October  13.  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
291 
WOKK/rcyrraWEEK.. 
HARDY  FRUIT  GARDEN. 
Gathering  Fruit. — Apples  and  Pears  still  remaining  on  the  trees 
ought  now  to  be  gathered  without  delay.  An  unusually  sharp  frost  or 
'(boisterous  gale  may  cause  the  fruit  to  fall  wholesale, -damaging  it  to  such 
an  extent  that  it  will  be  useless  for  keeping  any  length  of  time.  The 
fruit  is  in  many  cases  below  the  average  size,  and  is  late  in  maturing 
owing  to  the  lack  of  moisture.  After  this  date,  however,  the  fruit 
cannot  enlarge,  owing  to  the  decline  in  temperature  and  cessation  of 
growth. 
In  gathering,  carefully  lift  each  fruit  to  a  horizontal  position, 
and  it  will  readily  detach  itself  from  the  spur.  Place  in  baskets  all  the 
best  fruits,  and  convey  to  the  fruit  store,  where  they  should  be  laid  in 
single  layers  on  shelves,  in  boxes  or  drawers.  Pears  for  early  ripening 
must  have  a  warm  dry  store.  The  later  varieties  may  be  kept  cooler  at 
first.  Apples  require  a  cool  moist  atmosphere  with  supplies  of  fresh  air, 
so  that  the  fruit  will  remain  firm. 
Ripe  late  Plums  may  be  gathered  and  stored  for  use  on  dry  clean 
paper  in  a  cool  room.  They  are  no  worse  for  keeping  if  the  fruits  shrivel 
a  little. 
Examining  Fruit. — Now  that  cooler  weather  prevails  fruit  will,  upon 
the  whole,  keep  in  good  condition  for  a  longer  period.  It  is,  however, 
essential  that  Apples  and  Pears  wherever  stored  be  looked  over  occasion* 
ally,  so  that  all  fruits  affected  with  decay  can  be  at  once  removed. 
Inspection  may  be  quickly  made  when  the  fruits  are  stored  in  single 
layers,  and  less  moving  and  handling  are  necessary  than  when  stored 
deeper.  Bruised  and  damaged  fruit  should  be  kept  to  itself,  and  used  as 
soon  as  possible.  Removing  such  examples  from  the  structure  without 
delay  where  choice  specimens  are  stored  is  undoubtedly  the  best  for  the 
proper  preservation  of  perfect  fruits. 
Preparing  Soil  for  Planting  Fruit  Trees.  —  Considerable  advantage 
accrues  from  thorough  preparation  of  the  ground  prior  to  planting  fruit 
trees.  The  soil  requires  to  be  well  broken  up  to  a  depth  of  2  feet  at  least, 
in  order  that  the  whole  of  the  ground  surrounding  the  trees  or  bushes,  as 
well  as  that  which  the  roots  occupy,  may  be  of  uniform  quality  and 
depth.  Light  and  dry  soil  can  be  prepared  deeper.  Bastard  trenching 
is  probably  the  best  method  of  preparation.  By  this  plan  the  soil  is 
moved  to  the  proper  depth,  but  kept  in  its  original  position,  which  is 
certainly  best  when  the  surface  is  fertile  and  the  subsoil  not. 
A  moderate  amount  of  manure  may  be  applied  to  poor  ground,  but  it 
must  be  well  decomposed,  and  thoroughly  incorporated  with  the  soil. 
This  is  important  for  Apples,  Pears,  and  stone  fruits.  Too  liberal 
manuring  will  cause  strong  rank  growth.  Soil  that  has  been  liberally 
prepared  for  a  previous  crop  is  frequently  more  suitable  than  recently 
manured  ground,  and  should  upon  the  whole  be  preferred  for  the  fruits 
mentioned  above. 
Gooseberries,  Currants,  and  Raspberries  demand  a  good  depth  of 
fairly  rich  soil,  and  where  these  are  to  be  planted  more  generous 
manuring  may  be  practised.  They  do  not  succeed  satisfactorily  in  poor 
soil,  in  which  they  do  not  readily  make  a  free  and  vigorous  start.  In 
preparing  the  soil  clear  out  deep-rooting  weeds,  and  remove  suckers 
which  may  be  growing.  Bury  all  weeds  which  will  readily  decompose 
in  or  upon  the  bottom  spit.  Whatever  the  character  of  the  subsoil  break 
it  up  well.  This  will  not  only  improve  it,  but  permit  the  escape  of  super¬ 
fluous  water.  If  it  does  not  do  so,  then  drainage  is  necessary,  and  means 
must  be  taken  to  effect  this,  as  fruit  trees  do  not  like  a  wet  and  cold 
subsoil. 
Draining. — Should  the  soil  need  draining  this  must  bo  carried  out 
before  digging  or  trenching.  Most  soils  are  naturally  drained,  and  such 
are  undoubtedly  the  best  for  fruit  trees.  In  situations  that  are  not  so 
favoured,  and  it  is  requisite  to  plant  fruit  trees,  it  is  desirable  that  water 
collecting  in  the  subsoil  within  reach  of  the  roots  and  not  passing  freely 
away  be  removed.  The  most  approved  method  of  effecting  this  is  by  pipe 
drainage,  though  trees  are  sometimes  planted  on  raised  mounds  so  as  to 
grow  out  of  the  reach  of  the  damp  subsoil.  A  complete  system  of 
drainage  is,  however,  better.  Cylinder  tiles  2  inches  in  diameter  should 
be  laid  in  rows  3  feet  deep,  the  rows  15  to  18  feet  apart.  They  must  have 
a  fall,  and  lead  diagonally  into  main  rows  of  pipes  4  inches  in  diameter. 
The  latter  require  to  be  arranged  at  the  lower  level  of  the  ground  to  be 
drained,  and  have  an  outlet  at  the  lowest  point  of  all. 
Thinning  and  Regulating  Trees. — The  branches  of  any  fruit  tree 
where  too  crowded  may  be  removed  now.  One  advantage  of  carrying  out 
the  work  at  the  present  time  is  that  a  better  judgment  may  be  formed  as 
to  the  extent  of  the  removals  necessary  to  admit  light  and  air  abundantly, 
because  of  the  foliage  being  present.  Dead  wood  is  also  easily  6een. 
The  reduction  of  spurs,  where  clusters  of  them  on  wall  trees  are  much 
•elongated,  may  be  effected  now.  Give  attention  to  young  trees  especi¬ 
ally,  so  that  the  most  suitable  branches  for  forming  the  foundation  of  the 
trees  may  be  retained,  and  the  others  cut  out  or  shortened. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Vines.  —  Earliest  Vines  in  Pots. — We  would  again  urge  the  advisability 
of  taking  the  very  early  supply  of  sweet,  thin-skinned  Grapes  from  Vines 
in  pots  in  preference  to  starting  permanently  planted  Vines  at  an  eaTly 
period.  Well  managed  Vines  in  pots  produce  Grapes  that  are  quite  equal 
in  quality,  if  not  in  size,  to  those  borne  by  Vines  planted  in  borders,  and 
often  better,  from  the  conditions  of  culture  being  more  favourable.  This 
is  the  case  where  the  Vines  are  given  the  benefit  of  bottom  heat,  but  to 
insure  success  the  canes  must  be  sufficiently  strong,  thoroughly  ripened, 
and  duly  rested.  As  a  start  must  be  made -the  1st  of  November  to  have 
ripe  Grapes  in  March  or  early  in  April,  the  materials  for  affording  bottom 
heat — stable  litter  and  two-thirds  leaves  — should  be  in  course  of  pre¬ 
paration.  The  heat  about  the  pots  must  not  exceed  65°  at  the  start, 
bringing  up  the  fermenting  materials  by  degrees,  so  as  to  augment  the 
temperature  to  70°  to  75°  about  them  when  the  Vines  are  in  leaf.  Any 
Vines  in  pots  required  for  starting  later  should  be  placed  under  cover,  an 
open  shed  with  a  north  aspect  being  suitable,  but  the  pots  must  be 
protected  with  dry  hay  or  straw,  and  mice  and  rats  kept  down,  or  the 
animals  may  render  the  Vines  useless  by  girdling  them  at  the  collar. 
Vines  for  Starting  in  December. — The  pruning  will  have  been  performed  ; 
if  not,  it  must  not  be  further  delayed,  as  early  and  complete  rest  for  a 
few  weeks  contributes  to  an  even  break,  the  Vines  responding  to  the  heat 
and  genial  moisture  better  than  when  rest  is  not  given.  Pruning  to  two 
buds  is  usually  followed  by  a  good  show  of  fruit,  but  if  the  bunches  have 
not  been  as  large  as  desired  in  previous  years  the  shoots  may  be  left  a 
little  longer,  pruning  to  the  plumpest  bud  nearest  the  base.  What, 
however,  is  gained  in  size  of  bunch  is  generally  lost  in  compactness 
thereof,  unevenness  of  berries,  and  bad  finish.  Bunches  of  1  to  2  lbs. 
weight  are  quite  large  enough  for  early  Grapes.  Remove  any  loose  bark, 
but  avoid  very  close  peeling,  carefully  keeping  from  injury  the  live  bark, 
and  wash  them  with  a  solution  of  caustic  soda  and  commercial  potash 
1  oz.  each  to  a  gallon  of  water,  applying  the  solution  at  a  temperature  of 
130°  with  a  brush.  If  there  has  been  any  fungeid  pests,  dress  the  rods 
at  starting,  alwaj’s  when  the  buds  are  quite  dormant,  with  a  sulphate  of 
iron  wasb,  1  lb.  to  1^  gallon  of  water.  Thoroughly  cleanse  the  woodwork 
of  the  house,  and  limewasb  the  walls.  Remove  the  surface  soil  down  to 
the  roots,  if  not  to  the  whole  extent  of  the  border,  for  a  distance  of  3  or 
4  feet  from  the  stems,  and  supply  fresh  loam  so  as  to  encourage  new  roots 
as  well  as  an  extension  of  those  from  the  collar,  adding  a  pint  of 
steamed  bonemeal,  a  quart  of  soot,  and  half  a  gallon  of  wood  ashes  to 
each  3  bushels  of  loam.  Keep  the  house  cool,  airy,  and  dry  until  the 
time  arrives  for  starting,  and  the  border  moderately  moist,  not  wet. 
Houses  of  Ripe  Grapes.—  Thin-skinned  Grapes,  such  as  Hamburgh 
and  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  are  more  susceptible  to  damp,  cold,  and 
climatic  changes  than  the  thick-skinned,  such  as  Alicante  and  Gros 
Colman.  Hamburghs  keep  well  in  a  temperature  of  about  45°,  but 
Muscat  of  Alexandria  requires  a  heat  of  50°  for  good  keeping,  and  there 
must  not  be  any  deficiency  of  moisture  at  the  roots,  otherwise  the  Grapes 
will  shrivel.  Remove  all  dead  and  decayed  leaves  from  the  Vines  where 
ripe  Grapes  are  hanging,  and  look  over  the  bunches  for  any  shanked  or 
decayed  berries  and  burn  them.  Lose  no  opportunity  of  giving  air  when 
the  days  are  fine,  turning  on  the  heat  so  as  to  cause  a  gentle  warmth  in 
the  pipes,  not  so  much  to  dry  the  atmosphere  as  to  insure  a  circulation  of 
air,  which  is  the  best  safeguard  against  damp.  Turn  off  the  heat  at 
midday  or  soon  after,  so  as  to  allow  the  pipes  to  cool,  but  not  so  as  to 
lower  the  temperature  below  the  night  minimum. 
When  the  heat  falls  too  low,  and  the  temperature  is  then  raised, 
moisture  condenses  on  the  berries,  and  there  decomposes  the  skin,  besides 
insuring  t"e  germination  of  micro-organisms  and  their  entrance  into  the 
epidermal  tissues,  and  set  up  speedy  decay.  The  harm  is  not  in  a  low  night 
temperature,  but  in  not  giving  air  soon  enough,  so  that  the  heat,  whether 
from  the  hot-water  or  the  sun,  expands  the  atmosphere,  and  its  moisture 
is  condensed  on  the  cooler  surfaces  of  the  berries  as  well  as  on  the  glass. 
In  dull  weather,  especially  during  fog,  it  will  be  necessary  to  keep  a 
genial  warmth  in  the  pipes,  but  the  house  closed,  in  which  case  the 
moisture  will  te  condensed  on  the  glass  instead  of  the  Grapes. 
Late  Grapes. — The  thick-skinned  varieties  require  time  to  mature  the 
fruit  after  apparently  ripe.  Alicante  improves  nothing  whatever  in  keeping, 
and  is  at  its  best  so  soon  as  well  ripened.  The  same  may  be  said  of  Gros 
Maroc,  an  excellent  variety,  and  not  indifferent  in  quality  when  well 
done.  These  as  preludes  to  Gros  Colman  are  very  desirable,  as  they 
retain  the  colour  well.  Alnwick  Seedling  has  the  property  of  keeping 
well,  being  excellent  in  quality,  and  even  rivals  Alicante  in  appearance. 
Gros  Colman  has  the  all-important  property  of  magnificence,  and  that 
goes  a  long  way,  even  with  table  Grapes,  and  is  indispensable  for  market. 
It  is,  perhaps,  the  easiest  grown  of  all  Grapes  ;  the  bunches  are  always 
compact,  the  berries  set  well,  they  swell  to  a  good  size,  and  when  the 
Vines  are  not  overfed,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  overcropped,  they  colour 
first-rate.  It  is  far  the  best  in  quality  when  grown  on  the  old  red  sand¬ 
stone  formation,  though  it  does  well  on  the  alluvial  silts,  as  do  all  the 
coarse  vinous  Grapes. 
The  high  quality  Grapes  with  thick  skins  are  not  in  vogue.  Mrs. 
Pince  is  one  of  the  best,  difficult  to  finish,  and  haid  to  keep  colour  in 
when  ripe.  It  will  turn  red  and  shrivel,  and  keep  longer  than  any 
other  Grape.  West's  St.  Peter’s  has  gone  out  of  favour,  still  it  has  excel¬ 
lent  properties,  above  all,  a  rich  vinous  flavour  ;  but  it  has  not  a  chance 
where  appearance  at  table  is  the  chief  merit  in  a  Grape.  Lady  Downe  s, 
though  keeping  up  to  June  in  admirable  condition,  and  always  excellent 
in  quality,  has  also  gone  down  in  the  scale  of  estimation,  as  half  the 
appearance  and  halt  the  weight  of  iruit,  as  of  Gros  Colman,  spoils  its 
character  for  either  table  or  market  purposes.  There  must  be  no 
deficiency  of  moisture  in  the  border,  and  the  atmosphere  must  not  be 
stagnant,  but  have  enough  warmth,  with  air,  to  keep  it  in  motion,  the 
temperature  not  being  allowed  to  fall  below  50°  until  the  leaves  fall. 
Young  Vines.— These,  and  any  that  are  not  yet  hard  and  brown  in 
the  wood,  should  have  a  temperature  of  60°  to  65°,  a  little  air  con- 
