486 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
£ Ju Q6 13, 1889, 
double Pseony Princess Irene ; single Pasonies Hesperus, Argus, and 
Autumnus ; and to Delphiniums Diomedes, Julia, and Robusta. Mr. 
T. S. Ware had a very large, varied, and interesting collection also, 
including Irises in great variety, Poppies, Pyrethrums, &e., and certifi¬ 
cates of merit were awarded to Lilium croceum fl.-pl.; Pasonia anomala 
hybrida, a very showy single form; and to Papavers Blush Queen and 
Prince of Orange, two distinct forms of P. orientale. Messrs. Clibran 
and Son, Oldfield Nurseries, Altrincham, had boxes of cut blooms of 
Zonal and decorative Pelargoniums, Ixias, and Sparaxis of a very 
showy character, hardy flowers in great variety, Ac. j and Messrs. J. 
Cheal & Sons, Lovvfield Nurseries, Crawley, had examples of their new 
flower supports, some of them filled with flowers, which seemed greatly 
to interest the company. 
The usual dinner to the Judges took place upon the opening day, 
Mr. Joseph Broome, the Chairman of the Council, presiding, the vice- 
chair being filled by Mr. Samuel Barlow, J.P, 
j|| V 
/ORK/OfiTHE^ 
fEEK.J 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Melons. —Fruit Ripening. — Plants with the fruit ripening must 
have a plentiful supply of air, and water should be withheld from the 
fruit. If the plants are strong and there is a disposition to crack, in 
addition to withholding water from the roots cut the growth carrying 
the fruit half or not more than three parts through a few inches below 
the fruit. A dry atmosphere is essential, and a temperature of 70° to 75° 
artificially, falling about 5° at night. If the sun be powerful place a 
slight shade of some kind directly over the fruit, as Melons ripening 
become heated and do not mature nearly so regularly nor become so high 
in flavour as those that come on more gradually. Water need only be 
given to prevent flagging, and a slight shade from bright sun after a dull 
period is a much better way of preventing flagging' than heavy water¬ 
ings and a close vitiated atmosphere. 
Fruit Swelling .—Add more soil to the ridges or hillocks. Let it be 
warm, moderately heavy, rather moist, and press it down firmly. Give 
a thorough soaking of water as soon as the fruit is the size of an egg, 
and follow in the course of a day or so with tepid liquid manure, then 
mulch with horse droppings exposed for a few days in an open shed 
and turned over daily. Water will be required about twice a week, or 
only once in dull weather. In narrow borders the waterings will need 
to be more frequent ; in large borders or beds over fermenting materials 
it will not be required so often. Remove all fruit but three or four on 
a plant, also blossoms, and afford the needful supports. Stop or remove 
laterals freely, not great reductions at a time, but little and often, not 
allowing secondary or tertiary growths to interfere with the principal. 
Syringe twice daily—in the afternoon not later than four o’clock, 
having the foliage fairly dry before night, and sprinkle the house about 
5.30 to 6 P.M. with liquid manure, and give a little ventilation at the top 
of the house when looking round the last thing at night. This will 
save some trouble if no air is given early in the morning. On bright 
mornings commence ventilating about seven o’clock or at 75°, and in¬ 
crease it with the advancing sun, keeping through the day at 85° to 90° 
with bright sun, and 80° to 85° with alternating gleams. Close at 
80° to 85°, increasing to 90° or 95°. Fire heat will only be necessary on 
cold nights and in dull weather, for we must guard against a sluggish 
circulation of sap. 
Plants Setting their Fruit. —The plants should be thin in foliage, 
so that the light and air may have free access. The growth will then be 
stout and short-jointed, and the leaves stout in texture. The blossom 
will be correspondingly strong. Ventilate a little constantly, and if dull 
have a little warmth in the pipes to cause a circulation of air, and 
when the heat falls below 65° at night, or 71° to 75° in the daytime. 
The soil must be sufficiently moist to prevent the leaves flagging, and 
only moderate moisture will be required in the atmosphere, damping in 
the morning and again in the afternoon ; but keep the water from the 
plants. To prevent the deposition of moisture on the flowers provide 
a warm buoyant atmosphere. Fertilise the blossoms about noon on fine 
days, and when several are expanded on a plant stop at one joint 
beyond the fruit to insure uniformity of swelling. 
Young Plants .—Train with one shoot for trellises, and rub off the 
laterals up to the first wire, and then every alternate lateral on opposite 
sides afterwards, stopping the leading shoots when about two-thirds up 
the trellis. Flowers ought to show on the laterals ; if they do not show 
at the second joint stop at that. Plants for training over the surface of 
the bed should be stopped at the second leaf. Select four of the result¬ 
ing shoots, training two to the back and two to the frone of the frame or 
pit. Remove all others carefully with the point of a knife, but if only 
two sboots result stop them at the second or third leaf, and make a 
selection of the best for training, as before advised. Keep the stem clear 
of laterals and leaves for a space of about 6 inches from the collar. 
Remove every alternate lateral on the shoots, stopping these when 12 to 
15 inches from the sides of the pit or frame. Let there be no deficiency 
of moisture at the roots, and add fresh warm soil to the ridges or hillocks 
a3 the roots protrude. Syringe at closing time, but avoid wetting the 
stems, as it may lead to canker, which should be kept under by rubbing 
quicklime into the affected parts until dry. Provide the necessary 
ventilation for insuring sturdy short-jointed growth. Put out plants as 
pits or frames become vacant, and if a gentle warmth at the root can be 
afforded it will give the plants a start, and be all that is necessary. 
Close early, and keep the growths well regulated not less frequently 
than once a week. Shade only to prevent flagging ; it will only be 
necessary for an hour or two at mid-day under powerful sun. 
Sowing for Late Fruit .—A last sowing should be made at once for 
planting in manure-heated pits or frames. Plants from this sowing 
will afford useful fruit at the latter part of September. Those with 
light well heated structures may continue making sowings as required 
until the end of July. The plants from the last named will continue 
the supply up to the beginning of November, after which it is useless 
thinking of having fruit of good flavour. 
Figs. — Early-forced Trees .—Generous treatment will be needed 
after the first crops are gathered to enable the trees to swell the second 
crop. Syringe twice a day to keep red spider in check, and afford 
liquid manure when watering is necessary, trees in pots requiring it 
daily, sometimes twice a day, and trees in borders once or twice a week, 
according to the extent of the rooting area. The second crop should 
be thinned out before the fruit is the size of Walnuts, and in thinning 
reserve the largest fruit at the base of the shoots. Mulch trees in pots 
with rich material. Suckers, if any, must be removed. 
Succession Houses .—When the fruit commences to ripen a free 
circulation of warm air should be afforded, which is essential to high 
quality, not less so being the tying-in and regulating of the shoots by 
thinning and stopping, so as to afford the fruit the benefit of all the 
light practicable. The moisture in the atmosphere will need to be 
moderated, not wetting the fruit, though if red spider attack the trees 
the fruit should be gathered closely and a good syringing given, which 
will not injure the remaining fruit, providing it is done early on a fine 
day, so that the moisture does not remain long on them. Do not allow 
any lack of water at the roots, yet lessened supplies will suffice than 
when the fruits were swelling. 
Young Trees in Pots .—Those for next year’s early forcing must not 
be neglected or disappointment is inevitable. They must have all the 
light possible and kept as near the glass as practicable without touching, 
so as to secure sturdy well ripened growth, keeping them clean by 
syringing, and affording liquid manure to effect a stout growth. This 
completed they may be stood outdoors to induce re3t, but the wood 
must be well ripened previously, and the sooner the better for early 
forcing. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Early Completion of Bedding Ou t .—The sooner bedding out is com¬ 
pleted and everything put into good order the better it is for every¬ 
thing and everybody concerned. By the middle of June all the beds 
should be properly filled and the surplus plants planted in herbaceous 
or mixed borders and in the more ornamental parts of the kitchen 
garden. This applies more especially to those kinds from which cut¬ 
tings are needed early. Unless these extra plants are grown it is 
necessary early in the season to partially disfigure some of the beds in 
order to obtain the requisite number of strong cuttings, or to lift plants 
from the beds before frosts cripple them, and thereby disturb the 
arrangements much sooner than it ought to be done. Pelargoniums 
planted early on good ground will yield a profusion of stout cuttings, 
while if Verbenas, Violas, Lobelias, and Ageratums are similarly treated 
and not allowed to exhaust themselves by flowering all the season, 
they, too, will afford either abundance of good cuttings or may be 
lifted with a greater certainty of growing. In any case surplus plants 
should not be kept till the end of the month before they are put out. 
While in pots or boxes they require to be watered daily, and in addition 
become stunted and of little service afterwards, but if planted early 
they quickly become both ornamental and useful. 
Carpet Beds .—These are frequently the last to be filled, and lightly 
so. The design ought to have been laid down and the groundwork of 
hardy trailing or close growing green and grey foliaged plants already 
well established. If this has to be done now, the beds should be freely 
shaded with blinds or branches of trees and frequently moistened in 
bright weather. Large pot plants are not suitable for filling in the 
designs. They answer very well for dotting, but Alternantheras, Pyre¬ 
thrums, Iresines, Mesembryanthemums, Sempervivums, and dwarf 
growing plants generally can be most neatly planted when of a com¬ 
paratively small size. The majority, but notably Alternautheras, may 
well be planted with a dibble, and so thickly as to quite fill the spaces 
after the fully grown leaves formed in heat disappear. They will some¬ 
times grow well, but as a rule become smaller rather than larger. Plant 
accordingly, and there will be no failure in a cool wet summer. 
Mixed Arrangements .—It often happens that from various causes there 
are too few plants to fill the beds. Thus it becomes necessary to either 
purchase what more are required, or to attempt some kind of mixture. 
Not (infrequently these mixed beds are the most attractive of any, and 
in after years become a fixed custom. Sub-tropical plants, such as Pan- 
danuses, Dracienas, Palms in variety, Caladiums, Marantas, and Crotons, 
can frequently be spared from well-stocked stoves, and these being duly 
hardened off may with Cordylines, Yuccas, Aloes, Ficuses, Grevilleas, 
and Acacia lophantha from the greenhouse or conservatory be very 
effectively grouped. It is advisable to keep them in pots, plunging these 
in the beds, and if arranged rather thinly, accordin ; to their heights, a 
groundwork of some kind being formed, the effect will be enhanced 
