392 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
April  30,  1903. 
SMALL  BUSH  AND  PYRxVMID  TREKS.— If  growths  are 
likely  to  be  overcrowded  in  the  centres  of  trees,  rub  or  cut  out  a 
considerable  number,  especially  tho.se  which  may  be  starting  from 
old  wood,  as  the.se  invariably  grow  strongly.  Regulate  other 
shoots,  so  as  to  secure  well  balanced  specimens.  The  encourage¬ 
ment  of  wood  of  medium  growth  is  conducive  to  fruitfulne'SS. — 
.East  Kent. 
Frnit  Forcing. 
VINES :  EARLY  FORCED. — The  Vines  with  Grapes  colour¬ 
ing  must  be  afforded  a  due  but  not  excessive  supply  of  water, 
lightly  mulching  the  inside  border  afterwards.  This  refers  to 
the  earliest  Vines,  which,  as  a  rule,  do  not  reejuire  so  much  water 
as  later  ones.  Where  Grapes  are  fully  ripe  a  reduction  in  tem¬ 
perature  is  advisable,  yet  moderate  moi.sture  and  heat  must  be 
maintained  for  the  benefit  of  the  foliage.  The  moisture  will  not 
^  do  the  Grapes  any  harm  provided  the  air  is  clianged  by  free 
ventilation,  and  the  moisture  is  not  condensed  on  the  beri-i'es.  A 
temperature  of  60deg  at  night  is  suitable  where  the  Grapes  are 
ripe. 
SLtCCESSION  HOUSES. — Attend  to  stopping  the  shoots. 
Whei-e  the  .space  is  restricted  stop  them  to  two  joints  beyond  the 
fruit,  and  as  foliage  is  necessary  leave  the  laterals  lioth  above  and 
below  the  bunch,  at  least  those  from  the  two  lowest  eyes  and 
those  level  with  or  above  the  bunch.  Pinch  these  at  the  first  leaf, 
especially  the  basal  ones ;  also  those  above  unless  there  is  space 
for  extending  the  latei’als,  when  they  may  be  allowed  to  make  two 
or  three  leaves.  After  the  trellis  area  is  furnished  keep  the 
growths  closely  pinched  to  one  joint  as  made.  The  great  evil  is 
overcrowding,  which  deprives  the  foliage  of  the  e.ssential  light  and 
air,  and  restricting  the  growths  intendeid  to  prevent  that. 
TYING  THE  GROWTHS. — Tie  the  shoots  into  the  places 
where  they  ai-e  to  remain  during  the  summer,  this  being  an 
operation  that  demands  careful  attention.  It  is  a  common 
practice  to  commence  tying  down  the  shoots  as  soon  as  they  are 
long  enough  to  bend.  This  is  not  advisable  except  as  a  precaution 
against  injury  from  fro.st,  as  the  shoots  at  this  stage  are  so  tender 
that  the  slightest  twist  the  wrong  way  breaks  them.  It  is  a  better 
jilan  to  defer  tying  down  the  shoots  until  they  are  less  sappy, 
which  may  be  when  the  fruit  is  forming,  but  a  better  plan  still  is 
to  so  dispose  the  rods  that  the  shoots,  instead  of  having  to  be 
brought  down  to  a  nearly  horizontal  position,  will  have  an  incline 
upward,  yet  sufficiently  to  allow  light  to  reach  the  basal  leaves. 
VINES  IN  FLOWER. — Alford  Muscats  a  free  circulation  of 
rather  dry  air,  and  a  temperature  of  SOdeg  to  Sodeg  or  90deg  by 
day,  falling  to  TOdeg  or  Godeg  at  night,  rai.sing  the  points  of  the 
bunches  to  the  ,  light,  and  liberating  the  pollen  at  midday  by 
gentlj^  rapping  the  footstalks  of  the  bunches.  If  there  be  a 
deficiency  of  pollen  take  it  from  those  that  afford  it  plentifully, 
and  apply  it  to  the  .shj’-setting  varieties  with  a  camel’s-hair 
brush. 
THINNING  THE  BERRIES. — Free-setting  varieties  may  be 
thinned  as  soon  as  they  are  out  of  bloom,  such  as  Black  Ham¬ 
burgh  ;  some,  like  Gros  Colmau,  Gros  Guillaume,  and  Trebbiano, 
jnay  be  thinned  whilst  they  are  in  flower;  but  Muscat  of 
Alexandria,  Lady  Downe’s,  and  Mrs.  Pince,  must  not  be  thinned 
until  the  properly  fertilised  berries  can  be  determined  by  their 
taking  the  lead  in  swelling.  Follow  up  the  thinning  early  and 
late,  and  on  dull  days.  Remov'e  surplus  bunches,  overcropping 
being  alike  fatal  to  well-swelled  berries  as  to  colour,  and  to  next 
year’s  crop. 
FEEDING  THE  VINES.— Feed  swelling  crops  liberally,  either 
by  surface  dressings  or  licjuid  manure,  and  maintain  a  moist, 
genial  condition  of  the  atmosphere.  It  is  well  to  use  sweetened 
horse  droiipings,  or  where  the  border  is  of  a  light  nature  rather 
lumpy  cow  manure,  and  spread  the  material  over  the  whole  sur¬ 
face  to  afford  the  Vines  the  benefit  of  the  ammonia-charged 
atmosphere,  adding  a  little  of  freshly  sweetened  from  time  to 
time  ;  but  care  must  be  taken  not  to  overdo  it.  Where  the  Vines 
need  extra  support  a  liberal  dressing  of  artificially  compounded 
manure  may  be  used  with  great  benefit,  carefully  following  the 
instructions  of  the  vendor.  A  mixture  of  two  parts  phosphate  of 
potash  and  one  part  nitrate  of  ammonia  is  a  high  class  but  dear 
fertiliser  for  Ahnes,  applying  2oz  to  3oz  per  square  yard,  and 
washing  in  or  applying  in  liquid  form  |oz  to  loz  per  gallon  of 
w’ater.  A  mixture  of  two  parts  dissolved  bones  and  one  part 
double  sulphate  of  potash  and  magnesia  (refined  kainit),  with  half 
a  part  sulphate  of  ammonia,  where  the  soil  is  of  a  heavy  or  loamy 
nature,  or  half  a  part  nitrate  of  soda  Avliere  the  soil  is  of  a  cal¬ 
careous  or  light  character,  is  also  good,  and  one  adding  to  colour  in 
the  Grapes.  Another  mixture  is  composed  of  two  parts  super¬ 
phosphate  and  one  part  nitrate  of  potash,  and  this  also  gives 
good  results.  Of  the  two  last  mixtures  2oz  to  4oz  may  be  applied 
at  intervals  of  three  to  six  weeks,  according  to  circum.stances. 
LATE  HOUSES.— There  are  as  usual  complaints  of  bad  breaks, 
which  inainly  arise  from  imperfect  ripening  of  the  wood,  and  the 
production  of  loose  bunches  may  be  attributed  to  the  same  cause. 
Aarioms  expedients  are  resorted  to  for  correcting  tlm  evil,  tlie 
best  being  to  stop  the  shoots  three  or  four  joints  beyond  the  fruit, 
tying  the  shoots  to  the  wires.  Choose  the  latter  part  of  a  fine 
day  for  this  operation,  when  the  growths  are  limn,  after  keeping 
the  house  rather  drier  and  warmer  than  usual.  Gros  Colman 
and  other  late  varieties  should  now  be  forming  the  fruit ;  they 
will  then  have  all  the  summer  before  them.  These  Grapes  reeiuire 
a  long  time  to  grow  and  perfect,  and  should  be  well  furnished  in 
September.  Muscats  and  other  shy-setting  varieties  should  be 
carefully  fertilised,  operating  on  fine  days.  A  temperature  of 
TOdeg  at  night  and  Todeg  by  day,  without  sun,  is  riot  too  much 
for  Muscats  when  flowering.  It  is  usual  to  leave  surplus  bunches 
until  the  flowering  is  over,  which  is  a  mistake,  as  Amines  that  do 
not  set  a  proper  number  of  bunches  satisfactorily  are  not  likely 
to  do  better  when  more  are  left. 
LATE  HAMBL’RGHS. — These  are  now  started  naturally,  and 
the  growths  will  need  attention  in  disbudding,  tying  down,  and 
regulating.  Do  not  stop  the  shoots  until  they  are  well  developed 
'beyond  the  fruit  to  the  extent  of  two  joints  where  the  space  is 
limited,  and  four  where  there  is  room,  pinching  laterals  below 
the  bunch  to  one  leaf.  Above  allow  them  to  extend  so  as  to 
insure  an  equal  spread  of  foliage  over  the  space,  afterwards  keep¬ 
ing  closely  pinched.  A'entilate  early  and  freely,  so  as  to  imsure 
short-jointed,  sturdy  wood  and  leathery  foliage.  Avoid  over¬ 
watering  the  border,  but  keep  it  moist. 
YOUNG  A’lNES. — Those  planted  last  year  are  starting 
naturally,  and  may  be  assisted  with  gentle  fire  heat  in  cold 
weatheiu  The  canes  will  have  been  depressed  so  as  to  cause  them 
to  break  regularly  down  to  the  basal  buds,  when  they  can  be  tied 
in  position.  Disbud,  leaving  the  best  shoots  about  18in  distance 
apart  on  both  sides  of  the  canes.  Crop  very  lightly,  one  or  two 
bunches  being  the  maximum.  Any  extra  Ahnes  planted  to  fruit 
early,  and  afterwards  be  cut  out,  may  carry  a  bunch  on  every  side 
growth. 
NEAA'LY  PLANTED  A’INES. — AA’hen  the  Amines  have  taken  to 
the  fresh  soil  they  will  indicate  it  by  growing  freely.  To  secure 
sturdy  growths  ventilate  early,  letting  all  the  growths  remain 
that  can  have  full  expo.sure  to"  light.  Supernumeraries  intended 
for  next  year’s  fruiting  should  have  the  laterals  pinched  off  at 
the  fir.st  leaf,  afterwards  allowing  them  to  make  a  few  joints  of 
growth,  and  pinching  the  cane  at  8ft  to  9ft  length.  Take  every 
possible  care  of  the  leaves  on  the  cane,  not  allowing  them  to  be 
interfered  with  in  any  way  by  the  laterals.  Close  early  with  plenty 
of  atmospheric  moisture.— St.  Albans. 
- - 
*  All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  “  The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
London,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
PAAIPAS  GRASS  (Somerset).— AA'e  have  no  ielea  of  a  variety 
that  beans  plumes  of  ‘‘  a  bottle-brush  shape.”  You  are  not  con¬ 
fusing  Aletrosideros  with  Gynerium,  we  trust. 
UNITED  HORTICULTURAL  BENEFIT  AND  PROVIDENT 
SOCIET.Y. — I  notice  in  the  remarks  I  made  re  the  United 
Provident  and  Benefit  Society,  a  slight  error.  I  should  have 
named  the  ‘•Ancient  Order  of  Foresters”  instead  of  “Free 
Foresters,”  and  the  age  should  have  been  “seventy”  (not 
*•  sixtv  ”). — A.  J.  Brown,  Chertsev. 
NECTARINES  CRACKING  AT  THE  APEX  AND  SPLIT¬ 
TING  AT  THE  SUTURE  (T.  T.  T.,  AVitley).— The  apparent 
cause  of  the  cracking  and  splitting  is  a  hardening  of  the  cuti- 
cular  cells  and  cuticle,  or  skin,  of  the  fruit,  probably  by  a  check 
consequent  on  a  drying  current  of  air,  the  house  having  pre¬ 
viously  been  kept  close  and  moist  in  consequence  of  cold  weather 
prevailing,  and  not  .suitable  for  ventilating,  after  which  the 
house  has  been  too  freely  ventilated  in  result  of  bright  weather 
recurring.  Then  a  somewhat  closer  condition  prevailing,  or  a 
return  to  syringing  being  had,  the  cuticular  cells  are  so  acted 
upon  by  the  growth  forces  from  within  as  to  burst  or  rupture 
the  skin  to  admit  of  the  progres.sive  growth.  This  is  common 
to  all" fruits,  both  outdoors  and  under  gla,ss,  and  affects  some 
varieties  more  than  others ;  hence  it  is  not  unusual  to  find  the 
fruit  of  one  tree  with  the  fruit  cracked,  whilst  an  adjoining 
one  or  others  in  the  same  house  are  not  affected.  The  fruits, 
however,  arc  very  abncrmal,  for  on  cutting  them  through  we 
found  the  whole  devoid  of  ovules  or  kernels,  and  though  ovaries 
were  present,  tlxere  was  not  a  semblance  of  kernel  in  any  of 
them.  This  rather  countenances  the  idea  that  the  cracking  and 
splitting  is  due  to  imperfect  fertilisation,  and  we  shall  en¬ 
deavour  to  illustrate  and  refer  to  them  again  in  a  future  number 
of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture. 
