November  14,  1901.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
453 
Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
CURRANTS.— Red  and  White  Currants  require  exactly  the 
same  methods  of  cultivation.  As  bushes,  establish  them  in  rows 
6ft  apart,  and  give  a  similar  distance  between  the  bushes  in  the 
row.  The  soil  must  be  deeply  worked  and  liberally  manured. 
To  each  bush  a  number  of  main  branches  must  be  originated,  and 
these  only  allowed  to  extend.  The  side  shoots  upon  them  must 
be  pruned  back  to  three  pairs  of  leaves  in  summer,  and  shortened 
to  ha'f  an  inch  in  winter,  the  leading  growth  also  being  pruned 
to  a  length  of  9in  at  the  winter  pruning.  Of  course,  when  the 
branch  has  grown  of  sufficient  length,  it  must  1  e  closely  short¬ 
ened  each  season.  Cordon  culture  is  also  suitable  for  these 
Currants,  either  on  walls,  fences,  or  wires.  Plant  at  a  similar 
APPLE  BIELO  BORODAWKA. 
distance,  and  treat  the  same  in  pruning  as  Gooseberries.  On 
north  walls  the  fruit  will  hang  in  good  condition  quite  late  in  the 
season. 
Black  Currants  require  to  be  cultivated  in  a  freer  style,  as 
they  dear  chiefly  on  the  young  and  vigorous  growths.  Bush  cul¬ 
ture,  therefore,  is  the  best  in  every  respect.  Give  them  ample 
room,  6ft  distance  sufficing.  As  the  growths  extend,  thin  them 
out  and  regulate,  but  do  not  shorten.  Wood  that  it  is  necessary 
to  remove  should  be  cut  at  a  junction  with  another  branch.  The 
pruning,  in  short,  consists  of  removing  old  wood  and  training  or 
giving  room  for  new.  Varieties  of  Red  Currants  may  comprise 
La  Fertile,  Red  Dutch,  and  Raby  Castle.  Of  White  Currants 
the  best  is  White  Dutch.  Lee’s  Prolific  Black  and  Black  Naples 
are  excellent  Black  Currants. 
RASPBERRIES. — -Sucker  growths,  not  necessarily  with 
strong  canes,  but  having  abundance  of  fibrous  roots,  may  be 
planted  now.  The  canes  should  be  cut  down  clo  e'y  before 
growth  commences  in  spring.  Raspberries  need  rich,  fertile, 
deep'y  worked  soil,  in  order  to  encourage  strong  growths  for  the 
next  season’s  fruiting.  Cut  them  down  after  the  fruiting  is> 
over.  Wires  or  stakes  are  needed  to  support  the  canes.  It  is- 
most  convenient,  therefore,  to  plant  in  lines  5ft  apart,  the  plants 
-being  given  a  foot  distance  in  the  lines.  From  each  stool 
several  strong  canes  will  ultimately  be  produced.  They  shou  cl 
be  spread  out  upon  the  wires,  which  must  be  stretched  a:ong  the 
rows  to  upright  posts  at  each  end  5ft  high.  Another  method 
is  to  plant  3ft  apart,  and  to  each  stool  place  a  strong  stake  tft 
out  of  the  ground,  and  train  round  it  four  to  six  strong  canes. 
Shorten  all  canes  at  the  winter  pruning  to  the  top  of  the  wires  or 
stakes.  Carter’s  Prolific  and  Superlative  are  good  varieties. 
GOOSEBERRIES. — A  good  selection  of  Gooseberries  for  bush 
or  cordon  culture  may  comprise  Crown  Bob,  Ironmonger,  War¬ 
rington,  and  Whinham’s  Industry,  red  varieties.  Golden  Drop,. 
Smuggler,  and  Gipsy  Queen,  yellow  varieties.  Eagle,  Jenny 
Lind,  and  Whitesmith,  white  varieties.  Leveller,  Green  London, 
Gretna  Green,  and  Profit,  green  varieties.  Gooseberries  may  be 
grown  as  free  bushes,  leaving  plenty  of  young  growths  each 
season,  but  where  the  trees  or  bushes  grow  naturally  compact, 
and  form  natural  fruit  spurs,  less  of  the  current  year’s  growths 
may  be  retained  ;  indeed,  on  such  bushes  fewer  will  be  produced. 
Grown  as  bushes,  plant  5ft  or  6ft  apart  in  rows  the  same  dis¬ 
tances  asunder.  Where  a  north  wall  is  available,  Gooseberries 
are  suitable  fruits  to  establish  upon  them,  growing  them  as 
cordons,  either  single  or  double  upright  cordons.  In  this  manner 
with  good  culture  and  regular  attention  in  summer  and  autumn 
pruning,  excellent  crops  are  obtained,  which  come  in  in  succes¬ 
sion  to  bush  trees.  On  walls,  birds  are  not  near  so  troublesome 
in  picking  out  the  buds  as  they  are  on  bush  trees.  In  addition 
to  training  on  walls  and  fences,  they  can  be  grown  on  wires  in 
the  open.  Plant  18in  apart,  taking  up  three  stems  6in 
asunder.  Pinch  the  side  growths  in  June,  and  shorten  to  basal 
buds  in  winter.  This  is  an  interesting  method  of  growing  Goose¬ 
berries. — Lymington,  Hants. 
Fruit  Forcing. 
PEACHES  AND  NECTARINES— EARLIEST  HOUSE.— 
The  trees  must  be  started  to  ripen  the  fruit  early  m  May,  when 
the  varieties  consist  of  Hale’s  Early,  Stirling  Ca'tle,  Royal 
George,  Dymond  and  Bellegarde  Peaches,  Lord  Napier,  Stanwick 
Elruge,  and  Humboldt  Nectarines.  The  very  early  varieties,, 
such  as  Waterloo,  Early  Louise,  and  Condor  Peaches,  with  Car¬ 
dinal  and  Early  Rivers  Nectarines,  need  not  be  started  until 
the  new  year.  If  the  lights  have  been  off,  the  inside  border 
will  have  been  thoroughly  moistened  down  to  the  drainage.. 
Weakly  trees  will  be  benefited  by  an  application  of  liouid  manure. 
Fire  heat  need  only  be  employed  at  night  to  exclude  frost,  and 
by  day  to  ensure  a  temperature  of  50  degrees.  Commence  venti¬ 
lating  at  50  degrees,  and  close  the  house  at  that  temperature, 
ventilating  fully  without  lowering  the  heat  be'ow  ■  0  degrees  in 
the  daytime.  Syringe  the  trees  in  the  morning  and  early  after¬ 
noon  of  fine  days,  until  the  buds  begin  to  show  colour;  but  then 
(and  on  dull  days  prior  thereto)  discontinue  the  syringing,  yet 
maintain  a  suitable  moisture  in  the  atmosphere  by  damping  the 
paths,  borders,  and  similar  surfaces  on  bright  mornings  and  fine 
alteirnoons,  admitting  a  little  air  constantly  at  the  top  of  the 
house.  Aim  at  bringing  the  trees  on  gradually  to  secure  well 
developed  blossoms. 
HOUSES  STARTED  AT  THE  NEW  YEAR.— Trees  started 
at  the  new  year  for  affording  fruit  at  the  emd  of  May  or  early  in 
June,  must,  be  kept  as  cool  as  possible.  Pruning  will  have  been 
attended  to,  this  being  a  light  affair  where  proper  attention  has 
been  given  to  disbudding,  retaining  only  growths  essential  for 
extension  and  next  year’s  bearing,  and  cutting  out  after  the  fruit 
is  gathered  the  useless  wood.  The  trees,  however,  must  be 
examined  to  remove  wood  not  required,  and  that  have  been  over¬ 
looked  during  growth.  Dress  the  trees  with  an  insecticide. 
Secure  the  trees  to  the  trellis,  allowing  plenty  of  space  in  the 
tree  for  the  swelling  of  the  branches.  Remove  any  inert  loose 
soil  from  the  surface  of  the  borders,  supplying  fresh  material 
not  more  than  a  couple  of  inches  thick  on  the  roots.  Quickly  act¬ 
ing  fertilisers  should  not  be  used  until  the  crop  has  set,  a  dressing 
then  given  at  intervals  of  a  month  or  six  weeks  up  to  the 
fruit  changing  for  ripening.  Mulching  also  with  short  manure 
should  be  deferred  until  the  trees  are  somewhat  in  growth. 
Houses  with  fixed  roof-lights  should  be  kept  as  cool  as  possible, 
ventilating  to  the  fullest  extent  except  when  severe  frost 
prevails. 
HOUSES  FOR  STARTING  IN  FEBRUARY.— The  trees 
started  early  in  that  month  ripen  the  fruit  late  in  June  or  early 
in  July,  and  will  now  require  similar  treatment  to  that  advi-ed 
for  the  house  to  be  started  at  the  new  year.  The  roof-lights 
are  much  better  removed,  but  it  is  a  common  practice  to  use 
houses  of  this  kind  for  plants  requiring  protection  from  frost, 
especially  Chrysanthemums.  It  is  not  a  good  procedure,  for  the 
Peach  trees  are  deprived  of  the  rest  essential  to  success,  and  it 
often  excites  the  trees  prematurely,  being  then  followed  by  a 
check,  as  is  usually  caused  when  the  Chrysanthemums  are  over  by 
throwing  the  house  open,  inducing  the  buds  to  fall.  It  is  also  a 
bad  system  to  leave  houses  and  trees  unattended  after  the  leaves 
fall  until  the  absolute  necessity  arises  for  starting  the  trees. 
