452 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November SI, 188?. 
■obviate the necessity for more drastic measures later on. It is a case of 
prevention of deep root action, abundance of surfa-e root fibres main¬ 
taining the trees in a productive state, whereas when they are furnished 
with deep running fibreless roots only, much wood growth and fitful 
crops of inferior fruit are the sure consequence. 
The Process Described. —In all cases where trees must be kept 
In a rather small compass, severe pruning being resorted to if necessary, 
it pays to lift the trees every season. This being an annual process, a 
thicket of roots are formed, and not the slightest ill effects to the crop3 
result from the lifting, nor is it a great undertaking. A fairly wide, 
deep trench should be opened at about I feet from the stem of the trees, 
and from this the roots can be undermined, all but the deep running 
roots being preserved, and again relaid in a mixture of old soil and 
•either fresh loam or half-decayed leaf soil. The fresh compost is taken 
possession of during the next growing season, and fruit of the best 
quality, frosts permitting, results. Pyramids do not receive the full 
benefit of the sunshine all round, and for this reason it is advisable to 
half-turn them round each time they are lifted, by which means they 
are maintained in a generally well-ripened productive state. Pyramid 
and espalier-trained Pears on the free-growing or Pear stock, and which 
it is desirous should increase considerably in size, must not be so 
severely handled, but if carefully undermined so as to cut through or 
bring up the deep running roots every third year, and the roots ex¬ 
posed relaid in fresh compost, the top growth would be both sturdy 
and fruitful, the quality of the fruit being greatly improved by this 
treatment. Apples, Cherries, and Plums pay for similar treatment at 
the roots, the longevity of the trees, as well as their productiveness, 
being fostered by good root culture. 
Apricots.— There are numerous gardens in this country where 
Apricots cannot possibly be profitably grown, the reason for this being 
hard to determine, though probably one of the principal causes of 
failure is to be found in the nature of the subsoil. The complete 
removal of a cold clayey subsoil, and the substitution of good turfy 
loam, or this, the ordinary surface soil, leaf soil and charred rubbish in 
mixture will be attended with good results, though even this is of little 
avail if the site is not fairly warm, high, and dry. In many instances it 
is no easy matter to collect sufficient fresh compost to take the place of 
the subsoil, but the only alternative is to plant rather high or well 
above the ordinary garden level, root lifting being resorted to every 
autumn. In some districts, notably where at times the water cannot 
get away freely, and unfortunately there are numerous gardens thus 
badly located near streams, it is found necessary to ward off all late 
autumn and winterrainsfrom the Apricot borders with the aid of shutters, 
more than sufficient moisture ascending from below. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —These, notably Peaches, might more 
often be successfully grown if more attention was paid to the roots. 
When originally planted in a wide rich border they grow much too 
strongly at the outset, the wood failing to ripen properly, and un¬ 
ripened wood in addition to being unfruitful is not of a suitable 
character to lay the foundation of serviceable trees. If a new site is 
selected for them use comparatively poor, yet fresh, loamy soil, taking 
care beforehand to well and deeply drain the border. In most instances, 
however, it is old sites that are prepared, and seeing that the soil must 
be exhausted, much of this should be taken away, and fresh turfy loam 
or the compost recommended for Apricots substituted. If the trees are 
planted firmly in this, care being taken to keep rather above the garden 
level and also not to bury the roots deeply, a good start will be made. 
Completely relifting may even then be necessary after the second or 
third season’s growth in order to check grossness, and this operation 
ought to be repeated not less often than every second autumn, though 
some successful growers make it annual practice to lift all their Peach 
and Nectarine trees. The roots must be kept out of the subsoil, or the 
top growth will in most instances be unsatisfactory. Hundreds of both 
young and old trees that have never been lifted since they were planted 
in various parts of the country would be greatly improved in health and 
productiveness if lifted, and otherwise taken in hand at once. After 
all it is not such a very serious undertaking this undermining either 
large or small trees, while the results are usually extremely gratifying. 
The roots should be carefully searched out, lightiy shortened and relaid 
in fresh compost much nearer the surface than heretofore. 
FRUIT F0RCING1. 
Vines. — -Houses Cleared of Grapes. —Directly the Vines are leaf¬ 
less and the Grapes cut attend to the pruning. If the Vines are strong, 
having stout, short-jointed wood, they may safely be pruned to a couple 
of eyes. If, however, the base buds are small, and the Vines have not 
from similar buds in previous years given as large bunches as desired, 
the latera’s may be left a little longer. It is necessary that a plump 
round (not flat) well developed bud on stout, hard, thoroughly ripened 
wood be selected for pruning to, striving for a close compact bunch of 
well-set berries with a stout footstalk in preference to a large uneven 
bunch, which usually follows large fiat buds on long-jointed wood, the 
foliage supporting such being large, thin, and incapable of elaborating 
the food and concentrating it in the buds at their base. Avoid pointed 
buds,_ they are usually not productive of bunches, and if they are on 
long-jointed wood the bunches have a tendency to revert into tendrils. 
Wash the house thoroughly, and cleanse the glass. Remove only the 
loose bark; avoid the customary scraping. Tepid soapy water is un¬ 
questionably the best means of cleansing the Vines, using a brush with 
care and judgment, following with an approved insecticide. Remove 
the mulching or loose surface material down to the roots, and place on a 
couple or 3 inches thickness of fresh loam, mixed with some old mortar 
rubbish passed through a three-quarter inch sieve, night soil, soot, and 
wood ashes. If the loam be light add some clay marl dried and reduced 
to powder. Of turfy loam cut 3 inches thick and chopped moderately 
small have twenty bushels, of sifted old mortar rubbish add two bushels, 
of night soil mixed with an equal proportion of dry earth one bushel, 
soot half a bushel, clay marl (if the loam be light) two bushels, and one 
bushel of steamed bone meab Charcoal dust may be added to the extent 
of four bushels, together forming a compost, when thoroughly incorpo¬ 
rated, good as a dressing for Vine borders, alike as a rooting and feeding 
area. The early watering will wash the assimilated matter down to the 
roots, and fresh feeders encouraged into it can be kept there by surface 
dressing or mulching with short manure after the Grapes are set, feeding 
with liquid manure as necessary. If the houses must be used for plants 
they should be kept cool, admitting air freely, not exceeding 40° to 45° 
by artificial means. It is best, however, to dispense with the plants, 
admitting air in all but severe weather, a few degrees of frost doing 
no harm to the Vines, but ensuring more complete rest. 
Houses of Tliiii-shinned Grapes. —Although the somewhat heavy and 
continued falls of rain have saturated the soil and atmosphere yet Black 
Hamburgh Grapes have kept well, though in a saturated border it is 
liable to damp at the footstalks, and the berries to fall, particularly when 
the Grapes have been ripe for some considerable time. Madresfield 
Court keeps better than Black Hamburgh, not being so liable to suffer 
from damp, and the liability to crack is at an end as soon as the wood 
and foliage are thoroughly ripened. Indeed Madresfield Court keeps 
capitally until the end of November, and equal to any thin-skinned 
variety until January. Black Ilamburghs have kept colour better than 
usual, those ripened early in August being still good in colour, and 
particularly rich and sugary. The foliage is nearly all down, and after 
this is effected Hamburghs lose colour, and in a dry atmosphere shrivel 
rapidly. Similar remarks apply to Foster’s Seedling and all the thin- 
skinned varieties. Vines, however, of these varieties that ripen their crops 
in September have the foliage still fresh, and will bear more moisture at 
the roots and in the atmosphere than those that have had the Grapes 
ripe since August. Indeed a moderate amount of air moisture is neces¬ 
sary to prevent undue evaporation and the shrinking of the Grapes, it not 
being so much air moisture as a stagnant atmosphere that is fatal to the 
keeping of Grapes. Slight warmth in the pipes will be required con¬ 
stantly to maintain an equable temperature, but this must not be high or 
it will cause the berries to shrivel prematurely, 50° not being exceeded 
by artificial means, ventilating freely and early in bright weather, so as 
to prevent moisture being condensed on the berries. The outside 
borders have been protected from rains by shutters or other material, 
and if inside borders too are covered with straw the Grapes will keep 
better. Covering the border prevents it cracking, and keeps down 
moisture likely to arise and prove injurious. 
Earliest Forced Vines in Pots. —The earliest started will now be 
showing signs of growth, so that the temperature may be slightly 
increased—55° minimum and 60° maximum by fire heat, with 10° 
more from sun heat, proportionately increasing the atmospheric mois¬ 
ture. The ventilation will require to be moderate, and what is given 
should be at the top of the house. If side ventilation be employed 
the cold air must be made to pass the heating surface so as to become 
warmed, for cold currents of air are extremely pernicious. 
Cucumbers. —Cold weather is very trying, as the continuous firing 
dries the atmosphere more than is good for the foliage, the fruits 
becoming stunted and swelling indifferently, and when the pipes are 
close to the roots the soil is dried too much for healthy growth. Be 
careful in ventilating, providing it, however, whenever a favourable 
opportunity offers, but not when the external air is sharp and cold. 
In bright but cohl weather turn off the top heat when the sun 
is powerful and likely to raise the temperature above 80° in such 
weather, damping the house morning and afternoon, closing early 
Care must be taken in damping so as not to wet the embryo fruits, or 
they will damp off. Water will be required at the roots about twice a 
week. A temperature of 60° to 65° at night, and 70° to 75° by day is 
suitable. 
The early winter fruiters or plants from the August sowing, and 
planted out in September, have grown to the extent of the trellis or 
nearly so. Unless there is undue vigour in the plants they should not 
be allowed to fruit for a few weeks. Attend frequently to stopping, 
thinning, and tying the shoots, avoiding overcrowding and overcropping 
as the two greatest evils, subduing canker at the collar with quicklime 
well rubbed into the parts affected, removing every decayed leaf 
promptly. If mildew appear dust with flowers of sulphur, it being 
well to distribute some over the plants before miidew is seen. Aphides 
should be destroyed by careful and moderate fumigation with tobacco. 
PRINT HOUSES. 
Lapagerias. —Where these are grown in a little warmer house than 
an ordinary greenhouse they will have practically ceased flowering, 
and may be taken carefully from the roof to permit washing the glass 
and woodwork thoroughly. Some care is needed in taking the plants 
down, as their foliage is brittle, and the leaves are very easily broken 
from the stem. If aphides or thrips have established themselves on the 
plant dip them in a solution of tobacco water placed in a tub or tank. 
These insects are easily eradicated while the plants are loose. Thrips 
quickly destroy the foliage, and must be exterminated directly they are 
observed. Brown scale will also infest these plants, and while they arc 
down it is wise to remove all by the sponge from the foliage. When 
