1874. ] 
GAEDEN WORK FOB AUGUST. 
191 
as the wood ripens. Keep a moist growing heat in the late houses, and economise 
sun-heat by closing early in the afternoon. Should the weather set in dull and 
chilly, a little fire-heat should -be applied to late Muscats. If mildew makes its 
appearance on any of the Vines, dust the fruit and leaves all over with sulphur, 
and keep the house a little warmer for a few days. It can readily be washed off 
again with the syringe after the mildew has disappeared. 
Pines : All plants intended for fruiting next summer should be shifted this 
month, as well as the young stock; use free turfy loam, with a mixture of sheep 
or pig-manure. Those planted out on ridges will now require plenty of water, 
and growth should be encouraged by keeping up a moist atmosphere ; close early 
in the afternoon, at a temperature of 90°. Give liquid manure occasionally, and 
use the syringe to all, except where the fruit is ripening. 
Peaches and Nectarines : Syringe the trees daily, and give a liberal supply of 
water at the root in the latest house. Continue this up to the time the fruit is 
approaching maturity, with abundance of air through the day, also a little at 
other times, if the nights are warm. When other houses are clear of the 
crop, go over the trees as before advised, wash the trees with the engine, 
water the borders, and remove the lights if the wood is ripe and growth finished. 
Figs: Plenty of air and moisture is all that the second crop of Figs under 
glass will require at present. 
Melons : These will need plenty of air and water ; indeed, if the weather is 
hot, the lights may be drawn off altogether, closing the frames again at night. 
Continue to cut away useless gi^owth, so that the plants do not get matted 
together. Withhold water where the fruit is ripening. If wood-lice are trouble¬ 
some in the frames, it is a good plan to set the fruit on pieces of brick, placed 
in a shallow pan of water. 
Strawberries : Continue to layer in small pots for forcing, and as soon as any 
are well rooted, pot them at once ; stand the pots on ashes or a dusting of lime 
to prevent worms entering. Attend well to the watering in dry weather. Choose 
a fully exposed situation for growing the plants. A few Black Prince may be 
useful for the earliest forcing, butXa Grosse Sucree^ Keens’ Seedling^ and Vicomtesse 
Hericart de Thury are among the best varieties for early icork^ for although 
not so early ^s the Prince by a week, the fruit is superior in all ways. 
Hardy Fruit: It is now time the thinning, stopping, and nailing-in of the 
young shoots of all wall-trees was finished. Peaches and Nectarines in particular 
should not be neglected ; they should now be kept closely nailed-in, to get the 
wood ripened, and to give the fruit every advantage of air and light. Eemove a 
portion of the leaves from the fruit where it is too much shaded, and at the same 
time see that none of the nails come in contact with the fruit. Water the borders 
in dry weather, and use the engine or syringe to sprinkle the trees on the even¬ 
ings of hot days up to the time the fruit is ripening. Trap earwigs on their first 
appearance; perhaps the simplest way to rid the trees of them is to place short 
pieces of bean-stalk, or other hollow tubes, in different parts of the tree, and to look 
them over every other day, and blow the contents into a bottle, placing the tubes 
as before. Secure all ripe fruit with nets, &c., and mat up Currants and Goose-" 
berries for late use. . ■ 
As soon as the crop of Strawberries is gathered, cut away all runners that are 
not wanted for layering. Stir the surface of the soil, and give the plants a soak¬ 
ing of liquid manure, to encourage them before the growing season is past. Layer 
runners for new plantations; plant them as soon as they are rooted in well- 
prepared soil; if planted out at once, a good crop of fruit may be expected from 
them next season.— J. PoWfiLL, Frogmore. 
