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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 14, 1887. 
rather than heavy, broken up tolerably small, and mixed with a tenth of 
old mortar rubbish, a twentieth of half-inch bones, and charcoal in the 
same proportion as the lime rubbish, form a suitable compost, but well 
drained and fertile garden soil will grow serviceable Grapes. The 
Vines, it is presumed, were cut back in early winter, and have been kept 
in a cool house, the eyes now having grown 2 or 3 inches long. Turn 
them out of the pots, remove all the soil, carefully preserving the fibres. 
Spread the roots out straight and flat, the soil of the border being 
brought to the required height, covering the roots to a depth of 
3 to 4 inches, working the soil well amongst them with the hand, and 
giving a good supply of waiter at a temperature 90°, mulching with a 
little short litter. If the canes have not been shortened do not shorten 
them now, but remove the buds from the upper portion down to where 
fresh growth is desired to issue, and shorten the canes at the winter 
pruning. Six feet width of border will be sufficient to commence with, 
confining the roots to the inside border until that is fully occupied with 
roots, when they may be admitted to a prepared width of outside 
border. Sprinkle the vines and house twice a day, but avoid forcing. A 
steady temperature is necessary, so as to afford time for the formation of 
new roots afterwards, and when they have started freely every 
encouragement to growth should be given. Until the Vines recover the 
removal to a temperature of 05° by day, advancing 10° to 15° from sun 
heat, and 55° at night, will be sufficient. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —Earliest House .—In the case of early 
varieties like Alexander, Waterloo, and Early Beatrice, the fruits will be 
swelling rapidly, and will need to have the leaves drawn aside and the 
fruit raised by means of thin laths placed across and secured to the 
trellis so that the apex will be exposed directly to the light. Syringing 
must cease directly the fruits commence to change for ripening. Con¬ 
tinue, however, to syringe twice a day until the fruit begins to ripen, 
which with such varieties as Hale’s Early and Royal George will not be 
for some time yet, and if there is the least trace of led spider apply an 
insecticide, it being important that the foliage be thoroughly clean by 
the time syringing ceases, as it must when the fruit commences ripening. 
Afford thorough supplies of water as required to inside borders, and give 
liquid manure to weak trees swelling a heavy crop. Keep the shoots 
well attended to in tying, thinning where required so as to give the fruit 
all the sun and air possible for the colouring process. 
Trees Started Early in the Year .—The fruit will soon be stoning, and 
will require care to prevent sudden check by cold air in the day and too 
high temperature at night—60° to 65° at night, 5° less on cold nights, 
and 70° to 75° by day with sun are sufficient. Trees started in February. 
The fruit is all set and swelling freely. Allow a night temperature 
of 55° to 60°, ventilating above 65°, allowing an advance from sun heat 
to 70° or 75°, but with full ventilation. 
iDisbudding. — This should be attended to early, but not too early, as 
when it is practised before the fruit commences swelling or setting there 
is danger of the shoots being rendered gross, which is fatal to future 
crops. Therefore, as soon as the shoots can be displaced with the finger 
begin, and continue day by day until only the shoots required for future 
crops or the extension of the trees are retained—viz., one from the base 
of the shoots now fruiting and another above the fruit, which last should 
be pinched at a few joints of growth. In the case of trees not fully 
grown it will be necessary to leave shoots about 15 inches apart, calcu¬ 
lating from the base on last year’s growth to form the bearing shoots of 
next year, the terminals being trained in their full length as space 
permits. Closer training is often practised, resulting in weak over¬ 
crowded growths, not nearly so satisfactory as growths fully exposed to 
light and air. 
Thinning the Fruits .—In all cases, this should be attended to when 
fairly set and commencing swelling, removing the smallest first and 
those on the under side of the trellis, beginning with the weakest parts 
of the trees, thinning proportionately more there than on stronger wood, 
which from carrying more fruits will tend to the equalisation of the 
vigour of the trees. Perform thinning gradually, and only leave a few 
to meet casualties after the fruit attains the size of Walnuts. One fruit 
to every square foot of trellis covered by the trees is a fair crop. 
Nectarines may be left a little closer. 
Tying-in the young shoots should also commence early, which is of 
the utmost importance where symmetrical training is considered, and in 
securing the growth to the trellis space must be left in the ties for the 
swelling of the shoots. Avoid after this very close tying-in of the 
growths until the final one before the fruit commences ripening. 
Syringing must be practised twice daily on all trees not in flower or 
with the fruit ripening, so as to keep red spider in check, which must 
not on any account be allowed to retain a hold, or it will materially 
affect the present and the succeeding crop. The afternoon’s syringing 
should be done at closing time, so as to have the foliage nearly dry before 
night. In very dull and wet weather syringing should not be practised 
in the afternoon, particularly in the case of vigorous trees. 
Feeding .—Beyond giving water whenever necessary to insure a 
thorough moist condition of the borders, weakly trees swelling their 
fruit may be assisted with weak manure, mulching the border with short 
partially decayed manure, which will keep the roots at the surface, but 
will be of little use unless kept moist. 
Lata Houses .—The trees are in full bloom or fast approaching that 
condition, and as the flowers are very abundant they should be well 
thinned, particularly on the under side of the shoots. Failing bees (the 
best fertilisers) dust every blossom when the pollen is ripe with a camel- 
hair brush, feather, or some other light soft substance, selecting the 
early part of fine days for the operation. Where there are means of 
affording heat the temperature should be maintained at 50° to 55° by 
day and 40° to 45° at night, in all instances accompanied by slight 
ventilation at the top of the house, which should be increased when the 
temperature reaches 50°. In unheated houses commence ventilating at 
the same temperature, and close at 05°. 
FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUND. 
TTardy Ferns .—Groups of these, whether near to the dwelling house, 
in the flower garden, or about the pleasure grounds, are very ornamental 
during the summer, and besides arc very useful for cutting from. Many 
of the rarer smaller varieties succeed best when planted among rock- 
work or a tastefully arranged group of tree stumps and roots and stones, 
but the taller vigorous sorts grow equally as w r ell in ordinary garden 
soil. In the first instance a little leaf soil may be added to the common 
soil, this encouraging the roots to take more readily to it, but later on 
as they spread a strong loamy soil greatly improves the size and appear¬ 
ance of the plants. This is especially the case with the Athyriums, 
Lastreas, Osmunda regalis, Polystichums, and Scolopendriums, while the 
Blechnums, Cystopterises, and Polypodiums do better -when established 
among stones and roots. Now is the time to transplant and divide all 
of them, and with a very little trouble and expense either in the shape 
of collecting or purchasing the requisite number of plants, many an ugly 
spot might be quickly transformed into a charming feature. 
Boses .—Full and valuable instructions as to pruning and other 
requisite cultural details have recently appeared in these pages, and it. 
only remains for us to add that all pruning should now be completed. 
The frosts will have anticipated the pruning knife in many instances, 
innumerable standards being killed, while the dwarfs were injured down 
to the snow line. If it leads to the planting of more dwarfs in prefer¬ 
ence to standards this destruction will not be without its compensation, 
for it is very certain that dwarf Roses are the best in every way. It is. 
rather late to purchase fresh plants from the open ground, but for walls 
and other prominent positions they can be had in pots. In addition to 
being freely pruned back all climbing Roses in hot positions ought to 
receive a liberal mulch of good manure, and this being disposed just 
under the surface soil is not unsightly, and is more effective than when, 
spread on the surface. 
Climbers .—The majority of these require to be pruned and otherwise 
attended to every spring. The summer or earliest flowering Clematises 
to have all dead and weakly growth cut away and the remainder neatly 
laid in, as'it is the well ripened growth formed last season that produced 
the flowers this year. Those of the same habit as Jackmanni flower on 
the strong young growth formed this year, and in order to prevent 
unsightly thickets of growth and to keep the lower part of the walls, 
pillars, or archways to which they are fastened well furnished, it is 
advisable to freely cut back all the young growth formed last season to. 
within three or four joints of their starting point. Magnolias must be 
properly secured to the walls, and only straggling shoots removed. 
Wistaria sinensis must ha ve all long laterals spurred back to near the main 
stems, and leading growths laid in where needed. Passion Flowers, what 
few have survived the winter, have all lateral growths cut back to. 
near the principal branches, and the latter ought to be securely fastened 
to the walls, as they have to support a great weight of flowering growths, 
that will form during the summer. Jasminum nudiflorum being now 
out of bloom may be freely pruned back, the bloom being formed on the 
young shoots that mature during the summer. The common Jessamine 
to be cut closely back, the flowers being produced on the young shoots 
resulting. The Loniceras also are improved by annual thinning out and 
shortening back. Crataegus pyracantha and Pyrus japonica also to be 
kept rather closely pruned, or otherwise a thicket of growth and not 
much bloom results. Forsythia viridissima now at its best to be cut back 
after flowering, and the Chimonanthus fragans ought to be freely cut in, 
plenty of spray and not much rank growth being required in this case. 
Virginian Creepers should have all loose growth cut away, no other 
attention being then needed, but the coarser sorts if over-weighted with 
much loose growth are apt to break away from their natural fastenings. 
It is the same with the Ivies, these requiring more attention than is 
usually accorded them. Besides having all growth approaching the 
eaves of a house removed, they should have all lateral growth also either 
pulled out of their sockets or cut away. Thus treated they are neater 
in appearance, do not break away from the walls in a wholesale manner 
and there is no harbour for birds and vermin. 
PRACTICAL BEE-KEEPING.—No. 8. 
In the old times it was not nearly so necessary to pay 
attention to feeding as at the present day, when nearly 
every stock in the apiary requires an artificial supply ol 
food to take the place of the honey which the intelligent 
bee-master appropriates to his own use. We will first 
point out some of the occasions when feeding will almost 
certainly be necessary, and then describe the kind of 
feeders which appear to be most generally useful for all 
