May 18, 1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
405 
Princeof Greens. Fifth, Mr. W. Stratton, with Prince of Greens. Twenty- 
one entries. 
Class E, single plants, grey edge.—First Richard Headley, second 
Beauty, third Ringleader, fourth Alex. Meiklejohn, fifth Stapleford 
Hero, sixth Fletcher’s Ne Plus Ultra. There were twenty-seven entries 
in the above class. 
Class F, white edges.—First, second, and fifth. Acme. Third Regular. 
Fourth Simpson’s Robert John, an old seedling similar to Heatherbell. 
There were seventeen entries. 
Class G, single plants, seifs.—First Downing’s Catherine, second 
Morris’s Mrs. Sinclair, third Blackbird, fourth Sapphire, fifth Pizzaro. 
There were thirty-one entries. 
Premier white, John Simonite; premier green, Prince of Greens ; 
premier grey, George Lightbody ; premier self, Blackbird and Mrs. 
Potts equal.—F. Pohlmann, Halifax. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —Trees Started Early in the Year .— 
The fruit is late, but it will soon have stoned. Until that is completed 
the trees should not be subjected to a higher temperature than 60° to 
65° by artificial means. Commence ventilating at 65°, and do not 
allow 70° to be exceeded without a free circulation of air. Tie-in the 
shoots as they advance, removing superfluous growths, as it is imprac¬ 
ticable to have a crowded growth and stout wood with well-developed 
buds ; indeed, it is important that no more shoots be trained-in than can 
be fully exposed to light and air. If the shoots are crowded thin them 
well as soon as the stoning is completed. Allow one fruit to every square 
foot of trellis covered by the trees, which will be one to every shoot of 
last year, although vigorous shoots may be allowed to carry two fruits. 
By apportioning the fruit according to the strength evenness of growth 
may be maintained throughout the trees. After stoning maintain a good 
degree of moisture in the house, and water the inside border copiously. 
In well-drained borders water will not be required less than once 
a week. Mulch the surface with about 2 inches thickness of short half- 
decayed manure. Unless it be desired to accelerate the ripening con¬ 
tinue 60° to 65° at night and 65° by day artificially in dull weather, and 
75° with sun heat, closing at the latter temperature with plenty of mois¬ 
ture in the house. In a high temperature and moist atmosphere Peaches 
will swell to a great size after stoning. If such be required a night 
temperature of 66° to 70°, 70° to 75° by day artificially, and 80° to 85° 
from sun heat may be secured, closing early, so as to increase the tem¬ 
perature to 90° or 95°. With due precaution taken in having the fruit 
well exposed, raised with the apex to the light, and the foliage drawn 
aside or shortened, so that the fruit may receive all the sun, it 
will be very taking in appearance, though scarcely so tempting or so 
well flavoured as that in heat and moisture, and with freer ventilation. 
Trees Started in February .—The fruits are stoning and must have 
the number reduced, leaving two strong shoots, and one only on 
weak ones. The fruit retained should in all instances be well situated 
for exposure to light and air. Thin the shoots where overcrowded, and 
the more light the fruit is subjected to from the commencement the 
better is its colour and the higher its flavour. The tempers, ture by arti¬ 
ficial means may be kept at 55° to 60° at night, 60° to 65° by day 
artificially, ventilating at 65°, fully at 70° to 75°. Assist weakly and 
fully cropped trees with liquid manure, but keen it from trees that are 
very vigorous, as it only tends to increase growth and may prove fatal to 
the stoning. 
Trees Started in March .—The fruit is swelling freely and must be 
well thinned. It can now be seen which fruits have taken the lead. 
Two or three will be ample to leave on strong shoots, and proportionately 
less on weaker growths. Afford liquid manure to weakly trees, but 
vigorous ones being more prone to cast the fruit should have water only. 
Remove all superfluous shoots, the remaining growths being trained and 
tied to the trellis as they advance. 
Latest Trees .—Disbudding and tying in the shoots must be con¬ 
tinued, also thinning the fruit. As the fruit is very plentiful it must be 
thinned well but gradually, leaving the finest and best disposed for 
receiving air and light. Examine all inside borders at least once a 
week, giving thorough supplies of water when necessary, and syringe 
the trees twice a day, except when the nights are likely to be cold, 
which, however, more particularly applies to unheated houses. These 
should have the afternoon syringing early, so as to allow the foliage to 
become dry before night. Early closing may also be practised with a 
view to husband the sun heat. 
Figs. —Earliest Forced Trees in Pets .—The watering at the roots 
must be lessened, but still afford the supplies needed to keep the foliage 
in good order, and discontinue syringing. For the colouring process a 
circulation of warm air is necessary, leaving the top ventilators open a 
little at night, the highest coloured fruit being the best flavoured. As 
soon as the first crop is gathered commence syringing the trees twice a 
day, also watering at the roots copiously with weak guano or other 
forms of liquid manure, which will enable the trees to make a more I 
vigorous second growth. If in the second crop the fruits show very 
abundantly they must be thinned, so as not to overburden the trees to 
the prejudice of next season’s bearing. 
Planted-out Trees .—The permanently planted trees in houses will 
require attention in stopping the young shoots at the fifth or sixth leaf, 
and thinning the strong growing shoots to admit light and air to the 
fruit. Attend to syringing the trees twice daily, and water abundantly 
at the roots as often as required, employing weak liquid manure, espe¬ 
cially where the borders are small. If the first crop of Figs on the 
early started trees has not yet commenced ripening there will soon be 
indications of its taking place, and until the crop is perfected a little 
ventilation should be allowed constantly at the top of the house, and 
whenever the weather is favourable a free circulation of warm air must 
be afforded. Cease syringing the trees when ripening commences, and 
avoid a superabundance of moisture about the house. A good watering 
should be given when indications of ripening appear, which more par¬ 
ticularly applies to large trees with only limited space for the roots. 
Let the fruit be perfectly ripe before gathering, unless it is to be packed, 
when it must be gathered a few days sooner. 
Strawberries in Pots. —The latest plants are flowering strongly, 
but the trusses as usual are disposed to have long stems. This cannot 
well be obviated, though by keeping the plants well up to the glass and 
near the ventilators they may be prevented becoming drawn. When 
the flowers are advanced, select the strongest, all the weaker blooms 
being cut away, leaving only sufficient for the crop. The centre fruit is 
always the largest, and to encourage this and others to set well early 
thinning should be practised. Plants swelling their fruit must have 
frequent supplies of liquid manure ; indeed it should be given from the 
fruit commencing to swell freely until it changes colour for ripening, 
when clear water, and not too much of it (only the plants must not 
flag) will be more suitable. In this stage they like a high temperature 
and moist atmosphere, and as size goes a long way in a Strawberry, we 
swell off as many as possible in the Cucumber and Melon houses, and 
keep rather drier and cooler when ripening. It not only saves the fruit 
from “ spotting,” but the flavour is very much better, and there is a 
marked difference between the aroma of those ripened in a moist atmo¬ 
sphere and those in a rather dry and airy one. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Hardening Bedding Plants .—Supposing the most forward or the 
strongest of the Zonal Pelargoniums have been duly shifted from warm 
quarters to cool pits and frames, they ought now to be quite fit for 
fuller exposure to all weathers. As, however, we may yet experience 
severe late frosts, they should be arranged on ashes in beds where they 
can be quickly covered with mats and blinds if need be. Shrubby 
Calceolarias that have been temporarily planted out in sheltered posi¬ 
tions or in large frames ought also to be sufficiently advanced to need 
little or no further protection, while Violas and Pyrethrum may be 
finally planted out at any time, the sooner the better in the case of the 
Violas. The more tender kinds ought not to be too quickly exposed to 
all weathers, a heavy rainfall being especially injurious to any tha,t are 
in boxes. Strong plants of Ageratums, Lobelias, Cineraria maritima, 
Centaureas, Petunias, Verbenas, Heliotropes, Phlox Drummondi, Stocks, 
Asters, Zinnias, Gaillardias, Antirrhinums, Pentstemons, and other half*- 
hardy plants, if not already in cold pits and frames, ought to succeed 
the Pelargoniums, being in their turn followed by the bulk of the 
Heliotropes, Iresines, Coleuses, Alternantheras, and other comparatively 
tender plants. Too much water given to any of these when they are 
first transferred to cool quarters will greatly check them, and they must 
be kept on the dry side for a time. 
Carpet Beds .—Although these are usually the last to be finished, 
they ought, where hardy groundwork ” plants are used, to be the first 
started on. It is the common practice to raise these well above the 
ordinary level, this in addition to making them warmer, and therefore 
more congenial to the Alternantheras and other tender plants used in 
covering them, also admitting of one or two rings of Echeveria secunda 
glauca being worked into the slightly sloping margins. The latter, if 
they have not been unduly coddled, can be put out now, as they are 
nearly hardy. No attempt should be made to move them with a ball of 
soil about the roots, this being quite unnecessary, and it also interferes 
with expeditious planting. Nor is there any need to fix them in position 
with the aid of a puddle made of clay and cow manure. All may be evenly 
planted with the aid of a stout dibber, and should face outwards. Semper- 
vivum californicum may be similarly planted, but they are not nearly 
so effective against the green turf. The surface of the beds ought to be 
made quite fine, smooth, and fairly firm, the design being then traced 
out and the tracings preserved with the aid of fine lines of silver sand’. 
All the spaces surrounding the various figures or panels in the design 
are usually filled with the neat growing green or grey foliaged Hermaria 
glabra, Mentha Pulegium gibraltarica, Sedum Lydium, Sedum glau- 
cum, Veronica repens, and Antennaria tomentosa. The last named is 
also a good substitute for Echeveria secunda glauca for facing or edging 
the beds. All are quite hardy, and should be freely divided and neatly 
and rather thickly dibbled in, if possible during showery weather. 
Every little piece will grow, and will eventually surpass any put out in 
patches. 
Carnations and Picotees .—Seedling plants of the best border varieties 
when well grown are remarkably floriferous; they flower so freely, in 
fact, as to be of little value after the first year. Much depends upon aa 
early start being made, the aim being to have strong plants well 
established in the open ground as early in the summer as possible. The 
seed should be sown thinly in pans or boxes of light loamy soil, ana 
