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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
All  ust,  ]6,  900. 
and  medium  sized  may  be  removed,  leaving  the  better  specimens  to 
enlarge.  On  some  trees  the  largest  should  be  utilised,  allowing  the 
medium  sized  fruits  to  develop. 
Early  Pears. — To  secure  the  full  flavour  of  the  early  varieties  of 
Pears,  such  as  Jargonelle,  Beurre  Gifford,  and  Williau^’  Bon  Chretien, 
the  fruits  must  be  gathered  before  attaining  full  ripeness.  The  best 
plan  is  to  gather  the  fruits  as  soon  as  they  part  readily  from  the  trees, 
and  complete  the  ripening  in  the  fruit  room. 
Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Easpberries. — Now  that  the  summer  crop  is  over  attention  should  be 
given  to  the  plantations.  Cut  out  the  old  bearing  canes  to  the  ground, 
and  remove  the  weakest  of  the  young  canes,  leaving  four  to  six  of  the 
strongest  for  the  future  crop.  Suckers  also  round  the  stools  or  between 
‘  the  rows  ought  to  be  removed,  unless  some  are  wanted  for  future 
planting  to  establish  new  beds  in  the  autumn.  For  this  purpose  those 
furthest  away  from  the  stools  are  best,  provided  they  are  strong. 
Should  the  longest  canes  be  in  danger  of  injury  from  wind  secure  them 
to  the  trellis  or  stakes.  Hoe  down  weeds,  clear  them  off  the  ground, 
and  apply  a  mulch  over  the  roots. 
Strawberries. — The  old  beds  overrun  with  runners  and  weeds  should 
be  cleared  of  these  without  delay.  The  best  of  the  runners  may  be 
lifted  and  planted,  either  in  permanent  beds  or  in  nursery  rows,  to 
remain  until  spring,  when  plant  in  rows  at  the  proper  distance  apart. 
A  light  mulching  may  be  given  old  beds  after  cleaning,  especially  if  the 
soil  is  poor  and  light.  Avoid  heavy  dressings  of  close,  solid  manure  at 
this  time,  as  being  likely  to  promote  gross  growth  late  in  the  season. 
Thoroughly  decayed  manure,  which  is  light  and  open  in  character,  will 
act  as  an  incentive  to  surface  root  action  by  maintaining  the  soil 
regularly  moist,  at  the  same  time  admitting  air  and  warmth. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines. — Plenty  of  light  and  abundance  of  air  * 
should  reach  the  developing  fruits  of  Peaches  and  Nectarines  on  out¬ 
door  walls.  When  colouring  commences  the  fruits  ought  to  be  fully 
exposed  to  the  influence  of  sunshine,  hence  it  will  be  desirable  to  fasten 
shoots  and  leaves  on  one  side  where  they  obstruct  the  light.  It  is 
important  now  to  nail  in  the  summer  shoots  close  to  the  wall,  so  that  the 
fruits  may  have  the  benefit  of  the  full  light.  Without  this  attention 
they  fail  to  develop  freely,  or  to  ripen  perfectly.  Peaches  ripening 
have  enemies  from  which  they  must  be  protected.  Earwigs  are  very 
active  on  walls  where  the  joints  between  the  bricks  are  defective.  The 
best  thing  to  do  now  is  to  trap  them  in  short  lengths  of  hollow  Bean 
stalks  placed  among  the  branches,  crumnled  lengths  of  brown  paper 
.also  answering.  Examine  the  traps  each  morning,  and  destroy  the 
captured  insects.  As  further  protection  enclose  each  fruit  in  a  net 
pocket,  which  will  be  useful  to  catch  the  fruit  should  it  fall  prematurely. 
It  is  best,  if  possible,  to  gather  the  ripe  fruits  before  they  fall. 
Treatment  of  Late  Peaches. — Every  encouragement  must  be  given 
these  from  the  present  time.  Complete  the  laying  in  of  young  wood 
close  to  the  wall  or  trellis.  Lay  in  very  little  more  than  will  be  required 
for  fruiting,  because  if  crowded  the  growths  will  not  ripen ;  nor  will 
the  present  crop  of  fruit  receive  its  share  of  light  and  air.  While  the 
fruit  remains  green,  and  during  warm,  dry  weather,  syringing  the 
foliage  daily  should  be  carried  out.  Water  at  the  roots,  too,  may  be 
given  freely,  followed  shortly  after  by  an  application  of  liquid  manure. 
Also  mulch  the  surface  of  the  soil  to  retain  the  moisture. 
Earhj  Peach  Trees. — The  fruits  will  have  been  gathered  from  'these. 
The  best  treatment  to  afford  the  trees  is  first  to  cut  out  the  shoots 
which  have  borne  the  fruit,  laying  in  in  their  place  the  reserved 
succession  growths.  Wood  of  a  weak  character  and  gross  sappy 
growths  may  alike  be  removed,  as  both  are  unsuitable  for  furnishing. 
The  next  most  desirable  matter  is  to  thoroughly  syringe  the  trees  with 
a  solution  of  softsoap  and  sulphur.  The  foliage  is  usually  more  or  less 
attacked  withied  spider,  the  pest  gaining  a  footing  during  the  ripening 
of  the  fruit  when,  the  weather  conditions  are  dry  and  arid,  and 
syringing  the  foliage  has  to  be  abandoned.  Root  watering,  too,  ought 
not  to  be  neglected  during  autumn,  especially  if  red  spider  has  been 
more  than  usually  prevalent.  Lack  of  moisture  for  the  roots  is  nearly 
always  the  cause  of  rrd  spider  attacks.  The  main  objects  to  be  attained 
are  the  health  and  cleanliness  of  the  trees,  activity  and  abundance  of 
fibrous  roots,  and  the  complete  ripening  of  the  wood  indicated  by  bold 
plump  buds,  and  firm,  hard  wood,  ’ 
Young  Trees.— Young  trees  of  Apricots,  Peaches,  and  Nectarines 
frequently  grow  very  strongly  at  the  outset,  and  require  checking  in 
order  to  subdue  their  vigour.  This  can  best  be  done  by  lifting  and 
replanting.  The  work  should  be  done  carefully,  thoroughly  moistening 
the  soil  and  roots,  and  lifting  with  good  balls.  Cut  off  closely  any  long 
straggling,  thick  roots,  and  replant  on  a  firm  base.  Pill  in  and  make 
firm  all  the  soil  round  the  roots.  Give  a  good  watering.  Shade  the 
trees  from  strong  sunshine,  and  syringe  daily  for  a  time.  Should  the 
trees  not  be  well  furnished  with  fibrous  roots  it  will  not  be  safe  to  lift 
until  the  leaves  commence  to  fall,  which  occurs  in  October. 
Early  Apples.  Joaneting,  Irish  Peach,  Devonshire  Quarrenden,  and 
Mr.  Gladstone  Apples  are  good  early  dessert  varieties.  As  the  fruits 
become  ripe  they  may  he  gathered.  They  are  sufficiently  ripe  for  the 
purpose  when  the  fruits  separate  readily  from  the  spurs.  Early  cooking 
Apples,  such  as  Keswick  Codlin,  are  attaining  a  fair  size.  The  smallest 
Fruit  Forcing. 
Cucumbers. — Encourage  the  autumu  fruiters  to  make  a  strong  but 
healthy  growth,  affording  abundance  of  water  at  the  roots,  but  not  too 
much,  with  a  moist  genial  condition  of  the  atmosphere  by  syringing  at 
closing  time,  and  damping  the  floors  and  walls  occasionally.  Add  fresh 
soil  from  time  to  time  as  the  roots  protrude  from  the  sides  of  the  ridges 
or  hillocks.  Sufficient  fire  heat  must  be  employed  to  maintain  the 
temperature  at  70°  to  75°  by  day,  and  prevent  it  falling  below  65°  at 
night.  Old  plants  should  have  the  exhausted  growths  out  away  and 
others  thinned  where  likely  to  be  crowded,  so  as  to  admit  light  and  air, 
securing  a  sturdy  solidified  growth  and  a  succession  of  bearing  wood. 
The  syringe  should  be  regularly  employed  about  3  p.m.,  and  if  mildew 
appear  dust  with  flowers  of  sulphur  in  the  evening,  maintaining  a 
somewhat  drier  atmosphere  by  judicious  ventilation.  Black  aphides 
are  sometimes  troublesome.  They  are  best  destroyed  by  vaporisation 
with  nicotine  or  by  fumigation  with  tobacco  paper.  Care  must  be 
taken  not  to  give  an  overdose,  and  the  operation  is  most  efficacious 
when  performed  in  the  evening  and  repeated  early  the  following 
morning.  The  foliage  should  be  dry,  the  smoke  delivered  cool,  and 
free  ventilation  afforded  afterwards. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines. — Earliest  Forced  Houses. — Trees  started  in 
December  and  early  January  must  not  lack  water  at  the  roots.  When 
this  occurs  during  the  formation  and  perfecting  of  the  buds  they 
become  “  deaf,”  and  fall  instead  of  expanding  into  blossom  when 
started.  Afford  a  slight  shade  to  trees  under  fixed  roofs,  especially 
where  the  panes  of  glass  are  large,  as  this  has  the  advantage  of 
preserving  the  foliage  in  good  condition,  thus  preventing  premature 
maturity  of  the  leaves,  and  the  over-development  of  the  buds,  which  is 
one  of  the  causes  of  their  dropping.  Supply  a  top-dressing  of 
phosphatic  and  potassic  manure  to  weakly  trees,  and  water  as  may  be 
necessary  to  keep  the  soil  in  a  moist  condition  ;  needless  waterings  only 
saturate  the  soil,  sour  it,  and  destroy  the  roots.  Where  the  lights  have 
been  removed  the  recent  rains  and  lower  temperature,  with  the 
ammonia  and  nitric  acid  brought  down,  have  a  most  beneficial  effect  on 
the  trees,  and  no  harm  results,  provided  the  borders  are  properly 
drained.  Allow  some  laterals  that  are  green  to  remain,  as  such  unripe 
growths  act  as  outlets  for  any  excess  of  sap,  a  safeguard  against  starting 
the  bads  and  promoting  the  activity  of  the  roots.  Early  forced  trees 
do  not,  as  a  rule,  make  strong  growths,  and  there  is  often  a  preponder¬ 
ance  of  blossom  over  wood  buds,  hence  in  pruning  it  is  not  desirable  to 
cut  back  next  year’s  bearing  wood  unless  the  shoots  are  of  great  length. 
Very  little  pruning  will  be  needed,  providing  disbudding  has  been 
properly  attended  to,  and  no  more  wood  has  been  trained  in  than  is 
absolutely  necessary  to  replace  that  bearing  in  the  current  year,  and 
to  renew  worn  out  growths. 
Houses  with  Fruit  Ripening. — A  free  circulation  of  air  will  enhance 
the  quality  of  the  fruit,  and  water  need  only  be  given  to  prevent  the 
foliage  becoming  limp.  Secure  air  moisture  by  an  occasional  damping 
of  the  house  for  the  benefit  of  the  foliage,  also  fruit,  which  in  an  arid 
atmosphere  is  liable  to  become  mealy,  whilst  it  ripens  prematurely  if 
the  trees  suffer  by  want  of  water.  Ants  are  often  troublesome.  They 
take  to  treacle  greedily.  Bits  of  sponge  held  tightly  in  the  fingers, 
then  dipped  in  the  syrup  and  there  relaxed,  will  absorb  some,  and  a 
gentle  squeeze  on  withdrawing  will  leave  enough  in  the  sponge  to  entice 
the  ants.  These  laid  in  saucers  in  their  haunts  will  rid  any  place  of 
the  active  creatures  by  immersing  the  sponges  occasionally,  with  the 
ants  in  them,  in  boiling  water.  Cleanse  the  sponge  each  time  and 
repeat  the  dipping.  Partially  picked  bones,  such  as  come  from  table, 
are  admirable  baits  for  ants,  the  bones,  quite  dry  and  fresh,  being  laid 
in  their  haunts,  and  when  they  are  covered  with  the  pests  immerse 
them  in  boiling  water.  The  bones,  freed  from  the  surplus  moisture,  are 
available  for  a  considerable  time,  as  the  immersion  in  boiling  water 
destroys  the  germs  inducing  putrefaction. 
Late  Houses. — Trees  which  have  the  wood  thin  have  a  better  chance 
to  ripen,  and  the  foliage  to  elaborate  the  sap,  than  those  with  the 
summer  growths  laid  on  so  closely  as  to  impede  air  and  light.  On  the 
assimilation  of  the  food  depends  its  storing  in  the  buds  and  wood  for 
another  season  the  support  essential  for  the  blossom  and  embryo  fruit. 
Gross  growths  tend  to  impoverish  the  weaker,  appropriate  an  undue 
amount  of  sap,  and  tending  to  gumming  and  unprofitableness.  They 
must  be  stopped  or  removed.  An  even  spread  of  moderately  short- 
jointed  wood  is  desirable.  Ventilate  the  house  early  in  the  morning, 
allowing  a  good  heat  by  day,  and  closing  so  as  to  secure  85°  or  more, 
for  sun  heat  after  evaporation  has  been  going  on  for  some  time  will  not 
do  any  harm  if  care  be  taken  to  admit  a  little  air  before  nightfall  and 
the  temperature  to  gradually  cool  down,  thereby  securing  rest.  The 
night  and  early  ventilation  tends  to  the  solidification  of  the  growth  and 
its  ripening-  Syringe  to  keep  down  red  spider. 
