August  22.  l"l. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
1S7 
WORK/Qfi.™  WEEK.. 
Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Cleansing  Fruit  Room. — It  is  desirable,  before  a  commencement  is 
made  to  store  choice  fruit  in  any  quantity,  that  the  place  of  storage, 
which,  where  there  is  much  fruit,  should  be  a  properly  constructed 
fruit  room,  ought  to  be  made  sweet,  clean,  and  thoroughly  dry.  The 
whole  of  the  woodwork,  including  shelves,  must  be  washed  with  soap 
and  hot  water  in  which  soda  has  been  dissolved ;  the  walls  require 
limewashing,  and  the  floor  well  scrubbed.  Not  a  particle  of  anything 
which  will  decompose  should  be  left  behind,  and  when  finished  throw 
open  the  structure  to  its  full  extent,  so  that  it  may  thoroughly  dry. 
Apples. — The  early  maturing  varieties  will  be  ready  to  gather  for 
immediate  use,  or,  if  not  allowed  to  hang  long,  detached  immediately 
and  stored  for  a  short  time.  Where  the  trees  are  fairly  well  loaded  with 
fruit  this  is  a  good  season  to  relieve  them  of  small  and  indifferent 
shaped  fruits;  the  removal  will  improve  the  chances  of  the  best 
samples,  and  enable  them  to  swell  to  a  larger  size.  The  best  fruits 
take  the  lead,  and  should  be  encouraged.  It  is  best,  if  possible,  to 
remove  the  small  fruits  attacked  with  the  Apple  maggot,  and  fruits 
which  have  fallen  from  this  cause  ought  to  be  picked  up,  and  not 
allowed  to  remain  until  the  grub  escapes.  The  summer  pruning  of 
all  restricted  trees  should  now  be  completed ;  the  forms  of  trees  to  be 
dealt  with  include  oordon,  espalier,  horizontally  trained,  and  low  bushes. 
Super fluous  shoots  may  be  removed  entirely,  and  the  rest  shortened  to 
five  or  six  leaves. 
Pears. — The  trees  of  early  ripening  varieties  ought  to  be  frequently 
looked  over,  so  as  to  gather  the  most  forward  fruits  as  they  beoome 
ready.  When  they  show  the  first  tinge  of  colour,  and,  on  lifting,  part 
readily  from  the  wood,  it  is  not  desirable  to  leave  them  longer,  but 
gather  and  store  them  in  the  fruit  room,  where  they  will  develop 
ripeness  and  flavour.  Care  must  be  exercised  in  gathering,  as  Pears 
are  peculiarly  susceptible  to  bruises,  and  soon  show  the  effects  of 
rough  handling.  As  the  fruits  are  gathered  lay  them  on  soft  materials 
in  a  basket,  which  should  be  carried  to  the  fruit  room,  and  the 
specimens  taken  out  carefully  and  laid  in  a  single  layer  on  a  shelf. 
Plums. — The  fruit  of  trees  on  walls  and  espalier  fences  should  be 
exposed  to  the  sun  as  much  as  possible,  so  that  the  fruits  may  attain 
to  good  development,  colour,  and  ripening.  To  enable  this  to  be  done 
tie  back  the  summer  shoots,  or  if  spurs  are  to  be  encouraged,  shorten 
them  to  five  or  six  leavep.  As  fruits  ripen  gather  them  for  immediat  e 
use.  If  wasps  are  troublesome  about  the  trees  hang  bottles  containing 
thin  fruit  syrup,  to  which  they  will  be  attracted.  The  later  varieties  of 
Plums  may  still  be  thinned,  removing  the  small  and  deformed  fruits. 
Cherries. — The  wood  of  wall  trees  should  be  thinned  out,  reserving 
the  best  placed  for  securing  in  to  the  wall  for  future  bearing.  The 
bare  parts  of  old  branches  may  be  oovered  with  young  shoots,  not, 
however,  overcrowding.  Weak  and  ill-placed  growths  cut  out  entirely, 
and  make  a  selection  of  the  rest  which  are  not  required  for  laying  in, 
shortening  these  to  four  or  five  leaves.  The  above  applies  to  Sweet 
Cherries.  Morello  Cherries  grown  on  walls  are  usually  furnished  with 
plenty  of  young  wood,  as  it  is  upon  these  growths  that  fine  crops  of 
fruit  are  secured,  therefore  lay  in  plenty  of  wood  of  this  character. 
After  the  fruit  has  been  gathered  the  old  bearing  shoots  may  be  cut 
out.  This  will  give  room  for  the  reserved  growths.  Spur  growths  are 
not  nearly  so  requisite,  but  some  may  be  encouraged.  They  are  useful 
for  furnishing  parts  where  perhaps  yonng  growths  cannot  be  utilised. 
Trees  still  carrying  ripe  fruit  ought  to  have  the  latter  netted  up,  which 
enables  it  to  keep  for  some' time  longer.  Red  spider  frequently  attacks 
the  foliage  of  Cherries.  It  is  often  owing  to  dryness  at  the  roots. 
Syringe  the  trees  frequently  after  the  crop  has  been  gathered. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines. — Attention  to  details  enables  the  fruit  to 
thoroughly  well  ripen  and  finish.  Adequate  moisture  at  the  roots  is 
important.  It  enables  the  fruit  to  develop  all  the  natural  juices  which 
assist  in  bringing  it  to  perfection.  It  prevents,  or  at  least  decreases, 
insect  attacks.  Lay  in  to  the  wall  or  trellis  the  young  wood  which  is 
to  be  retained,  outting  out  the  superfluous.  By  doing  this  the  fruit  is 
better  exposed  to  sunshine,  but  if  leaves  hang  over  and  shade  the  fruit 
draw  them  on  one  side.  Shaded  fruit  seldom  oolours,  and  the  flavour 
of  the  fruit  is  impaired.  Young  trees  growing  vigorously  ought  to  be 
lifted  carefully  and  replanted,  this  giving  them  a  check.  Regulate  the 
branches  as  far  as  possible  in  an  even  manner.  The  best  growths  are 
those  of  medium  strength. 
Strawberries. — Cleaning  Beds. — This  is  very  important  at  the  present 
time.  The  growth  of  weeds  and  runners  forms  a  tangled  mass,  and 
prevents  the  proper  building  up  of  the  crowns.  Clear  off  all  superfluous 
material  which  can  be  readily  removed  after  the  runners  and  the  large  old 
foliage  have  been  cut.  Hoe  the  ground  between  the  rows  afterwards. 
Planting  New  Beds. — With  good  well-rooted  runners  in  pots,  a  bed 
may  yet  be  planted  which  will  furnish  a  more  or  less  excellent  orop  the 
firBt  season.  The  balls  of  roots  should,  however,  be  thoroughly  moist  at 
the  time  of  planting,  and  water  afforded  afterwards  to  establish  them. 
Rooted  runners  from  the  open  ground,  lifted  with  abundance  of  roots, 
and  planted  firmly,  make  excellent  stock  for  new  maincrop  plantations. 
— Lymington,  Hants. 
• 
Fruit  Forcing, 
Peaches  and  Nectarines.  —  Early  Forced  Trees. — The  leaves,  in 
consequence  of  the  droughty  weather,  are  maturing  earlier  than  usual, 
and  will  soon  be  off,  but  there  must  not  be  any  attempt  to  foroibly 
remove  them,  and  every  effort  should  be  made  to  keep  them  clean,  as  red 
spider  sometimes  becomes  rampant  where  syringing  the  trees  is  not 
practised  occasionally  after  the  fruit  has  been  gathered,  or  an  insecticide 
not  applied  and  repeated  to  annihilate  the  pest.  When  the  trees  are 
leafless  loosen  the  branches  from  the  trellis,  cleanse  the  house,  attending 
to  needful  repairs,  and  painting  the  woodwork  and  trellis.  Whatever 
pruning  is  necessary  should  be  done  as  soon  as  the  house  is  put  in  order. 
Early  forced  trees  do  not  usually  make  a  strong  growth,  therefore 
extensions  may  be  retained  their  full  length  where  not  interfering 
with  the  equilibrium  of  the  head,  or  it  is  not  considered  advisable  to 
shorten  them  in  order  to  induce  growths  for  forming  branches  at  desired 
points.  Side  shoots  may  also  be  left  their  entire  length  provided  they 
do  not  interfere  with  neighbouring  growths,  or  are  likely  to  appropriate 
too  much  nourishment  to  the  prejudice  of  adjacent  bearing  or  extension 
shoots.  All  shortening  should  be  to  a  wood  bud,  whether  a  single, 
double,  or  triple  bud,  one  of  the  two  latter  being  a  wood  bud.  Cut  out 
all  weakly  wood,  yet  retaining  sufficient  of  last  season’s  sboots  to  insure 
a  good  prospect  of  a  full  crop  of  fruit.  Dress  the  trees  with  an 
insecticide.  For  years  the  insecticide  used  by  us  has  been  composed  of 
softsoap  1^  lb.,  paraffin  oil  §  pint,  water  6  gallons.  The  softsoap  is 
dissolved  in  gallon  of  water  by  boiling;  when  dissolved,  and  while 
boiling  hot,  but  removed  from  the  fire  for  safety,  the  paraffin  oil  ie 
added,  and  the  mixture  whipped  with  a  switch  formed  of  birch  twigs 
from  an  old  broom,  until  formed  into  a  cream-like  consistency  and 
even  amalgamation,  adding  the  remainder  of  the  water  boiling  hot,  and 
mixing  well,  applying  with  a  brush  at  a  temperature  of  130°  to  135°. 
The  advertised  insecticides  answer  quite  as  well,  only  take  care  to 
follow  the  instructions  explicitly.  In  applying  insecticides  be  particular 
to  reach  every  part,  and  use  the  brush  in  such  manner  as  not  to  disturb 
the  buds.  Trees  cleaned  and  neatly  secured  to  the  trellis  look  and  are 
better  than  those  left  untrimmed  until  the  latest  period  before  starting. 
Remove  the  mulching  and  loose  surface  soil,  giving  fresh  loam  with  an 
admixture  of  a  fifth  of  thoroughly  decayed  manure,  and  sprinkle  on  the 
surface  about  4  ozs.  per  square  yard  of  the  following  mixture  : — 
Dissolved  bones,  dry  and  crumbling,  three  parts ;  double  sulphate  of 
potash  and  magnesia,  two  parts  ;  and  ground  gypsum,  one  part ;  mixed. 
Scratch  or  point  the  mixture  in  very  lightly  with  a  fork.  By  the  time 
the  trees  are  started,  or  soon  afterwards,  the  nutrients  will  have  beoome 
assimilated  or  rendered  available  in  the  soil  for  taking  in  by  the  roots, 
and  the  trees  will  profit  accordingly  both  in  growth  and  fruit. 
Planting  or  Lifting  Trees  for  Early  Forcing. — Where  new  housee  or 
fresh  trees  have  to  he  planted,  and  fruit  is  wanted  at  an  early  period, 
the  trees  should  be  inserted  at  as  early  a  time  as  consistent  with  safety. 
The  most  suitable  trees  are  those  that  have  been  trained  three  or  four 
years  under  glass,  or  against  walls,  and  have  been  lifted  annually  or 
biennially.  Those  against  walls  intended  for  moving  to  be  started 
early,  ought  now,  if  there  is  any  tendency  to  a  late  growth,  or  any  doubt 
as  to  the  maturity  of  the  wood  and  buds,  to  have  the  soil  taken  out  as 
deeply  as  the  roots  one-third  the  distance  from  the  stem  that  the  trees 
extend,  letting  the  trench  remain  open  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks,  when 
it  may  be  filled  in,  but  do  not  allow  the  trees  to  suffer  for  insufficient 
supplies  of  water  whilst  the  trench  is  open.  This  will  effectually  oheck 
the  growth  and  insure  its  ripening,  whilst  it  will  materially  assist  lifting 
with  a  mass  of  fibrous  roots.  Plant  the  trees  for  early  forcing  by  the 
end  of  September  or  early  in  October.  Lifting  early  forced  trees  should 
commence  as  soon  as  the  leaves  give  indications  of  falling.  Soil  and 
drainage  materials  ought  to  be  in  readiness.  The  mould  may  consist  of 
any  good  loam,  preferably  rather  strong  and  calcareous.  Any  deficiency 
of  calcareous  substance  may  be  overcome  by  an  addition  of  chalk  to 
sandy  soil,  and  of  old  mortar  rubbish  to  heavy  material.  On  light  land 
the  soil  should  be  well  compacted,  an  addition  of  clay  marl  being  very 
desirable.  New  borders  must  have  efficient  drainage,  the  bottom  of  the 
border  being  ooncreted  if  the  strata  beneath  be  unfavourable ;  or,, 
better,  laid  with  bricks  on  flat  run  in  cement,  the  border  being 
enclosed  with  walls  so  as  to  oonfine  the  roots,  but  it  must  have  3-inch 
drains,  with  proper  fall  and  outlet,  the  bottom  of  the  border,  whether 
of  conorete  or  cement,  falling  to  the  drain.  A  border  one-third  the 
width  of  the  trellis  will  be  sufficient  in  the  first  instance,  and  need  not 
at  any  time  exceed  the  width  of  the  trellis.  The  best  varieties  for  very 
early  forcing  are  Alexander,  Early  Louise,  Hale’s  Early,  Stirling  Castle,. 
Royal  George,  and  Condor  Peaches ;  Cardinal,  Early  Rivers,  Lord 
Napier,  and  Stanwick  Elruge  Nectarines. 
Succession  Houses. — Where  the  fruit  is  all  gathered,  cut  out  the  wood 
that  has  borne  fruit  this  season  unless  forming  extensions,  and  the 
shoots  for  next  year’s  fruiting,  where  too  crowded,  should  be  thinned 
to  admit  light  and  air.  Supply  water  to  the  roots,  so  as  to  keep  the 
soil  in  a  moist  condition.  Weakly  trees  will  be  benefited  by  the 
application  of  liquid  manure,  or  a  top-dressing  of  fertiliser  washed 
in.  Ventilate  the  house  fully  day  and  night.  Where  the  fruit  is 
ripening  water  should  be  withheld  from  the  trees  and  fruit,  as  the  water 
