448 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  24,  1900. 
Stimulating  Strawberries. — Immediately  Strawberries  have  set  a 
fair  quantity  of  fruit,  the  plants  will  be  assisted  in  developing  them  if 
liquid  manure  is  given  about  twice  a  week.  The  drainings  from  cow 
•sheds  or  stables  are  excellent  for  the  purpose. 
- - 
Fruit  Forcing. 
Melons. — When  the  fruit  is  cut  from  the  earliest  plants  the  old  stem 
may  be  shortened  back  to  a  strong  shoot  near  its  base,  removing  as 
much  soil  as  can  be  picked  from  amongst  the  roots  without  injuring 
them,  supplying  rather  strong  lumpy  loam  pressed  well  down  and  giving 
a  good  watering.  If  a  moist  atmosphere  is  maintained  and  the  plants 
syringed  in  the  morning  and  about  4  P.M.,  they  will  start  freely, 
showing  fruit  in  much  less  time  than  by  planting  afresh.  If,  however, 
the  plants  are  affected  with  canker,  or  from  carrying  too  heavy  a  first 
-crop,  a  deficiency  of  water,  or  attacks  of  insects,  are  much  enfeebled, 
it  is  better  to  remove  them,  thoroughly  cleansing  the  house  after 
taking  out  the  old  soil,  and  placing  fresh  sweet  compost  in  ridges  or 
hillocks,  planting  strong  plants  when  it  has  been  warmed  through. 
Plants  swelling  their  fruit  should  have  a  night  temperature  of  70°, 
though  65°  or  even  60°  will  do  no  harm  when  the  nights  are  unusually 
cold  and  the  days  bright,  70°  to  75°  by  day  artificially  being  secured, 
admitting  a  little  air  at  and  above  the  latter,  allowing  an  advance  to 
85°  or  90°,  closing  at  80°  to  85°. 
Late  Melons  in  Frames. — A  useful  crop  of  Melons  may  be  obtained 
by  making  up  beds  now  of  any  spent  material,  which  from  mixing  and 
turning  will  generate  a  gentle  warmth,  placing  over  it  frames  that 
have  been  used  for  Potatoes  and  bedding  plants,  placing  in  each  light  a 
barrowload  of  rather  strong  loam,  mixed,  with  a  fifth  part  of  old  mortar 
rubbish  or  road  scrapings  if  deficient  of  grit,  and  pressing  it  down 
firmly.  Into  this  when  warmed  through  turn  out  a  strong  healthy 
plant,  pressing  the  soil  compactly  about  the  roots,  and  giving  a  good 
watering.  If  the  weather  be  bright  shade  for  a  few  days.  Seed  may 
yet  be  sown  to  raise  plants  for  frames  at  present  occupied  by  tender 
bedding  or  other  plants,  but  the  Melons  should  be  placed  into  their 
fruiting  quarters  with  as  little  delay  as  possible. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines.  —  Early  Houses.  —  When  the  crop  of 
Alexander  or  “Waterloo  Peaches,  Advance  and  Cardinal  Nectarines 
is  gathered,  the  wood  that  has  borne  it  should  be  cut  out  to  the 
successional  growths  from  their  base  for  next  year’s  fruiting,  excepting 
those  needful  for  extension.  If  the  trees  are  too  full  of  wood  thin 
well,  so  as  to  admit  light  and  air  to  the  shoots,  and  thereby  ina,ure 
their  thorough  ripening.  Early  forced  trees  are  liable  to  have  the  buds 
over-developed,  and  to  cast  them ;  therefore  some  growers  leave  the 
old  wood  until  a  later  period  to  retard  the  bads,  while  others  shade  the 
house  from  bright  sun  with  a  similar  object. 
Covering  the  roof-lights  with  a  thin  wash  of  whiting  and  skim  milk 
answers  perfectly,  using  it  as  soon  as  the  blossom  buds  are  commencing 
to  form,  or  from  the  fruit  being  gathered  until  the  latter  part  of  August. 
This  is  an  excellent  practice  where  trees  suffer  from  over-maturity  of 
the  buds,  and  with  proper  regard  to  watering  and  keeping  the  foliage 
clean  is  effectual.  Syringing  should  be  practised  in  the  morning  and 
evening  to  free  and  keep  the  trees  clear  from  red  spider.  The  borders 
must  always  be  in  a  thoroughly  moist  condition,  as  it  is  important  that 
the  foliage  be  kept  healthy  as  long  as  possible.  Admit  abundance 
of  air  in  the  daytime  where  the  fruit  is  ripening,  and  a  little  at 
night  to  prevent  the  deposition  of  moisture  on  the  fruit,  which  is 
likely  to  induce  decay  at  the  apex,  if  not  encourage  an  attack  of 
“  spot,”  Grimosporium  Iseticolor,  which  is  sometimes  disastrous  to 
Peaches  and  Nectarines,  as  well  as  Pi^s  and  Grapes. 
Succession  Houses. — Only  moderate  artificial  heat  will  now  be 
required,  in  order  to  admit  a  free  circulation  of  air.  Eemove  any 
leaves  that  shade  the  fruit  too  much,  raising  the  latter  on  laths  placed 
across  the  trellis,  so  as  to  bring  them  with  their  apexes  to  the  light. 
Attend  regularly  to  tying  in  the  shoots,  stopping  the  laterals  at  the 
first  joint  as  soon  as  made.  Any  shoots  that  cannot  be  allowed  to 
extend  without  crowding  or  encroaching  on  others,  stop  at  about 
14  inches,  exception  being  made  of  extensions.  Shoots  retained  level 
with  or  past  the  fruit  to  attract  the  sap  to  it  should  be  stopped  to 
one  or  two  joints  at  each  break.  Syringing  must  be  practised 
morning  and  afternoon  to  keep  red  spider  under,  and  the  inside  border 
attended  to  as  required  with  water.  Admit  air  early  in  the  day,  and 
in  the  case  of  houses  with  the  best  quality  glass,  or  the  inferior 
liable  to  scorch,  in  large  panes  a  double  thickness  of  herring  or  single 
pilchard  netting  drawn  over  the  roof-lights  is  beneficial  in  very  bright 
and  hot  periods,  preventing  the  foliage  browning. 
Late  Houses. — Thin  the  fruit,  leaving  very  few  more  after  the  fruits 
attain  the  size  of  Walnuts  than  will  be  required  for  the  crop,  up  to 
which  stage  the  thinning  should  be  gradual,  and  avoid  overburdening 
the  trees.  It  is  better  to  retain  too  few  than  too  many  fruits,  fine 
examples  being  always  appreciated,  whilst  the  indifferently  swelled  and 
quality  lacking  are  a  source  of  complaint.  There  is  no  greater  mistake 
than  retaining  more  shoots  than  there  is  room  for,  as  if  the  wood  is  not 
properly  formed  and  is  not  solidified  as  made  imperfect  buds  result.  If 
aphides  appear  fumigate  on  two  or  three  consecutive  evenings,  having 
the  foliage  dry  and  being  careful  not  to  give  an  overdose. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be 
directed  to  “The  Editok,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers, 
Fleet  Street,  Xondon,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one 
will  write  privately  to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking 
information  on  matters  discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so 
subjects  them  to  unjustifiable  trouble  and  expense,  and  depart¬ 
mental  writers  are  not  expected  to  answer  any  letters  they 
may  receive  on  Gardening  and  Bee  subjects  through  the  post. 
If  information  be  desired  on  any  particular  subject  from  any 
particular  authority  who  may  he  named,  endeavour  will  be  made 
to  obtain  It  by  the  Editor.  Letters  of  inquiry  must  be  accom¬ 
panied  by  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  writers,  but  these  will 
neither  be  published  nor  disclosed  when  initials  or  noms  de  plume 
are  given  for  the  purpose  of  replies. 
Triteleia  uniflora  {W.  C.  ^  8.).— The  flower  and  leaf  accord  with 
the  varietal  form  of  the  Spring  Star  Flower,  Triteleia  uniflora  violaoea, 
which  thrives  in  a  rich,  well -drained  soil  in  a  sunny  situation.  It  is 
propagated  by  offsets,  the  bulb  being  proliferous,  and  by  seeds.  If 
planted  amongst  short  grass  it  holds  its  own  for  a  season  or  two,  but 
the  plant  and  flower  become  smaller  by  degrees,  not,  so  far  as  we  have 
experienced,  long  surviving.  Both  it  and  the  species  form  good  bulbous 
plants  for  pots,  flowering  profusely  in  early  spring,  but  the  flowers 
remain  nearly  or  quite  closed  in  dull,  opening  only  in  bright  weather. 
Black  Streaks  in  Potato  (Melfort).— The  brown  or  blackish  streak  in 
the  flesh  of  the  Potato  is  caused  by  the  mycelial  hyphae,  or  mycelium 
of  the  Potato  disease  fungus,  Phytopthora  infestans,  and  is  the  usual 
resting  condition  of  the  parasite.  In  this  state  the  fungus  passes  over 
the  winter  in  the  Potato,  it  showing  little  or  no  sign  of  injury  exter¬ 
nally.  The  mycelium  of  the  fungus  has  in  the  specimen  before  us 
entered  the  tuber  at  the  heel  or  wire  end,  and  passed  to  very  nearly, 
yet  not  quite,  the  eye  or  growing  end,  the  streak  in  no  case  being 
continued  to  the  eye  or  eyes.  There  was  as  yet  no  indication  of  the 
mycelial  hyphm  developing.  As  to  whether  the  mycelium  would 
develop  and  ascend  the  plant  by  the  stems  is  matter  for  conjecture,  but 
it  is  certainly  living,  and  may  under  favourable  conditions  give-  rise  to 
the  disease,  or  rather  continue  it  in  the  plant  of  which  the  tuber  is 
simply  a,n  underground  continuation  stem.  We  should  say  that  a 
dressing  of  lime  would  be  a  good  application  to  the  land,  and  likely  to 
be  of  service  to  the  Potatoes,  as  well  as  preventive  of  the  disease  by 
fortifying  the  host  plant  or  Potato.  The  spraying  of  Potatoes  about 
earthing-up  time  would  be  advantageous. 
Muscat  of  Alexandria  vine  not  Showing' Fruit  {W.  L.).  — The 
cause  of  Muscat  of  Alexandria  not  showing  or  bearing  any  fruit,  is  that 
the  pruning  buds  did  not  contain  bunches  in  embryo.  From  your  letter 
we  gather  that  the  Vines  are  weak,  and  produced  little  fruit  last 
season.  Possibly,  therefore,  the  cause  of  the  imperfect  bud  formation 
was  general  weakness,  especially  of  the  basal  or  pruning  buds.  It 
follows  that  pruning  to  one  or  two  buds  in  such  cases  gives  no  fruit, 
simply  because  they  do  not  contain  any  ;  while  the  third  or  fourth  bud, 
in  case  of  the  Vines  having  been  shortened  to  them,  give  some  fruit, 
and  thus  the  buds  correspond  to  the  vigour  of  the  leaf  in  the  previous 
season.  This  long, pruning  or  shortening  to  the  best  bud  on  each  spur 
growth  often  affords  a  fair  if  not  a  good  show  for  fruit,  when  close 
pruning  on  the  same  Vine  does  not  produce  any  bunches.  As  you 
dug  down  2  feet  3  feet  away  from  the  Vines  and  could  not  find  any 
roots,  it  may  be  assumed  that  the  root  formation  is  very  deficient,  or 
that  the  roots  have  gone  straight  down,  and  are  in  a  very  unfavourable 
position  for  acquiring  the  essential  aerated  food.  In  a  similar  insta,nce 
we  have  known  an  entire  change  effected  in  the  condition  of  the  Vines 
by  removing  the  soil  from  about  the  stems  to  a  distance  of  3  to  4^ 
feet  early  in  autumn,  not  injuring  the  roots,  but  notching  them  abou6 
half  through,  and  with  the  upper  cut  transverse,  the  notches  being 
about  1  foot  apart  and  on  opposite  sides  of  the  root.  This  done, 
and  the  soil  cleared  away  to  the  drainage,  or  at  least  2  feet  deep, 
place  in  good  turfy  loam,  or  a  compost  of  twelve  parts  turfy  loam,  two 
parts  old  mortar  rubbish,  one  part  wood  ashes,  and  half  a  part  “  nuts  ” 
charcoal,  the  turfy  loam  being  chopped  up  moderately  fine,  and  the 
whole  well  mixed.  The  soil  should  be  made  rather  firm,  and  the 
operation  performed  whilst  the  leaves  are  on  the  Vines.  As  you 
have  taken  one  or  two  young  canes  from  the  base  of  each  Vine,  you 
may  cut  away  the  old  rods  in  their  favour.  As  for  manure,  we  fear 
little  benefit  would  attend  its  use  this  season,  as  until  the  Vines  have 
roots  to  appropriate  it  there  is  not  much  to  hope  for.  However,  you 
may  use  the  following  mixture  Bone  superphosphate  three  parts, 
sulphate  of  potash  two  parts,  and  sulphate  of  magnesia  one  part,  mixed, 
applying  4  ozs.  of  the  mixture  per  square  yard,  and  pointing-in  very 
lightly.  The  dressing  may  be  repeated  in  the  course  of  six  weeks. 
