]\Iarch  5,  1903. 
JOUBlsAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
211 
Fruit  Forcing. 
PEACHES  AND  NECTARINES;  EARLIEST  HOUSE.— 
As  the  weather  has  been  generally  favourable  to  forcing  opera¬ 
tions,  it  not  having  been  necessary  to  have  recourse  to  sharp 
firing,  and  the  trees  in  consequence  look  well,  and  the  crop  is  so 
far  satisfactorj'.  A  night  temperature  of  oOdeg  to  obdeg  and 
GOdeg  to  Gbdeg  by  day,  artificially,  advancing  to  TOdeg  or  7odeg 
from  sun  heat,  especially  after  closing,  will  keep  the  trees  in 
steady  progress.  Ventilate  from  GOdeg,  increasing  with  the  sun 
heat,  taking  care  to  avoid  cold  currents  and  sudden  depressions 
of  temperature,  which  cripple  the  foliage,  and  may  cau.se  the 
fruit  to  fall.  Syringe  in  the  morning  and  afternoon  with  water 
of  the  temperature  of  the  house,  and  alway,s  .sufficiently  early 
to  allow  the  foliage  to  become  dry  before  night.  On  didl  days 
emit  the  afternoon  syringing,  also  the  morning  when  cold  and 
sunless,  damping  the  paths  and  borders  instead.  Inside  borders 
must  be  well  suppliecl  with  water,  not,  however,  making  them 
sodden,  and  affording  liquid  manure  to  weakly  trees.  Disbud 
carefully  and  in  accordance  with  the  growth.  When  this  is 
strong  the  whole  of  the  foreright  shoots  may  be  taken  off  at 
once,  and  some  of  the  side  shoots  pinched  back  to  form  spur.s  on 
the  extensions,  but  not  on  branches  that  will  be^  removed  after 
the  fruit  is  gathered,  retaining  the  best  break  from  the  base  of 
the  .several  shoots  ilow  bearing,  and  this  must  have  room  for 
extension  with  full  exxrosure  to  light,  and  a  shoot  must  be  re^ 
tained  on  a  level  with  or  above  the  fruit  to  attract  the  sap  to  it, 
pinching  such  when  not  required  for  extension  at  the  third  leaf 
and  to  one  afterwards  as  made.  Trees  that  have  set  hcavj'- 
crops  of  fruit  should  have  the  least  promising  removed,  espe¬ 
cially  those  badly  placed  or  on  the  under  side  of  the  trellises.  To 
help  weakly  trees  afford  top-dressings  of  fertili.sers  at  intervals 
of  about  three  weeks,  and  wash  in  moderately. 
SECOND  EARLY  HOUSE. — Trees  started  at  the  new  year 
have  set  the  fruit  well ;  a  light  syringing  after  this  is  effected 
assisting  the  trees  to  cast  off  the  remains  of  the  petals.  Syringe, 
however,  cautiously  in  dull  weather,  as  it  rveakens  the  growtlw 
yet  encourages  it  at  the  expense  of  the  fruit.  Disbud  gradually 
and  carefully,  not  being  in  a  hurry  about  this,  practising  it  daily 
when  the  fruit  is  fairly  swelling,  removing  a  few  growths  here 
and  there,  so  as  not  to  give  a  check  to  any  part,  but  secure  an 
even  balance  of  vigofir.  Vvdicrc  there  is  a  thick  set  of  fruit  re¬ 
move  the  smaller  and  worst  placed  by  degrees.  A  night  tem¬ 
perature  of  COdeg  is  safe  in  severe  weather,  and  55deg  by  day, 
GOdeg  in  mild  weather,  and  Godeg  to  TOdeg  or  Todog  from  sun 
heat,  with  ventilation  early  in  the  day,  and  increased  with  the 
advancing  temperature. 
TREES  Sl'ARTED  IN  FEBRLtARY. — The  flowers  are  ex¬ 
panded,  and  should  be  fertilised  day  by  day  wjth  a  camel-hair 
bru.sh  or  other  contrivance  when  the  pollen  is  ripe.  Shaking  the 
trees  answers  well  in  most  case.s,  it  being  done  in  the  early 
part  of  the  day,  and  again  about  noon.  Turn  on  the  heat  in  the 
morning  to  stmure  and  keep  a  temperature  of  SOdeg  by  day, 
ventilating  from  OOdeg,  allowing  an  advance  to  GOdeg  or  GOdeg, 
with  a  free  circulation  of  air,  employing  fire  heat  only  at  night 
to  keep  the  temperature  between  40deg  and  40deg.  Supply 
water  to  the  border  if  it  needs  moisture.  Houses  to  afford  ripe 
fruit  in  late  July  and  early  August,  the  trees  usually  started 
about  this  time  are  advanced  for  flowering,  the  anthers  .showing 
clear  of  the  corollas,  therefore  syringing  should  cease,  maintain¬ 
ing  a  genial  atmosphere  by  damping  the  paths  in  the  morning 
and  early  afternoon.  A  temperature  of  OOdeg  by  day,  and  ven¬ 
tilation  from  that  point,  having  it  full  at  GOdeg,  will  meet  their 
requirements,  40deg  to  40deg  being  ample  at  night.  If  the 
border  is  at  all  dry  afford  a  thorough  supnly  of  water,  repeating 
as  necessary,  remembering  that  a  very  wet  soil  induces  sappy 
growth.  Where  the  blossom  buds  arc  superabundant  remove 
tlicse  on  the  under  side  or  at  the  back  of  the  shoots,  drawing 
the  hand  the  reverse  way  of  the  growths. 
LATEST  HOUSES. — The  chief  consideration  in  the.^e  is  to 
retard  the  blossoming  as  much  as  possible,  therefore  admit  air 
to  the  fullest  extent,  as  the  already  swelling  and  developing  buds 
will  not  take  any  harm  from  frost  until  the  flowers  show  colour, 
and  even  then  there  is  safety  in  just  excluding  frost.  Any 
pruning  or  arranging  of  the  trees  on  the  trellises  should  be  com¬ 
pleted  forthwith,  .supplying  water  to  the  border  to  insure 
thorcugli  moisture  and  keeping  as  cool  as  possible.' — ^Sx.  Albans. 
Hardy  Fruit  Gardei. 
PROTECTING  APRICOTS  AND  PEACHES.— As  the 
blooms  are  advancing  quickly,  and  thechancesof  rough  damaging 
weather  to  fruit  blooms  not  at  all  remote,  it  is  advisable  to 
have  some  material  in  readiness  to  place  over  the  trees  quickly, 
.should  the  blo'^som  have  expanded  and  liable  to  be  damaged  by 
wind,  driving  rains,  or  frosts.  The  latter  do  considerable  harm 
when  they  follow  close  upon  wet  weather;  but  wet  and  wind 
alone,  directly  driving  against  trees  in  bloom,  cau.se  much 
damage  to  the  essential  organs  of  the  flowers.  Protection  may 
be  fixed  or  movable.  Fixed  protection,  that  is,  in  the  sense  of 
covering  over  the  trees,  and  not  admitting  full  light  and  air 
when  favourable  conditions  permit,  is  likely  to  do  harm.  It  is 
best,  therefore,  to  have  the  material  moveable.  It  may  be 
temporarily  fixed,  but  in  such  a  manner  that  it  can  be  drawn 
off  and  on  the  trees  without  injuring  the  blooms.  For  this  pur¬ 
pose  tiffany  or  canvas  is  be.st  adapted,  attaching  lengths  of  it 
with  rings  to  a  long  horizontal  rod,  placed  along  the  front  of  a 
projecting  coping  of  wood  or  iron  which  will  throw  the  material 
clear  of  the  trees.  The  base  may  also  be  attached  to  rings  which 
can  .slide  along  an  iron  rod,  each  end  of  which  may  be  secured 
tO'  .short,  stout  uprights  a  foot  or  so  from  the  ground.  Thi.s 
arrangement  can  be  drawn  easily  on  one  side  when  necessary. 
A  simple  but  effectual  method  consi.sts  of  laying  poles  against 
the  wall  about  10ft  apart.  Set  them  firmly  a.  few  feet  from 
wall,  and  lay  the  protection  across  them.  This  can  bo  removed, 
though  not  so  readily  as  the  la.st  mentioned.  A  protection 
which  may  remain  as  long  as  necessary,  and  yet  admit  light, 
consists  of  several  thicknesses  of  tanned  fi.s'h  netting.  It  will 
effectually  ward  off  frost  from  the  blooms,  but  must  be  ^o 
secure  that  it  does  not  rest  on  the  blooms.  Dense  coverings 
are  not  desirable;  unless  they  are  removed  daily,  and  not  used  at 
all  except  when  the  severity  of  the  Aveather  demands  it. 
FILBERTS  AND  COB  NUTS. — A  yearly  thinning  out  of 
crowded  branches  of  Nut  trees  is  more  or  less  necessary.  The 
best  time  to  do'  this  is  Avhen  the  female  blossom  buds 
are  .shoAving,  as  a  large  percentage  of  these  must  be  left  if  the 
trees  are  to  be  fruitful.  It  is  also  necessary  that  branches  bear¬ 
ing  catkins  be  left  until  the  former  havei  become  fertilised, 
AAhen  they,  if  neces.sar\y,  may  be  shortened  back  or  removed. 
In  thinning  the  trees  remove  crossing  and  interlacing  branches, 
and  uproot  suckers,  cutting  them  clean  out  beloAv  the  surface. 
Many  of  them  may  be  utili.''ed  to  provide  fresh  stock  for  plant¬ 
ing  el.seAvhere.  Fork  up  the  ground  about  the  brushes  and  mulch 
Avith  manure. 
Sucker  groAvths  Avith  one  straight  stem  Avill  do  for  planting. 
The  ground  must  be  Avell  trenched  and  enriched.  After  plant¬ 
ing  cut  them  doAvn  to  loin  or  1ft,  so  as  to  obtain  sermral  breaks, 
four  or  six  of  aa  IucIi  may  be  retained  to  form  the  foundation  of 
the  future  bush,  Avhich  may  be  trained  in  basin  form. 
TOP-DRESSING  WALL  TREES.— A  top-dre.ssing  of  good, 
rich  soil  is  often  the  means  of  recuperating  trees  that  have 
become  debilitated  and  need  fresh  food  for  the  rootlets,  Avhich 
can  thereby  be  retained  near  the  surface,  and  be  prevented 
descending  into  thei  subsoil,  Avhich  invariably  causes  strong 
groAvth  of  an  unfniitful  character.  Before  applying  a  top-dress¬ 
ing  of  fresh  material  take  off  the  old,  inert  coAmring  (Ioaa  n  to 
the  roots  for  a  AA'idth  of  2ft  to  3ft  from  the  AAall.  This  aaIU 
afford  an  opportunity  of  ascertaining  the  condition  of  the  soil 
as  regardsi  moisture.  If  very  dry,  as  in  many  cases  the  ground 
at  the  ba.se  of  Avails  is,  give  a  liberal  soaking  of  clear  AAatcr, 
following  Avith  a  .similar  dose  of  liquid  manure,  Avhich  Avill  bo  of 
a  feeding  character,  and  do  good  to  the  loAver  roots.  The  com- 
po.st  for  the  top-dre.ssing  should  consist  of  loam,  decomposed 
manure,  some  pulverised  lime  rubbish  and  burnt  reLise,  together 
Avith  an  admixture  of  artificial  manure.  This  Avill  stimulate  and 
multiply  roots.  A  light  mulching  of  manure  may  be  laid  on  the. 
surface. 
PLANTING  STRAWBERRIES. — StraAvberries  may  i)e 
lauted  this  month,  though  it  is  not  so  good  a  period  a.s  early 
itumn,  at  Avhich  time  the  plants  are  rapidly  establi.shed  in  the 
round.  HoAvever,  it  is  not  ahAays  possible  to  find  tin'  room 
ecessary  for  finally  planting  out  at  the  proper  tiine,  hence 
u'ing  planting.  The  best  plants  are  those  inserted  in  nursery 
'ds  m  autumn,  and  Avhich  have  rooted  Avell.  They  Avill  lift  uoav 
ith  abundant  roots  and  balls  of  soil,  and  are  ca.sily  traimferred 
>  permanent  positions.  Advantage  ought  to  be  taken  during 
le  Avinter  to  thoroughly  prepare  the  soil,  not  only  by  deep  cul- 
vation  and  manuring,  but  by  affording  as  much  exposure  as 
Assible  to  the  upturned  soil.  A  favourable  period  tor  planting 
iculd  be  selected,  even  if  it  has  to  be  Avaited  for  until  the  latter 
irt  of  the  month.  Vacancies  in  the  autumn-phuited  rows 
iculd  also  be  filled  up,  and  the  soil  generally  firmed  round  the 
hole  of  the  plants.  Hoe  down  seedling  weeds  where  these  are 
iringing  up. —  East  Kent. 
