274 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  29,  1900. 
When  it  is  seen  that  the  fruits  have  commenced  to  swell  raise  the 
temperature  to  55°  by  night  and  to  60°  by  day.  Syringe  the  trees 
vigorously  on  fine  days,  in  thf»  early  morning  and  again  at  closing  time, 
damping  the  paths  and  borders  to  maintain  a  humid  and  genial 
atmosphere,  which  is  so  essential  to  the  progress  and  well-being  of  the 
trees. — S.  P. 
(To  be  continued.) 
Strawberries  in  Pots. 
Strawberries  for  forcing  should  be  layered  into  4-inch  pots  in  July. 
The  runners  ought  to  be  selected  from  plants  that  have  flowered  the 
same  season,  as  if  from  those  that  have  been  barren  they  will  not  fruit 
when  forced  the  next  spring.  In  August  the  plants  should  be  repotted 
into  6-inch  pots,  the  compost  consisting  of  one-half  good  fibrous  loam, 
pulled  to  pieces  with  the  hand,  and  leaf  mould,  wood  ashes,  and  dried 
cow  manure  in  equal  parts,  the  whole  passed  through  a  sieve,  adding  a 
sprinkling  of  soot  and  bonemeal  when  mixing. 
The  pots  should  be  clean  and  well  crocked,  the  plants  being  potted 
firmly,  and  the  pots  stood  on  a  bed  of  coal  ashes  in  the  open,  where 
they  can  be  frequently  syringed.  Strawberries  at  all  times  should  be 
watered  carefully,  and  never  be  allowed  to  become  very  dry.  In 
October  they  must  be  removed  to  a  cold  frame  or  pit,  where  they  will 
be  near  the  glass ;  they  must  be  freely  ventilated  on  all  favourable 
occasions  throughout  the  winter. 
In  most  establishments  it  is  usual  to  commence  forcing  Strawberries 
about  the  1st  of  January.  The  best  plants  should  be  selected,  the  pots 
washed,  and  the  surface  soil  removed  and  be  replaced  with  some  good 
compost.  The  plants  ought  to  be  placed  on  a  mild  hotbed  in  a  pit  or 
\  forcing  house  for  a  few  weeks  to  encourage  root  action,  but  the 
temperature  must  not  exceed  50°.  When  the  trusses  appear  the  plants 
should  be  removed  to  an  early  vinery  shelf,  and  when  the  flowers  are 
fully  expanded  they  may  be  fertilised  about  midday  with  a  rabbit’s 
tail  tied  to  a  stick. 
When  the  fruit  has  set  the  plants  should  be  syringed  twice  a  day 
until  the  fruit  shows  signs  of  ripening,  when  syringing  must  be  discon¬ 
tinued.  Strawberries  should  be  fed  with  liquid  manure  about  twice 
a  week  ;  night  soil,  carefully  diluted,  is  most  valuable  if  applied 
when  the  fruit  is  swelling.  Some  of  the  best  Strawberries  for  forcing 
are  Eoyal  Sovereign,  President,  Sir  Charles  Napier,  and  Vicomtesse 
Hericart  de  Thury. — P.  W.  P. 
Poinsettias. 
The  Poinsettia  ought  to  have  a  place  in  every  collection  of  stove 
plants.  By  the  present  moment  the  old  plants  will  have  had  a  good 
season  of  rest,  and  may  be  brought  forward  and  gradually  started  into 
growth,  once  more  keeping  them  as  close  as  possible  to  the  glass  to 
insure  sturdy  growth,  which,  to  my  opinion,  is  one  of  the  most  im¬ 
portant  points.  I  would  recommend  two  sets  of  cuttings  to  be  rooted, 
one  during  the  latter  end  of  April  or  beginning  of  May,  and  the  other 
at  the  beginning  of  July.  Prom  the  July  stock  we  had  the  honour  of 
being  awarded  a  certificate  of  merit  for  six  well  grown  Poinsettias  at 
the  Bristol  Mutual  Improvement  Association  on  November  30th,  the 
plants  standing  18  inches  from  the  tables,  and  the  largest  bracts  being 
I7|  inches,  and  the  smallest  15  inches  across. 
Poinsettias  should  be  rooted  singly  in  thumb  pots,  plunging  them 
into  a  frame  stood  on  a  hotbed.  When  they  have  emitted  roots  they 
must  be  promptly  removed  to  suitable  shelves,  and  they  should  on  no 
account  be  allowed  to  get  root-bound,  or  they  will  soon  lose  the  foliage, 
which,  when  the  plants  are  well  grown,  extends  upwards  from  the  rim 
of  the  pots.  Prom  thumbs  I  generally  shift  them  into  4-inoh,  and  from 
the  latter  to  6-inch  pots,  using  for  the  cuttings  a  very  light  mixture, 
but  for  other  pottings  equal  parts  of  peat,  loam,  and  leaf  mould,  with 
the  addition  of  a  little  artificial  manure  and  coarse  sand.  After  they 
have  been  potted  for  a  day  or  so  they  should  be  syringed,  and  as  soon 
as  they  begin  to  root  into  the  new  soil  they  may  be  removed  to  a  frame, 
keeping  them  well  up  to  the  glass,  and  avoiding  cold  draughts. 
As  soon  as  the  weather  becomes  cold  at  night  the  plants  should  be 
placed  in  one  of  the  warmer  houses,  keeping  them  well  up  to  the  light, 
and  feeding  them  occasionally  with  weak  liquid  manure  made  from  soot 
and  cow  excreta,  which  will  assist  them  very  much  in  pushing  their 
bracts.  These  will  last  some  time  if  cut  and  put  in  water,  or  even  if 
the  plants  are  required  for  indoor  decoration  ;  their  co  our  looks  very 
brilliant  during  the  Christmas  festivities.  After  the  bracts  are  over 
the  old  plants  should  be  gradually  dried  off  and  stored  in  some  warm 
corner. — W.  L.,  King's  Weston. 
- - 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
H.  Canuell  &  Sons,  Swanley. — Floral  Guide. 
J.  Cheal  &  Sons,  Crawley. — Dahlias. 
J.  R.  Pierson  Co.,  Tarrytown-on-Hudson,  New  York. — Seeds  and  Plants. 
Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Protecting  Fruit  Blossom. — The  cold  weather  experienced  during  the 
past  month  has  been  the  means  of  checking  the  rapid  development  of 
the  bloom  of  Apricots,  Peaches,  and  Nectarines.  This  is  an  advantage, 
as  the  later  the  trees  bloom  in  spring  the  better  chance  there  is  of 
securing  a  good  crop.  The  weather,  however,  is  always  uncertain  at 
this  time,  and  there  may  occur  a  warm  and  sunny  period  during  which 
the  flowers  will  expand  rapidly.  Following  immediately  upon  this 
keen  east  winds  and  stormy  weather  may  prevail  just  as  the  blooms 
have  fully  opened.  It  is  at  this  juncture  that  protection  is  needed  the 
most.  This  must  be  anticipated,  and  protecting  material  arranged  in 
time.  The  best  protection  is  afforded  by  glass  or  wooden  copings,  from 
which  should  be  hung  lengths  of  tiffany,  scrim  canvas,  or  woollen 
netting.  The  material  ought  to  have  brass  rings  attached  at  the  upper 
ends,  and  these  should  run  on  a  slender  iron  rod,  by  which  means  the 
material  may  be  drawn  on  one  side  when  not  required  to  cover 
the  trees. 
Another  efficient  means  of  protection,  when  a  coping  is  not  available, 
is  to  lay  smooth  poles  against  the  walls,  firmly  fixing  them  at  the  base, 
and  arranged  8  or  10  feet  apart.  Across  these  stretch  the  protecting 
material,  which  should  not  be  a  permanent  fixture,  unless  the  material 
used  is  fish  netting.  This  can  be  employed  as  a  permanent  protection 
— that  is,  from  the  time  the  blossoms  expand  until  the  foliage  has  well 
developed,  when  artificial  protection  is  unnecessary.  To  be  thoroughly 
effective  fish  netting  should  be  used  double  or  treble  thickness.  In  the 
absence  of  poles  On  which  to  hang  the  netting  it  may  be  depended 
from  the  stone  coping  of  the  wall,  but  ought  not  to  touch  the  trees,  as 
in  the  event  of  wind  damage  might  result  to  the  blooms  or  young  fruit. 
The  temporary  expedients  which  are  sometimes  employed,  such  as 
evergreen  sprays  placed  among  the  branches,  are  not  to  be  depended 
upon  to  afford  efficient  protection. 
Feeding  Old  Fruit  Trees. — Sewage  water,  the  contents  of  cesspools, 
is  admirable  nutriment  for  pouring  on  the  soil  over  the  roots  of  large 
old  fruit  trees.  By  giving  a  good  application  now,  it  will  sink  into  the 
moist  soil  and  convey  rich  and  valuable  plant  food  ready  for  the  roots 
to  imbibe  when  they  put  forth  new  fibres  incited  into  activity  by  the 
warmth  of  spring.  Old  trees  on  grass,  which  cannot  so  readily  be 
supplied  with  manure,  will  be  largely  benefited.  The  best  means  of 
conveying  it  down  to  the  roots  is  to  make  holes  at  intervals  with  a 
crowbar,  and  pour  the  liquid  into  them,  filling  up  several  times.  The 
strength  of  the  liquid  is  immaterial.  It  will  not  damage  the  roots, 
especially  as  the  soil  is  moist. 
Feeding  Bush  Fruit. — Gooseberries  and  Currants  that  are  in  free 
bearing  condition  appropriate  considerable  quantities  of  food  from  the 
soil  during  the  developing  of  the  fruit,  hence  it  is  desirable  that  suitable 
nutriment  should  be  within  reach  of  the  roots  when  their  demands  are 
greatest.  It  is  advisable,  therefore,  if  liquid  manure  is  available,  as 
sewage  water  or  drainings  from  stables,  cow  sheds  or  manure  yards, 
to  apply  it  now,  well  moistening  and  enriching  the  soil  as  far  as  the 
roots  extend. 
Fertilising  Strawberries. — Fresh  pungent  soot  scattered  thinly 
round  the  crowns  and  more  liberally  on  the  soil  over  the  roots  at  the 
rate  of  a  peck  per  rod  is  exceedingly  stimulating  food  for  Strawberries. 
A  dressing  of  guano  1  oz.  to  the  square  yard  forms  rich  and  stimulating 
diet.  Liquid  manure  may  be  given  occasionally,  and  a  good  dressing  of 
manure  laid  down  between  the  rows. 
Outdoor  Figs. — Trees  on  walls  may  now  be  regulated  and  trained 
after  pruning,  which  should  consist  of  cutting  out  the  old  exhausted 
shoots  or  weakly  branches,  retaining  the  young  current  year’s  growths 
in  sufficient  quantity  to  occupy  the  available  space,  leaving  them  at  full 
length. 
Planting  Strawberries. — -Young  plants  have  time  to  become  fairly 
well  established  before  the  advent  of  hot,  dry  weather.  They  should, 
however,  be  inserted  on  good  rich  ground,  if  the  roots  are  devoid  of 
adhenng  soil  spread  them  out  carefully  in  planting,  covering  with  fine 
material.  If  plants  can  be  lifted  from  nursery  beds  with  good  balls  of 
roots  they  will  suffer  little  or  no  check  in  removal.  The  ground  should 
be  made  firm  previous  to  planting,  and  if  burnt  refuse  is  mixed  with 
old  potting  soil  the  compost  forms  a  good  bed  into  which  the  first  new 
roots  can  readily  push.  Some  such  material  is  necessary  in  stiff  ground 
in  order  to  give  them  a  fair  chance.  Water  well  should  the  weather  be 
dry. 
Thinning  Fruit  Blossom.— Where  practicable  on  small  trees  or 
cordons  of  choice  varieties  it  is  an  excellent  plan  to  remove  superfluous 
blossoms.  All  fruit  trees  produce  blossoms  in  positions  where  it  is 
quite  inconvenient  for  fruit  to  set,  swell  and  develop.  These  superfluous 
blooms  which  lay  behind  the  branches  and  shoots  ought  first  to  be 
removed.  Follow  with  a  general  thinning  out  of  the  remainder.  This 
removal  will  considerably  benefit  Peaches  and  Nectarines,  Apples  and 
