308 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  26.  1896, 
WOKI^foutheWEEK.. 
m 
HARDY  FRUIT  GARDEN. 
Xilfting:  Voungr  Apricot,  Peacb,  and  TTectarlne  Trees. — After 
a  few  years’  vigoroas  growth  young  trees  invariably  require  checking  in 
their  extension  so  that  they  may  become  fruitful.  The  roots  grow 
strongly,  and  have  a  tendency  to  descend,  which  adds  to  rank  growths 
and  the  production  of  sappy,  hence  fruitless  wood.  Lifting  checks 
excessive  development,  causing  the  sap  to  concentrate  its  energy  on  a 
reasonable  extension  of  growth,  and  a  limited  number  of  buds.  Judicious 
lifting  incites  the  production  and  multiplication  of  fibrous  roots  near  the 
surface,  bringing  them  within  the  influence  of  warmth,  and  the  applica¬ 
tion  of  food  and  moisture.  In  the  case  of  trees  that  have  not  recently  been 
lifted  care  is  requisite  that  the  operation  is  not  too  severe.  Partial  lift¬ 
ing  and  shortening  some  of  the  strong  roots  will  prove  sufficient  for 
one  season.  Trees  that  have  previously  been  raised  and  lightly  root- 
pruned  bear  entire  removal  without  danger,  because  they  are  better 
furnished  with  fibrous  roots,  these  quickly  taking  hold  of  fresh 
material,  whereas  thick  fibreless  roots  have  to  emit  new  ones  before 
any  benefit  accrues  to  the  trees.  Therefore,  according  as  the  growth  of 
wood  indicates  the  strength  and  condition  of  the  roots,  decide  on  the 
treatment  to  apply. 
Details  of  Lifting. — In  commencing  open  a  trench  20  inches  wide 
and  two  spits  deep  all  round  the  trees  3  feet  from  the  stems.  Throw  the 
soil  from  the  trench  well  back,  removing  all  the  loose  material.  Fork 
away  the  soil  from  among  the  roofs  into  the  trench,  afterv^aris  removing 
it.  Leave,  however,  a  space  of  18  inches  round  the  stems  undisturbed. 
Treatment  of  Roots — Undermine  the  latter  to  find  the  tap  or 
other  directly  descending  strong  roots.  These  should  be  carefully 
severed,  leaving  the  ends  smooth.  Likewise  all  the  roots  bruised  and 
broken  in  cutting  the  trench  must  be  trimmed  smoothly  to  firm  parts, 
and  if  any  intermediate  sized  roots  exhibit  a  downward  tendency  raise 
them  to  a  more  horizontal  position. 
Compost, — Add  to  the  old  soil,  excluding  poor  subsoil,  good  loam, 
fresh  and  turfy,  also  some  wood  ashes,  bonemeal,  and  a  little  pulverised 
mortar  rubbish  free  from  wood .  Mix  thoroughly. 
Relaying. — Place  some  prepared  material  at  the  bottom  of  the 
trench  and  work  it  in  the  undermined  portion  firmly,  or  if  the  tree  has 
been  completely  lifted  raise  a  mound  of  firm  soil  in  the  centre  of  the 
hole,  so  ttiat  the  roots  when  in  position  will  be  elevated  closer  to  the 
surface.  Distribute  the  loose  routs  through  the  soil  evenly,  making  the 
whole  compact.  It  is  advisable  to  use  the  soil  just  moist,  but  should 
the  weather  be  dry  a  good  watering  must  be  given,  afterwards  mulching 
with  littery  manure.  Syringing  the  foliage  will  be  necessary,  and 
during  extra  warm  sunshine  shading  may  also  be  requisite  in  order  to 
keep  the  leaves  fresh  longer,  thus  accelerating  the  production  of  new 
rootlets. 
Renovatingr  Older  Trees.  —  Where  old-established  trees  are 
showing  signs  of  exhaustion  and  giving  inferior  crops  the  roots  require 
some  attention.  In  order  to  examine  them  it  is  not  advisable  to  cut  a 
trench  so  near  the  stem  as  with  vigorous  young  growers,  because  the 
object  is  not  so  much  the  reduction  of  roots  as  it  is  to  bring  them 
within  the  reach  of  good  material  for  encouraging  new  fibres.  Usually 
in  such  cases  it  is  found  necessary  to  raise  the  roots.  Open  a  trench  at 
a  distance  of  5  feet  from  the  stem  on  one  side  only  ;  work  the  soil 
gradually  away  until  a  number  of  roots  are  found,  tracing  them  to  their 
extremities,  and  at  once  lay  them  out  of  the  way,  preventing  their 
drying  by  covering  with  damp  mats  or  straw.  If  a  few  strong  roots  are 
found  descending  deeply  they  may  be  severed.  Fresh  compost  for 
relaying  the  roots  in  should  be  fairly  rich,  adding  to  equal  parts  of  good 
garden  soil  and  fresh  loam  about  one-fifth  of  partially  decayed  horse 
droppings,  with  a  similar  proportion  of  wood  ashes,  old  mortar  rubbish, 
and  sprinklings  of  chemical  manure  as  the  soil  is  added.  Trim  off 
broken,  bruised,  or  decayed  ends  of  roots,  and  distribute  the  latter  in 
layers  through  the  compost,  the  uppermost  being  within  4  inches  of  the 
surface.  When  completed  lightly  mulch  the  surface. 
Preparlncr  Soli  for  Planting  Fruit  Trees.  —  The  preparation 
of  the  soil  for  planting  fruit  trees  in  November  should  be  taken  in  hand 
forthwith.  Whether  rich  or  poor  in  quality  it  is  essential  to  deeply 
move  it.  either  by  the  method  of  providing  stations  of  liberal  width  for 
each  tree,  or  moving  the  whole  plot  to  a  uniform  depth  of  2  feet. 
Trenching. — In  ordinary  fertile  soil  of  a  friable  character  a  depth  of 
2  feet  is  ample  for  fruit  trees  to  root  in.  Trench  to  this  depth,  forking 
up  the  bottom,  and  leaving  it  in  its  original  position.  It  is  only  when 
the  soil  is  poor  that  manure  should  be  used,  mixing  it  well  with  the 
staple.  For  sandy  or  light  soil  use  cow  manure,  and  add  clay  or  marl 
for  correcting  extreme  porosity. 
Improving  Soils. — Dry,  poor  soil  can  only  be  made  suitable  for  fruit 
growing  by  deep  cultivation,  and  adding  enriching  material  of  a  sub¬ 
stantial,  holding  character.  Clayey  or  heavy  soil  should  be  improved 
by  a  course  of  preliminary  preparation,  consisting  of  roughly  trenching, 
and  exposing  to  the  weather  for  amelioration.  Frost,  wind,  and  rain, 
with  frequent  disturbance  in  dry  weather,  assists  in  breaking  down  and 
pulverising  the  stubborn  particles,  and  the  addition  of  light,  sandy  loam, 
or  gritty  material  of  various  kinds  acts  mechanically.  Lime  is  extremely 
beneficial  to  tenacious  clayey  soil,  applying  it  at  the  rate  of  1^  bushel 
per  rod,  first  digging  or  trenching.  In  dressing  land  with  lime  Jay  it  in 
heaps  on  the  surface,  and  spread  it  when  it  has  become  slacked,  after¬ 
wards  forking  it  in.  Afford  no  manure  to  the  soil  at  the  same  time 
as  lime. 
Stations  for  Fruit  Trees  — Frequently  trees  require  planting  in 
positions  where  the  area  of  ground  is  not  large  or  to  fill  up  vacancies. 
Take  off  the  top  spit  within  a  circle  of  6  feet  diameter,  and  2  feet  deep. 
Throw  this  on  one  side,  and  effectually  loosen  the  lower,  enriching  it  if 
necessary  with  manure,  and  add  some  good  loam  to  the  surface  soil  for 
the  object  of  starting  the  trees  well. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Vines. — Hovses  of  Ripe  Grapes. — The  majority  of  Grapes  will  now 
be  ripe,  but  the  chief  supplies  for  table  and  market  will  be  furnished 
from  the  midseason  houses,  and  consist  of  Black  Hamburghs,  Madres- 
field  Court,  and  other  thin-skinned  varieties,  which  lose  colour  by 
hanging.  This  is  a  great  detraction  for  home  use  or  sale,  and  must  be 
guarded  against  as  much  as  possible.  A  good  spread  of  their  own 
foliage  aids  materially  in  retaining  colour  in  the  Grapes,  and  where  this  is 
scanty  or  only  moderate  some  herring  netting  doubled  over  the  roof  lights 
will  greatly  aid  in  the  Grapes  keeping  colour.  A  moderate  amount  of 
air  moisture  is  beneficial  to  the  foliage  and  not  inimical  to  the  Grapes, 
provided  air  is  given  early  enough  to  prevent  the  sun  heating  the 
atmosphere,  and  causing  moisture  to  be  deposited  on  the  berries.  In  too 
dry  an  atmosphere  the  Grapes  are  liable  to  shrivel,  especially  when  the 
Vines  are  dry  at  the  roots,  it  not  being  uncommon  to  see  Vines  with 
their  roots  entirelv  inside  ripening  their  foliage  and  the  Grapes 
shrivelling,  whilst  Vines  in  outside  borders  have  fresh  foliage  and  plump 
Grapes,  and  that  in  the  same  house.  The  Grapes  should  be  looked  over 
frequently  for  the  removal  of  decayed  berries,  damp  being  their  greatest 
enemy. 
Late  Black  Hamiurghs. — These  finish  and  colour  at  a  late  period 
better  than  the  thick-skinned  varieties,  but  they  ought  now  to  be  well 
advanced  towards  finishing — colouring  and  ripening,  and  should  have  a 
temperature  of  60°  to  65°  at  night,  and  70°  to  75°  in  the  daytime,  with  a 
circulation  of  air  constantly,  not  allowing  the  border  to  become  dry,  but 
giving  a  good  watering  if  the  Grapes  are  only  partially  advanced  in 
ripening,  and  mulch  lightly  with  rather  short,  sweet  dry  material. 
Hamburghs  and  all  black  thin-skinned  Grapes  like  a  good  spread  of 
foliage,  therefore  only  restrict  the  laterals  to  prevent  overcrowding  ;  but 
after  the  Grapes  are  finished  further  extension  must  be  avoided,  yet  not 
reducing  the  foliage  much,  as  this  assists  thin-skinned  black  Grapes  to 
keep  their  colour.  When  ripe  a  temperature  of  45°  to  50°  must  be 
maintained  and  air  freely  admitted  by  day  whenever  the  weather  is 
favourable,  never  allowing  the  temperature  to  rise  considerably  before 
air  is  admitted,  otherwise  moisture  will  be  condensed  by  the  cooler 
surfaces  of  the  berries  and  their  tissue  be  destroyed,  the  epidermis 
parting  from  the  flesh. 
Late  Muscats. — If  these  are  not  now  perfectly  finished  continue 
rather  sharp  firing  in  the  daytime,  with  a  free  circulation  of  air,  and 
enough  at  night  to  prevent  the  deposition  of  moisture  on  the  berries. 
There  is  danger  of  the  Grapes  shrinking  if  there  be  a  deficiency  of 
moisture  at  the  roots,  and  when  water  has  to  be  given  to  inside  borders 
where  the  Grapes  are  in  an  advanced  stage  of  ripening  there  is  liability 
to  spot,  though  it  may  be  prevented  by  a  free  air  circulation  and  covering 
the  border  with  a  little  dry  material  ;  indeed,  moisture  must  be  kept 
down  by  a  buoyant  atmosphere,  pent-up  air  with  a  sudden  increase  of 
warmth  from  sun  being  sure  to  induce  moisture  to  condense  on  the 
berries,  which  will  cause  spot,  and  then  the  benies  will  speedily  decay. 
When  the  Grapes  are  thoroughly  matured  a  gradual  reduction  of  tem¬ 
perature  must  take  place,  about  50°  at  night  being  necessary  for  Muscat* 
after  they  are  matured. 
Late  Grapes. — Thick-skinned  Grapes  giving  evidence  of  finish  will 
not  always  bear  close  scrutiny.  Make  sure  that  the  berries  are  quite 
finished  up  to  the  stalk  before  withdrawing  the  requisi  e  aid  from  fire 
heat.  Alicante  invariably  finishes  well,  and  so  does  Gros  Maroc,  both 
very  imposing  Grapes  in  colour  and  bloom.  Lady  Downe’s  finishes  better 
than  Mrs.  Pince,  which  requires  more  heat  and  a  longer  time  to  perfect 
its  berries,  and  is  not  so  good  in  retaining  colour  and  plumpness  as  Lady 
Downe’s,  usually  turning  red  and  shrinking,  whilst  the  last  neither 
shrivels  nor  loses  colour  or  quality,  and  is  unquestionably  the  best  of 
late-keeping  Grapes,  but  it  is  hardly  a  profitable  one  for  marketing  pur¬ 
poses.  Gros  Guillaume,  well  done  and  in  medium-sized  clusters,  is  quite 
as  noble  in  appearance  as  Gros  Colman,  and  is  certainly  better  flavoured, 
but  its  bunches  are  often  too  large  for  everyday  use  and  for  marketing, 
except  on  special  occasions,  when  sometimes  fancy  prices  are  realised 
for  large  well  coloured  and  finished  bunches.  Both  have  soft  or  fleshy 
footstalks,  which  militates  against  the  Grapes  keeping,  as  the  footstalks, 
failing  to  keep  the  requisite  consistence,  the  berries  must  fail.  This 
may  usually  be  avoided  by  employing  a  gritty  soil  and  giving  plenty  of 
air  whilst  the  growths  are  being  made. 
Gros  Colman  puts  on  colour  and  finish  during  late  summer  better 
than  most  varieties,  and  is  a  popular  Grape,  because  easy  to  grow,  free 
in  bearing,  noble  in  appearance,  deep  in  colour  and  delicate  in  bloom, 
with,  when  allowed  to  hang  some  little  time  to  part  with  its  disagreeable 
earthy  flavour,  a  fairly  rich  and  pleasing  quality.  Of  the  white  Grapes 
Trebbiano  is  the  most  desirable  thick-skinned  variety.  All  thick- 
skinned  Grapes  require  a  long  time  to  mature  after  they  are  apparently 
ripe,  consequently  a  temperature  of  about  55°  should  be  assured,  with  a 
rise  of  5°  to  10°  by  day,  and  a  circulation  of  air  until  the  foliage  ia 
