344 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 25, 1889. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Apricots. —All the trees under glass copings, and further protected 
“with blinds, flowered freely and have set fairly good crops, the fruit being 
already as large as peas. Those on cooler walls, and only covered with 
doubled fish nets, are also making satisfactory progress, and apparently 
setting well. The early trees are growing strongly, and disbudding and 
stopping must be resorted to. The first of these should be the prompt 
removal of badly placed shoots, notably those at the back or wall side, 
and those springing out from the branches and which are known as “fore- 
right ” growths, the best positions for the fruiting spurs being on the 
sides of the branches. All reserved shoots not required for furnishing 
wall space ought to be stopped with the finger and thumb at the fifth 
•or sixth joint, and the lateral growth springing from these be kept rather 
•Closely stopped during the summer. In order to keep the trees in the 
most profitable state a few young branches should be laid in near the 
base or centre, and where they may otherwise be required, these 
eventually taking the place of the worn-out older branches. The finest 
fruits are produced on well-ripened young wood, and well-placed shoots 
selected early and trained in, and the stopping of the rest of the tree 
being well carried out, they will grow rapidly and ripen thoroughly. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —These also have flowered freely and 
have not been hurt by frosts, thanks probably to the temporary protec¬ 
tion afforded them by fish nets. Where they have set very thickly a 
light thinning out ought to be done, but this must not be carried out in 
R wholesale manner, as they are not yet out of danger. Early thin¬ 
ning of the shoots as well as the fruit favours healthy clean growth, and 
wh n this is done all insect infested shoots and curled leaves should be 
removed and destroyed. Novices must be reminded that the fruit is 
principally or wholly produced upon well ripened young wood, or, to 
be plain, that formed this summer will fruit next summer. The aim, 
therefore, should be to thinly furnish the trees with early formed young 
3hoots, these being laid in as much as possible on the upper side of the 
branches, one at the point and another from the base of each bearing 
shoot. At the autumn pruning the old bearing wood and leader may 
be cut out if need be and its place taken by the lower shoot laid in 
especially for that purpose, crowding being thus avoided. There must 
always be foliage or a shoot beyond the fruit, or these fail to swell 
properly, and a few leaves also do good service at every joint where a 
fruit is left. In disbudding, therefore, remove only the badly placed 
young shoots and any where there are no fruits, the rest being stopped 
at the fourth or fifth joint. After this is done a free use on warm days 
■of the syringe and soft water will do much towards keeping down 
insect pests, prevention being better than cure. Strong insecticides 
are dangerous, these being liable to damage the fruit. 
Uncovering Trees. —Heavy protecting materials ought not to be 
left over the trees by day and night, these having a most weakening 
■effect, both upon the flowers and young growth. At the same time they 
must not be too quickly taken away altogether, as we may have de¬ 
structive frosts any time in the next two or three weeks. The lighter 
fish nets need not be removed for some time longer, as these, in common 
with the moveable blinds and curtains serve to protect the tender growths 
from cold winds, and to a certain extent prevent blistering and ward off 
insect pests. When, therefore, cold easterly winds prevail the blinds 
•or curtains ought not to be withdrawn from the trees. 
Liquid Manure for Fruit Trees. —Well established fruit trees 
do not, as a rule, receive nearly so much manurial assistance as they 
merit and need, and they not unfrequently also suffer by want of mois¬ 
ture at the roots. During the winter, and before active growth has 
commenced, very strong liquid manure may safely be given the trees, 
but in hotter weather, and when the soil is drier and the roots active, it 
ought to be freely diluted with pond water in preference to cold hard 
water. It has been found where very strong liquid manure, including 
the drainings from a farmyard and piggeries, have been freely applied 
to large fruit trees during the winter and spring months, and only clear 
water in summer, remarkably heavy crops of fine fruit have been 
obtained, in some instances annually. It is not yet too late to try a 
■similar experiment. In no case should liquid manure be wasted on a 
dry border. A large basin should be formed near to or all round the 
stem of the tree, at the same time lightly loosening the surface of the 
ground with a fork, next thoroughly soak the soil to a good depth with 
•clear water, and then apply liquid manure. Unless this method is 
adopted an application of liquid manure may be either wasted or prove 
more harmful than beneficial. All kinds of fruit trees and bushes may 
be manured in the manner just advised, the only exceptions being those 
that are already too vigorous to be fruitful. 
Protected Gooseberry Bushes. —One of the greatest drawbacks 
to the now rather common practice of permanently enclosing Goose¬ 
berry and other fruit bushes with fine-mesh galvanised wire netting is 
the certainty that the exclusion of the birds or natural enemies to first 
the Gooseberry sawfly and then the caterpillar will end in the bushes 
being sooner or later badly disfigured and crippled by the latter. Much 
may be done in the winter by the removal of soil and cocoons under the 
trees, and by a free use of lime, or a surfacing of spent tan fresh from 
the tanyard ; but all these have been known to fail to keep down the 
caterpillars. All wire-covered structures should now be wholly or 
partially opened along the fronts and ends, so as to admit the birds, and 
in most country ^districts these will usually keep the bushes clean. At 
the same time a close watch should be kept for caterpillars, the first 
signs being a few or many finely perforated leaves, and if these are at 
once gathered and burnt a considerable number of caterpillars will be 
destroyed at the same time. 
FRUIT FORGING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earliest Forced House. —The fruit 
is swelling rapidly—in fact, that of the very early and very useful 
variety Alexander is well advanced in ripening. Trees of this must not 
be syringed. Other varieties, such as Hale’s Early, A Bee, Royal George, 
Stirling Castle, Early Grosse Mignonne, and similar varieties should be 
finally thinned, removing the smaller fruit where the crop is favourable 
before any great advance is made with the last swelling, or it will be 
of little advantage to those remaining. The shoots should also be well 
tied in, so as to give the fruit all the sun and air possible for its colour¬ 
ing, and if the leaves shade it they must be drawn aside or removed. 
See that there is no trace of red spider, and if it should appear apply 
an insecticide, and syringe forcibly, directing the water against the 
under side of the leaves. Syringing, however, must be discontinued 
when the fruit is beginning to ripen, and the supplies of water must be 
lessened from that time. When the fruit is ripening some netting may 
be suspended below the trees. Fruit allowed to become dead-ripe and 
fall is not nearly so piquant and good in flavour as that carefully 
gathered when fairly ripe and allowed to rest in a fruit room for a time. 
Houses Started with the New Year. — The fruit in these is later 
than usual, but the crop is good, particularly of Hale’s Early and 
Royal George Peaches and Elruge Nectarine. The fruit is well advanced 
in stoning, but it does not answer to hurry on the crop until that is 
known to be effected, which can be determined by trying a few fruits 
with a knife. Until then a regular temperature of 60° to 65° at night 
and 70° to 75° by day is sufficient, but when the stoning is completed, 
and it is wished to accelerate the ripening, the temperature may be 
kept at 70° to 75° artificially, falling 5° at night, and keeping it through 
the day at 80° to 85°, closing sufficiently early in the afternoon to rise 
to 90° or 95°, and employing plenty of moisture, that over the trees 
being given sufficiently early to allow of their becoming dry before 
nightfall. With thorough supplies of water or liquid manure and a 
surface dressing of short manure the fruit will swell to a great size. 
Place the fruit with the apex to the light, and the leaves must be drawn 
aside or shortened, so that the fruit will have the benefit of the sun for 
the colouring process. Give the final thinning directly the stoning is 
effected. Tie in the growths as they advance, keeping them thin. 
Ventilate early, and leave a little air on at night. It is very unwise to 
push trees in the dark, and a close moist atmosphere causes soft and 
long-jointed wood, this more especially in dull weather and at night. 
Houses Started Early in February. — Fruits have set well and are 
the size of marbles ; they should be reduced by the time they are the 
size of Walnuts to a few more than are required for the crop. Tie in 
the shoots, encouraging no more than are necessary to furnish next 
year’s bearing wood and the extension of the trees. Shoots retained 
above the fruit to attract the sap to it should be pinched to a few joints. 
The chief point is to get stout, short-jointed, thoroughly solidified wood, 
and to allow it plenty of light and air. Ventilate early, increasing, the 
air with the solar heat, having full ventilation at 70° to 75°, a night 
temperature of 55° to G0° being suitable, and 60° to 65° by day by arti¬ 
ficial means. Commence ventilating from 65°. 
Houses Started in March. —Trees that were started early in March 
have set the fruit well, and when fairly swelling remove the surplus, 
commencing with the badly placed fruits— i.e., those on the under side 
of the trellis. It is well, however, in all cases to wait a short time until 
it is seen which fruit takes the lead in swelling. Disbudding must be 
continued until the growths are reduced to the number required for 
next year’s fruiting— i.e., a shoot from the base of the current bear¬ 
ing wood, leaving those on extensions 15 to 18 inches apart, and allow¬ 
ing that distance between the extensions. Train all shoots in their 
full length as far as space permits. Be careful to retain a shoot on 
a level with or above the fruits to attract the sap to them. This, 
unless an extension, should be pinched at the third leaf, and to each 
succeeding joint of growth. A temperature of 55° at night will be 
sufficient, with an advance of 5° to 10° in the daytime. Ventilate freely 
above 65°. Attend to tying in the shoots so as to give the necessary 
incline to the growths, but avoid close training, and especially tight 
tying, being careful to allow plenty of room for the swelling of the 
shoots. Syringe twice a day, and be careful not to let the trees lack 
moisture at the roots. 
Latest Houses. —The trees are in full blossom. There is every 
prospect of a good set. If bees are sipping the nectar and brushing the 
pollen on the stigmas they will save shaking the trees or distributing 
the pollen by means of a feather, rabbit’s tail, or large camel’s hair 
brush, but these means must not be neglected when necessary. Enough 
fire heat must be used to maintain a day temperature of 50° to 55°, with 
a little air at the top and bottom, and at night frost must be kept 
out, a temperature of 45° being desirable with a little ventilation. 
Ventilate freely above 53°, and do not allow 65° to be exceeded without 
full ventilation. A genial condition of the atmosphere can be secured 
by damping the borders and other available surfaces, but not the trees, 
in the morning and early afternoon. In unheated houses it should be 
