528 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  29,  1899. 
also  thrive  much  better  on  an  open  stage  than  one  covered  with  spar 
or  ashes  ;  they  seem  to  enjoy  having  the  warmth  from  the  hot-water 
pipes  constantly  circulating  among  them,  provided  the  atmosphere  is 
kept  charged'with  moisture.  To  grow  the  plants  quickly  abundance 
of  heat  should  he  maintained,  little  air,  and  a  moderate  amount 
of  shading  given,  and  when  the  fronds  are  fully  developed  the  plants 
ought  to  be  removed  to  a  cool  structure  to  harden  before  being  picked 
for  use. 
Fronds  of  a  rather  pale  green  are  the  most  highly  prized,  and  to 
secure  such  no  manure  of  any  kind  should  be  given,  and  shade  only 
when  really  necessary  during  the  late  stages  of  growth.  When  a 
cro])  of  Ironds  has  been  cleared  from  plants  in  the  summertime,  those 
which  have  young  growths  starting  should  be  again  pdaced  into  heat, 
but  any  having  dormant  crowns,  if  removed  to  a  cool  frame,  fully 
exposed  to  the  sun,  and  kept  rather  dry  at  the  roots  for  a  month,  will 
often  start  vigorously  into  growth  when  water  is  more  freely  given. 
Such  plants  supply  useful  material  fer  cutting  in  the  depth  of  winter. 
All  Fern  fronds  should,  if  possible,  be  plunged  in  water  for  an  hour 
or  so  before  being  used,  as  the  practice  ])rolongs  their  lasting  qualities. 
—II.  T>. 
SEASONABLE  NOTES  ON  FIGS. 
Young  Trees  for  Early  Forcing. 
These  raust  now  be  in  the  pots  in  which  they  are  to  fruit,  and  on  no 
account  be  neglected.  Afford  all  the  light  possible,  and  keep  the  trees 
well  syringed  and  supplied  with  liquid  manure  so  as  to  insure  a  clean, 
sturdy,  well-nourished  growth.  When  that  is  complete  they  should  have 
abundant  ventilation  so  as  to  ripen  it  thoroughly.  Stopping  must  not  be 
practised  after  this  date.  When  the  growth  is  matured  the  trees  may  be 
placed  outdoors  in  a  sunny  place,  but  in  dull  and  wet  weather  means 
should  be  adopted  for  warding  off  heavy  rains. 
Early  Forced  Planted-out  Trees. 
The  second  crop  fruits  on  trees  started  at  the  new  year  are  now  a 
good  size,  they  being  about  three  weeks  earlier  than  usual,  and  if 
judiciously'  thinned  there  will  be  a  crop  of  delicious  Figs.  If  the 
crop  is  a  heavy  one  reduce  to  eight  or  nine  fruits  of  the  small,  five  or 
six  of  the  medium  sized,  and  three  or  four  of  the  large-fruited  varieties 
to  each  square  foot  of  trellis  covered  by  the  trees  or  exposed  to  sunshine, 
leaving  the  most  forward  at  the  base  of  the  shoots,  which  will  ripen 
earlier  and  attain  to  greater  perfection  than  those  near  the  points.  Those 
parts  should  be  kept  free  from  fruit,  and  be  allowed  to  grow  up  to  the 
light.  This  is  necessary  to  secure  well-ripened  wood  so  as  to  insure  a 
full  first  crop  the  following  season,  the  trees  being  at  rest  by  the  middle 
of  October.  If  the  borders  have  been  allowed  to  get  dry  they  must  be 
watered  repeatedly  until  the  soil  is  thoroughly  moistened.  Liquid  manure 
will  be  required  by  trees  having  their  roots  in  borders  of  limited  extent, 
and  more  frequently  than  by  trees  with  a  large  extent  of  rooting  area — 
about  once  a  week  in  the  first  case,  and  every  fortnight  in  the  other 
— giving  thorough  supplies,  and  always  in  a  tepid  state.  A  light  mulch¬ 
ing  replenished  from  time  to  time  will  encourage  surface  roots,  and  a 
sprinkling  of  artificial  manure  on  the  border  and  washed  in  will  assist 
the  Figs  to  swell 
Syringing  will  he  needed  daily,  except  in  dull  wet  weather.  If  red 
spider  gam  a  footing,  it  must  be  dislodged  by  syringing  the  trees  with 
an  insecticide  ;  and  scale  should  be  removed  by  using  a  brush.  Painting 
the  hot-water  pipes  with  sulphur  is  an  effectual  remedy  for  red  spider, 
the  pipes  being  heated  to  17o°  to  200°  for  about  an  hour,  and  the  house 
ke]it  close.  Artificial  heat  w'dl  not  now  be  necessary  unless  the  weather 
sud  lenly  become  cold  ana  wet,  then  sufficient  only  to  maintain 
a  night  temperature  of  00°  to  65°,  and  70°  to  75°  by  day.  Ventilate  early, 
especially  on  clear  days  ;  and  close  sufficiently  early  to  run  up  to  85°  or 
90°,  or  even  95°  to  100°,  providing  plenty  of  atmospheric  moisture. 
Successional  Fig  Houses. 
When  the  fruit  gives  the  least  indications  of  ripening  by  changing 
colour  afford  more  air,  insuring  a  circulation  constantly  by  keeping  the 
top  and  bottom  ventilators  open  a  little.  Reduce  the  atmospheric  moisture 
gradually,  and  expose  the  fruits  as  much  as  possible  to  the  full  influence 
of  light  and  air.  Lessened  supplies  of  water  will  be  needed  at  the  roots, 
but  they  must  not  bo  allowed  to  suffer.  If  red  spider  be  troublesome  a 
thorough  washing  may  he  given  the  trees  after  the  fruit  has  been  closely 
picked,  and  this  repeated  each  time  the  fruit  is  gathered  will  keep  the 
pest  under  until  the  cro])  is  cleared,  when  more  effectual  means  can  be 
adopted  for  its  eradication.  It  must  be  done  early  on  a  fine  day,  and  the 
water  be  soft,  clear,  and  tepid,  otherwise  the  Figs  may  be  discoloured,  and 
acquire  a  musty  flavour. 
Trees  Swelling  their  Crops. 
A  light  mulching  of  short  manure  acts  as  a  source  of  moisture,  nourish¬ 
ment,  and  surface  rooting.  When  the  roots  are  active  thev  can  be  fed  to 
any  extent  with  top-dressings  of  phosphoric  and  potassic  manures,  but 
care  must  be  taken  not  to  unduly  excite  growth.  A  handful  per  square 
yard  of  five  parts  dissolved  bones,  two  parts  powdered  saltpetre,  and  two 
parts  ground  gypsum  mixed  will  assist  Figs  to  mature  heavy  crops  of 
truit,  and  make  sturdy,  healthy,  fruitful  wood.  Syringe  twice  a  day  in 
fine  weather,  always  early  in  the  afternoon,  closing  the  house  at  the  same 
time,  and  so  as  to  gain  enough  sun  heat  to  rise  to  90°  or  100°.  The  fruit 
will  then  sw'ell  to  a  good  size,  and  rest  being  assured  at  night  by  allowing 
the  temperature  to  fall  to  a  safe  minimum,  the  trees  will  be  capable  of 
performing  a  long  day's  work. 
Late  Houses. 
Trees  against  walls  covered  with  glass  often  grow  rampantly,  and 
root-pruning  affords  little  better  results  as  regards  fruit,  because  the  trees 
are  too  lar  from  the  glass.  In  such  cases  it  is  better  to  allow  them  to 
grow  up  with  one  stem  or  more  to  the  roof  and  then  train  the  growths  to 
a  trellis  about  1  foot  from  the  glass  and  down  the  slope.  The  sun  then 
shines  into  the  points  of  the  shoots,  and  they  push  Figs  at  nearly  every 
joint.  Keep  the  growths  thin,  stop  at  the  fifth  leaf,  and  mulch  and 
water  the  borders.  Ventilate  early,  and  utilise  sun  heat  by  early 
closing,  feeding  according  to  the  requirements.  The  trees  will  ripen 
one  crop  in  August,  and  the  second  crop  Figs  being  removed  and  the 
shoots  allowed  to  grov  to  the  light  so  as  to  get  tlieir  points  well  ripened, 
a  full  crop  may  be  relied  on  another  year. — Grower. 
Rose  Show  Fixtures  in  1899. 
July  1st  (Saturday). — Crystal  Palace  (N.R.S.). 
„  4th  (Tuesday). — -Gloucester  and  Harrow. 
„  5th  (Wednesday). — Brockham,  Ealing,  Hanley*^,  Hitchin, 
Reigate  (Redhill),  and  Tunbridge  Wells. 
„  6th  (Thursday). — Colchester  (N.R.S.)  and  Farningham. 
„  7th  (Friday). — Hereford. 
„  8th  (Saturday). — Manchester. 
„  11th  (Tuesday) — Reading  and  Wolverhamptomf 
„  13th  (Thursday). — Bedale,  Brentwood,  Eltham,  Helensburgh, 
Norwich,  and  Woodbridge. 
„  14th  (Friday). — Ulverston. 
„  15th  (Saturday). — New  Brighton. 
„  19th  (Wednesday). — Cardiff*,  Newcastle-on-Tyne.f 
„  20th  (Thursday). — Salterhebble  and  Sidcup. 
„  22nd  (Saturday). — Newton  Mearns. 
„  25th  (Tuesday). — Tibshelf. 
Aug.  3rd  (Thursday). — Liverpool  J 
*  Shows  lasting  two  days.  f  Shows  lasting  three  days, 
I  Show  lasting  four  days. 
— Edward  Mawley,  Bosebank,  Berkhamsted,  Herts. 
Roses  General  Schablikine  and  Marie  d’Orleans. 
We  have  the  pleasure  to  send  for  your  inspection  blooms  of  the 
above  Rose,  of  which  mention  is  made  at  page  473  of  the  Journal  of 
June  8th.  This  Rose  has  been  in  our  collection  (and  in  our  catalogue) 
for  some  years  past,  so  if  any  of  your  readers  wish  to  try  it  they  need 
not  send  to  the  south  of  France  for  it.  In  the  neighbourhood  of  Cannes 
it  is  without  doubt  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  the  red  Tea  Roses, 
but  we  have  never  seen  it  superlatively  good  out  of  doors  here,  and 
we  do  not  remember  its  attracting  the  attention  of  any  of  the  hundreds 
of  visitors  who  have  seen  the  plants  at  various  times  during  the 
blooming  season.  Possibly,  like  Papa  Gontier  and  others  of  the 
Riviera  Roses,  it  requires  the  special  climatic  conditions  of  the  South 
to  develop  its  full  beauty.  According  to  our  experience  the  best  for 
outdoor  cultivation  of  the  red  or  rose  coloured  bush  Tea  Roses  that 
have  come  to  us  from  the  Riviera  is  Marie  d’Orleans.  This  is  hardy, 
of  vigorous  growth,  and  wonderfully  profuse  in  yielding  large,  well¬ 
shaped  flowers. — W.  Paul  &  Son,  Waltham  Cross. 
[We  are-  very  much  obliged  to  Messrs.  Wm.  Paul  &  Son  for 
the  bouquet  of  General  Schablikine.  This  Rose  was  highly  extolled 
by  Lord  Brougham,  whose  observations  are  recorded  in  the  Dean 
of  Rochester’s  new  book,  “  Our  Gardens,”  from  which  we  cited 
them,  together  with  the  statement  that  the  Rose  could  only  he  had 
from  its  raiser  in  France,  This  was  evidently  a  mistake.  The 
variety  is  described  by  IMessrs.  W.  Paul  &  Son  as  “  one  of  the  most 
attractive  of  the  red  Tea  Roses.”  To  us  it  is  more  suggestive  of  a 
floriferons  China  Rose,  The  opening  blooms  are  decidedly  attractive,  ■ 
being  rich  reddish  pink,  changing  to  rosy  pink,  and  still  paler  on  full 
exiiansion.  They  are  the  most  beautiful  when  young,  and  when 
associated  with  the  small  dark  leafage,  and  numbers  of  buds  in 
various  stages,  have  a  charming  effect  in  a  drawing  room  vase.  The 
fresh  young  blooms  would  be  also  excellent  for  gentlemen’s  coats  or 
ladies’  sprays.  We  can  imagine  that  a  solitary  and  comparatively 
small  plant  or  two  would  not  arrest  particular  attention,  but  a  group 
of  a  dozen  flowering  like  the  sprays  before  us,  could  scarcely  fail  to  be 
admired,  while  flowers  for  cutting  would  he  afforded  over  a  very  long 
period;  still  the  preference  of  Messrs,  Wm.  Paul  &  Son  for  Marie 
d’Orleans  must  not  be  overlooked.  Roses  of  this  character  are  rapidly 
increasing  in  public  favour,  both  for  the  adornment  of  gardens  and  the 
embellishment  of  rooms.] 
