384 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  25,  1900 
Planting  Young  Peacl)  Trees  in  I(onses. 
The  border  is  the  first  consideration  and  must  be  efficiently 
drained,  the  base  having  an  incline  to  the  drain,  which  should  be 
formed  of  3  or  4-inch  tiles  having  proper  fall  and  outlet.  In 
unfavourable  soils  it  may  be  necessary  to  concrete  the  base,  otherwise 
it  is  not  advisable,  to  do  so,  as  moisture  then  has  a  better  chance  of 
ascending,  and  the  roots  will  not  descend  if  they  are  properly  nourished 
in  the  border.  Use  clean  drainage ;  first  a  layer  of  half  bricks  or 
rubble  of  that  size,  another  of  smaller,  and  a  third  of  the  size  of  road 
metal ;  these  9  or  12  inches  thick  collectively,  with  a  3-inch  layer  old 
mortar  rubbish  on  the  top,  will  make  a  very  substantial  foundation. 
The  old  mortar  rubbish  must  be  free  from  pieces  of  wood,  be  broken 
up  rather  fine  and  passed  through  a  quarter-inch  sieve,  using  that  not 
passing  through  for  drainage  and  the  fine  for  mixing  with  the  soil. 
Good  strong  loam  is  the  only  suitable  material,  the  top  3  or  4  inches 
of  a  pasture  with  its  turf  being  the  best,  but  well  worked  and  rather 
strong  garden  soil  will  grow  Peaches  and  Nectarines  well.  If  the  turfy 
loam  incline  to  be  light,  add  a  fourth  of  clay  marl  finely  divided,  prefer¬ 
ably  dried  and  pounded ;  if  very  strong  add  a  fourth  of  road  scrapings. 
A  cartload  of  wood  ashes  may  be  added  to  twelve  cartloads  of  loam  and 
about  4  cwt.  of  crushed  half-inch  bones.  These  will  supply  mineral 
matter,  of  which  turf  is  generally  deficient.  If  these  cannot  be  had, 
use  4  cwt.  of  basic  slag  phosphate  and  2  cwt.  kainit,  mixing  thoroughly 
with  the  loam  and  quantity  named.  Lime  rubbish  may  be  added  to  the 
extent  of  one-sixth  to  one-tenth,  according  to  the  calcareous  nature  of 
the  soil  or  otherwise.  If  ordinary  garden  soil  be  used  it  will  be 
advisable  to  add  a  fifth  part  of  fresh  stable  manure,  freed,  as  far  as 
possible,  from  the  straw ;  the  materials  to  be  well  incorporated  and  put 
together  firmly  when  in  a  fairly  dry  state  or  good  working  condition, 
24  inches  depth  of  border  being  sufficient,  but  it  should  be  6  inches 
deeper  to  commence  with,  thus  allowing  for  settling. 
For  young  trees  the  border  need  only  be  3  feet  wide,  4  feet  6  inches 
width  accommodating  trees  trained  two  or  three  years  to  walls,  while 
in  any  case  the  border  need  only  be  a  foot  more  in  breadth  than  the 
spread  of  the  roots  to  begin  with.  Plant  rather  high,  as  the  soil  will 
settle  and  the  surface  dressings  will  raise  the  soil  correspondingly. 
The  earlier  the  trees  are  planted  after  the  leaves  give  indications  of 
falling  the  better,  as  provision  is  made  for  the  emission  of  fresh  rootlets 
at  once.  Supply  water  after  planting,  allow  it  to  soak  in,  and  when 
dry  enough  firm  well  and  mulch  as  far  from  the  stem  outwards  as  the 
roots  extend  or  a  little  more,  with  a  couple  of  inches  thickness  of  short, 
rather  fresh,  but  not  rank,  manure.  Though  it  is  desirable  to  plant  the 
trees  inside  the  roots  should  have  the  run  of  outside  borders,  but  for 
very  early  forcing  the  roots  are  best  confined  inside.  In  the  latter 
case  the  roof-lights  of  the  house  should  be  movable,  so  that  they  can 
be  taken  off  to  prevent  over-maturity  of  the  buds  and  insure  the 
thorough  moistening  of  the  border  by  the  late  summer  and  autumn 
rains. 
There  are  now  so  many  varieties  that  it  is  difficult  to  make 
selections.  For  very  early  forcing  : — Alexander  or  Waterloo,  and  Early 
Rivers  Peaches ;  Cardinal  and  Early  Rivers  Nectarines.  Second 
early  : — Hale’s  Early,  Royal  George  or  Stirling  Castle,  or  Dymond 
Peaches  ;  Lord  Napier  and  Stanwick  Elruge  Nectarines.  Midseason  : — 
Grosse  Mignonne,  Alexandra  (Noblesse),  Goshawk,  and  Bellegarde 
Peaches;  Humboldt,  Dryden,  Violette  Hative,  and  Byron  Nectarines. 
Late  houses  :  Barrington,  Princess  of  Wales,  Gladstone,  Walburton 
Admirable,  Sea  Eagle,  and  Golden  Eagle  Peaches;  Pineapple,  Newton, 
Spencer,  Milton,  and  Victoria  Nectarines.  Unheated  houses  or  wall 
cases  to  give  a  long  succession  of  fruit : — Waterloo  or  Early  Louise, 
Hale’s  Early,  Dr.  Hogg,  Rivers’  Early  York,  Alexandra  (Noblesse)  or 
Goshawk,  Royal  George  or  Stirling  Castle,  Grosse  Mignonne  or  Dymond, 
Bellegarde,  Barrington,  Princess  of  Wales,  Gladstone  or  Sea  Eagle, 
Walburton  Admirable  or  Golden  Eagle  Peaches ;  Cardinal,  Rivers’ 
Early,  Lord  Napier,  Stanwick  Elruge,  Byron,  Dryden,  Pineapple, 
and  Victoria  Nectarines.  With  those,  or  some  of  them,  in  their  order 
of  naming  from  first  to  last  a  supply  of  fruit  may  be  had  from  early  in 
July  to  the  middle  of  October  or  later,  and  all  of  the  highest 
excellence  both  in  appearance  and  quality.  — G.  A. 
Women  as  Gardeners. — It  was  my  fortune  not  so  very  long 
since  to  make  a  call  at  the  Lady  Warwick  Hostel,  Reading  ;  and  also  to 
be  shown  over  the  garden  and  such  appliances  as  existed  for  the 
practical  instruction  of  the  young  lady  students  in  gardening.  That 
there  was  the  most  earnest  desire  to  instruct  on  the  one  hand,  and  a 
fair  desire  to  learn  on  the  other,  I  can  have  no  doubt.  But  I  saw  the 
ladies’  garden  plots — some  in  process  of  being  trenched,  some  dug,  and 
so  on,  and  my  practical  ideas  as  to  how  work  should  be  done  somewhat 
revolted.  It  was  work  such  as  I  would  not  have  tolerated  at  the  hands 
of  men  for  one  moment.  The  packing  shed  and  potting  shed,  as  also 
the  principal  greenhouse,  were  in  a  state  that  caused  me  mentally  to 
groan.  I  could  not,  seeing  what  was  being  attempted,  exhibit  myself 
as  a  harsh  critic ;  bub  I  could  only  realise  how  difficult,  if  not  indeed 
hopeless,  is  it  to  endeavour  to  make  practical,  methodical,  tidy 
gardeners  out  of  irresponsible  women. — A.  D. 
Tttladiantiia  dubia. 
This  plant  was  exhibited  by  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  Royal 
Exotic  Nursery,  Chelsea,  at  the  meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  held  in  the  Drill  Hall  on  September  25th.  As  our  readers  will 
observe  from  the  illustration  (fig.  107),  it  is  a  member  of  the  Cucurbit 
tribe,  and  it  is  particularly  ornamental.  The  shape  of  the  slightly 
hairy  fruit  is  excellently  shown,  and  some  idea  of  its  striking  beauty 
may  be  gathered  when  we  say  that  the  colour  is  bright  scarlet.  The 
plant  is  perfectly  hardy,  and  should  grow  quickly  into  popularity  for 
growing  on  arches,  trellises,  pergolas,  and  other  erections  of  a  similar 
character.  It  was  originally  discovered  in  Northern  China,  but  was 
subsequently  found  on  the  higher  hills  of  Northern  India.  The 
examples  from  which  our  drawing  was  taken  were  grown  at  Messrs. 
Veitch’s  Coombe  Wood  Nursery,  where  the  plant  is  quite  hardy. 
- - 
Notes  on  Figs  Under  Glass. 
The  trees  intended  for  early  forcing  in  pots  should,  if  they  have 
been  placed  in  the  open  air,  be  taken  under  cover  to  protect  them 
from  frost  and  the  cold  autumnal  rains.  If  not  repotted,  top-dressed, 
or  had  the  drainage  rectified,  the  needful  operations  must  be  attended 
to  at  once.  Place  the  trees  in  a  rather  dry,  well-ventilated  house, 
where  they  will  be  cool,  yet  not  subjected  to  more  than  a  few  degrees 
of  frost.  Any  thinning  of  crowded  and  shortening  of  attenuated 
growths  must  be  performed  without  delay,  remembering  that  the  fruit 
is  produced  on  the  well  matured  shoots,  and  mainly  near  their 
extremities.  Wash  the  trees  carefully  with  softsoap  (3  ozs.  to  a 
gallon),  and  water  in  a  tepid  state,  using  a  brush,  and  reaching  well 
into  the  angles  of  the  shoots  and  crevices  of  the  bark.  The  brush 
must  be  sufficiently  stiff  to  dislodge  scale,  using  it  carefully  where 
the  embryonic  Figs  are  located,  as  the  least  scratch  will  show  itself  as 
a  blemish  on  the  developed  fruit.  After  judicious,  as  well  as  efficient 
washing,  the  trees  may  be  dressed  with  an  insecticide. 
In  order  to  force  Fig  trees  in  pots  successfully,  a  light  airy  house, 
well  heated,  facing  the  south,  and  having  beds  containing  fermenting 
materials  to  afford  a  bottom  heat  to  stimulate  the  roots  and  afford  a 
constant  supply  of  nutritive  matter,  is  necessary.  It  is  also  important 
to  select  varieties  that  produce  first  crop  Figs  with  certainty,  or  more 
so  than  many.  Early  Violet  and  St.  John’s  produce  small  fruit,  black 
and  greenish-white  respectively,  and  are  the  earliest  to  ripen.  Pingo 
de  Mel  possesses  an  excellent  habit,  the  fruit  being  nearly  as  large  as 
Brown  Turkey,  and  of  excellent  flavour.  For  general  purposes  Brown 
Turkey  is  the  best,  producing  large  fruit,  well  flavoured,  and  the  trees 
give  good  returns,  both  in  the  first  and  second  crops. 
Planted-out  Pig  trees  that  have  been  in  bearing  since  the  early  part 
of  June  are  now  commencing  to  rest,  and  may  be  divested  of  the  old 
foliage  as  soon  as  it  parts  freely  from  the  wood.  If  planted  in  inside 
borders,  and  the  growth  is  considered  too  strong,  the  present  is  a 
favourable  time  for  root-pruning,  an  operation  that  has  a  magical  effect 
on  over-luxuriant  Pig  trees,  and  is  very  desirable  where  the  space  is 
limited.  All  the  inert  soil  should  be  cleared  away,  strong  roots  cut 
out,  or  shortened  to  where  fibres  proceed,  and  the  drainage  examined, 
and  if  defective  be  rectified.  The  roots  may  then  be  relaid  in  fresh 
compost,  firmly  rammed  and  mulched.  The  soil  needs  to  be  moderately 
moist  when  lifting  operations  are  performed,  then  it  will  so  remain,  or 
not  become  parchingly  dry,  till  the  time  of  starting.  The  young  shoots 
that  have  been  allowed  to  grow  up  with  their  points  to  the  glass  will 
be  thickly  studded  with  embryo  fruits,  which  must  be  carefully  protected 
from  injury  when  the  house  and  trees  are  cleansed,  as  well  as  from  the 
effects  of  sudden  and  severe  frosts,  by  being  unfastened  and  drawn  down 
below  the  trellis  until  the  time  arrives  for  thinning  out  the  branches 
that  have  reached  the  extremity  of  the  trellis.  This  will  faciilitate 
lifting  and  root-pruning  operations. 
The  best  soil  for  Figs  is  a  calcareous  loam,  which  naturally  contains 
nodules  of  limestone  and  particles  of  grit  or  small  stones.  Good  friable 
loam,  however,  with  a  liberal  addition  of  lime  rubble,  broken  bricks,  or 
charred  earth  and  road  scrapings  will  grow  Pigs  well,  the  chief  points 
being  thorough  drainage,  firm  soil,  and  restricted  root  space.  Stimulants 
in  the  form  of  solid  manure  or  liquid,  should  always  be  supplied  to  the 
surface  when  the  trees  are  growing. 
In  late  Fig  houses  all  root-pruning  of  the  trees  should  be  finished  as 
soon  as  the  leaves  give  indications  of  falling,  bearing  in  mind  that 
strong  growing  varieties  can  only  be  kept  fruitful  and  manageable  by 
limiting  the  rooting  area  proportionately  to  the  extent  of  the  trellis 
space.  The  root  space  need  not  exceed  half  that  of  the  trellis,  as  the 
main  points  are  to  secure  sturdy  growths  studded  with  fruit,  and  then 
feeding  proportionately  to  the  crop.  When  the  leaves  are  down,  or 
until  they  are,  the  house  should  be  freely  ventilated,  especially  in 
favourable  weather  and  at  night,  except  when  frost  prevails. — Grower, 
