JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
55 
January JO, 1887. ] 
fluous, and a third examination may be made before the Grapes 
commence colouring, and where the berries are too crowded remove 
the worst. A little practice and close observation will soon make a 
good Grape-thinner.— G. Abbey. 
(To be continued.) 
WINTER-FLOWERING HEATHS. 
There are probably very few winter-flowering plants increased and 
sold annually to such an extent as winter-flowering Heaths ; that is, if we 
may judge from the great trade sales which are held annually in the 
neighbourhood of London, besides the scores of thousands which are sold 
by nurserymen in the usual way of business. The majority of those sold 
at these sales are bought up by florists, and are used for decorating, and 
by the time they have finished flowering, or sometimes before, they are 
dead, as they are often placed in positions where they cannot possibly be 
watered. That winter-flowering Heaths when purchased just as they are 
advancing into bloom can be grown successfully for several seasons we 
have proved beyond doubt, and if attended to as we shall describe, any 
readers who possess a greenhouse can succeed in growing them. It cannot 
be expected that amateurs will succeed in propagating this class of plants, 
as very few professional gardeners succeed, and they find it far more 
profitable to purchase plants just before they come into bloom. The most 
popular are Erica gracilis autumnalis, E. hyemalis, and E. Wilmoreana. 
The former has rosy-purple flowers, and is just past its best; E. hyemalis, 
pink, tipped with white, and is now in full beauty ; and E. Wilmoreana 
is similar to the preceding, but later ; E. verticillata, fig. 9, is less well 
known, but very showy, with loog drooping, red flowers. 
If plants are purchased in the autumn the most suitable position when 
received will be on a front greenhouse stage, not too far from the glass, 
and well exposed to light and air. Although Heaths delight in a free 
circulation of fresh air, they must not be subjected to a cold draught, as 
that would be fatal. Dryness at the root is also fatal, and probably 
ninety-nine out of every hundred die through the soil being allowed to 
become too dry. On the other hand, the plants must not be over-watered, 
as both extremes are fatal. Water should be applied just as the soil is 
becoming moderately dry, and it should then have a thorough supply, so as 
to moistea the whole ball of soil, and do not water again until the same 
condition is reached. After the plants have finished blooming the shoots 
should be shortened to about 2 or 3 inches of the current season’s growth, 
and be kept well exposed to light and air, as the growth becomes sturdy. 
About the first week in March the plants will need placing into a size 
larger pot. 
The compost used should be rough peat, with a sixth part of sharp 
silver sand and a little charcoal. The pots must be particularly well 
drained, and the compost rammed firmly around the old ball with a blunt' 
pointed stick. Keep the collar of the plant well up, as the stem must not 
be buried. Af r er potting place the plants on a clo;e stage (ashes is suit¬ 
able for the stage to be surfaced with), and do not admit any side,air for 
two or three weeks. About two days after repotting the plants should 
receive a thorough watering, and be damped about the pots twice a day. 
About the first week in May stand the plants out in a cold frame, and 
a month afterwards place them out in the open air. Beyond attention in 
watering, nothing further will be required until about the middle of Sep¬ 
tember, when the plants may be placed in the greenhouse. Rain water 
shoull always be used.—A. Young. 
WORK forthe WEEK.. O 
typfj 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Heavy falls of snow and severe fr >sts have stopped much of the work 
in this department, and it will be unwise in many instances to attempt 
much in the way of pruning, nailing, planting, and other seasonable work 
till the ground is in better condition. On no account should any planting be 
done at present, so much depending upon this being properly performed, 
and it is very certain the soil will not be in a fit state to receive the trees 
for another month or more. In many instances the trees have been re¬ 
ceived and laid in by the heels, and those who may have their orders 
executed at the present time should either store them in the bale just as 
received in a cool dark cellar, or where no cold drying or frosty winds will 
reach them, or if the weather permits lay them in singly, choosing a 
sheltered spot for them. All trees thus laid in should also have same 
loose straw or other litter thrown over them, this protecting them from 
severe frost and parching winds. We also usually make a special request 
to the nurserymen who supply the trees, that our consignment be packed 
as soon as possible as they are lifted, too many trees and plants being 
seriously injured in cold draughty packing sheds. It is to the nursery¬ 
man’s as much as the gardener’s credit that the newly bought trees do well; 
but if the roots, besides being much damaged in the lifting, are also unduly 
exposed to all weathers, they are a long time in recovering from the check 
administered, and the gardener gets the blame. 
Orchard Trees.—T hese are too often neglected, this being especi- . 
ally the case with the older trees. Many garden trees are too freely 
pruned, while perhaps an orchard on the same place is never touched. 
To be constantly hacking young orchards, these being principally standard 
Apples on the Crab stock, is very unwise, a plentiful crop of strong 
shoots and little or no fruit resulting. Till-such times as a well-balanced 
head is secured a certain amount of free, pruning is necessary, after which 
no shortening back should be resorted to unless any of the limbs [are 
unduly ahead of the rest, when these should have their leaders hard 
cut back to some of the less gross lateral growths. This fore-shortening, 
as it is technically termed, is also necessary in the case of trees that 
extend beyond the space allotted to each. Where the branches are at 
all crowded, crossing each other in all directions, they require to be 
freely thinned, a moderate number of regularly arranged limbs being best 
calculated to eventually develope in a strong free-bearing tree. It is by 
no means an uncommon occurrence to see whole fagots of wood cut out of 
large Apple trees, but this practice cannot be too strongly condemned. 
Freely thinned out they should be, but even if they are in a very bad 
plight, such wholesale destruction should not be resorted to. All weakly 
inner growth being valueless should be first removed, and a small hand¬ 
saw is the proper tool for thinning out the interlaced branches all over 
the tree, trimming round the wounds with a knife. In some cases fore¬ 
shortening ought to be practised, but in no case should there be any 
fagots. It takes some time to properly thin the branches of a large tree, 
especially for the first time, but the following winters it will be very 
light work. At the present time, unless a frost prevails, the men will do 
more harm than good in the garden, but the orchards being usually 
grassed down no harm will be done by trampling. 
Removing Moss and Lichen from Fruit Trees. —This is not always 
such a difficult matter as some imagine, and it is very certain its removal 
has a most beneficial effect on the trees. These parasites are most plenti¬ 
ful where the soil or position is badly drained, and where the air is also 
much excluded from the trees ; remedy this and the moss and lichen will 
disappear. The ground might have been well drained at the outset, but 
the roots of the trees gradually either disconnect or choke the pipes, and 
stagnation is the consequence. The first proceeding then should be to 
drain afresh, also thinning out the trees where necessary. If this fails 
to effect a cure, or cannot be given a trial, much may be done towards 
destroying the parasites with the aid of newly slaked lime, this being 
shaken well among the limbs when damp, and abundantly dashed into 
the rough stems. Some prefer to make thin limewash, and either syringe 
the trees or apply it with brushes, and if the stems have been previously 
scraped the lime will be still more effective. Others have used soapsuds 
and weak brine with good results. 
American Blight. —This is still more injurious to the trees and 
harder to get rid of. Petroleum added to soapsuds at the rate of 1 pint 
to the gallon of the suds, kept stirred as it is being forcibly syringed 
against the affected parts will, if persevered in, destroy the pests without 
injuring the tree. We prefer to brush in a mixture of gas tar and clayey 
water in equal parts, and this never fails. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. —Early Forced Vines in Pots .—Allow the laterals beyond the 
bunches to extend as far as space permits, as the more foliage a Vine has 
fully exposed, the greater will be the root action, and the better nourished 
will be the fruit. Supply liquid manure slightly warmer than the tem¬ 
perature of the house, and surface dress with rich compost. If the Vines 
have the benefit of a bed of fermenting materials, place some turves 
around the rim and so as to reach over on to the fermenting bed, filling 
the space between the turves and s'em of the Vine with rotten manure, 
keeping the turves and fermenting materials about the pots moist so as to 
encourage the roots to extend beyond the pots. Turn, and add to the 
fermenting materials as they settle down. Discontinue syringing after 
the Vines commence flowering, as a somewhat drier atmosphere is desir¬ 
able at that time, but when the berries are set, keep the floors and walls 
damp by sprinkling in the morning and early afternoon, and the evapo¬ 
ration troughs should be filled with liquid manure or guano water, 1 lb. to 
20 gallons of water. 
Early Houses. —Avoid a close atmosphere. Ventilate when the weather 
is favourable, so as to give substance to the foliage, closing early, and . 
allowing the temperature to rise to 80° or 85°, so as to utilise the sun heat 
and secure as long a day’s growth as possible, or whilst there is light. 
The temperature after the Vines are in leaf should be 60° to 65° at night, 
and 70° to 75° by day artificially, keeping it through the day with sun 
heat at 80° to 85°, with air more or less from between 70° and 75° according 
to the state of the weather. Disbud as soon as the best can be selected, 
and leave only one shoot to each spur, though where the Vines are weak 
and the spurs a good distance apart, two shoots may be allowed, especially 
where the space is not sufficient to allow a good extension. The extra 
foliage, always providing it can be properly exposed to light, will do 
much to encourage root action and secure well swelled berries. 
Late Vines .—Late Grapes well ripened of the thick-skinned kinds 
may be cut with as much wood as can be spared. Do not remove the 
wood above the bunch, but retain it as far as practicable, as we find the 
Grapes keep more plump with wood beyond the bunch than without 
The lower ends should be placed in bottles of rain water about three parts 
full, placing a piece of charcoal in each bottle. The botUei will require 
to be placed in a slanting position, which needs no expensive contrivance, 
but simply a rest for the bottles and a strong lath, to which they may be 
secured with string in a leaning position. It is necessary that the bunches 
do not touch each other. Scrutinise for and remove all decayed berries, 
securing as near as possible an equable temperature of 45°. 
