March 3,1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
179 
rendering fruitless much that forms below it. This top growth ought 
to be freely reduced, the aim being to thinly and evenly clothe the 
whole of the wall with well-ripened bearing wood, and which should 
only be loosely secured either by tying or strong shreds or nails. Trees 
that have long been in a bearing state are usually benefited by annual 
surface-dressings of manure, lightly forked in so as to be more readily 
accessible to the roots. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Figs. —Earliest Trees in Pots .—The fruit swells the best when the 
trees are given a top-dressing of rich material, applying it to the surface 
of the pots, and if a layer of turves has been placed around the rims of 
the pots, as before advised, space is afforded for the top-dressings. Do 
not give heavy dressings of rich material all at once, but apply it little 
and often. Apply also liquid manure—1 oz. of guano to a gallon of 
water, giving it in such quantity as to pass through the pots ; driblets 
do no good. Maintain a genial atmosphere by syringing twice a day 
when the weather is bright, but avoid keeping the foliage constantly 
wet, as would be the case by syringing the trees vigorously in dull 
weather. Damp the’walls, paths, and beds, keeping the evaporation 
troughs filled with liquid manure or guano water, and to check red 
spider paint the pipes with sulphur. Admit a little air at 70°, increasing 
it with the advance of solar heat up to 85°, which ought not to be ex¬ 
ceeded, closing at 80°. The night temperature may still range from 60° 
to 65° ; 55° in the morning in severe weather is safer than the higher 
temperature, advancing 10° by day. Avoid crowding, stop or tie 
the shoots as growth advances, as the fruit to have flavour and colour 
must, when ripening, have full exposure to light, combined with a cir¬ 
culation of dry warm air. 
Planted-out Mg Trees .—Those started early in the year will require 
disbudding and stopping, removing all the overcrowded shoots, stopping 
those intended to form well developed spurs for the second crop, the 
leading shoots, where there is space, being allowed to extend, as they 
invariably afford the finest fruit. Water the border freely with liquid 
manure at 80°, taking care not to apply it too strong, and mulch with 
rich compost, which will attract the roots to the surface. Encourage 
also the emission of roots from the collar or stem by placing fibrous 
pieces of turf and partially decayed manure in contact with it, and by 
extending the material outwards a quantity of feeders will be secured, 
which, if supplied with warm liquid manure, will greatly assist the 
fruit. 
Cucumbers. —With increased light and solar heat evaporation is 
correspondingly increased, necessitating a greater supply of atmo¬ 
spheric moisture. The evaporation troughs should be kept filled with 
liquid manure, damping the house so as to maintain a genial atmosphere, 
and syringing the plants lightly during bright afternoons. A night 
temperature of 65° is sufficient, allowing 5° more when the external air 
is mild, 60° being the minimum in the morning when the weather is 
severe. Liquid manure may be applied once or twice a week. Do not 
allow the fruits to hang too long, or they may weaken the plants ; 
besides, they keep fresh for several days with their stalks inserted in 
saucers of water. Thin the fruits well, especially on plants just coming 
into bearing, stopping the shoots at one joint beyond the fruit, removing 
superfluous growths and bad leaves as they appear, as well as male 
blossoms. 
The weather has been very unfavourable for early'forccd Cucumbers 
in pits and frames heated with fermenting materials, the temperature 
being difficult to keep up to a point calculated to maintain steady pro¬ 
gressive growth, a close atmosphere resulting in a superabundance of 
moisture, not infrequently causing the loss of the plants. When the 
moisture cannot be dispelled by admitting air much may be done by 
sprinkling lime or soot round the plants, those substances having a great 
affinity for moisture. Continue to prepare material for making fresh 
beds and for linings, and sow seeds as successional plants are required. 
Melons. —In the Melon house a ridge the whole length of the house 
or bed, about 2 feet wide at the base, with the top flattened so as to give 
a depth of 10 or 12 inches, is preferable to hillocks, the soil being made 
rather firm, and when warm the plants may be turned out, firming the 
soil well about them, and raising it to within half an inch of the seed 
leaves. The plants may be placed 2 to feet apart, the leading or 
primary shoots being taken up without stopping until two-thirds the 
distance they are intended to travel is reached, then pinch out the point 
of each. When three or four lateral joints have been made the points 
should be taken out. Some varieties will show fruit on the first laterals, 
and as early Melons are a consideration let them remain, taking out the 
point at the joint above them. To allow all the laterals to remain would 
very much overcrowd the foliage, therefore rub off whilst quite young 
every alternate one. After the stopping of the first laterals the suc¬ 
ceeding growths will show fruit at the second or third joint. The 
growths should be trained thinly and regularly, so that every part is 
equally furnished with foliage and fruit. 
In pits and frames with the shoots trained over the surface of the 
bed, the plants, being stopped at the second leaf, will produce two shoots, 
and these in turn being stopped will give four shoots, two being taken 
to the front and two to the back of the frame. Besides these a number 
of others will appear near the collar of the plant ; these should be rubbed 
off whilst quite young, and do not encourage any laterals nearer the 
stem than 6 inches. This will keep the collar clear. Stop the principal 
shoots when within a foot of the sides of the pit or frame, and thus 
throw vigour into the laterals, which will show fruit at the second or 
third joint, stopping them at one joint beyond the fruit. The plants 
will require but little water as yet, nevertheless maintain the soil in a 
moist state, avoiding saturation. 
In houses sprinkle every surface in the morning of bright days and 
again at closing time or early in the afternoon. Ventilate carefully, 
avoiding currents of cold air. Some hexagon netting or scrim canvas 
placed over the ventilators will break the force of cutting winds. 
Maintain the night temperature at 70°, falling to 65° in the morning, 5° 
less being better in severe weather than seeking to maintain the high 
temperature by sharp firing, 75° by day, rising to 80° or 85° from sun 
heat, keep bottom heat steady at 80°. Shift later sown plants into larger 
pots, or add soil as the plants advance, stopping those for frames at the 
second leaf, not stopp'ng those for trellises, but placing a small stick to 
each for support. 
Cover the lights of dung frames with double mats at night, and see 
that linings are regularly attended to, renewing the old linings as 
required. Prepare material for making fresh beds. Equal parts of 
stable litter and Oak or Beech leaves and stable litter make the best 
beds. About a fortnight before it is desired to make the beds the dung 
and leaves should be thoroughly incorporated. In a few days it will be 
seen whether there is sulfieient moisture to produce decomposition, 
fermentation being the result; if not, turn the whole, sprinkling with 
water so as to moisten the mass, and when in good heat turn again out- 
tside to inside, and vice versa, two or thr o e turnings being required at 
intervals of about four days. The bottom heat of dung beds should be 
about 85° to 90°. 
Cherry House. —Unremitting attention must be given to the ventila¬ 
tion. A free circulation of air should pass through the house whenever 
the temperature exceeds 50°, the amount of air to be regulated by the 
conditions of the outside atmosphere. Employ fire heat only to prevent 
the temperature falling below 50° in the day, and to maintain a night 
temperature of 40°. Attend to fertilising the blossoms. Watch closely 
for the appearance of aphides, especially for green aphides on Plum trees, 
if there be any in the house, as if the insects are allowed to become 
established they are difficult to kill. Grubs infest the Cherry under 
glass ; one kind of grub rolls itself up in the leaves, and can be eradicated 
by squeezing, but the other is the greatest pest, and will be found 
encased on the under side of the leaves, giving them the appearance of 
being scalded ; from the leaves it makes its way to the Cherries, and 
devours them. The only means of riddance is to examine the trees 
occasionally and destroy the grubs. 
Strawberries in Pots.— The earliest plants are ripening their 
fruit, and though the Strawberry swells freely in a high, moist atmo¬ 
sphere, yet when the fruit changes colour a drier and more freely 
ventilated house is desirable ; but there must not be a sudden change, 
or the fruit will not finish satisfactorily. The temperature for swelling 
off should be 65° at night, and 70° to 75° by day, advancing to 80° or 
85° with sun. The second plants have set very well, but thinning is 
often thought a needless operation ; yet to produce fine fruit not more 
than half a dozen should be left on each plant. When the fruit is fairly 
swelling, and it is wished to forward the crop, the plants may be moved 
to a house with a temperature of 60° to 65° at night, 70° to 75° by day, 
with an advance to 85°, affording the plants liquid manure copiously, the 
plants being examined twice, and in very bright weather three times a 
day, watering such as need it. Plants in vineries and Peach houses 
which are started periodically will afford successional supplies of fruit, 
there being no need in such cases to remove the plants except to meet 
special requirements. If plants are placed in span-roofed frames or 
plant protectors, fruit very much finer and about three weeks earlier 
than that in the open ground will be secured. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Lilacs. —As these cease flowering cut them close back, only leaving 
one or two eyes on the past season’s growth. They should be placed in 
a cool house to harden and break again into growth, and finally into 
cold frames. If care is taken many of these plants will make strong 
growth, and flower freely enough another season. Although it is better 
to have two batches of these plants and flower them alternately, but 
those not in this position may achieve success with one batch of plants, 
but every care must be taken of them after flowering. It is a mistake 
to give such varieties as Charles X. too much root room, for they grow 
too strongly, and fail to flower in consequence of the wood being insuf¬ 
ficiently ripened. When thoroughly root-bound short sturdy growths 
only are made, which are certain to ripen if assisted for a time in a 
frame, and then plunged outside in a warm, sunny, open position. 
When they have commenced growth they may be top-dressed with a 
little rich material, and given afterwards two or three applications of 
artificial manure during the season of growth. Guelder Roses may, after 
flowering, be subjected to the same treatment; but these are so easily 
rooted, either from ripened wood or green shoots, so that there is no 
difficulty in having good batches of plants for alternate years. Without 
a large supply of flowers are needed for cutting, plants in 5 and 6-inch 
pots are the most serviceable for decoration. 
Carnations. —Such var eties as Souvenir de la Malmaison, Lady Mid¬ 
dleton, Gloire de Nancy, The Governor, Old Crimson Clove, and others 
that have been wintered in cold frames in 3-inch pots, may now be 
placed into 6-inch. These will be found most useful for decoration 
indoors before they can be had in any quantity from the outside borders. 
A good batch of each should be potted, and then a succession of flowers 
may be maintained without a break. Return them after potting to cold 
frames, and keep them moderately close until they are rooting freely in 
the fresh soil. They may then be divided into two or three batches, 
