October  8,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
361 
FKUIT  FORCING. 
Peaches  and  STectarlnes. — Earliest  House. — The  trees  are  at 
rest  and  must  be  pinned,  dressed  with  an  insecticide,  and  the  whole  of 
the  structure  thoroughly  washed  —  the  woodwork  with  carbolic  or 
petroleum,  softsoap,  and  hot  water,  the  glass  with  clear  water,  and  the 
walls  with  limewash.  The  trees  can  also  be  tied  to  the  trellis,  and  every¬ 
thing  forwarded,  so  that  a  start  can  be  made  at  the  proper  time.  The 
lights  having  been  removed,  let  them  remain  off  until  the  time  of  closing 
the  house.  If  the  roof  lights  are  fixed  the  inside  border  must  not  lack 
moisture,  and  air  must  be  given  to  the  fullest  possible  extent,  insuring 
thereby  as  complete  rest  as  practicable  under  the  circumstances. 
Second  Early  House — This  is  usually  started  at  the  beginning 
of  each  year.  Tne  trees  have  shed  the  foliage.  Trees  that  have  made 
strong  wood,  which  takes  more  time  to  mature  than  the  moderately 
vigorous,  must  not  be  exposed  until  the  growth  and  foliage  are  well 
'matured.  Exposure  by  removing  the  roof  lights  is  advisable,  as  it  has 
-an  invigorating  tendency,  insures  complete  rest,  and  the  rains  do  much 
to  free  them  from  red  spider  and  other  pests,  besides  soaking  the  borders. 
When  the  foliage  is  all  down  the  necessary  praning,  dressing  the  trees 
with  an  insecticide,  and  cleansing  the  house  should  be  proceeded  with, 
removing  the  surface  soil  down  to  the  roots,  and  adding  fresh  material, 
but  not  covering  the  roots  deeper  than  2  or  3  inches.  In  the  case  of 
fixed  roof  lights  watering  may  be  necessary  ;  under  no  circumstances 
must  the  trees  be  allowed  to  become  dry  at  the  roots. 
Jlidseascn  Houses. — If  the  trees  are  in  an  unsatisfactory  condition 
have  recourse  to  lifting,  the  wood  being  firm  and  the  leaves  beginning 
to  fall.  It  must  be  done  with  dispatch,  all  the  materials  being  in 
readiness.  Provide  eflScient  drainage,  shorten  strong  roots,  and  bring 
any  that  are  deep  nearer  the  surface,  employing  the  compost  moderately 
-firm.  Good  loam,  rather  strong,  with  an  admixture  of  one-sixth  of  old 
mortar  rubbish,  will  grow  Peaches  and  Nectarines  perfectly.  If  the  soil 
be  light  add  a  fourth  of  clay  marl,  and  if  very  heavy  a  similar  quantity 
of  road  scrapings.  If  the  soil  is  deficient  of  calcareous  matter  add  a 
tenth  of  chalk.  Avoid  manure  except  at  the  surface.  Give  a  good 
watering,  and  the  roots  will  soon  get  established  in  the  fresh  compost. 
Trees  judiciously  treated  at  the  roots  whilst  they  have  foliage,  or  as  soon 
as  it  is  off,  seldom  fail  to  set  and  stone  the  fruit  satisfactorily.  Borders 
that  have  the  surface  a  soapy  mass,  but  the  part  below  in  good  condi¬ 
tion,  and  it  is  not  possible  to  remove  it,  may  have  a  good  dressing  of  air- 
slaked  lime  half  to  an  inch  thick,  mixing  it  with  the  surface  soil  as 
deeply  as  the  roots  allow  without  much  disturbance. 
Late  Houses.—  Peaches  are  quite  as  much  valued,  and  bring 
as  good  prices  in  the  market  as  those  of  May.  They  are  fine  in  appear¬ 
ance,  and  when  properly  supplied  with  moisture  and  nutriment  during 
the  growing  season  the  fruit  is  juicy  and  well  flavoured.  As  the  wood 
in  late  Peaches  in  unheated  houses  is  sometimes  not  well  matured,  the  l 
house  may  be  almost  closed  by  day  so  as  to  secure  a  good  heat,  admitting 
sufficient  air  to  insure  a  circulation,  and  at  night  ventilating  to  the 
fullest  extent.  Any  trees  that  have  too  gross  wood  and  do  not  ripen  the 
wood  kindly  should  have  the  roots  curtailed  by  taking  out  a  trench  as 
deep  as  the  roots,  and  about  one-third  the  distance  from  the  stem  the 
trees  cover  of  trellis,  leaving  it  open  for  a  fortnight,  then  filling  in 
firmly.  If  the  border  is  not  satisfactory  complete  lifting  will  be  neces¬ 
sary,  providing  suitable  material. 
Melons.— The  end  of  the  Melon  season  as  regards  those  grown  in 
frames  and  pits  heated  by  fermenting  material  is  near,  though  fairly 
good  fruit  may  be  had  up  to  November,  especially  of  kinds  that  will 
keep  for  some  time.  Any  fruits  approaching  ripeness  should  be  cut 
with  a  good  portion  of  stem,  and  placed  in  a  bouse  with  a  gentle  warmth, 
where  they  will  ripen  and  be  welcome  additions  to  the  dessert. 
From  houses  a  supply  of  fruit  will  be  kept  up  for  some  time  longer, 
the  latest  fruits  only  swelling  now.  Sufficient  moisture  will  be  secured 
to  this  crop  by  damping  in  the  morning  and  again  in  the  afternoon, 
affording  water  at  the  roots  moderately  ;  a  supply  once  a  week  will  be 
sufficient,  but  that  will  depend  on  the  amount  of  soil  and  need  of  the 
plants.  All  superfluous  laterals  shuuld  be  cut  off,  so  as  to  afford  the 
principal  foliage  the  benefit  of  the  autumn  sun.  Plants  with  the  fruit 
approaching  ripeness  should  be  kept  dry,  and  a  brisk  heat  maintained 
with  rather  free  ventilation,  the  temperature  being  kept  at  65°  at  night, 
70°  to  75°  by  day,  rising  to  85°  or  90°  from  sun  heat,  affording  a  little 
air  at  the  upper  part  of  the  roof  whenever  the  weather  is  favourable. 
Cucumbers. — The  latest  plants  which  are  to  afford  fruit  about  the 
new  year  and  onwards  should  be  placed  outon  hillocks  or  ridges,  training 
with  a  single  stem  to  the  trellis,  up  which  they  may  be  allowed  to 
•extend  about  two-thirds,  when  the  lead  may  be  pinched;  Those  not 
having  the  convenience  of  a  Cucumber  house  may  secure  fair  supplies  of 
winter  fruit  by  growing  the  plants  in  pots  or  boxes,  training  the  growths 
over  the  path8in8toves,frHiting-Pine8toves,  orother  well-heated  structures. 
Plants  in  bearing  should  not  be  overcropped,  or  the  fruit  allowed  to 
remain  longer  than  it  is  fit  to  cut,  removing  all  deformed  fruit  in  a 
young  state.  Maintain  a  night  tempeiature  of  70°,  5°le8sin  the  morning, 
75°  by  day,  up  to  85°  or  90°  with  sun,  admitting  a  little  air  at  the  top 
of  the  house  at  every  favourable  opportunity.  The  evaporation  troughs 
should  still  be  charged  with  liquid  manure,  and  the  floor  damped  about 
8  am.  and  4  p.m.,  dispensing  with  the  syringe  over  the  plants.  Reduce 
the  supply  of  water  at  the  roots,  but  not  so  much  as  to  cause  flagging. 
A  little  artificially  compounded  fertiliser  sprinkled  on  the  beds  occasion¬ 
ally  will  benefit  the  plants  through  the  waterings  washing  the  elements 
into  the  soil.  Keep  the  foliage  thin  and  the  glass  clean,  so  as  to  secure 
thoroughly  solidified  growth. 
Pines. — Plants  now  showing  fruit  will  afford  that  when  it  is  scarce 
and  dear,  therefore  afford  them  the  best  positions  in  the  fruiting  depart¬ 
ment.  Maintain  a  temperature  of  70°  at  night,  75°  artificially  by  day, 
up  to  85°  or  90°  with  sun,  closing  at  85°,  sprinkling  the  paths  when 
their  surfaces  become  dry,  and  occasionally  bedewing  the  plants  on  fine 
afternoons.  Keep  the  bottom  heat  steady  at  85°  to  90°.  Examine  the 
plants  once  a  week  for  watering,  and  if  any  require  it  afford  a  supply 
of  clear  liquid  manure,  at  about  the  same  temperature  as  the  b^s. 
Care  must  be  taken  not  to  over-water  the  plants  with  fruit  approach¬ 
ing  maturity,  as  that  has  a  tendency  to  cause  it  to  be  black  at  the 
centre  when  cut. 
Plants  to  Fruit  Early. — Queens  are  the  best  for  this  purpose,  but 
there  is  not  always  a  certainty  of  their  doing  so  unless  they  are  given  a 
period  of  rest  after  making  a  good  growth  ;  therefore  plants  intended  to 
show  fruit  early  in  the  year  should  be  kept  in  a  temperature  of  about 
65°  in  the  daytime  by  artificial  means,  60°  at  night,  ventilating  at  70°, 
closing  at  that  temperature,  allowing  the  bottom  heat  to  fall  to  70°. 
Water  the  plants  only  when  necessary,  but  do  not  allow  them  to  become 
so  dry  as  to  cause  the  foliage  to  become  limp. 
Young  Plants, — All  growing  stock  should  now  be  arranged  so  as  to 
obtain  the  fullest  benefit  of  light  and  air.  As  the  sun  diminishes  in 
power  a  corresponding  diminution  of  temperature  must  take  place  at 
night  until  it  reaches  the  winter  standard  of  55°  to  60°  at  night,  and 
65°  in  the  daytime.  Ventilate  freely  whenever  conditions  are 
favourable,  paying  particular  attention  to  watering.  Examine  the 
plants  about  once  a  week,  and  whenever  one  needs  water  give  it 
copiously  at  about  the  same  temperature  as  the  bed. 
Strawberries  In  Pots. — Where  autumn  and  winter  fruiting  plants 
are  grown  they  must  without  further  delay  be  placed  under  glass  and 
on  shelves,  so  that  they  may  enjoy  a  free  circulation  of  air,  ventilating 
so  as  to  expel  damp,  as  the  fertilisation  of  the  flowers  is  not  satisfactorily 
effected  in  a  moist  atmosphere.  Plants  swelling  and  ripening  their 
fruit  in  frames  should  have  moderate  ventilation,  and  though  Straw¬ 
berries  will  ripen  at  this  season  in  cold  frames,  they  swell  better  and 
the  fruit  is  improved  in  a  house  where  there  is  a  moderate  degree  of 
heat,  50°  to  65°  as  a  minimum,  70°  to  75°  as  a  maximum  by  artificial 
means,  in  which  they  have  air  on  all  favourable  occasions. 
Plants  for  next  year’s  fruiting  are  late,  the  crowns  are  not  well 
matured  nor  so  strong  as  desirable.  Those  intended  for  early  forcing 
should  be  placed  on  a  base  impervious  to  worms  in  frames  or  cold  pits, 
exposing  them  fully  to  every  gleam  of  sun,  employing  the  lights  only  to 
ward  off  heavy  rains,  and  at  night  when  frost  prevails.  Keep  the 
remainder  of  the  plants  in  a  sunny  position  as  they  will  require  every 
ray  of  light  and  sun’s  warmth  to  enable  them  to  mature  the  crowns 
properly. 
WJ 
T^m 
HE  BEE-KEEPER, 
■  1  - 
,  I  - 1  - 1  - 
■'I -T-  I, 
6) 
SEASONABLE  NOTES. 
Wasps  Enterino  Hives. 
During  early  autumn  wasps  are  very  destructive  to  bees  and 
honey,  and  it  is  surprising  the  audacity  they  have  in  endeavouring 
to  gain  an  entrance  to  the  hives.  Bee-keepers  should,  therefore, 
be  on  the  alert  to  prevent,  as  far  as  is  possible,  any  depredations 
from  this  source.  Weak  stocks  are  the  first  to  be  attacked,  and  if 
once  the  wasps  gain  an  entrance  they  will,  in  a  short  space  of  time, 
clear  the  hive  of  all  its  stores,  with  the  result  that  the  inmates  will 
gradually  dwindle  away  and  die.  That  this  may  be  prevented 
should  be  clear  to  the  most  casual  observer. 
How  is  it  to  be  done  ?  someone  may  ask.  In  the  first  place,  all 
hives  at  this  season  should  be  crowded  with  bees.  The  sentinels 
who  are  ever  on  guard  at  the  entrance  will  then  take  care  that  no 
enemies  of  the  bees  gain  admittance.  If  the  entrances  have  been 
reduced  so  that  the  space  will  only  allow  two  or  three  bees  to  pass 
at  a  time  there  will  be  much  less  chance  of  the  enemy  gaining 
ingress.  During  the  few  bright  days  experienced  lately  numbers 
of  wasps  have  been  observed  flying  from  one  hive  to  the  other, 
trying  to  obtain  a  share  of  the  hard-earned  food  which  the  bees 
have  stored  to  tide  over  the  winter.  One  more  brave  than  the 
others  may  be  seen  to  have  dropped  into  the  midst  of  a  number  of 
bees  at  the  entrance  to  be  at  once  seized  and  pitched  off  the 
alighting  board.  For  a  few  minutss  it  is  more  wary,  in  the  rnean- 
time  endeavouring  to  gain  an  entrance  by  some  other  means,  either 
by  the  roof  or  some  crevice  on  the  outside  of  the  hive,  but  all  to 
no  purpose. 
It  has  always  been  a  mystery  to  me  why  the  bees  do  not  attack 
the  would-be  robber  wasps  in  a  body  and  kill  them,  which  they 
evidently  could  do,  but  such  is  not  the  case.  It  is,  however, 
different  with  robber  bees  from  other  hives.  Should  one  attempt  to 
gain  an  entrance  to  a  strong  colony,  it  is  at  once  seized  by  three  or 
four  bees,  and  often  killed,  or  so  disabled  that  it  is  unable  to  fly, 
and  may  be  found  on  the  ground  near  the  hive,  looking  very  much 
the  worse  for  the  combat.  Wasps  may  be  trapped  by  placing  thin 
