October 3, 1839. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
297 
Apples that keep well. —Good keeping Apples are of the greatest 
Yalue, and it ought to be almost unnecessary to point out how unwise it 
is to use them in a reckless manner or long before they have attained 
perfection. Only those that will not keep, this including any that are 
damaged in any way, ought to be used now, the rest being kept as much 
as possible till their proper season has arrived. By way of a guide to 
the inexperienced it is advisable to mention a few of the most popular 
late or semi-late Apples, adding their time of maturity or when they are 
fit for use, beginning with culinary varieties. Stirling Castle and 
Nonesuch are in season up to the end of October ; Emperor Alexander, 
Golden Noble, Waltham Abbey Seedling from September to December ; 
Cox’s Pomona and Cellini during October, and sometimes till the middle 
of November; Hawthornden frequently keeps good to December ; 
Ecklinville Seedling, Flower of Kent, Hollandbury, Kentish Pippin, 
and Mere de Manage are available from October to January ; Beauty 
of Kent, Lady Henmker, Kentish Fillbasket, and Winter Hawthornden 
are at their best from October to February ; Blenheim Pippin, Fearn’s 
Pippin, Tower of Glamis, from November to February ; Dumelow’s 
Seedling, Royal Somerset, and Warner’s King from November to March, 
and sometimes even later ; London Pippin, Alfriston, Winter Greening, 
and Norfolk Stone Pippin from November to Mf.y; Dredge’s Fame, 
Hanwell Souring, and Winter Pearmain from December to March ; and 
Winter Majetin, Hambledon Deux Ans, and Norfolk Beefing will 
frequently keep good to June. Dessert Apples are even more scarce 
than culinary varieties this season. Of these Early Nonpareil and 
Gravenstein are good from October to December ; Cornish Aromatic and 
Golden Winter Pearmain October to January ; Cox’s Orange Pippin, 
Court of Wick, and Mannington’s Pearmain October to March ; Downton 
Pippin, Ross Nonpareil, Margil, and Sam Young, November to February ; 
Claygate Pearmain, Golden Pippin, Braddick’s Nonpareil, and Golden 
Rennet, November to April; Adams’ Pearmain, Rosemary Russet, and 
Melon, December to February; Golden Knob and Ribston Pippin, 
December to March ; Newtown Pippin, Cornish Gilliflower, Court Pendft 
Plat, Lord Burghley, and Northern Spy, December to May ; Cockle’s 
Pippin, Scarlet Nonpareil, and Duke of Devonshire, January to May ; 
and Sturmer Pippin February to June, the months named being inclusive 
in every instance. 
Gathering and Storing Pears— Much that has been advanced 
regarding the time to gather Apples also applies to Pears. It is a very 
great mistake to drag these from the trees, this being especially the 
case with Glou Moreau, Beurrd Ranee, Easter Beurre, Huyshe’s Prince 
of Wales, Chaumontel, Beurrd Bachelier, Beurrt: d’Aremburg, Josephine 
de Malines, Bergamotte Esperen, Nec Pius Meuris, Olivier de Serres, and 
Madame Millet, all of which if not gathered too soon or not before they 
part freely from the trees when carefully raised out of their natural 
position, will keep late, and as a rule ripen satisfactorily. Gathered too 
soon they shrivel badly, and never attain perfection. In any case it is 
useless to attempt keeping fruit recently damaged by birds, and these 
may well therefore be sent in for stewing purposes. Very small holes 
pecked near the footstalks by tits some time since, and which have 
healed over, will sometimes keep fairly well, especially if the air is 
excluded from the wounds. Sealing wax dropped into these, or even a 
small piece of gummed paper such as frequently accompanies postage 
stamps duly plastered over, will frequently tend to preserve these slightly 
damaged fruits, which are too plentiful this season. Pears, unlike 
Apples, do not as a rule keep long after they are ripe, and it is not 
advisable therefore to store these in boxes, hampers, or heaps. The 
better plan is to place them in a single layer, stalk end uppermost, on 
clean benches or latticed shelves in a dry but not very airy room, where 
they can be frequently examined. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Pines. —To maintain the stuuly, healthful appearance of young 
growing Pines, free ventilation is necessary, keeping the bottom heat 
about the roots at 80°, watering the plants whenever they require it, 
employing weak liquid manure occasionally, and avoiding the use of the 
syringe too frequently ; merely sprinkling the paths, &c., morning and 
evening daily will suffice. Fire heat must be resorted to to maintain a 
night temperature of 60° to 65°. Let newly potted plants have a bottom 
heat of 90° to 95°. Recently started suckers, as soon as roots are plenti¬ 
ful, can be raised near the glass, those intended to be watered in small 
pots being brought on gradually. Fruiting plants must nave a night 
temperature of 70° ; 80° to 90° during the day, closing at 85°. 
When the suckers started this autumn are rooted, pot them without 
delay, draining the pots well. Employ the fibry part of turfy loam, 
and do not tear it up too fine, but use it in lumps proportionate to the 
size of the pots. The strongest plants may be transferred to the largest 
pots at once, the size being proportionate to the habit of the varieties. 
Jamaicas do well in 9 or 10 inch pots; Queens in 10 or 11 inch pots ; 
Smooth-leaved Cayennes and similar varieties in 11 to 12 inch pots ; and 
Providence in 12 to 13 inch pots, which will afford fruit of the largest 
size.. Where smaller plants and fruit are required pots an inch or two 
less in diameter will answer. The plants that are not now fit for trans¬ 
ferring to the largest can be shifted into 8 inch pots, in which they may 
be kept until spring, and then be transferred to a larger size. 
Cucumbers.— The autumn fruiters must have careful attention, 
affording copious supplies of liquid manure, removing superfluous male 
blossoms and tendrils, avoiding overcropping, and not allowing the 
fruit to hang too long. Syringe only at closing time on bright afternoons. 
Earth up the roots as the plants advance in growth, from time to time. 
Pinch out the growing point one or two joints beyond the fruit, 
examining the plants at least once a week for that purpose, retaining 
no more foliage than can be fully exposed to light. All water must be 
given at the same temperature as that of the roots. 
Pot the plants from seed sown at the beginning of September for 
winter fruiting directly they are large enough, plunging the pots in 
bottom heat until the plants are established, then raise them near the 
glass, maintaining a temperature of 70° at night, 75° by day, with an 
advance from sun heat of 10° to 15°. The fermenting materials, if such 
are used for bottom heat, must be in preparation for the formation of 
the beds in due time. For producing a good supply of fruit in the late 
winter and early spring months sow seed at the beginning of October. 
Where the “ disease ” prevails it is a good plan to make frequent, 
sowings, so that the succession may be better assured. 
Plants in dung-heated frames or pits must have the linings renewed 
as required, the foliage being kept thin, the shoots stopped to a joint 
beyond the show of fruit, and no more water given than to secure 
healthy moisture for the roots, placing mats over the lights on cold 
nights. 
Strawberries in Pots. —A loose surface for Strawberries in pots 
prevents the soil leaving the sides of the pots, and admits of the water 
passing equally through the bail, and moistening it thoroughly. A little 
dried horse droppings or cowdung rubbed through a sieve applied to the- 
surface will keep all right there. Remove all runners as they appear, 
also weeds, and do not allow the plants to suffer through insufficient 
supplies of water. The plants must have full exposure to light and air, 
allowing them plenty of space, to ensure sturdy growth and plump- 
well-developed crowns. In the varieties required for early forcing, such 
as Noble, La Grosse Sucree, and Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury the 
crowns are plumping well, and the plants may, when required for early- 
work, be plunged in ashes in cold frames, keeping them well up to the 
glass, the lights being withdrawn in all mild weather, only employing- 
them in case of heavy rains, when they can be lifted or closed if frost 
prevails. As a first early we give preference to Noble, but we start 
along with it plants of La Grosse Sucree and Vicomtesse Hericart de 
Thury, for Noble, though large, free insetting and swelling,has a colour 
which some do not like, and the flavour does not please all palates. La 
Grosse Sucree is bright in colour, as well as large and free, with 
unquestionable quality ; Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury sets and swells; 
freely, and the quality pleases everybody—indeed, it is the very best 
flavoured of useful early Strawberries. We follow with Sir Joseph 
Paxton and President, both of which are in every respect excellent, and 
close with Sir Charles Napier, perhaps the most taking in appearance of 
all Strawberries ; Auguste Nicaise and Unser Fritz, which are noble in 
size, and good in colour and quality, lead up to the finish and high 
quality of Dr. Hogg. In those we find everything desirable in forced 
Strawberries, also for outdoors, with the addition of Oxonian (syn. 
Eleanor). We have also a few King of the Earlies, which is readily 
forced, and though the fruit is small it is esteemed for jellies. 
The autumn fruiters, if any are grown, should be encouraged with 
liquid manure—weak guano water or sulphate of ammonia, 1 oz. of the 
first and half an ounce of the latter to a gallon of water, and in the case 
of heavy rains and the fruit approaching maturity, the plants being 
placed in frames with abundant ventilation, which will improve the 
quality and colour considerably. Sir Harry as an abundant fruiter is 
unequalled, La Grosse Sucree is good, also Vicomtesse Hericart de 
Thury. Noble, though we have kept the forced plants, does not present 
any tendency to produce an autumn crop of fruit, but it has one prevail¬ 
ing characteristic which we have not noticed in any other variety— 
viz., the runners of forced plants push trusses of bloom after they 
become established in the small pots in which they are layered, or even 
when not layered, the smallest runners invariably throw a correspond¬ 
ing truss of bloom. Plants of the approved varieties that have been 
forced in spring, shaken out, repotted, and grown on are excellent for 
autumn and early winter fruiting, or if planted out and duly attended 
to they can be lifted at the end of September or early October, potted, 
and placed in a cold frame. Any autumn fruiters not required to fruit 
for some time yet may be retarded by placing them on a north border. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Cleaning. —Winter is fast approaching. There are indications of 
it being unusually early, and all vegetable gardens will be much bene¬ 
fited by being thoroughly cleaned before they are saturated with mois¬ 
ture. Do not allow decaying vegetables to remain where they are 
growing, but place them in a heap to decay for manure. Clear all 
decayed leaves to the same heap, and above all remove the weeds that, 
are producing seed. 
Storing Roots. —Roots of all kinds should now be stored. The 
whole of the late Potato crop must be stored as soon as possible. The 
longer they are left the more difficult it is to dry them, and this is an 
important point, as when the tubers have to be dealt with in a wet 
state they are sure to deteriorate. Onions should now be in their winter 
quarters, and if Carrots and Beetroot are full grown they may be lifted 
and stored. They keep best in a place neither very dry nor very damp, 
the atmosphere of an ordinary shed will suit them as a rule. Beetroot 
must be carefully handled to prevent damage, and all roots keep better 
if not bruised. Those who have to send a large supply of vegetables to 
the kitchen every day during the winter know that roots form an im¬ 
portant item in the demand, and the utmost attention should be given 
to insure the supply. 
