214 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  15,  1898. 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Heliotrope. 
Considering  the  usefulness  of  Heliotropes  as  autumn  and  winter¬ 
flowering  plants  they  are  not,  in  my  opinion,  so  generally  grown  as  they 
deserve.  The  plants  are  easy  to  produce,  and  with  a  little  care  they  prove 
a^great  attraction  in  the  conservatory.  They  can  be  grown  outside  as 
bedding  plants  until  late  in  the  autumn,  but  their  sweet-scented  flowers 
are  missed  with  the  first  sharp  frost.  To  obtain  plants  for  winter 
flowering  the  cuttings  should  be  inserted  in  the  spring  in  a  light  soil, 
composed  of  leaf  mould  and  sand,  and  as  soon  as  they  are  well  rooted 
placed  in  3-inch  pots.  The  soil  best  suited  to  them  is  a  mixture  of  two 
parts  rich  fibrous  loam  and  leaf  mould,  and  cow  manure  in  about  equal 
proportions,  with  some  sand  added. 
Heliotropes  may  be  grown  with  good  effect  in  several  ways,  but  from 
my  experience  they  are  most  useful  for  furnishing  in  the  form  of  pyramids 
in  6-inch  pots  for  the  first  year,  and  if  they  are  required  larger  they  may 
be  rested,  pruned,  potted,  and  started  similarly  to  Fuchsias.  If  a  large 
specimen  is  planted  out  in  a  border,  to  be  trained  on  the  wall  of  a  house 
where  the  temperature  does  not  fall  below  about  45°  in  winter,  it  will 
bloom  very  freely,  and  be  found  most  useful  for  cutting.  The  chief 
condition  for  their  successful  culture  is  that  they  should  be  grown  with  as 
few  checks  as  possible.  The  plants  must  be  kept  under  glass  till  about 
the  end  of  June,  when  they  may  be  placed  outside  in  a  warm  aspect.  If 
needed  late  in  the  autumn  they  may  be  taken  inside  about  the  middle  of 
September.  Sufficient  heat  only  is  required  to  keep  them  growing. 
Care  should  be  taken  to  water  them  carefully,  and  syringe  on  favourable 
occasions.  As  the  pots  become  nicely  full  of  root  encourage  with  a 
stimulant.  A  little  soot  water  improves  the  foliage. —  S.  S. 
Freesias. 
About  this  season  we  may  be  preparing  for  floral  displays  during  the 
early  part  of  next  year.  Various  South  African  plants  are  suitable  for 
this  purpose,  and  a  large  proportion  of  them  are  bulbous.  Freesias 
are  amongst  the  best  and  most  admired,  and  they  quite  deserve  their 
popularity. 
The  bulbs  should  be  potted  early  in  September  in  a  light  compost  of 
loam  and  leaf  mould,  or  well-decayed  manure  with  sand  in  proportion  to 
the  kind  of  loam  used— whether  abounding  in  clay  or  in  sand.  They 
may  then  be  placed  in  a  frame  where  they  can  have  plenty  of  light  and 
air,  and  where  the  temperature  can  be  maintained  above  freezing  point. 
If  watered  just  after  potting  no  more  will  be  needed  till  growth  is 
apparent.  If  some  are  required  for  an  early  supply,  those  showing 
flower  spikes  may  be  put  in  a  higher  temperature,  and  so  may  be  had  in 
flower  about  Christmas.  The  others  will  afford  a  supply  tor  the  early 
months  of  the  year.  When  growing  they  should  not  be  allowed  to 
become  dry  at  the  roots,  and  the  growth  which  continues  after  the 
flowering  stage  ought  to  be  encouraged  by  judicious  watering  and  a  genial 
atmosphere. 
When  the  weather  gets  warmer,  and  there  is  no  danger  of  frost,  they 
may  be  placed  outside,  and  after  the  foliage  has  died  down  they  can  be 
kept  dry  till  the  autumn.  Slight  showers  of  rain  will  be  beneficial  rather 
than  otherwise,  even  after  the  foliage  has  disappeared.  There  are  several 
varieties  of  the  common  type — F.  refracta.  The  favourite  one  at  present 
is  alba,  which  merits  its  position  by  its  purity  of  colour  and  delightful 
scent. 
Bulbs  of  a  pink  variety  were  imported  from  the  Cape  about  the 
beginning  of  this  year,  and  they  have  been  in  flower  for  the  last  three 
weeks— the  untimely  flowering  being  due  to  the  date  of  importation  and 
consequent  growth.  There  turned  out  to  be  two  forms,  one  with  flowers 
having  a  pure  white  tube  and  pink-tinged  lobes  ;  the  other,  which  is 
sturdier,  has  a  rich  orange  tube  with  bright  pink  lobes.  Both  forms  are 
decided  acquisitions,  and  with  a  little  improvement  in  size  and  substance 
of  flower  will  be  highly  prized  for  greenhouse  decoration. — X.  L.  C.  R. 
Red  and  White  Currants  on  Walls. 
Many  vacant  spaces  between  large  fruit  trees  on  walls  might  be  pro¬ 
fitably  occupied  by  Red  or  White  Currants  grown  as  cordons,  and  very 
helpful  to  the  dessert  supply  will  an  occasional  dish  prove,  especially 
where  large  families  have  to  be  catered  for.  Planting  Currants  against 
walls  may  at  first  appear  somewhat  absurd,  but  when  we  consider  its 
advantages  in  connection  with  a  large  plantation  grown  as  bushes,  it  will 
be  readily  seen  how  much  the  supply  may  be  prolonged  by  a  little  fore¬ 
thought  on  the  part  of  the  grower.  Their  position  on  walls  renders  it 
easy  to  cover  them  with  nets  against  the  ravages  by  birds  or  early  and 
late  frosts,  while  the  weight  of  fruit  to  be  obtained  from  a  single  cordon, 
properly  pruned,  is  surprising. 
A  cordon  may  have  one,  two,  or  three  stems,  and  is  formed  in  the 
following  manner : — The  cuttings  are  inserted  firmly  in  the  soil  in  the 
ordinary  way,  removing  all  eyes  but  three,  and  when  it  is  seen  they  are 
well  on  the  move  in  the  spring,  one  shoot  only  is  retained  and  trained  in 
an  upright  direction  ;  it  is  thus  allowed  to  grow  until  the  fall  of  the  leaf, 
when  it  is  shortened  back  to  about  6  inches  from  the  starting  point,  which 
is  repeated  each  year  until  the  tree  is  built  up.  It  is  important  that  the 
shoot  selected  for  extension  be  on  the  opposite  side  to  that  of  the  previous 
year,  otherwise  the  tree  will  not  retain  its  proper  shape ;  all  other 
growths  are  “  spurred  in  ”  in  the  manner  commonly  practised  on  Red  and 
White  Currants. 
For  affording  the  first  dishes  space  should  be  found  for  a  few  trees  on 
a  south  wall';  here  they  will  with  due  attention  produce  fruit  fit  for  use 
early  in  June,  while  the  very  latest  dishes  will  be  gathered  from  trees 
planted  against  a  north  wall.  I  have  seen  excellent  fruit  hanging  on 
trees  in  the  latter  position  up  till  the  end  of  October  ;  these  were  of  course 
protected  from  early  frosts.  It  is  better  to  start  with  trees,  say  three 
years  from  the  cutting  stage,  as  these  will  soon  come  into  bearing.  The 
best  time  to  plant  all  fruit  trees  is  at  the  end  of  the  present  month,  as 
this  affords  time  for  fresh  roots  to  be  made  before  the  advent  of  severe 
weather. — T.  P. 
$j5  WORUfoiitheWEEK..  ’ 
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HARDY  FRUIT  GARDEN. 
Gathering  and  Storing  Fruit. — Cleansing  the  Fruit  Room. — It  is  important 
to  have  the  interior  of  the  fruit  room  clean,  sweet,  and  dry  before  the 
best  and  choicest  fruit  is  stored  therein.  In  order  to  secure  this  desirable 
end,  clean  out  the  structure  thoroughly.  The  woodwork  should  be 
washed  and  scrubbed  with  hot  water,  the  walls  effectually  cleansed  with 
hot  lime,  and  all  dust  and  dirt  removed  from  the  floor.  Leave  the 
structure  fully  ventilated  until  perfectly  dry.  Allow  nothing  superfluous 
to  remain  in  the  room  during  the  time  the  fruit  is  there,  especially  straw 
mats,  or  material  of  a  perishable  nature  likely  to  infect  or  impart  a 
disagreeable  odour  or  flavour  to  the  fruit,  which,  when  ripening,  it  easily 
receives. 
Gathering  Fruit. — There  are  many  varieties  of  early  Apples  and  Pears 
which  may  be  gathered  now.  Sure  tests  of  their  fitness  to  be  gathered 
may  be  found  in  the  tendency  of  the  fruits  to  drop  from  the  trees,  their 
appearance— as  indicated  by  changing  from  green  to  yellow  or  red, 
the  dark  colour  of  the  pips  or  seeds,  and  the  easy  separation  of  the  fruit 
from  the  spurs  when  lifted  to  a  horizontal  position.  If  the  fruits  require 
dragging  or  twisting  to  detach  them  they  are  not  ready  to  be  gathered. 
The  work  is  best  carried  out  at  intervals,  as  it  is  seldom  that  all  the  fruit 
on  a  tree  is  ready  at  one  time.  The  fruit  ought  to  be  perfectly  dry.  As 
it  is  gathered  from  the  trees  carefully  phce  it,  without  bruising,  in  baskets 
lined  with  soft  material,  conveying  it  to  the  shelves  in  the  fruit  room  in 
a  similar  careful  manner.  If  the  fruit  is  to  be  stored  in  portable  trays, 
boxes,  or  drawers,  the  fruits  might  be  placed  in  them  at  first,  thus 
avoiding  more  handling  than  necessary. 
Storing  Fruit. — The  structure  in  which  fruit  is  stored  ought  to  possess 
a  cool,  dry,  and  equable  temperature.  In  winter  40°  to  45°  will  be  suffi¬ 
ciently  high.  Store  all  fruit  if  possible  in  single  layers.  The  advantages  of 
adopting  this  plan  are  obvious.  The  fruit  is  readily  examined  without 
having  recourse  to  handling  it  unnecessarily,  and  it  keeps  in  a  sounder 
condition  over  a  longer  period.  Apples  and  Pears  may  be  stored  in  the 
same  room,  but  separately  from  each  other,  while  the  various  varieties 
must  be  distinct,  and  where  numerous  properly  labelled.  A  constant 
circulation  of  fresh  air  must  be  insured,  avoiding,  however,  draughts. 
Semi,  if  not  absolute  darkness  is  essential ;  and  frequent  examination,  for 
the  purpose  of  removing  fruits  immediately  they  show  indications  of 
decay,  is  imperative. 
Gooseberries. — Summer  Thinning  Bush  Irees. — Rank  growth  of  new 
wood  and  the  weight  of  the  crop  combined  cause  the  branches  to  become 
rather  crowded  on  the  under  side  of  the  bushes,  many  of  the  growths 
touching  the  ground.  These  may  be  freely  pruned  away  now,  so  as  to 
admit  sun  and  air  to  all  the  remaining  wood.  It  may  be  necessary  also 
to  thin-out  rank  growth  in  the  upper  parts  of  the  trees,  thus  insuring 
complete  ripening.  The  present  pruning  will  not  only  do  this,  but  it 
enables  the  cultivator  to  properly  balance  and  regulate  the  shape. 
Preference  should  be  given  to  well-ripened  young  wood  for  producing 
the  crop,  cutting  out  old  and  exhausted  branches  where  practicable. 
The  adoption  of  summer  thinning  frequently  renders  winter  pruning 
unnecessary  in  the  case  of  bushes. 
Treatment  of  Wall  Gooseberries. — The  crop  from  upright  cordons  on 
walls  is  usually  the  latest  to  be  gathered,  especially  when  grown  on  a 
north  aspect.  When  all  the  fruit  has  been  cleared  the  trees  will  benefit 
considerably  by  vigorous  syringing  to  remove  dust,  dead  leaves,  and  red 
spider,  which  attacks  the  foliage  of  Gooseberries.  The  summer  shortening 
of  the  foreright  shoots  ought  to  have  been  carried  out  some  time  ago. 
The  leading  growths  may  be  nailed  in  for  extension  if  necessary.  The 
next  proceeding  should  be  to  well  moisten  the  roots,  affording  water  and 
liquid  manure.  The  soil  is  usually  very  dry  at  the  base  of  walls. 
Mulching  will  also  be  of  service. 
Morello  Cherries. — This  a  good  season  to  re-arrange  and  regulate  the 
trees,  taking  the  opportunity  to  remove  exhausted  branches  and  fill 
their  places  with  others  of  a  vigorous,  healthy  character,  well  furnished 
with  young  growths.  Prune  away  all  the  wood  which  has  borne  the  crop, 
the  trees  being  then  composed  of  main  and  secondary  branches  and 
fruiting  shoots.  Nail  in  the  latter  3  or  4  inches  apart  after  the  principal 
branches  have  been  secured.  If  not  at  present  convenient  to  complete  the 
training  the  extremities,  if  not  the  full  length  of  the  young  shoots,  may 
be  left  somewhat  loosely,  securing  finally  in  the  winter.  So  far,  however, 
as  appears  necessary,  all  the  pruning  of  superfluous  wood  may  be 
done  now.  Vigorous  syringing  with  clear  water  will  do  the  trees 
considerable  good  in  cleansing  the  foliage  of  red  spider  or  thrips  which 
may  have  become  established  during  the  time  the  fruit  was  ripening. 
Should  the  pests  be  numerous  their  destruction  must  be  compassed  by  an 
