November  8,  1900, 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
431 
Frnit  Forcing, 
Peaches  and  Nectarines. —  Earliest  Forced  Hovse. —  The  final  thinning 
of  the  shoots  or  branches  should  have  immediate  attention,  unloosing 
the  trees  from  the  trellis  and  tying  thent  in  convenient  bundles  so  as  to 
admit  of  ready  access  to  the  woodwork  and  glass  for  cleansing  opera¬ 
tions.  Wash  the  glass  with  water  and  the  woodwork  with  srap  and 
water,  using'  a  brush  ;  then  wash  the  trees  with  warm  soapy  water 
at  a  strength  of  3  czs.  of  soft  soap  to  a  gallon  of  water,  and  after¬ 
wards  dress  them  with  an  insecticide.  Limewash  the  walls.  Tie  in  the 
trees  loosely,  allowing  space  for  the  growths  to  swell  without  binding, 
letting  the  young  shoots  be  laid  in  about  9  inches  asunder,  and  not 
closer  on  the  branches  than  15  to  18  inches.  A  shoot  of  12  to  15  inches 
in  length  will  give  a  good  percentage  ot  fruit  for  thinning,  provided 
the  wood  be  well  ripened  ;  and  a  Peach  worthy  of  the  name  to  every 
foot  of  trellis  covered  by  the  trees  is  quite  enough,  or  as  much  as 
those  under  early  forcing  conditions  can  support  year  after  year. 
Under  the  most  approved  methods  the  trees  will  have  been  at  rest 
some  time,  and  the  roof-lights  having  been  removed  the  borders,  with 
the  recent  rains,  have  been  well  moistened  down  to  the  drainage.  The 
house  also  should  be  thoroughly  cleansed,  the  trees  untied  on  the 
trellis,  the  border  surface  dressed,  and  all  put  in  complete  order  when 
the  leaves  were  down,  ready  for  a  start  when  the  time  arrives.  If, 
however,  the  roof-lights  have  not  been  removed  do  not  allow  the  soil 
to  become  too  dry  at  the  roots  of  the  trees,  as  that  is  sufllcient  to  cause 
the  buds  to  fall.  If  the  trees  are  weakly,  or  with  too  many  buds,  a 
supply  of  liquid  manure  whenever  water  is  required  will  be  of  great 
benefit.  The  loose  surface  soil  or  mulching  should  also  be  removed 
down  to  the  roots,  not  disturbing  them,  but  supplying  an  inch  or  two 
thickness  of  good  loam,  afterwards  sprinkling  on  it  about  4  ozs.  per 
square  yard  of  some  approved  fertiliser.  Borders  that  are  rich  in 
humus  from  heavy  dressings  of  manure  or  thick  liquid  may  be  dressed 
with  basic  slag  powder,  using  4  czs.  per  square  yaid  and  pointing-in 
lightly. 
Second  JEarly  Forced  Houses. — The  trees  are  now  leafless,  and  should 
be  pruned  after  untying.  The  house  ought  then  to  be  thoroughly 
cleansed,  with  the  object  of  exterminating  insects  before  they  have  time 
to  find  safe  winter  quarters.  A  good  syringing  with  paraffin  oil  and 
water,  a  wineglassful  of  petroleum  to  4  gallons  of  water,  one  person 
syringing  into  the  vessel  and  another  on  the  house,  or  the  operator 
squirting  alternate  syringefuls  into  the  vessel  and  over  the  trees  and 
house,  having  the  water  heated  to  140°,  and  wetting  every  part  of  the 
structure.  It  does  not  leave  a  stain  on  the  glass  as  do  soapy  solutions. 
In  pruning  early  forced  trees  it  is  not  advisable  to  cut  away  much 
wood,  confining  it  to  removing  useless  parts,  and  long,  unripe  shoots, 
which  may  be  cut  back  to  a  double  or  triple  bud,  making  sure  that  one 
is  a  wood  bud,  or  to  a  wood  bud  on  well  ripened  wood.  Shoots, 
however,  need  not  be  shortened  under  any  circumstances,  except  where 
there  is  not  space  for  the  successional  growths,  or  to  originate 
growths  for  furnishing  the  trees.  Those  of  8  to  12  inches  in  length 
should  not  be  shortened  at  all,  as  they  usually  have  wood  buds  at  the 
base  and  one  at  the  extremity,  the  others  being  blossom  buds.  It  is  a 
mistake  to  retain  much  wood,  which  weakens  the  trees  in  flowering, 
and  there  is  not  space  for  training  the  growths  without  crowding. 
Houses  Started  in  February. — The  trees  are  shedding  their  leaves  and 
the  buds  are  not  too  highly  developed.  This  is  assuring  of  the  trees 
retaining  of  them,  for  over-development  of  the  buds,  combined  with 
dryness  at  the  roots  and  fluctuations  of  temperature,  with  changes  of 
moisture,  are  the  chief  causes  of  the  buds  being  cast.  Any  lifting  or 
root-pruning  yet  in  arrears  should  be  seen  to  and  brought  to  a  close  as 
soon  as  possible.  When  the  leaves  are  all  down  it  will  be  an  advantage 
to  remove  the  roof-lights  and  expose  the  trees  to  the  weather  until  the 
time  of  starting,  or  till  the  buds  commence  swelling.  The  severest 
weather  will  not  injure  those  with  well  ripened  wood.  Where  the  roof- 
lights  are  not  movable  admit  air  freely  in  all  but  very  severe  weather, 
and  even  then  if  the  hot-water  pipes  can  be  emptied  of  the  water  and 
kept  so,  and  see  that  there  is  not  any  deficiency  of  moisture  in  the 
borders.  If  the  trees  are  not  lifted  remove  the  surface  soil  down  to  the 
roots,  and  supply  fresh  stiff  loam  to  which  has  been  added  some  charred 
refuse,  not  more  than  one  tenth,  and  a  sprinkling  of  bonemeal. 
Houses  Started  in  March. — The  trees  in  these  structures,  if  closed 
early  in  March,  will  ripen  their  fruit  in  July  if  brought  forward  by 
artificial  heat,  but  where  warn  th  is  only  given  when  the  trees  are  in 
blossom,  and  to  insure  the  safety  of  the  young  fruit  from  frost,  the 
fruit  will  not  ripen  until  August  or  September  if  kept  cool.  The  house 
may  be  a  glass-covered  wall  with  sufficient  hot-water  piping  to  exclude 
frost,  a  genial  waimth  being  afforded  when  the  trees  are  in  blossom, 
and  accelerating  the  ripening  as  may  be  necessary  in  cold  districts. 
The  trees  are  now  leafless,  or  nearly  so,  and  should  undergo  the 
operation  advised  for  the  earlier  houses.  The  roof-lights  should  be 
removed,  but  the  hot-water  pipes  emptied,  leaving  the  lights  off  until 
the  blossoms  show  colour,  unless  it  is  desired  to  start  the  trees  before. 
If  the  lights  are  fixed  the  ventilators  should  be  thrown  open  to  the 
fullest  extent,  except  during  very  severe  weather,  or  even  then  if  the 
hot-water  pipes  are  emptied. 
Latest  Houses. — Late  Peaches  are  quite  as  valuable  as  early  ones, 
considering  that  they  are  had  at  much  less  cost,  for  all  that  is  necessary 
for  late  houses  is  a  gentle  warmth  in  spring  and  autumn,  and  not  always 
heat  at  those  times.  Make  no  attempt  to  remove  the  leaves  until  they 
part  readily  from  the  trees  by  shaking  the  trellis.  Cut  out  all  wood 
that  has  borne  fruit  except  extensions,  and  all  superfluous  growths. 
Do  not  allow  the  soil  to  become  very  dry,  but  if  necessary  give  water 
to  moisten  the  soil  down  to  the  drainage.  Keep  the  house  cool  by  free 
ventilation,  clearing  away  the  leaves  as  they  fall.  Trees  that  grow  too 
luxuriantly  should  be  lifted  or  root-pruned  whilst  the  leaves  are  partly 
on  the  trees,  but  the  wood  being  unripe  they  must  not  be  lifted  until 
the  leaves  have  for  the  most  part  fallen,  or  the  unripe  wood  will  shrivel 
and  die.  If  the  wood  does  not  ripen  well  turn  on  the  heat  by  day  with 
moderate  ventilation,  and  turn  it  off  early  in  the  afternoon,  so  as  to 
have  the  pipes  cool  before  night,  and  then  open  the  ventilators  unless 
frost  prevails,  when  ventilate  according  to  circumstances,  for  a  sudden 
collapse  of  the  foliage  is  detrimental  to  the  tree’s  health.  When  the 
wood  does  not  ripen  up  to  the  points  of  the  shoots  a  trench  may  be 
taken  out  at  some  distance  from  the  stem,  and  the  roots  be  cut,  which 
will  check  the  tendency  to  growth  and  induce  ripening.  After  remain¬ 
ing  open  ten  flays  or  a  fortnight  the  trenches  may  be  closed,  making 
the  soil  firm,  and  giving  a  good  watering. 
Tlie  Kitclien  Garden. 
Autumn  Work. — In  the  month  of  November  there  is  some,  but  not 
much,  vacant  ground  in  well  cropped  gardens,  and  something  will  have 
to  be  done  to  the  respective  plots  in  order  to  render  them  presentable  in 
appearance,  and  fit  the  ground  for  the  reception  of  succeeding  crops. 
Where  the  soil  is  naturally  of  a  light  nature,  and  non-reientive  in 
character,  digging  in  green  stuff  will  benefit  rather  than  otherwise. 
It  is  a  great  mistake,  however,  to  bury  such  remains  of  crops  as  are 
long  in  decaying,  as  Cauliflower,  Cabbage,  and  other  Brassica  stumps, 
and  even  dig  in  remains  of  fruit  crops  that  are  likely  to  retain  their 
vitality  for  a  considerable  time,  as  such  debris  only  affords  food  and 
harbour  for  a  number  of  ground  pests,  both  animal  and  vegetable,  not  a 
few  being  not  only  saphrophytic,  but  also  parasitic  in  their  nature. 
Light  Soils. — In  general  light  non-retentive  soils  are  best  left  undug 
and  unmanured  until  nearer  cropping  time  f^an  is  advisable  for  good 
deep  loams,  which,  being  of  a  friable  nature,  mellow  still  more  by 
the  free  passage  of  water  through  the  soil,  and  lose  very  little,  if  any, 
of  the  manorial  elements  liberated  by  the  action  of  carbonic  and 
organic  acids  on  the  rook  substances  of  the  soil.  Some  clayey  soils  are 
liable  to  run  badly  when  dug  in  the  autumn  or  early  winter  months,  and 
they,  like  light  land,  are  best  left  until  the  late  winter,  so  that  they  may 
be  dried  and  pulverised  hy  the  early  spring  winds  and  frosts. 
Clayey  and  Stiff  Soils. — Clayey  soils  generally,  however,  are  greatly 
benefited  by  early  digging  and  laying  up  roughly  with  a  view  to  their 
being  well  exposed  to  the  weathering  influence  of  sunshine  and  frost, 
wind  and  rain.  Stiff  soils  may  also  be  safely  and  effectively  manured 
early,  especially  if  somewhat  strawy  stable  manure  be  freely  dug  in. 
But  it  is  important  not  to  wheel  or  trample  on  clayey  soils  during  web 
weather,  as  this  converts  them  into  a  soapy  state,  and  prevents 
satisfactory  working  for  a  considerable  time,  often  for  the  following 
season. 
Digging. — In  digging  half  worn  out  tools  signify  work  of  corre¬ 
spondingly  shallow  description,  the  depth  of  the  turnover  not  being 
more  than  6  inches,  hence  affording  indifferent  rooting  area  to  crops, 
which  in  consequence  are  liable  to  suffer  in  droughty  periods,  and  the 
produce  poor  crops.  Good  workmanship  consists  of  turning  the  top  spit 
to  the  full  depth  of  a  spade  or  digging  fork.  A  spade  is  more  suitable 
digging  light  and  moderately  free  working  soils,  but  a  fork  is  the  better 
implement  for  those  of  a  heavy  nature.  In  digging  always  open  a 
wide  trench,  a  width  of  a  foot  not  being  too  much,  taking  care  to 
bury  the  weeds  and  strawy  manure  in  this  trench.  Instead  of  breaking 
the  clods  or  chopping  them  down  leave  them  rough,  and  saturation 
of  the  soil  will  be  less  likely  to  take  place,  while  the  action  of  wind, 
sunshine,  and  frost  will  have  freer  access. 
Trenching. — Trenching  is  an  operation  that  should  not  be  entered 
upon  without  due  consideration.  It  is  very  injudicious  to  bring  up  a 
mass  of  poor,  stubborn,  unworkable  soil  co  the  surface,  and  deeply 
bury  that  which  is  fertile  and  free  working.  In  the  case  of  deep 
loams,  alluvial  or  deposited  soils,  that  underneath  may  be  of  much  the 
same  fertile  character,  only  more  consolidated,  as  the  surface  soil  was 
previous  to  being  heavily  cropped,  and  the  change  may  prove  most 
beneficial  in  consequence,  as  there  will  not  only  be  a  freer  rooting  area,, 
but  the  mineral  matters  brought  up  serve  to  strengthen  the  crop  and 
render  it  more  disease  resistant.  Trenching  may  also  be  resorted 
to  advantageously  where  the  subsoil  has  been  previously  well  prepared 
for  bringing  to  the  surface  by  stirring  and  mixing  with  various  soluble 
and  insoluble  materials.  Soils  thus  broken  up  deeply  and  being  fertile 
will  be  capable  of  producing  extra  heavy  crops  of  higher  quality,  and 
singularly  nearly  all  vegetable  crops  are  greatly  improved  by  being. 
