494 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  5,  1902. 
should  be  cut  away  to  allow  light  and  air  free  access  to  the 
foliage.  Syringe  forcibly,  to  cleanse  the  leaves  of  red  spider, 
and  if  this  and  scale  continue  troublesome,  promptly  apply  an 
insecticide  to  eradicate  the  pests.  It  is  very  important  that  the 
foliage  be  kept  healthy,  and  to  prevent  premature  ripening  ot 
the  wood  keep  the  atmosphere  cool  by  ventilating  the  house  to  the 
fullest  extent,  after  the  fruit  is  gathered,  excepting  when  the 
weather  be  unusually  cold  and  the  wood  somewhat  sappy.  Jxeep 
the  borders  moist,  and  in  showery  weather  remove  the  roof  lights. 
Stop  gross  laterals,  but  avoid  giving  a  check  by  a  great  reduction 
of  foliage  at  one  time.  ,  ,  ,t  ,  -n^  ^ 
Trees  of  Hale’s  Early,  A  Bee,  Rivers’  Early  York,  Early 
Alfred,  Dr.  Hogg,  Dymond,  Stirling  Castle,  Royal  George,  and 
Grosse  Mignonne  Peaches,  Lord  Napier,  Goldoni,  and  Stanwick 
Elruge  Nectarines,  in  the  same  house  or  a  house  to  them^lves, 
will  be  ripening  the  fruits  and  must  not  be  syringed.  Where 
water  hangs  on  the  fruits  for  any  length  of  time  after  they 
commence  ripiening  the  skin  is  liable  to  crack,  and  the  edges 
of  the  fissures  are  soon  attacked  by  a  mould,  which  imparts  a 
musty  flavour.  The  trees  must  not  be  allowed  to  suffer  by  want 
of  water  at  the  roots,  but  any  excess  of  moisture  at  this  stage 
has  a  tendency  to  cause  splitting  at  the  stone. 
Succession  Houses. 
Hurrying  the  trees  during  the  stoning  process  is  sometimes 
fatal  to  the  fruit,  therefore  allow  time  for  this  most  exhausting 
essential.  Allow  a  free  circulation  of  air,  ventilating  early  in 
the  morning,  and  close  soon  in  the  afternoon  with  an  abun¬ 
dance  of  atmospheric  moisture,  so  as  to  raise  the  heat  to  80deg 
or  85deg,  and  ventilate  a  little  afterwards  for  the  night,  the 
temperature  being  allowed  to  fall  to  between  GOdeg  and  65deg. 
This  must  only  be  practised  after  the  stoning  is  completed,  as  a 
close  atmosphere  has  a  tendency  to  promote  growth,  and  is  not 
favourable  to  that  process,  therefore  avoid  undue  excitement 
when  the  trees  are  in  that  condition.  When  the  fruits  have 
stoned  remove  all  surplus  fruits,  and  turn  the  others  with  their 
apexes  to  the  light  to  insure  colour  and  even  ripening  from  the 
apex.  Allow  a  rather  fr^  extension  of  the  laterals  as  an 
encouragement  of  root  action,  but  be  careful  not  to  crowd  the 
principal  foliage,  and  keep  insects  in  check  by  syringing  twice 
a  day.  Give  thorough  gppplies  of  water  through  a  surface 
mulching,  not  more  than  2in  thick,  of  lumpy  material,  and 
supply  weakly  trees  with  tepid  liquid  manure.  Vigorous  trees 
will  not  need  more  than  a  surface  mulching,  as  high  feeding 
will  cause  grossness,  and  must  be  studiously  avoided. 
Late  Houses. 
The  shoots  that  are  to  carry  next  year’s  crop  should  he 
trained  and  tied  in,  allowing  them  to  extend  to  a  length  of  loin 
or  more  if  there  be  space,  or  stop  them  at  about  that  size  and 
pinch  laterals  to  one  leaf,  being  careful  to  avoid  overcrowding. 
Young  shoots  required  for  extensions  or  furnishing  the  trees 
should  be  allowed  to  extend  as  far  as  space  permits,  and  pinch 
all  side  shoots  on  last  year’s  extensions  that  are  not  required 
for  next  year’s  fruiting  or  furnishing  the  trees,  so  as  to  form 
spurs  and  secure  an  equal  distribution  of  the  sap.  In  thinning 
the  fruit  leave  a  few  more  than  will  be  required  for  the  crop. 
Keep  the  leaves  clean  by  syringing  twice  a  day,  and  always 
sufficiently  early  to  allow  the  foliage  to  become  dry  before  night. 
Mulch  the  borders  with  a  little  short  manure,  or  if  the  trees  are 
young  and  vigorous,  lighter  and  less  rich  material  would  be 
more  suitable.  Water  thoroughly  when  necessary,  always 
giving  .sufficient  at  a  time  to  reach  the  drainage.  Ventilate 
early,  and  increase  the  ventilation  with  the  sun  heat,  closing 
soon  in  the  afternoon  if  the  fruit  is  required  early.  If  the  fruit 
is  wanted  late,  however,  keep  the  atmosphere  as  cool  as  pos¬ 
sible  by  free  ventilation  day  and  night. 
Recently  Planted  Young  Trees. 
These  should  be  properly  disbudded  so  as  to  leave  the  main 
branches  or  shoots  for  forming  them  15in  to  18in  asunder,  and 
the  bearing  wood  at  a  similar  distance  on  the  last  and  previous 
year’s  wood,  training  the  extensions  their  full  length,  and  pinch¬ 
ing  the  side  shoots  on  last  year’s  wood  that  are  not  re<iuired  for 
^.c'.aring  or  extension  to  two  or  three  leaves,  so  as  to  form  spurs; 
but  do  not  overcrowd  the  trees  with  foliage.  These  stubby  side 
shoots  often  give  good  results  whilst  the  trees  are  young,  setting 
and  stoning  the  fruit  better  than  is  the  case  on  strong  young 
wood.  Pinch  laterals  at  the  first  joint  and  successional  growths 
as  made.  Avoid  exciting  too  vigorous  growth  by  the  use  of 
stimulants,  using  nitrogenous manure  sparingly  and  an  excessive 
supply  of  water  at  the  roots,  but  employ  phosphatic  manure  with 
a  firm  soil,  so  as  to  secure  a  free  fibrous  root  formation  and 
sturdy,  short -jointed,  thoroughly  solidified  growth. — St.  Albans. 
Agricultural  Teaching. 
Institutes  for  the  spread  of  scientific  knowledge  in  agriculture 
among  rural  residents  are  now  held  in  forty-three  States  and 
Territories.  The  expenditures  on  the.se  amount  to  nearly 
200,000dol'  a  j’ear. 
The  Question  of  Fruit  Suppiy. 
I  do  not  know  that  I  can  add  anything  of  importance  to  the 
contributions  of  your  able  correspondents  who  have  recently 
favoured  us  with  their  views  and  experience  on  the  important 
question  of  the  fruit  supply  of  this  country.  Scotland,  owing  to 
its  less  favourable  climate  and  soil  generally,  is  relatively  of 
much  less  importance  as  a  factor  of  meeting  the  growing  demand 
for  fruit  in  this  country,  and  in  making  it  less  dependent  on 
imported  Apples  and  Pears  especially.  The  extent  to  which  the 
demand  for,  and  consumption  of  fruit  has  increased  in  Scotland 
in  the  last  half-century  is  so  great  that  it  may  be  said  that  no 
one  could  have  foreseen  it.  In  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow  and  all 
the  larger  towns  the  numbers  of  fruit  shops  fifty  years  since 
might  almost  be  counted  on  the  fingers,  now  they  are  to  be  met 
with  in  numbers  in  almost  every  street,  and  are  patronised  by 
every  class  of  the  population.  The  proportion  in  which  this 
demand  is  being  supplied  from  abroad  as  compared  with  the 
increase  that  has  taken  place  in  home-grown  produce,  in  order  to 
meet  it,  is  very  marked,  inasmuch  as  no  systematic  extension  of 
the  cultivation  of  Apples  and  Pears  has  taken  place,  but  to  a 
very  limited  extent.  There  is  no  doubt  that  it  is  only  in  some 
exceptional  districts  where  the  soil  and  climate  would  warrant 
such  an  effort  with  any  hope  of  its  being  a  paying  industry. 
Still,  there  are  some  localities  where  a  much  more  reasonable 
hope  of  success  might  be  expected,  such  as  the  Lothians,  the 
“Carses”  of  Perthshire  and  Stirlingshire,  the  south-west  of 
Scotland,  and  the  lower  reaches  of  the  Clyde  and  Tweed,  as 
w’ell  as  some  of  the  north-eastern  counties  that  are  within  the 
influence  of  the  Gulf  Stream.  In  all  of  these!  some  of  the  very 
finest  Apples  are  produced.  In  these  districts  I  am  not  aware 
that  any  sj^stematic  attempts,  on  anything  but  a  very  limited 
extent,  to  make  the  industry  a  profitable  one.  This  must  be 
regretted,  for  I  do  not  think  that  better  flavoured  or  crisper  fruit 
are  produced  anywhere.  Certainly  they  are  far  more  palatable 
and  juicy  than  anj'  that  come  from  America  and  our  Colonies. 
Unfortunately,  landed  proprietors  offer  no  inducement  to  any 
who  might  otherwise  be  more  ready  to  embark  in  fruit  growing. 
In  fact,  a  very  serious  obstacle  is  placed  in  the  way  of  the  market 
gardener  and  nurseryman  in  the  exorbitant  rents  that  are 
wrung  from  them.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  find  a  farmer 
paying  30s.  or  40s.  an  acre,  whilst  his  neighbours,  engaged  in 
the  industries  named  are  paying  £6  and  £8  for  land  that  differs 
only  in  being  .separated  by  a  hedge  from  his  neighbour  the 
farmer.  At  the  same  time  the  occupier  of  the  dear  land  has  to 
keep  it  in  first  rate  heart  and  put  far  more  skilled  labour  on 
it.  This  one  condition  is  a  serious  block  in  the  w’ay  of  extended 
fruit  culture  in  such  districts  in  which  fruit  culture  might  be 
encouraged  and  made  remunerative,  especially  if  the  proprietors 
were  to  take  the  trouble  to  encourage  it.  By  a  careful  selec¬ 
tion  of  a  few  good  varieties,  such  as  grow  to  a  good  size,  and 
that,  as  a  rule,  can  be  depended  on  for  a  crop,  there  is  no 
reason  to  doubt  that  on  certain  soils  and  tracts  of  land  the 
supply  of  Scotch  grown  Apples  might  be  greatly  increased  with 
benefit  to  all  concerned. 
Small  fruits,  such  as  Gooseberries,  Strawberries,  Raspberries, 
and  Currants,  are  very  largely  grown  in  Scotland,  and  its  climate 
is  better  suited  to  these  than  that  of  England.  Especially  does 
this  apply  to  Gooseberries  and  Raspberries.  All  things  con¬ 
sidered,  these  hardy  fruits  yield  far  better  returns  in  the  north 
than  do  hothouse  fruits  in  these  times  of  high  priced  fuel  and 
labour.  It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  Apple  culture  will  ever  be 
what  it  might  be  till  landlords  take  an  interest  in  the  matter, 
and  to  this  question,  as  a  class  they  seem  entirely  apathetic. 
And  their  estates  are  left  to  be  managed  in  far  too  many 
instances  by  lawyers  and  others,  who  know  nothing  of  the  prac¬ 
tical  or  technical  management  of  land,  and  scores  of  Avhom  would 
be  greatly  puzzled  to  answer  a  few  technical  and  practical 
questions  that  refer  to  the  very  foundations  of  successful  land 
management. AVID  Thomson. 
Japanese  Dwarf  Trees. 
The  undersigned  write  as  follows: — “It  would,  doubtless, - 
interest  your  readers  to  know  if  the  demand  for  these  quaint 
horticultural  objects  is  still  maintained.  Yesterday,  May  23,  we 
had  a  sale  by  auction  at  our  galleries  in  Conduit  Street,  of  a 
small  con.signment  of  typical  dwarf  trees  received  direct  from 
Japan,  formed,  as  the  catalogue  stated,  “  by  a  native  gentleman 
who  is  one  of  the  leading  horticultiiral  experts  in  Japan.  It 
comprises  inany  notable  .specimens  funy  illustrating  the  laboriou.s 
art  of  nananisi'ng.  The  trees  were  for  absolute  unreserved  sale, 
and  some  of  .the  highesT-  prices  realised  were,' for  Juniperus 
chinensis,  130  years  old,  26in  high^  £2;  Podocarpus  macrophylla, 
40  years,  30in,  £2;  a  weeping  Juniper,  120  years,  21in  high,  2Gin 
wide,  £4  5s.;  grafted  Thuya,  £3  7s.  6d. ;  Pinus*  pentaphylla, 
90  years,  15in  high,  £3  15.s. ;  Azalea,  90  -years,  23in  high, 
4  guineas,. and  many  others  from  1  guinea  to  3  guineas.  It  must 
be  remembered  .that  they  we^ye  :spld  jusct  a^  received,  no  time 
having  been  allowed  for  ‘  nur.sing  ’  the  plants  into  a  more  favour¬ 
able  condition. — Knight  Frank  Rtjtley.” 
