December  27,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
583 
Hardy  Frnit  Garden. 
Praning  Wall  Trees. — The  earliest  attention  should  be  given  to  the 
pruning,  regulating,  and  nailing  of  wall  trees.  Included  in  the  operation 
also  is  the  cleansing  of  the  branches  and  shoots  with  some  of  the  most 
approved  insecticides,  if  any  of  the  trees  have  been  infested  in  the 
course  of  the  season  with  red  spider,  aphis,  scale,  American  blight,  moss, 
or  lichen. 
Fan-trained  Trees. — This,  the  best  form  of  tree  for  nearly  every  size 
of  wall,  admits  of  considerable  scope  in  training  and  manipulating  the 
branches  so  as  to  utilise  the  available  space  in  the  most  profitable 
manner.  Apples,  though  not  grown  largely  on  walls,  may  be  trained  in 
this  form,  while  it  is  the  best  for  Apricots,  Peaches,  Nectarines,  Plums, 
Cherries,  and  Figs.  In  the  case  of  Apples  and  Pears,  the  branches 
must  be  permanent  and  furnished  with  spurs  by  the  usual  method  of 
originating  them.  The  advantages  of  this  style  of  tree,  even  when 
furnished  with  spur-pruned  branches,  is  that  these  may  be  replaced  by 
younger  shoots  whenever  it  is  found  necessary  to  discard  old  extensions. 
Eligible  shoots  situated  in  favourable  posiiions  can  usually  be  found. 
The  crowding  of  permanent  branches  and  the  rank  training  in  of 
secondary  shoots  must  be  strictly  avoided.  Clumps  of  spurs  ought  not 
to  be  too  dense,  or  be  allowed  to  elongate  unduly.  The  young  shoots 
emanating  from  the  spurs,  assuming  that  they  were  summer  pruned, 
may  be  shortened  now  to  two  or  three  buds.  Partially  shorten  the 
leaders  of  any  branches  not  yet  fully  extended. 
Apricots,  Plums,  and  Cherries  may  have  a  combination  of  branches 
spur.prnned,  and  young  wood  laid  in  to  furnish  vacant  places.  Much 
of  the  winter  pruning  of  these  trees  consists  in  cutting  out  the  oldest 
exhausted  branches  and  filling  in  with  younger.  With  the  best  managed 
trees,  however,  this  is  not  done  to  any  large  extent  in  one  season, 
but  is  accomplished  gradually  as  needed.  Exhausted  branches  and  old 
bearing  growths  may  be  cut  from  Peaches  and  Nectarines,  but  the  final 
pruning  and  nailing-in  may  be  wisely  reserved  until  February,  in  the 
meantime  allowing  the  branches  to  hang  loosely,  but  safely,  away  from 
the  wall. 
Horizontally  Trained  Trees. — Pears  and  Apples  are  the  only  fruits 
which  succeed  on  this  form  of  training.  The  branches  must  not  be 
disposed  too  closely,  or  nearer  together  than  a  foot.  Should  they  be 
closer  than  they  ought,  owing  to  neglect,  the  present  time  is  a  good 
opportunity  to  thin  them  out,  and  also  to  reduce  the  spurs  where  they 
may  be  of  undue  length.  Frequently  the  summer  shoots  are  left 
unshortened,  in  which  case  they  must  now  be  pruned  back  to  several 
buds,  which,  however,  are  more  likely  to  be  wood  than  blossom 
buds.  Partially  prune  back  young  leading  shoots. 
Cordon  Trees.  —  The  upright  and  diagonal  forms  of  cordons  are 
among  the  most  profitable  trees  for  walls,  especially  in  the  culture  of 
Apples  and  Pears.  The  proper  distance  of  the  branches  is  fixed  at  the 
time  of  planting,  hence  it  ought  not  to  be  necessary  to  carry  out  any 
thinning,  though,  should  the  cordon  branches  be  too  thickly  placed 
owing  to  former  neglect  in  the  arrangement  of  the  trees,  some  must 
be  removed  to  admit  of  freshly  disposing  the  rest.  A  little  annual 
thinning  and  reducing  of  the  older  spurs  will  be  beneficial,  and  the 
Sommer  pruned  shoots  of  the  current  yeai’s  wood  should  be  shortened 
to  two  buds.  Lay  in  the  leaders  at  full  length. 
Praning  Bush  Apples  and  Pears. — Where  bush  trees  in  the  open 
are  not  crowded  with  other  trees  they  are  usually  fruitful  and  profit¬ 
able.  The  winter  pruning  is  simple,  consisting  of  duly  disposing  the 
branches  in  a  regular  manner,  so  that  each  one  receives  a  maximum 
amount  of  light  and  air.  Irregular  branches  and  partially  worn-out 
examples  may  be  cut  out,  while  spurs  of  undue  length  ought  to  be 
reduced.  The  current  year’s  shoots  shorten  to  two  or  three  buds  at 
the  base.  Open  bush  Apples  are  less  formally  trained,  more  young 
wood  being  encouraged,  which  being  well  exposed  to  sun  and  air  forms 
fruit  buds  freely,  and  the  unripe  tips  of  the  branches  only  need  removal. 
Praning  Carrant  and  Gooseberry  Bashes. — In  dealing  with  Currants 
there  is  a  difference  in  the  manner  of  pruning  Black  Currants  from 
Red  and  White.  Black  Currants  should  have  a  good  proportion  of 
young  growths  left,  disposing  them  regularly  over  the  bushes.  Also, 
cut  out  some  of  the  old  bearing  growths  and  exhausted  branches.  If 
carefully  pruned  on  these  lines  annually  the  trees  will  be  fruitful  and 
healthy.  Red  and  White  Currants  having  a  limited  number  of  main 
branches  must  have  the  side  shoots  shortened  to  within  an  inch,  leaving 
no  young  growths  except  when  some  are  required  to  originate  new 
branches.  The  young  wood  must  then  be  shortened  to  9  inches,  and 
the  leaders  of  any  branches  not  reached  full  length  should  be  shortened 
similarly,  so  that  side  growths  may  be  produced  the  following  season. 
Gooseberries  must  be  well  thinned,  leaving  a  fair  number  of 
young  growths  which  will  fruit  freely.  Superfluous  shoots  may  be 
shortened  to  an  inch  or  be  cut  out  entirely.  These  will  form  artificial 
spurs  furnished  with  fruit  buds.  There  will  also  be  a  number  of  natural 
spurs  on  healthy  trees  in  good  positions.  Remove  sucker  growths  from 
the  base.  Some  cultivators  spur  in  all  the  branches  like  Red  and  White 
Currants,  but  this  is  not  always  safe,  owing  to  birds  taking  the  buds. 
To  obviate  this,  however,  dust  the  bushes  with  soot  and  lime  in  damp  or 
foggy  weatl  er.  This  dressing  acta  as  a  cleanser  as  well  as  a  deterrent 
to  birds. 
Fruit  Forcing. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines. — Earliest  House. — The  trees  in  the  structure 
closed  early  in  December,  and  having  been  started  at  an  early  period 
the  previous  season,  will  have  the  blossom  buds  well  advanced  towards 
flowering.  When  this  takes  place  syringing  the  trees  must  cease, 
but  maintain  a  genial  condition  of  the  atmosphere  by  damping  floors 
and  borders  on  bright  mornings  and  in  the  early  part  of  fine  afternoons. 
Trees  not  previously  forced  will  be  several  days  later  in  showing  colour 
in  the  flower  buds.  When  that  occurs  cease  sprinkling,  as  the  petals 
are  liable  to  become  spotted  and  discoloured  if  moisture  lodges  in  them. 
If  on  examination  the  inside  borders  are  found  at  all  dry,  give  a 
thorough  supply  of  water  at  a  temperature  about  that  of  the  mean  of 
the  house,  or  slightly  in  advance  of  it. 
Weakly  trees  may  have  tepid  liquid  manure,  supplying  it  rather  thick 
after  the  soil  has  been  properly  moist  with  water.  Avoid,  however, 
making  the  soil  sodden  by  needless  watering  or  over-supplies  of  liquid 
manure,  as  this  promotes  wood-bud  rather  than  blossom-bud  develop¬ 
ment,  besides  inducing  ill-health  and  attendant  diseases  from  fungal 
and  insect  parasites.  Where  there  is  a  redundancy  of  blossoms  remove 
those  on  the  under  side  or  back  of  the  trellis  or  shoots  by  drawing  a 
gloved  hand  contrary  way  of  the  growths,  and  thin  them  elsewhere 
where  too  crowded. 
Admit  a  little  air  constantly,  and  this,  with  the  warmth  in  the 
hot-water  pipes,  will  keep  the  atmosphere  in  motion,  and  moisture  will 
be  deposited  on  the  glass  instead  of  on  the  blossoms,  as  frequently 
occurs  in  a  close  atmosphere,  to  the  prejudice  of  their  setting  fruit. 
The  temperature  may  be  maintained  at  55“  by  day  and  50°  at  night  in 
mild  weather,  but  5°  less  in  cold  weather  is  more  favourable  to 
the  trees  than  the  higher  temperature,  and  the  setting  is  not  prejudiced 
if  the  heat  fall  to  45“  at  night,  or  even  40°  in  severe  frosty  weather. 
For  the  trees  to  do  good  work  they  must  have  time,  and  it  is  necessary, 
when  the  flowers  show  the  anthers  clear  of  the  petals,  that  the 
structure  be  freely  ventilated,  avoiding  cold  draughts,  and  not  exciting 
the  trees  by  too  much  fire  heat.  To  keep  them,  however,  in  steady 
progress,  the  temperature  must  be  raised  early  in  the  day  to  50°,  and 
kept  between  that  and  55°  through  the  day,  with  a  little  ventilation  at 
the  top  of  the  house,  not  allowing  an  advance  from  sun  heat  without 
a  corresponding  increase  of  ventilation,  and  having  it  full  between  60 
and  f5°. 
The  aim  should  be  to  havd  stout  blossoms,  sturdy  stamens  well  raised 
above  the  pistil,  and  anthers  loaded  with  abundance  of  vivifying  pollen, 
well  developed  pistil,  and  perfectly  formed  ovule.  These  all  require  to 
develop,  and  aeration  for  their  perfecting,  then  recourse  can  be  had  to 
fertilisation  by  shaking  the  trellis,  or  brushing  the  flowers  with  a  camel’s- 
hair  brush  on  fine  days  after  the  house  has  been  ventilated  some  little 
time.  The  pollen,  when  ripe,  by  either  of  these  processes  is  distributed 
in  a  golden  shower  visible  in  the  sunlight,  and  when  this  is  the  case  the 
set  is  generally  a  good  one,  even  without  artificial  impregnation,  and 
sometimes  the  air  disturbed  by  that  entering  by  the  ventilators,  or 
even  the  slight  disturbance  caused  by  damping  the  floor  and  border 
serves  to  effect  the  setting  in  a  satisfactory  manner.  Under  arid 
conditions  lightly  syringing  the  trees  has  proved  beneficial,  but  it  is  a 
practice  rather  to  be  avoided  than  advised. 
Second  Early  House. — To  have  ripe  fruit  of  the  choice  second  early 
varieties,  as  Hale’s  Early  and  A  Bee  (one  of  the  best),  and  midseason 
Peaches,  as  Dymond,  Royal  George,  and  Bellegarde,  ripe  at  the  close  of 
May  or  early  in  June,  the  trees  must  be  started  without  delay,  but  it  is 
desirable  to  merely  close  the  house,  and  only  employ  fire  heat  to  exclude 
frost  up  to  the  new  year,  ventilating  freely  at  50°.  This  will  gently 
incite  the  sap,  and  then  the  buds.  Then,  at  the  time  named,  fire  heat 
should  be  employed  to  maintain  a  night  temperature  of  40°,  and  to 
insure  50°  by  day,  above  which  ventilate  freely.  This  will  bring  the 
trees  on  sufficiently  to  insure  a  sturdy  blossoming,  and  once  the 
flowers  make  a  move  it  is  necessary  to  keep  them  in  steady  progress. 
Sprinkle  the  house  and  trees  on  fine  mornings,  and  early  in  the  afternoon 
of  bright  days,  but  in  dull  weather  omit  the  second  syringing,  as 
keeping  the  trees  dripping  with  water  has  a  weakening  tendency, 
inducing  wood  rather  than  blossom  development.  If  the  house  has  had 
the  roof-lights  removed,  the  inside  borders  will  have  been  thoroughly 
moistened  through  to  the  drainage.  This  is  imperatively  necessary  to 
secure  satisfactory  results,  but  where  the  roof-lights  are  fixed  the  border 
may  need  watering,  and  if  dry  a  repeated  supply,  so  as  to  thoroughly 
moisten  the  soil  through  to  the  drainage.  Outside  borders  should  be 
protected  with  dry  leaves  and  litter,  a  few  inches  thickness  sufficing 
to  exclude  frost. 
Succession  Houses. — The  trees  are  best  pruned,  and  the  house 
cleansed  whilst  the  buds  are  quite  dormant ;  indeed,  it  is  desirable  to 
attend  to  these  matters  as  soon  as  the  leaves  have  fallen,  as  then  the 
insect  pests  are  not  given  time  to  hibernate.  Loosen  the  trees  from 
