August  3,  1899. 
109 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
HARDY  FRUIT  GARDEN. 
Strawberries — Established  Reds. —  It  is  advisable  to  give  frequent 
attention  to  Strawberries  now  that  the  beds  have  dene  tearing  fruit 
for  the  season.  Runners  grow  apace,  and,  if  allowed,  root  strongly  into 
the  soil,  becoming  a  crowded  mass,  which  is  very  detrimental  if  weeds 
also  are  intermixed.  The  most  troublesome  weeds  are  the  strong,  deep¬ 
rooting  varieties,  but  all  are  more  or  less  a  nuisance.  Reds  from  which 
rnnners  have  to  be  withdrawn  for  forming  new  plantations  should  be 
kept  freely  thinned  out,  so  that  each  plantlet  in  the  process  of  rooting 
may  have  the  advantage  of  growth  in  light  and  air.  It  frequently  occurs 
that  the  best  young  plants  may  be  secured  from  the  outside  rows,  and  as 
many  of  these  as  possible  may  be  utilised.  In  cases  where  plants  are 
wanted  and  runners  are  not  yet  rooted  facilities  for  them  doing  so  may 
be  afforded  by  forking  up  the  soil,  adding  a  little  fresh,  rich  material,  and 
securing  the  runner  upon  it  with  a  stone.  In  dry  weather  apply  water. 
The  wire  beyond  the  plantlet  should  be  cut  off. 
Young  Beds.  —  Strawberries  planted  this  spring  and  not  allowed  to  fruit 
the  present  season  are  now  well  established  strong  plants.  Having  had 
their  first  crop  of  runners  removed  they  will  probably  be  developing  more, 
which  also  ought  to  be  rut  off,  and  all  weeds,  either  of  an  annual  or 
perennial  character,  pulled  up  or  hoed  off.  In  good  ground  these  plants 
succeed  well  enough  without  mulching  or  feeding  the  first  season,  but 
when  they  commence  to  fruit  assistance  is  beneficial. 
Treatment  of  Rooted  Runners.— W hen  the  plantlet:-!,  under  any  system 
of  propagation,  have  sent  their  first  roots  into  the  soil,  the  runners  may 
be  detached  from  the  parent  plants.  Those  in  pots  must  be  kept  freely 
watered,  and  this  can  be  more  rcidily  done  if  the  pots  are  stood  closely 
together  on  a  moist  bise.  If  rooted  in  turves  place  these  also  closely 
together,  hut  plant  finally  as  soon  as  possible.  Rooted  in  the  ground 
they  are  not  much  trouble,  but  space  mart  be  allowed  round  them. 
Planting  Strawberries. — Strawberries  must  he  planted  on  good  soil, 
well  manured,  and  deeply  cultivated.  Recently  prepared  ground  should 
be  made  firm.  This  may  be  effected  by  treading  the  soil  well  when  it  is 
not  wet.  Eirly  planting  is  desirable  for  securing  a  good  crop  the  first 
season.  Plants  rooted  in  pots  and  turves  may  bo  employed,  and  if 
thoroughly  moist,  they  soon  take  hold  of  the  soil,  especially  if  the  planting 
is  carried  out  in  moist  weather.  When  inserting  the  plants,  firm  the  soil 
about  the  roots,  placing  tbecrowns  justbedow  thesurfaep.  In  dry  weather, 
watering  ought  to  continue  until  the  plants  are  well  established.  In 
the  course  of  the  autumn,  growth  is  vigorous,  and  bold  crowns  are 
developed. 
Protecting  Wall  Fruit. — Apricots,  Peaches.  Nectarines,  Plums,  and 
Cherries  on  walls  when  ripe,  or  approaching  that  stage,  ought  to  have 
some  protection  from  birds  and  insects.  Good  strong  hexagon  netting  is 
the  best  protector  against  birds.  The  netting  should  be  carefully  fixed, 
so  that  there  are  no  spaces  through  which  birds  can  reach  the  fruit. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines  are  damaged  if  the  fruit  falls,  therefore,  to 
avert  i his,  hang  nets  so  that  the  ripe  fruits  may  fall  into  them,  but,  if 
possible,  gather  them  before  they  do  fall.  Red  and  White  Currants  and 
Gooseberries  will  hang  in  a  ripe  condition  for  a  considerable  time  on  walls 
ir carefully  netted.  If  wasps  and  flics  arc  troublesome,  hang  some  jars 
about  the  trees  containing  sugar,  honey  water,  or  beer. 
Summer  Pruning. — The  shortening  of  the  long  shoots  on  Apples  and 
Pears  growing  as  pyramids,  bushes,  and  as  wall  trees  ought  now  to  be 
completed,  in  order  that  the  trees  may  receive  the  full  benefit  of  light  and 
air.  Secondary  grow  ths  will  not  be  likely  to  push  from  shoots  pruned 
back  now,  but  if  any  growths  do  start  from  the  upper  buds  of  shortened 
shoots,  as  they  do  on  vigorous  trees  when  summer  pruned  early,  such 
rnay  be  cut  back  to  the  first  good  leaf.  It  is,  therefore,  best' to  allow 
secondary  growths  to  extend  until  the  leaf  in  question  has  attained  its 
full  size,  when  the  shortening  may  be  carried  out. 
The  present  time  may  be  chosen  to  thin  out  crowded  branches  in 
standard  trees,  as  the  foliage  being  present  it  is  a  guide  in  the  removal  of 
branches.  No  harm  is  done  to  the  trees  by  this  summer  pruning  if 
judiciously  effected.  Young  trees  must  be  examined  and  growths  regu¬ 
lated,  so  that  equally  balanced  and  symmetrical  specimens  may  be  built 
up,  to  the  advantage  of  the  trees  and  the  need  for  less  pruning  in  winter 
of  a  severe  character. 
Gooseberries. — The  eurnmer  pruning  of  Gooseberries  on  walls  and 
trellises  consists  in  fully  formed  trees  of  reducing  the  side  growths  to 
three  pairs  of  leaves.  Branches  which  require  yet  to  be  fully  extended 
should  have  the  leading  growths  carefully  laid  in  without  shortening,  but 
the  side  or  foreright  shoots  below  rnay  be  pruned  back.  In  originating 
branches  they  must  he  a  foot  apart,  as  there  R  nothing  whatever  gained 
fry  crowding.  Rush  Gooseberries  are  better  and  easier  managed  if 
allowed  freedom  of  growth,  but  subjected  to  some  amouut  of  regulation 
by  thinning  out  the  most  crowded  growths.  This  may  be  effected  after 
the  fruit  is  gathered,  thus  leaving  little  or  none  to  be  pruned  away  in 
winter. 
Black  Currants. — Plenty  of  strong  summer  growths,  emanating  from 
the  lower  parts  of  bushes,  or  springing  as  suckers  from  the  base,  are  tho 
growths  to  retain.  It  follows,  therefore,  that  old,  weak,  or  exhausted 
branches  may  be  dispensed  with.  This  can  be  done  with  great  advantage 
now,  and  if  carried  out  annually  on  similnr  lines,  healtfiy  and  fruitful 
bushes  are  secured. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Cherry  House. — The  trees  now  have  the  wood  sufficiently  ripened  and 
the  buds  enough  plumped  to  allow  of  their  being  fully  exposed  to  the 
atmosphere.  Remove  the  roof-lights,  which  is  the  best  means  of  arresting 
piremature  growth,  to  which  the  Cherry  when  forced  year  after  year 
successively  is  liable.  The  leaves  from  their  hard  texture  are  not  very 
inviting  to  black  aphis,  but  red  spider  will  prey  upon  them  unless  pre¬ 
vented  by  forcible  syringing  or  an  insecticide,  if  black  aphides  appear 
at  the  points  of  the  shoots  springe  with  tobacco  water,  rubbing  the  worst 
affected  parts  gently  between  the  fioger  and  thumb  whilst  wet  with  the 
insecticide.  The  border  must  not  be  allowed  to  become  too  dry,  hut  have 
copious  supplies  of  water,  or,  if  the  trees  aro  weakly,  liquid  manure. 
Trees  in  pots  may  be  plunged  in  ashes  or  a  base  impervious  to  worm 
in  an  open  hut  sheltered  situation  outdoors,  and  must  be  regularly 
watered  and  syringed  to  maintain  the  foliage  in  a  healthy  state  as  long 
as  possible. 
Cucumbers. — Any  house  or  frame  at  liberty  may  yet  be  planted  with 
Cucumbers,  the  frame  having  a  bed  of  fermenting  materials,  which  will 
give  a  supply  of  fruit  in  September  and  continue  to  doso  to  nearly  Christmas 
if  due  regard  be  had  to  lining  the  bed  and  to  protecting  from  cold  by 
mats  over  the  lights  at  night.  Let  the  growths  of  plants  in  frames  or 
houses  be  thinned  at  least  once  a  week,  and  in  growing  weather  twice, 
removing  exhausted  growths  to  make  room  for  young  bearing  shoots. 
Keep  the  growths  well  stopped  to  one  joint  beyond  the  fruit,  or  at  the 
fruit  if  the  plants  are  vigorous  and  showing  no  signs  of  exhaustion. 
Always  allow  weakly  plants  more  extension,  and  crop  them  lightly. 
Maintain  a  temperature  of  70°  at  night,  75°  by  day,  80°  to  85°,  with 
sun,  closing  early  to  increase  to  90a  or  95°,  the  bottom  heat,  if  any, 
being  kept  steady  at  80°  (o  8.1°.  Maintain  root  action,  and  increase 
it  by  surface  dressings  of  turfy  loam  and  lumpy  manure,  and  pay 
due  attention  to  watering  two  or  three  times  a  week.  Syringe  in  the 
afternoon  of  hot  days,  bat  avoid  late  syringing,  for  the  foliage  should 
be  dry  by  sunset.  The  autumn  fruiters  ought  to  be  planted  on  hillocks 
or  ridges,  moderately  firm,  maintaining  a  moist  and  genial  atmosphere, 
and  they  will  grow  and  show  fruit  in  plenty  shortly,  being  far  better  for 
a  supply  of  late  summer  and  autumn  fruits  than  old  plants,  which 
produce  knobbed,  crooked,  and  otherwise  inferior  specimens  at  that 
season. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines. — Early  Forced  Trees. — The  fruit  has  been 
cleared  from  the  trees  started  by  or  before  the  new  year  ;  the  wood  on 
which  the  fruit  was  borne,  and  not  being  extension,  has  been  removed, 
also  superfluous  growths,  so  that  those  retained  have  abundance  of  air 
and  light  for  perfecting  the  fruit  buds  and  maturing  the  wood,  which  is 
encouraged  by  clean  foliage  and  proper  supplies  of  nutriment.  The  trees 
thus  regulated  in  growth  are  more  amenable  to  cleansing  from  dust  and 
imects  by  means  of  the  syringe,  water  at  125°  to  130°  being  very 
efficacious  against  the  assiduous  red  spider  and  soft  scale,  it  being 
imp  rtant  that  the  trees  be  kept  perfectly  free  from  pests.  It  is  also 
essential  that  the  trees  be  duly  supplied  with  water  at  the  roots,  or  in 
the  case  of  weakly  trees,  liquid  manure. 
Trees  that  do  not  set  their  fruits  well  may  often  be  assisted  by 
supplying  phosphatic  and  potassic  with  magnesian  elements  at  this 
season,  two  parts  dissolved  bones,  dry'  and  crumbling,  and  one  part 
double  sulphate  of  potash  and  magnesia  mixed,  using  4  ozs.  per  square 
yard,  and  pointing  in  lightly.  A  light  mulching,  especially  on  light 
soils,  will  also  tend  to  keep  the  roots  near  the  surface,  and  prevent  the 
premature  ripening  of  the  foliage. 
Succession  Houses.— In  the  late  succession  houses  every  attention  must 
be  given  to  the  trees  in  syringing  to  keep  the  foliage  free  from  red  spider 
and  in  watering  the  borders.  It  will  be  an  advantage  to  mulch  the 
borders  with  short  lumpy  material,  as  stable  manure  freed  from  the  straw, 
thrown  into  a  heap,  allowed  to  heat,  then  turned  outside  to  inside,  and  when 
in  heat  again  spread  out  to  cool,  placing  in  the  border.  This  will  save 
endless  trouble  from  weed  seeds,  and  practically  destroy  all  contained 
disease  germs,  as  well  as  prevent  danger  from  an  excessive  evolving  of 
ammonia.  The  value  of  this  rather  fresh,  but  not  rank,  manure  as  a 
mulch  is  the  ammonia  given  out  being  inimical  to  insects  and  invigorating 
to  the  trees,  the  waterings  making  its  soluble  constituents  available  for 
taking  up  by  the  roots,  and  by  being  lumpy  or  open  atmospheric  air  has 
freer  access  for  assimilating  the  nutritive  matter  in  the  soil  than  when  it  is 
sealed  or  greatly  hindered  by  a  close  soapy  mass.  The  shoots  must  be 
regularly  tied  in,  allowing  space  in  the  ligatures  for  swelling. 
To  assist  the  colouring  and  ripening  of  tho  fruits  they  should  be 
exposed  as  much  as  possible  to  the  influences  of  sun  and  air  by  removing 
or  shortening  some  of  the  foliage  where  too  thickly  placed.  When  the 
fruit  is  on  the  under  side  of  the  trellis  the  shoots  rnay  be  untied  and 
regulated,  so  as  to  bring  it  with  the  apex  to  the  light,  supporting  each 
fruit  in  position  by  a  lath  placed  across  the  trellis.  Discontinue  t  he  syringing 
when  the  fruit  commences  to  ripen,  and  lessen  the  supplies  of  water,  but  on 
no  account  must  water  be  withheld,  to  the  prejudice  of  the  health  of  the 
trees.  A  piece  of  soft  netting  (hexagon,  placed  below  the  trellis,  and  so 
arranged  as  to  form  pockets  to  save  the  fruit  from  a  long  run  against 
each  other,  will  prevent  any  fruits  being  bruised  should  they  fall.  Both 
