 or 3 inches thick of old mortar rubbish the drainage 
may be considered sound for an indefinite period. Twenty-four inches 
depth of border is ample. The best varieties for early forcing are 
Alexander; Waterloo, a high-coloured and taking fruit of high quality, 
but unfortunately a clingstone ; Early Rivers, which, however, is liable 
to split at the stone; and Early Beatrice. All points considered the best 
of the four is Alexander. Where extreme earliness is not considered 
the finest varieties for early forcing are Hale’s Early, Early Alfred, 
Royal George, or preferably Stirling Castle, and Grosse Mignonne, 
which are free setters, and good alike in appearance and quality. Of 
Nectarines Lord Napier is superior, and when properly thinned swells to 
a large size, and finishes very satisfactorily. Both Elruge and Violette 
Hative are suitable to continue the succession, being in every respect 
excellent. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Sowing Autumn Onions. —We have sown these from the 1st of 
August until the end of September. The former were too early and 
seeded before bulbing in spring, while the latter were too late, but if 
sown about the end of August they are right in every way, and this is 
now our usual time of sowing. The common types sown at this time 
are the Giant Rocca and Tripoli, but any of those generally sown in 
spring, such as James’ Keeping, Rousham Park Hero, and others of this 
class may also be sown now, and they will form excellent bulbs before 
the same sorts sown in the spring months. All ground for autumn 
sown Onions should be rich in lime and manure. Then there is no 
danger of failure from grubs, and the bulbs will become large and good. 
The seed may be sown broadcast, but we prefer rows, and always sow 
in this way. The ground should be forked over, broken and cleaned, 
and the drills may be opened to a depth of 2i- inches at a distance of 
10 inches or 1 foot apart. As soon as the soil has been placed over the 
seed tread it well down, and when the surface is so dry as not to be 
sticky the hand roller may be taken over it with advantage, as a firm 
soil is highly conducive to the production of sturdy plants that seldom 
fail to stand the winter well. 
Harvesting Spring-sown Onions. —The present is a good Onion 
year. The bulbs we have seen at shows and elsewhere have been 
remarkable for their size, symmetry, and firmness, but they will not 
improve much after this time, and as long as the weather is good they 
may be drawn up and dried with the view of storing them for the 
winter. If the majority of the plants have thick necks begin by pressing 
these over close to the bulb. Let them remain in this form a week, 
then draw them and lay them down on the surface of the ground 
where they have been growing with the bulb facing the sun. After a 
week in this position they may be removed and placed under cover, but 
in a light airy place, and there they should be spread out in a thin layer 
and allowed to dry further without taking the tops off. These will 
soon dry, and they may be cleaned any time afterwards : with us this is 
work on a wet day. If Onions are intended for tying in strings the 
stems should be left about 6 inches in length, but if they are only to be 
laid up in a heap the stems may be cut close to the bulb. Where 
pickling Onions are deficient the smallest may be picked from the 
main crop and used for this purpose. 
Chirk Castle Turnip for Winter. — This is our favourite 
variety for use from December onwards, and all who value a good Turnip 
in winter and spring should giow it. As is well known to all who have 
cultivated it, the skin is jet black and the flesh snowy white. The 
quality is first rate, and as the bulbs bury themselves we 1 in the soil 
this no doubt accounts for their remaining so good all through the 
winter and in the most severe weather. Ours have just been thinned, 
but there is still time to sow the seed with the certainty of securing 
useful bulbs. 
The Latest Celery. —Through all quarters being full of summer 
crops we were unable to plant the whole of our Celery for the latest 
supply at the usual time, and it is only now some hundreds of plants 
are being placed in the trenches. These are mostly where Pea rows 
have been, and as the ground was well manured for the Peas it 
has not received any now, but shallow trenches are formed and the 
Celery planted. We do not expect it to become large, but it will attain 
a useful size before November, and it will be much hardier in winter 
than that which has been forced into a large size by early planting and 
a rich soil. 
Old Cabbage Plantations. —We regard the old Cabbage planta¬ 
tion as one of the most valuable stores of winter greens we possess. 
It is astonishing the number of small heads supplied from it throughout 
the winter, and on until the new Cabbages are almost ready again. We 
have known times when many of the winter Broccoli and other greens 
were killed and the Cabbage sprouts drooped as if they would never 
rise again, but as the season advanced they sprung up and yielded a 
copious supply of tender and well-flavoured vegetables. It is there¬ 
fore to the advantage of all to give them attention, and they should all 
be examined, the decayed leaves removed, the large weeds pulled out, 
and the whole surface freely and deeply stirred with the Dutch hoe. 
Late Kidney Beans. —Although all vegetables are so plentiful at 
present it must be remembered that the time will soon be here when 
they will quickly become scarce, and attention should now be directed 
to carry on the supply as late as possible. The best way to do this is 
to limit the supply at present, and retain the vigour of the plants for 
later fertility. This practice applies to many crops, but to none more 
i than to Runner Beans. These have been wonderfully fruitful of late. It 
