454 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER..  November  15,  1900. 
deeply  with  soil,  which  in  covering  the  roots  should  be  spread  outwards 
from  the  bole.  Fasten  the  trees  to  the  wall  temporarily,  allowing 
them  to  remain  so  for  at  least  two  months,  when  they  may  be  perma¬ 
nently  secured.  The  soil  naturally  sinks  after  being  moved,  and  the 
trees  ought  to  sink  with  it. 
Gooseberries  and  Currants. — Deeply  prepared  and  liberally  manured 
ground  ought  to  be  provided  for  these  fruits,  as  they  are  usually 
strong  and  rapid  growers  which  require  a  considerable  amount  of 
food.  The  vigour  of  growth  they  exhibit  does  not  aSect  their  ability 
to  fruit  early,  providing  they  have  a  moderately  open  position  to  grow 
in,  and  the  shoots  becume  well  ripened.  Closer  planting  than  6  feet  is 
not  advisable.  It  is  much  better  to  have  room  to  pass  readily  round 
the  bushes  than  that  they  should  meet  and  crowd  each  other.  Cultural 
operations  and  the  gathering  of  the  crop  are  more  readily  carried  out, 
while  the  permanent  benefit  derived  by  the  bushes  is  incalculable. 
Baspberries. — The  old  fruiting  canes  must  be  cut  out  and  the 
number  of  new  canes  avaiDble  for  fruiting  next  season  reduced  in 
number,  dispensing  with  the  weakest.  If  trellises  are  fixed  for 
training  the  growths  upon,  dispose  the  canes  evenly  upon  them. 
When  trained  to  upright  stakes  secure  the  canes  round  then>. 
Shorten  to  the  top  of  the  trellis  or  stakes.  Mulch  the  ground 
between  heavily  with  rich  manure,  as  the  Raspberry  requires  plenty 
of  food  for  its  mass  of  fibrous  roots. 
New  stock  may  be  planted,  but  the  ground  shou’d  be  thoroughly 
trenched  and  m  mured  previous  to  inserting  the  plants.  Medium. sized 
sucker  growths  that  have  abundance  of  fibrous  roots  are  better  for  the 
purpose  than  long,  strong  canes,  which  lack  those  desirable  roots. 
Spread  out  the  roots  in  the  soil,  shortening  those  which  are  long  and 
strong.  When  planting  in  lines  they  may  be  placed  a  foot  apart.  If 
in  clumps  arrange,  three  in  a  triangle,  a  foot  between  each,  a  5-foot 
stake  being  eventually  driven  down  in  the  centre.  Mulch  round  the 
newly  planted  canes  with  littfry  manure,  a  heavy  mulching  of  rich 
manure  not  being  required  the  first  season.  The  canes  must  be  pruned 
down  to  within  9  inches  of  the  ground,  so  as  to  encourage  a  strong 
growth  of  canes  the  following  year,  fruiting  not  being  allowed. 
Frait  Forcing. 
Vines.— FttrJy  Forced  in  Pots. — Stout,  well-ripened  canes,  with 
plump  buds,  and  given  a  short  rest,  only  answer  for  earlv  forcing. 
The  Vines  require  a  light  airy  house  efficiently  heated,  a  lean-to  or 
span-roof  with  the  ends  east  and  west  being  a  suitable  structure.  A 
lean-to  of  6  to  7  feet  6  inches  width  will  accommodate  one  row  of  plants 
in  front  ;  a  span-roof  of  10  feet  width  may  have  Vines  on  both  sides. 
If  hot-water  pipes  are  at  the  front  of  the  lean-to  and  at  the  sides  of 
the  span-roof,  the  Vines  may  be  stood  over  them,  on  tiles  or  slates. 
The  tiles  or  slates  become  heated  and  transmit  the  warmth  to  the  pots, 
which  are  kept  more  or  leas  warm  at  their  base,  and  the  roots  are  not 
prejudiced  by  the  heat.  The  tiles  or  slates  throw  off  much  of  the 
water  or  liquid  manure  supplied  to  or  escaping  from  the  pots,  so  that 
there  is  no  risk  of  a  surfeit  of  steam,  and  the  water  running  on  the 
floor  keeps  up  a  genial  moisture  as  well  as  supplying  ammonia  to  the 
atmosphere  when  liquid  manure  is  used. 
Span-roofed  pits  or  lean-to  structures  facing  south  and  having  sunk 
paths  in  the  centre  or  at  the  back  of  lean-to  and  three-quarter  span, 
and  beds  in  which  fermenting  material  may  be  placed,  answer 
admirablv,  contingent  on  their  having  the  necessary  hot-water  pipes  to 
afford  efficient  top  heat.  Pedestals  of  loose  brickwork  should  be  formed 
in  the  beds  so  as  to  raise  the  pots  to  the  requisite  height  and  prevent 
sinking,  as  would  be  the  case  were  the  pots  stood  on  the  fermenting 
material.  This  is  essential,  whether  the  Vines  are  trained  to  trellis 
12  to  18  inches  from  the  glass  or  coiled  round  stakes  where  there  is  no 
trellis,  or  the  Vines  are  required  for  decorative  purposes  when  the 
Grapes  are  ripe.  Vines  in  pots  and  restricted  thereto  afford  excellent 
fruit  by  judicious  feeding,  but  if  weight  and  quality  of  Grapes  are 
desired  the  apertures  in  the  pots  should  be  enlarged  and  some  turfy 
loarn  placed  within  reach  of  the  roots.  The  loam  may  be  packed 
against  or  on  top  of  the  loose  pedestals  or  bricks,  and  the  roots  will 
follow  the  liquid  manure  given,  and  the  turf  hold  its  manurial  elements, 
so  that  the  roots  will  send  up  plenty  of  support  for  the  Vines. 
Oak,  Beech,  or  Spanish  Chestnut  leaves  are  the  best  to  afford 
bottom  heat.  They  produce  a  genial  warmth  and  regular  moisture  in 
the  early  stages,  and  rich  stimulating  food  when  the  demands  of  the 
Vines  are  greatest.  The  house  must  now  be  ready  and  the  plants 
placed  in  position.  The  canes  should  be  kept  horizontally,  or  have  the 
ends  depressed  if  necessary,  to  insure  their  breaking  evenly  from  the 
base  upwards.  Vines  started  from  now  to  the  beginning  of  next 
month  will  afford  fruit  fit  for  table  in  April.  For  early  work  not  any  is 
better  than  Black  Hamburgh  and  Foster’s  Seedling.  White  Frontignan 
forces  well,  but  the  fruit  is  small,  though  the  quality  is  excellent,  and 
Madresfield  Court  is  one  of  the  best  forcing  varieties,  and  first-rate  in 
both  appearance  and  quality. 
Early  Forced  Planted-out  Vines.— To  have  ripe  fruit  in  May  with 
certainty  the  house  must  now  be  closed.  This  more  particularly  applies 
to  young  and  vigorous  Vines,  that  do  not,  as  a  rule,  start  into  growth 
so  quickly  as  those  that  have  been  forced  for  a  number  of  years.  This 
applies  equally  to  Vines  that  have  not  previously  been  subjected  to 
early  forcing.  To  produce  a  soft  humid  atmosphere  and  to  economise 
fuel,  a  good  ridge  of  fermenting  material  may  be  placed  on  the  floor  or 
inside  border,  and  be  turned  at  short  intervals,  additions  being  made  as 
the  heat  declines.  Old  Vines  will  not  need  depressing,  but  it  is  a  good 
practice  to  lower  them  until  the  buds  break  before  securing  them  to 
the  trellis.  This  is  not  necessary  when  the  Vines  are  spur-pruned, 
unless  they  are  young,  then  the  canes  or  rods  will  need  to  be  brought 
into  a  horizontal  or  depending  position,  where  they  can  be  well  syringed 
with  tepid  water  slightly  in  advance  of  the  temperature  of  the  house. 
The  temperature  of  the  house  may  range  50°  at  night,  55°  by  day,  and 
65°  on  bright  days.  The  outside  border  should  be  protected  from  wet 
and  frost  by  a  covering  of  leaves  and  lights,  or  by  other  approved 
means. 
- - 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  “The  Editor,”  12,  IVCltre  Court  Cbambers,  Fleet  street, 
Iiondou,  E.C.  It  is  reqn  sted  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. 
Manuring  Asparagus  Beds  {Q.  F.  0.  B.). — Yes,  the  beds  would  be 
all  the  better  for  a  good  top-dressing  of  old  Mushroom-bed  manure,  as 
it  will  still  retain  a  considerable  amount  of  fertilising  substances.  It 
is  well,  however,  not  to  apply  the  manure  in  excessive  amount,  a  couple 
of  inches  thickness,  or  at  most  3  inches,  being  ample,  and  leaving  rather 
rough,  so  that  rain  and  air  can  have  free  access  to  the  soil.  The 
remains  may  be  lightly  forked  in  in  spring,  not  disturbing  the  roots  of 
the  plants  or  injuring  their  crowns.  The  plants  that  have  had  the  “grass  ” 
bitten  off  in  places  by  hares  will  be  prejudiced  to  some  extent,  but,  as 
they  are  young,  it  is  not  likely  that  they  will  be  permanently  injured. 
True,  Giant  or  Battersea  is  not  the  largest  variety,  but  a  good  selection 
of  it  is  still  the  most  profitable,  as  it  gives  abundance  of  very  fine  heads 
in  succession  from  an  early  to  a  late  period,  and  is  that  most  extensively 
cultivated  for  marketing.  Connover’s  Colossal  produces  very  large 
heads,  but  there  are  fewer  of  them  than  in  the  case  of  Giant.  Giant 
Argenteuil  also  has  acquired  some  repute  for  its  size,  while  the 
American  variety.  Palmetto,  is  large  and  very  prolific. 
Apple  from  India — Manures  for  Trees  (A.  Camplell). — The  fruit 
packed  in  charcoal  dust  arrived  in  much  better  condition  than  did  the 
one  previously  sent  in  spirits  of  wine ;  still  the  specimen  before  us  is 
more  or  less  pitted  and  shrunken  in  places,  and  not  in  useable  condition. 
For  this  reason  too  some  of  its  characters,  including  colour,  are 
obscured,  and  it  is  consequently  impossible  to  name  it  with  absolute 
ceiiainty.  In  external  appearance  it  almost  exactly  resembles  a  small 
fiuit  of  Queen  Caroline,  and  this  was  the  name  proposed  by  three 
experienced  judges  independently  of  each  other  ;  but  this  is  not  a  long 
keeping  variety,  while  yon  describe  yours  as  the  “latest  of  all  to  ripen.” 
Stamford  Pippin  is  much  later  than  the  one  named,  and  your  specimen 
closely  resembles  a  typical  fruit  of  it  in  both  external  and  internal 
characters  (Queen  Caroline  differs  internally),  and  we  have  had  sound 
specimens  till  May.  A  still  longer  keeper  with  similar  characters  is  the 
GooBeb“rry  Apple,  some  of  the  smaller  fruits  of  which  are  not  ribbed, 
but  others  are,  though  obtusely.  As  you  have  Hogg’s  “Fruit  Manual” 
we  advise  you  to  closely  examine  fresh  fruits,  and  carefully  compare 
with  the  descriptions,  then  you  may  be  able  to  fix  the  identity  of  the 
variety.  We  suspect  the  Canadian  authorities  are  right  about  the  spot 
and  the  rupturing  of  the  cells  of  your  Ribstons.  The  fruits  swelling 
to  an  abnormal  size  suggests  an  excess  of  humus  in  the  soil  and  a 
corresponding  deficiency  of  minerals.  A  dressing  of  basic  slag  in  the 
rainy  season  might  act  beneficially,  applying  not  less  than  4  ozs.  per 
square  yard  ;  if  the  ground  is  of  a  sandy  nature  mix  half  the  quantity 
of  sulphate  of  potash  with  the  basic  slag.  You  will  then  apply  lime, 
phosphate,  and  potash;  but  strong  soils  often  contain  sufficient  potash. 
It  is  useless  applying  the  above  mixture  or  either  part  of  it  separately, 
in  the  spring  or  on  the  eve  of  dry  weather  for  producing  effect  the 
same  season,  as  a  considerable  time  is  needed  for  the  purpose  of 
solubility.  If  you  procure  basic  slag  do  so  on  a  guarantee  of  genuineness 
as  to  fineness  in  grinding  and  phosphoric  acid  contents.  If  the  powder 
is  not  obtainable  apply  superphosphate  of  lime  very  early  in  the  spring, 
preceded,  if  thought  necessary,  by  sulphate  of  potash  soon  after  the 
leaves  fall  from  the  trees.  Write  again  if  you  think  we  can  give  you 
any  further  information  that  may  be  helpful. 
