48 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
'July  19,  1900. 
layer  of  fresh  horse  manure  or  partially  decayed  cow  manure.  Should 
the  border  at  that  time  be  in  the  least  dry  it  ought  to  be  thoroughly 
moistened  with  water  of  the  same  temperature  as  that  of  the  house. 
It  is  an  easy  matter  to  overwater  Muscats,  but  from  the  time  of 
thinning  till  the  Grapes  are  ripe  the  border  ought  to  be  examined 
periodically,  and  watered  when  necessary,  occasionally  giving  liquid 
manure.  Such  attentions  should  keep  the  roots  in  full  activity  till 
the  Grapes  are  ripe.  When  colouring  commences  a  dressing  of 
guano  at  the  rate  of  4  ozs.  per  square  yard  is  excellent,  hastening  the 
colouring  process  and  bringing  the  berries  up  to  their  fullest  size. 
All  laterals  carrying  a  large  bunch  should  be  encouraged  by  allowing 
one  of  the  sub-lateials  to  grow  freely. 
The  regulation  of  ventilation  and  atmospheric  moisture  also  play  an 
important  part  in  helping  to  secure  “  golden  berries.”  I  am  con¬ 
vinced  that  many  cultivators  are  in  too  great  a  hurry  to  commence 
leaving  on  continually  the  time-honoured  “chink”  of  air,  and  also  to 
lessen  the  supply  of  moisture,  with  the  result  that  berries  do  not  sw'ell 
to  their  proper  size,  or  colour  so  quickly  as  they  should.  The  closing 
of  the  house  with  plenty  of  moisture  early  in  the  afternoon  ought  to  be 
continued  till  the  berries  show  signs  of  colour  over  every  part,  then  the 
ventilation  must  be  gradually  reduced  as  the  sun  declines,  and  a 
somewhat  drier  atmosphere  maintained.  Enough  moisture  should, 
however,  be  distributed  to  keep  the  foliage  fresh  and  healthy,  or  how 
can  one  expect  well-coloured  Grajes  when  the  leaves  are  scoiched  or 
infested  with  red  spider,  though  maintaining  an  arid  atmosphere  ?  Go 
the  other  hand  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  a  damp,  cold  atmo¬ 
sphere  often  causes  the  berries  to  become  badly  spotted;  this  -is 
because  too  little  fire  heat  is  given,  rather  than  because  the  moisture 
distributed  has  been  excessive.  The  Muscat  in  all  stages  of  growth 
is  a  heat-loving  Vine,  and  to  produce  good  Muscat  of  Alexandria 
Grapes  much  more  fire  heat  is  necessary  than  black  Grapes  will 
endure  with  impunity. 
During  the  ripening  period  a  night  teiuperature  of  from  70°  to  75° 
should  be  maintained,  a  little  heat  be  kept  constantly  in  the  hot-water 
pipes  throughout  the  day  during  dull  weather;  and  during  the 
afternoon  of  such  days  when  one  can  rest  assured  that  sunshine  will 
not  burst  through  the  clouds,  the  pipes  may  safely  be  made  quite  hot, 
and  a  little  air  left  in  the  top  of  the  house.  It  is  surprising  how  well 
Muscats  may  be  colouied  even  in  dull  weather  when  this  afternoon 
heating  of  the  pipes  is  practised.  I  once  saw  a  wonderful  transforma¬ 
tion  brought  about  in  the  colour  of  Muscats  growing  in  a  garden 
formed  for  them  by  practising  the  above  plan  for  a  fortnight,  when¬ 
ever  the  weather  favoured  it. 
When  the  shoots  are  trained  at  a  good  distance  from  the  glass 
Muscats  do  not  require  so  much  air  as  many  people  imagine.  The 
ventilators  should  be  slightly  opened  early  in  the  morning,  and  the 
supply  of  air  gradually  increased  as  the  sun  gains  power,  and  after  the 
hottest  part  of  the  day  is  passed  the  air  ought  to  be  reduced  by  degrees 
BO  as  to  maintain  a  comparatively  high  yet  never  rising  temperature. 
Should  the  sun  burst  out  brightly  after  the  air  has  been  reduced  it 
may  sometimes  be  necessary  to  increase  the  ventilation  for  a 
time. — H.  D. 
- >  ♦ - 
In  the  Land  of  Frnit. 
Crops  Both  Scarce  and  Abundant. 
If  anyone  travelling  on  the  railway  which  intersects  the  countv 
of  Kent  wdll  take  the  trouble  to  peep  into  the  goods  yards  as  he 
passes,  large  piles  of  round  baskets  will  be  seen  heaped  up  ready  for 
some  special  use.  Or  if  you  take  the  road,  drays  laden  with  the  same 
kind  of  baskets  will  be  met,  and  piles  of  them  may  be  observed  built 
up  in  the  corners  of  orchards  and  fruit  plantations.  A  stranger  might 
wonder  whence  they  all  came,  where  is  their  destination,  and  what 
they  are  to  be  filled  with,  but  everyone  who  is  at  all  acquainted 
with  the  district  and  its  important  industry  knows  that  the  harvest 
of  the  fruit  has  commenced,  and  the  delicious  commodity  is  being 
transferred  irom  the  sunny  fields  of  Kent  to  the  great  metropolis, 
and  the  centres  of  industry  and  population  farther  north.  Fruit 
growers,  pickers,  salesmen,  and  railwaymen  are  among  those  who 
realise  that  the  busy  season  is  again  here,  and  the  abundance  or 
scarcity  of  crops  wdth  the  all-importaut  question  of  prices  are  matters 
of  general  discussion. 
Gooseberries. 
Green  Gooseberries  are  the  first  crop  to  claim  the  attention  of  the 
pickers,  and  for  some  weeks  past  the  women  have  been  busy  filling 
the  round  baskets  with  berries  so  that  London  can  enjoy  its  Gooseberry 
tart.  Everybody  may  have  their  fill  this  season,  for  Gooseberries  aie 
a  very  heavy  crop,  bushes  are  laden  with  fruit,  and  when  the  green 
fruit  season  is  over  there  will  be  ample  left  to  ripen  for  preserves. 
This  sounds  like  a  blessing  to  the  consumer,  and  so  it  may  be,  but  the 
grower  has  his  doubts  about  it,  so  far  as  he  is  concerned.  Heavy 
crops  of  Gooseberries  means  low  prices  in  the  market,  and  though  the 
earliest  consignments  sold  well,  there  are  general  complaints  now^of 
the  low  prices  realised  by  growers  after  ibe  expenses  of  picking, 
carriage,  and  com.mission  have  been  paid.  Kentish  growers  confine 
themselves  to  a  few  standard  market  varieties,  and  the  ea  liness  of 
any  sort  is  a  distinct  qualification.  |  Crown  Bob,  Lancashire  Lad, 
Greengage,  and  Whinham’s  Industry,  with  a  few  others,  are  household 
words  in  the  Gooseberry  growing  districts. 
Black  Currants. 
There  is  a  general  impression  abioad  that  Black  Currants  are  going 
to  be  a  light  crop  this  season,  which  is  a  matter  for  regret,  as  this  is 
one  of  the  most  profitable  crops  the  county  products.  Black  Currants 
invariably  sell  well,  no  matter  how  heavy  the  crops  may  be,  for  so 
general  is  the  demand  for  this  delicious  fruit  that  one  never  hears 
complaints  on  the  score  of  glut.  Considering  these  fact-,  one  would 
naturally  think  that  planting  would  increase,  and  the  output  every 
year  be  larger,  but  it  is  not  so  ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  through  one 
dire  evil,  I  think  the  area  under  Black  Currants  is  annually  growing 
less.  The  evil  mentioned  is  none  other  than  the  dreaded  Black 
Currant  bud  mite,  which  is  spreading  devastation  in  so  many  Kentish 
plantations.  In  the  absence  of  any  reliable  means  of  cure,  growers  are 
powerless  to  help  themselves,  and  in  the  meantime  the  evil  spreads ; 
profitable  plantations  have  to  be  uprooted,  and  they  are  often  planted 
with  Gooseberrif  s,  which  has  led  to  the  increase  of  the  cultuie  of  the 
latter  fruit,  and  the  greater  scarcity  of  Currants.  It  stems  hkely  that 
unless  something  can  be  dune  to  prevent  or  cure  the  mite.  Black 
Currant  growirg  wdll  lecorce  an  industry  of  the  past,  and  in  the 
meantime  these  who  are  blessed  with  heavy  crops  this  ytar  will  hive 
reason  to  be  thankful. 
Strawberries. 
Strawberry  fields  are  a  pretty  sight  now  with  their  carpets  of  clean- 
straw  between  the  rows,  and  rich  ripe  berries  nestlirur  among  the  leaves. 
Picking  has  fairly  commenced,  and  before  these  lines  appear  in  print 
the  work  will  be  in  lull  swing.  From  information  I  have  been  able  to 
gather  the  Strawberry  crop  promises  well,  but  at  the  time  of  writing 
the  market  is  not  at  its  fullest,  and  general  returns  are  a  nutter  of 
conjecture.  Growers  are  not  slow  to  take  advant>ge  of  the  first  ripe 
berries,  and  when  travelling  among  the  Strawberry  fields  a  few  days 
ago  I  observed  the  initial  picking  operations  in  many  fields.  The 
opening  pickings  of  half  a  dozen  baskets  wfill  soon  change  to  hundreds, 
and  the  Strawberry  trains  will  convey  the  luscious  fruit  from  Kentish 
fields  to  the  districts  where  colliery  shafts  and  factory  chimneys  are 
more  plentiful  than  fruit  planfations.  Thanklul  as  most  people  are 
for  the  recent  welcome  rains,  the  continuation  of  show'ery  weather 
will  cause  some  anxiety,  as  damp,  dull  days  are  not  bemfic'al  to 
ripening  Strawberries.  Royal  Sovereign,  on  account  of  its  tarliness 
and  general  good  qualities,  is  now  a  very  popular  variety  with 
Kentish  growers,  but  faith  is  by  no  means  diminished  in  the  popular 
Sir  Joseph  Paxton,  which  grows  well,  fruits  heavily,  and  comes  out 
fresh  and  tempting  after  being  jolted  about  in  a  fruit  van  for  a  few 
hundred  miles. 
Cherries. 
To  wTite  anything  about  Kentish  fruit  means,  of  course,  to  includa 
Cherries,  and  when  passing  through  a  district  where  this  fruit  is 
largely  grown  at  the  present  time,  one  might  be  forgiven  for  asking 
whether  a  musketry  practice  is  going  on.  The  report  of  firearms  may 
be  beard  on  every  side,  and  the  Cherry  tenders  stroll  in  and  out 
among  the  trees  to  scare  away  the  voracious  birds.  You  w  11  see  fruit 
in  various  stages.  Here  and  there  great  ladders  are  reared  against 
the  trees,  and  the  pickers,  mostly  women,  are  up  among  the  branches 
transferring  the  tempting  looking  fruit  from  the  trees  to  the  baskets 
on  their  backs.  This  means  that  picking  has  commenced  among  tho 
earliest  varieties,  but  at  the  time  of  writing  the  season  is  hardly  in 
full  swing.  The  second  earlies  are  beginning  to  show  colour,  and  the 
later  ones  are  more  backward  still.  Some  weeks  ago  the  Cherry 
prospects  could  not  well  have  been  brighter.  Orchards  everywhere 
were  a  sheet  of  blossom,  and  hopes  ran  high  for  a  record  crop.  But  it 
is  not  wise  to  jump  at  hasty  conclusions,  and,  after  setting  well,  large 
quantitie-i  of  fruit  have  fallen,  more  so  with  some  varieties  than 
others,  and  though  there  is  a  general  impression  that  the  Cherry  crop 
will  be  on  the  whole  satisfactory,  it  will  not  be  so  heavy  as  was  at 
one  time  anticipated. 
Plums  and  Damsons. 
Stone  fruit  is  not  as  yet  seriously  occupying  the  minds  of  market 
fruit  growers,  and  minds  are  not  disturb-d  so  far  as  crops  are 
concerned.  In  most  districts  Plums  promised  so  well,  particularly  the 
common  varieties,  that  there  are  prospects  of  a  glut,  and  Damsons  are 
in  most  places  laden  with  fruit.  The  Kentish  Cluster  Damson  is  a 
small  round  fruit,  and  inferior  to  the  Prune  Damson  of  the  Midland 
shires,  but  in  some  seasons  the  crop  is  a  most  profitable  one.  Judging, 
however,  from  the  loaded  condition  of  the  trees  the  supply  this  year 
will  be  so  plentiful  that  jam  makers  will  be  able  to  fill  up  their  pota 
at  a  low  cost,  and  the  one  general  grumble  amongst  the  growers  will 
be  on  account  of  poor  prices.  This,  of  course,  is  anticipation,  but 
appearances  certainly  point  in  that  direction. 
