602 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  26,  la9B. 
will  hope  It  ii  already  morally  sweet  with  the  interchange  of  love’s 
langnage  and  the  expressions  of  high  emotions  of  the  heart,” 
The  book  is  copiously  illustrated,  and  each  page  margined  with  a 
scroll  of  gold.  It  has  been  carefully  revised  by  Mr.  T.  W.  Sanders,  who 
has  admirably  maintained  the  tone  and  touch  of  the  talented  author 
throughout,  _ 
POTENTILLA  FRUTICOSA. 
A  VERY  distinct  form  of  Potentilla  is  the  one  shown  by  the 
engraving  92,  as  it  departs  from  the  usual  low  rambling  or  creeping 
types  of  the  genus  in  its  shrubby  habit.  On  rockeries  it  succeeds 
admirably,  forming  compact  little  bushes  1  to  2  feet  high,  and  covered 
with  its  neat  bright  yellow  flowers,  which  are  produced  in  great  numbers 
throughout  the  summer  months.  It  is  occasionally  found  in  moun¬ 
tainous  districts  of  Great  Britain,  but  is  not  common ;  and  it  is  also 
FIG.  92.— POTENTILLA  FRUTICOSA. 
found  in  various  parts  of  Europe,  especially  in  the  Pyrenees.  In  well- 
drained  borders  it  grows  strongly,  but  much  the  best  position  is  the 
rockery,  on  which  it  is  soon  established,  and  can  be  readily  increased  by 
division  or  by  seeds.  P.  fruticosa  is  also  found  in  various  parts  of 
Asia,  and  even  in  America.  In  the  latter  country,  however,  several 
shrubby  forms  have  been  noted,  which  by  some  botanists  have  been 
regarded  as  varieties  of  this  one,  and  by  others  as  distinct  species. 
Examples  of  these  are  found  in  P.  floribunda,  a  North  American  plant  ; 
P.  parvifolia,  from  the  Soongarian  Desert  ;  P.  dahurica,  from  Dahuria  ; 
P.  arbuscula,  P.  rigida,  P.  lignosa,  and  P.  Salesovi.  The  last-named  is 
somewhat  of  the  habit  of  P.  fruticosa,  but  is  easily  recognised  in  the 
leaves  of  P.  Salesovi,  not  having  the  same  silvery  appearance,  and  the 
leaflets  are  more  sharply  serrated. 
GARDENERS’  CHARITABLE  AND  PROVIDENT 
INSTITUTIONS. 
The  Gardeners’  Hoyal  Benevolent  Institution. — Secretary, 
Mr.  G.  J.  Ingram,  60,  Parliament  Street,  London,  W.C. 
United  Horticultural  Benefit  and  Provident  Society. — 
Secretary,  Mr.  W.  Collins,  9,  Martindale  Road,  Balham,  London,  S.W. 
Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Secretary,  Mr.  A.  F.  Barron, 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens,  Chiswick,  London,  W. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Peacbes  and  ITectarines. — Earliest  House. — The  trees  in  the 
structure  closed  early  in  December,  and  having  been  started  at  an  early 
period  the  previous  season,  will  now  have  the  blossom  buds  well 
advanced  towards  flowering,  and  when  this  takes  place  syringing  the 
trees  must  cease,  but  maintain  a  genial  condition  of  the  atmosphere  by 
damping  floors  and  borders  on  bright  mornings  and  in  the  early  part  of 
fine  afternoons.  Trees  not  previously  forced  will  be  several  days  later 
in  showing  colour  in  the  flower  buds,  but  when  that  occurs  cease 
sprinkling,  as  the  petals  are  liable  to  become  spotted  and  discoloured 
if  moisture  lodges  on  them.  If  the  inside  borders  are  found  on 
examination  at  all  dry,  give  a  thorough  supply  of  water  at  a  temperature 
about  that  of  the  mean  of  the  house,  or  slightly  in  advance  of  it. 
Weakly  trees  may  have  tepid  liquid  manure,  supplying  it  rather 
thick  after  the  soil  has  been  made  properly  moist  with  water.  Avoid, 
however,  making  the  soil  sodden  by  needless  or  over-supplies  of  water 
or  liquid  manure,  as  this  promotes  wood-bud  rather  than  blossom-bud 
development,  besides  inducing  ill-health  and  attendant  diseases  from 
both  fungal  and  insect  parasites.  Where  there  is  a  redundancy  of 
blossoms  remove  those  on  the  under-side  or  back  of  the  shoots  by  draw¬ 
ing  a  gloved  hand  contrary  way  of  the  growth,  and  thin  them  elsewhere 
where  too  crowded. 
Admit  a  little  air  at  the  top  of  the  house  constantly,  and  this,  with 
the  warmth  in  the  hot- water  pipes,  will  keep  the  atmosphere  in  motion, 
and  moisture  will  be  deposited  on  the  glass  instead  of  on  the  blossoms, 
as  frequently  occurs  in  a  close  atmosphere  to  the  prejudice  of  their 
setting  fruit.  The  temperature  may  be  maintained  at  55°  by  day  and 
50°  at  night  in  mild  weather,  but  5°  less  in  cold  weather  is  more  favour¬ 
able  to  the  trees  than  the  higher  temperature,  and  the  setting  is  not 
prejudiced  if  the  heat  falls  to  45°  at  night,  or  even  40°  in  severe  frosty 
weather.  For  the  trees  to  do  good  work  they  must  have  time,  and  it  is 
necessary  when  the  flowers  show  the  anthers  clear  of  the  petals  that  the 
structure  be  freely  ventilated,  avoiding  cold  draughts,  and  not  exciting 
the  trees  by  too  much  fire  heat.  To  keep  them,  however,  in  steady 
progress  the  temperature  must  be  raised  early  in  the  day  to  50°,  and 
kept  between  that  and  65°  through  the  day  with  a  little  ventilation  at 
the  top  of  the  house,  not  allowing  an  advance  from  sun  heat  without  a 
corresponding  increase  of  ventilation,  and  having  it  full  between  60° 
and  65°. 
The  aim  should  be  to  have  stout  blossoms,  sturdy  stamens  well  raised 
above  the  pistil  and  loaded  with  abundance  of  vivifying  pollen,  well- 
developed  pistil  and  perfectly  formed  ovule.  These  all  require  to 
develop,  and  aeration  for  their  perfecting,  then  recourse  can  be  had  to 
fertilisation  by  shaking  the  trellis,  or  brushing  the  flowers  with  a  camel- 
hair  brush  on  fine  days  after  the  house  has  been  ventilated  some  little 
time.  The  pollen,  when  ripe,  by  either  of  these  processes  is  distributed 
in  a  golden  shower  visible  in  the  sunlight,  and  when  this  is  the  case  the 
set  is  generally  a  good  one,  even  without  artificial  impregnationj  and 
sometimes  the  disturbance  of  the  air  by  that  entering  by  the  ventilators, 
or  even  the  slight  disturbance  caused  by  damping  the  floor  and  border 
serves  to  effect  the  setting  in  a  satisfactory  manner.  Under  arid 
condition  lightly  syringing  the  trees  has  proved  beneficial,  but  it  is  a 
practice  to  be  avoided  rather  than  advised. 
Second  Early  House. — To  have  fruit  ripe  of  the  choice  second  early, 
as  Hales’  Early  and  A  Bee  (one  of  the  best),  and  midseason  Peaches,  as 
Dymond,  Royal  George,  and  Bellegarde,  ripe  at  the  close  of  May  or  early 
in  June,  the  trees  must  be  started  without  delay,  but  it  is  desirable  to 
merely  close  the  house  and  only  employ  fire  heat  to  exclude  frost  up  to 
the  new  year,  ventilating  freely  at  50°.  This  will  gently  incite  the  sap 
and  then  the  buds.  Then,  at  the  time  named,  fire  heat  should  be 
employed  to  maintain  a  night  temperature  of  40°,  and  to  insure  50°  by 
day,  above  which  ventilate  freely.  This  will  bring  the  trees  on  suffi¬ 
ciently  to  insure  a  sturdy  blossoming,  and  once  the  flowers  make  a  move 
it  is  necessary  to  keep  them  in  steady  progress.  Sprinkle  the  house 
and  trees  on  fine  mornings,  and  early  in  the  afternoon  of  bright  days, 
but  in  dull  weather  omit  the  second  syringing,  as  keeping  the  trees 
dripping  with  water  has  a  weakening  tendency,  inducing  wood  rather 
than  blossom  development.  If  the  house  has  had  the  roof  lights  removed 
the  inside  borders  will  have  been  thoroughly  moistened  through  to  the 
drainage,  and  not  need  water  for  some  weeks,  but  where  the  roof  lights 
are  fixed  the  border  may  need  watering,  and  if  dry  a  repeated  supply,  so 
as  to  thoroughly  moisten  the  soil  through  to  the  drainage.  This  is 
imperatively  necessary  to  secure  satisfactory  results,  but  the  dryness 
usually  results  in  many  buds  being  cast ;  indeed,  failures  often  follow 
a  too  parched  condition  of  the  soil  during  the  rest  season.  Outside 
borders  should  be  protected  with  dry  leaves  and  fern,  a  few  inches 
thickness  sufficing  to  exclude  frost. 
Succession  Houses. — The  trees  are  best  pruned,  dressed,  and  the  house 
cleansed  whilst  the  buds  are  quite  dormant ;  indeed,  it  is  desirable  to 
attend  to  these  matters  as  soon  as  the  leaves  have  fallen,  as  then  the 
insect  pests  are  not  given  time  to  hibernate.  Loosen  the  trees  from  the 
trellis,  cut  out  weak  attenuated  branches,  and  where  crowded  thin  well. 
