103 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
July  31,  1902. 
On  Fruit:  Its  Shrinkage. 
(■ Continued  from  j^age  511.) 
This  subject  has  not  received  the  attention  that  it  demands. 
It  is  important  to  modify  the  damaging  and  unsightly  effects 
of  shrinkage  of  fruit  if  it  be  practicable.  Some  of  the  causes 
of  it,  such  as  early  frosts,  will  probably  never  be  wiThin  the  fruit¬ 
grower’s  control ;  too  much  shade  may  of  itself  lead  to  some 
degree  of  shrinkage,  but  this  must  be  slight,  except  when  the 
heads  of  the  trees  are  so  thick  with  branches  and  leaves  as  to 
hinder  a  free  and  full  circulation  of  air.  Such  shade  hinders 
the  circulation  of  juices  in  the  growing  fruit,  which  has  much 
influence  on  its  future  perfection.  Heavy  fruit  trees  should 
be  trained  in  forms  sufficiently  open  to  admit  constantly  a  full 
circulation  of  fresh  air,  especially  when  growth  is  most  rapid. 
Sunlight,  by  its  action  upon  the  foliage,  furnishes  largely  the 
power  that  runs  the  machinery  of  the  fruit  tree.  The  amount 
of  this  power  that  a  tree  can  use  in  a  measure  determines 
how  much  fruit  the  tree  can  bear  and  bring  to  perfection. 
The  main  cause  of  shrinkage  of  fruit  is  the  arrest  of  growth, 
the  result  of  insufficient  nutrition,  and  lack  of  moisture. 
Fruit  Trees  Need  Water. 
If  the  supply  of  water  in  the  soil  in  an  orchard  is  deficient 
when  the  fruit  is  maturing,  as  it  sometimes  is,  even  in 
England,  the  trees  cannot  produce  a  full  crop  of  fruit,  nor  will 
the  fruit  (especially  Apples)  be  properly  coloured,  however  well 
they  may  have  been  fed  and  otherwise  cared  for.  The  lack  of 
a  sufficient  amount  of  water  in  the  soil  in  orchards  is  often  the 
cause  of  Apples  dropping  prematurely,  and  the  proper  ripening 
of  late  fruits  in  the  autumn.  While  it  may  be  impracticable 
to  attempt  to’  supply  water  artificially  in  most  cases,  yet  much 
can  be  done  by  good  management  to  prevent  the  needless 
escape  of  the  natural  supply,  and  in  this  way  large  quantities 
of  water  may  be  retained  in  the  soil  for  the  use  of  the  trees 
when  it'  is  needed  by  them.  A  mulch  of  grass,  lawn  mowings, 
leaves  or  other  organic  matter  is  useful  for  this  purpose,  and 
the  ground  in  some  cases  may  be  cultivated  in  the  open  spaces 
to  good  advantage.  In  this  connection  a  protest  may  be 
entered  against  the  practice  of  trimming  off  the  lower  limbs 
of  Apple  trees.  This  allows  the  wind  to  sweep  through 
beneath  them,  and  the  sun  to  shine  in  and  dry  up  the  soil  over 
their  roots. 
Sunlight  and  Fruit  Buds. 
Limbs  of  Apple  and  Pear  trees  that  are  exposed  to  strong 
light  produce  more  fruit  buds  than  those  which  are  in  partial 
shade.  Florists  find  that  sunlight  will  bring  out  the  blossom 
buds  for  them  if  their  plants  are  otherwise  well  cared  for, 
and  it  appears  that  it  will  do  the  same  thing  for  those  who 
have  fruit  trees  when  it  is  given  a  chance. 
Orchards  Need  Manuring. 
It  is  sometimes  argued  that  fruit  trees  do  not  need  to  be 
manured,  and  because  Apple  trees  will  exist  and  occasionally 
bear  a  partial  crop  of  fruit  if  they  are  utterly  neglected,  it  is 
too  often  assumed  that  they  require  no  care  after  they  are 
planted;  but  poorly-fed  fruit  trees  can  only  be  regarded  from 
the  fruit-grower’s  standpoint  as  unprofitable  possessions.  We  have 
the  strongest  evidence  of  the  necessity  of  a  high  state  of  fertility 
for  Apples  as  well  as  for  other  crops,  and  also  that  the  general 
principles  of  manuring  which  apply  in  the  case  of  vegetable 
crops,  apply  to  fruits,  that  is,  the  essential  constituents  must 
be  the  same.  The  necessity  for  their  application  is  found 
largely  in  the  fact  that  although  an  Apple,  Plum  or  Pear 
crop,  &c.,  is  not  a  very  exhaustive  one,  fruit-growing  is  really 
a  continuous  cropping  of  the  same  kind.  There  is  an  annual 
demand  for  the  same  kinds  and  proportions  of  soil  constituents, 
lienee  the  tendency  to  soil  exhaustion  is  proportionately  greater 
than  where  a  frequent  change  of  crops  is  practicable,  differing 
in  their  requirements,  both  in  respect  to  the  amount  and  pro¬ 
portion  of  the  essential  constituents. 
Kind  of  Manure  to  be  Used. 
A  very  wide  difference  of  opinion  exists  as  to  the  kind  of 
manure  to  use  in  fruit  growing,  though  stable  and  farmyard 
manure  is  the  kind  more  generally  applied  than  any  other 
form.  Apples  and  Pears  are  slow-growing  trees,  and  on  soils 
of  fair  fertility  will  make  a  good  growth  of  wood  for  a  number 
of  years,  because  of  their  wide  root  system,  and  their  relatively 
small  annual  requirements  enable  them  to  gather  their  food 
from  larger  areas  and  from  relatively  insoluble  sources.  Their 
continuous  growth,  too,  teaches  that,  under  average  conditions, 
the  cheaper  fertilizing  materials  that  give  up  their  food  slowly 
are,  on  the  whole,  more  useful  than  the  active  and  expensive 
nitrogenous  manures;  besides,  the  increased  growth  resulting 
from  the  use  of  such  materials  as  ground  bones,  basic  slag, 
superphosphate,  kainit,  and  other  potash  salts,  is  more  likely  to 
mature  well  than  that  from  quick-acting  nitrate  of  soda,  sulphate 
ammonia,  or  guano,  which  often  cause  a  too  rapid  growth, 
which  fails  to  ripen.  Of  the  essential  fertilizing  constituents, 
phosphoric  acid  and  potash  should  be  applied  in  greater  relative 
abundance  than  nitrogen.  For  stone  fruits,  lime  is  an 
essential  ingredient.  French  chemists  consider  a  lime  content 
of  one-half  of  one  per  cent.,  an  ample  supply  hi  light  soils, 
while  heavy  soils  may  need  2  per  cent,  or  more.  It  may  be 
in  order  to  state  that  the  good  effects  resulting  from  the 
addition  of  lime  to  such  soils  do  not  come  only  from  the  addition 
of  an  ingredient  essential  to  plant  growth,  but  the  mechanical 
condition  of  the  soil,  its  texture,  water  and  heat -retaining 
capacity,  &c.,  are  improved,  that  is,  the  improvement  of  the 
soil  is  both  in  a  chemical  and  a  physical  direction,  and  one  is  as 
important  as  the  other.  This  same  is  true  in  perhaps  all  cases 
where  fertilizers  are  applied  to  soils,  a  fact  which  has  been 
generally  overlooked  until  very  late,  when  the  study  of  the 
physical  properties  of  the  soil  has  received  more  attention. — 
J.  J.  Willis,  Harpenden. 
(To  be  continued.) 
- - 
Scottish  Notes. 
That  our  two  Edinburgh  horticultural  associations  took  a 
step  in  the  right  direction  by  holding  a  joint  summer  show, 
Wednesday’s  exhibition  in  the  Music  Hall,  George  Street, 
afforded  abundant  proof,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  as  a  result 
fresh  impetus  will  thereby  be  given  towards  the  making  of  this 
midsummer  show  an  annual  instead  of  an  experimental  institu¬ 
tion.  It  is  obvious,  however,  that  in  order  to  make  the  venture 
a  financial  success,  fresh  measures  must  be  introduced,  so  as  to 
attract  a  larger  attendance  of  the  general  public. 
That  an  extended  programme  would  be  a  monetary  success 
is  of  course  problematical,  but  if  we  are  able  to  secure  large 
drawings  at  the  gates  of  our  football  .fields  on  match  days,  why 
not  be  able  to  take  correspondingly  large  returns  from  a  two- 
days  floral  gala?  Let  this  be  held  in  one  of  our  central  public 
parks,  such  as  the  meadows,  about  the  middle  of  the  present 
month,  the  exhibits  to  be  arranged  in  marquees.  Let  a  first- 
class  band  be  in  attendance,  a  large  marquee  be  provided  for 
dancing,  and  similar  provision  made  for  the  amusement  of 
young  and  old.  Let  the  project  be  liberally  advertised,  and  a 
request  sent  to  growers  explaining  the  circumstances,  and 
soliciting  an  exhibit,  and  there  is  no  mistaking  the  fact  that  a 
successful  result  could  be  arrived  at,  both  financially  and  other¬ 
wise. 
Considering  the  unpropitious  nature  of  the  weather,  the 
number  and  quality  of  the  exhibits  staged  in  the  Music  Hall 
was  highly  gratifying.  Both  trade  and  gardeners’  exhibits  of 
Sweet  Peas,  Malmaison  Carnations,  Pseonies,  and  other  hardy 
border  flowers  were  well  staged,  and  presented  a  very  pretty 
effect.  Roses  were  not  numerous,  with  the  exception  of  two 
fine  lots  from  the  well-known  growers,  Messrs.  Croll,  Dundee, 
and  Dickson,  Belfast.  Those  from  the  latter  place  were  superb, 
and  for  freshness  and  quality  excelled  anything  I  have  seen 
staged  in  the  Waverley  Market.  Among  them  were  some  new 
seedlings,  of  which  Dorothy  and  Hugh  Dickson  were  much 
admired.  The  Dundee  Roses  were  also  good,  but  showed  the 
effect  of  having  been  reared  in  a  colder  climate. 
Messrs.  Cunningham,  Fraser  and  Co.’s  exhibit  of  hardy 
flowers  was  a  gorgeous  display  of  colour,  and  included  fine 
seedlings  and  named  Pseonies  and  Delphiniums,  also  Inulas, 
Iris,  Erigerons,  Scabious,  Dictamnus,  &c.  Carnations  were 
represented  in  great  variety  by  both  Messrs.  Laing  and  Mather, 
Kelso,  and  M.  Campbell,  High  Blantyre.  Besides  Malmaisons, 
good  blooms  of  varieties  such  as  the  following  were  noted : 
Goldilocks,  Mrs.  McNish,  junr.,  Highgate,  Voltaire,  &c. 
Perhaps  the  most  interesting  table  in  the  show  was  one 
containing  Nymphseas  and  Nelumbiums;  the  flowers  and 
foliage  were  shown  in  basins  of  water,  and  received  a  con¬ 
siderable  share  of  attention.  A  glass  case  containing  living 
insects  was  also  probably  worth  while  examining,  but  during 
the  few  minutes  I  beheld  it,  few  were  to  be  seen.  Mr. 
McMillan,  gardener  to  Mrs.  Currie,  Trinity  Grove,  had  an  excep¬ 
tionally  fine  lot  of  Pseonies  in  a  wide  range  of  colour. 
Mr.  George  Wood,  Oswald  Road,  was  fonvard  with  a  table 
of  choice  foliage  and  flowering  plants,  including  Clerodendron 
fallax,  Dendrobium  suavissimum,  Epidendrum  vitellinum  ma.jus, 
&c.  He  had  also  a  branch  of  Gooseberry  Preston  Seedling 
suspended  from  one  of  the  pillars,  and  it  was  truly  loaded 
with  large  berries.  In  conversation  with  Mr.  Wood,  1  learned 
the  origin  of  this  splendid  berry,  it  having  been  found  by  a 
workman  in  an  old  quarry  about  twelve  years  ago,  by  whom 
it  was  given  to  Mr.  Walker,  market  gardener,  Prestonpans. 
A  specimen  Hydrangea  of  a  blue  tinge,  carrying  over  twenty- 
five  blooms,  was  shown  by  Mr.  John  Dewar,  gardener  to  Wm. 
Currie,  Esq.,  Millbank,  Grange  Loan.  Those  enumerated  were 
but  a  few  of  the  numerous  exhibits  which  filled  the  hall. 
