370 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  16,  1902. 
manuring,  but  for  stone  fruits,  also  Apples  and  Pears,  tlie  soil 
must  be  well  broker,  up  and  pulverised  without  manure  as  a 
rule.  The  order  for  fruit  trees  and  bushes  should  be  placed  with 
good  and  reliable  nurserymen,  who  make  a  speciality  of  supply¬ 
ing  the  best  varieties  true  to  name.  The  bulk  of  the  varieties 
chosen  should  be  such  as  do  well  in  the  neighbourhood,  including 
some  which  are  promising  in  every  way,  but  not  usually  grown 
in  the  district.  On  receiving  fruit  trees  from  the  nurserymen, 
it  is  very  important  that  they  be  carefully  unpacked,  and  laid  in 
the  soil  at  once,  so  as  to  preserve  the  roots  from  drying  until 
proper  planting  can  be  carried  out.  Prior  to  planting,  the  roots 
must  be  carefully  examined.  Any  of  those  injured  must  be  cut 
back  to  healthy  parts.  In  planting,  spread  out.  the  roots  in  wide 
and  shallow  holes.  Cover  them  with  a  good  mixture  of  tine 
soil  worked  firmly  about  them.  Stake  standard  trees  imme¬ 
diately,  and  mulch  round  the  roots  of  all  with  flaky  manure. 
AUTUMN  FEEDING  OF  THE  TREES.— Much  may  be  done  to 
improve  fruit  trees  which  are  in  a  fruitless  condition  owing  to 
impoverishment  of  the  soil  from  a  deficiency  of  food  and  moisture. 
Such  trees  make  but  small  quantities  of  new  wood  annually,  and 
the  fruit  buds  suffer  from  their  lack  of  energy.  Wall  trees  often 
experience  these  conditions  from  various  causes.  Their  position 
is  naturally  drier,  and  the  soil  more  freely  drained.  The  borders 
containing  the  roots  are  frequently  cropped  with  vegetables  and 
other  crops,  which  abstract  both  food  and  moisture.  Clear  away 
surface  crops  and  weeds,  at  the  same  time  loosening  the  soil. 
Follow  by  applying  a  copious  soaking  of  water,  enough  to  moisten 
the  soil  to  the  lowest  roots.  Having  thus  secured  moisture  in 
the  soil,  a  similar  application  of  .strong  liquid  manure  may  be 
given,  so  as  to  reach  the  whole  mass  of  roots.  The  roots  of  wall 
trees  will  extend  at  various  distances  from  the  front,  but  the 
chief  or  fibrous  roots  ramify  within  a  few  feet.  Old  established 
standard  trees,  with  large  spreading  heads,  will  have  roots 
extending  the  same  distance  in  the  soil.  The  moistening  and 
feeding  must  reach  the  extremities  of  these  to  effect  good  results. 
Trees  on  grass  are  moistened  by  making  holes  with  a  crowbar 
over  the  rooting  area  at  short  distances  apart.  These  holes  may 
be  repeatedly  filled  with  water  and  liquid  manure,  until  the  soil 
is  sufficiently  moistened  and  fertilised. 
Fruit  Forcing. 
VINES :  EARLIEST  FORCED  IN  POTS.— To  produce  ripe 
fruits  in  late  April  or  early  in  May  the  Vines  are  best  grown  in 
not-,  as  stated  in.  a  former  calendar,  selecting  early  sorts,  such  as 
White  Frontignan,  Buckland  Sweetwater,  and '  Foster’s  Seed- 
'  ling  in  white  Grapes,  and  in  black  Royal  Ascot,  Black  Ham¬ 
burgh,  and  Madresfield  Court.  They  should  now  be  placed  in 
position  preparatory  to  starting  them  early  in  next  month. 
EARLIEST  FORCED  HOUSE. — Where  late  Grapes  arei  not 
cultivated  extensively  to  maintain  a  supply  to  May,  or  thin- 
skinned  Grapes  are  required  by  April,  preparations  must  be  made 
for  early  forcing.  The  Vines  having  been  pruned  in  September, 
the  loose  bark  .stripped  off,  the  house  may  be  cleaned,  the  border 
top-dressed,  and  the  Vines  treated  with  a  solution  of  paraffin 
emulsion,  8oz  to  a  gallon  of  hot  soft  water,  adding  fez  sulphide 
of  potassium  or  liver  of  sulphur,  thus  combining  an  insecticide 
with  a  fungicide,  effective  against  Vine  pests,  mildew,  and  other 
fungoid  affections,  red  spider,  thrips-,  scale,  and  mealy  bug.  To 
have  Grapes  ripe  in  April  the  house  must  be  started  next  month, 
as  under  favourable,  conditions  five  months  are  required  to  pro¬ 
duce  ripe  Grapes  of  even  the  early  varieties  during  the  (fuller 
period  of  the  year.  It  can  be  done  in  much  less  time  on  the 
express  forcing  system,  but  the  strain  on  the  Vines  is  so  great 
that,  they  are  little  good  afterwards. 
MIDSEASON  HOUSES. — When  the  leaves  are  all  down  the 
Vines  should  be  pruned,  any  Grapes  remaining  be  cut  with 
enough  stem  for  inserting  in  bottles  of  water  and  placing  in  a 
cool,  rather  dry  room,  where  they  will  keep  better  than  on  the 
Vines.  This  will  allow  of  the  house  being  thoroughly  cleaned, 
also  the  Vines,  upon  which  much  of  success  or  otherwise 
depends  in  the  coming  season.  It-  is  better  to  defi  this  than  to 
leave  the  house  and  Vines  in  a,  dirty  condition  until  a  convenient 
time,  which  usually  is  badly  performed  later  from  the  press  of 
other  matters,  and  the  pests  have  time  to  hibernate  in  retreats 
where  they  cannot  be  reached  by  insecticides.  Where  Grapes  are 
hanging  air  will  need  to  be  admitted  on  all  favourable  occasions, 
and  a  gentle  warmth  be  maintained  in  the  liot-water  pipes,  so.  as 
to  promote  a  circulation  of  air  in  dull,  damp  weather  and  prevent 
the  deposition  of  moisture  upon  the  berries.  Bad  leaves  must  be 
removed,  and  the  Grapes  seen  to  occasionally  for  the  removal  of 
decayed  berries. 
LATE  GRAPES. — There  is  little  difficulty  in  keeping  such 
thick-skinned  Grapes  as  Alicante,  West’s  St.  Peter’s,  Gros 
Guillaume,  Gros  Caiman,  Mrs.  Pince,  Alnwick  Seedling,  and 
Lady  Downe’s,  provided  the  roof  be  waterproof,  drip  avoided,  and 
moisture  prevented  from  deposition  on  the  berries,  which  can  be 
done  by  judicious  ventilation  and  gentle  warmth  in  the  hot-water 
pipes.  White  Grapes,  however,  except  Calabrian  Raisin,  which 
has  a  tough  skin,  do  not  keep  nearly  so-  well,  both  Syrian  and 
Trebbia.no  being  in  a  degree  only  less  liable  to-  spot  than  Muscat 
of  Alexandria,  which,  when  finished  so  as  to  hang  in  good  condi¬ 
tion  till  January,  is  supreme  among  Grapes.  Its  great  enemy  is 
spot,  and  that  of  two  kinds- — one  caused  by  moisture  on  the 
berries,  and  the  other  by  a  fungus-,  which  cannot  attack  the 
berries  successfully  until  their  epidermises  are  suffused  with 
moisture  in  a  stagnant  state — that-  is,  resting  (though  imper¬ 
ceptible)  on  them.  The  means,  therefore,  of  avoiding  both  is  to 
prevent  the  atmosphere  becoming  stagnant,  a  temperature  of 
about  50deg  being  necessary,  and  air  must  be  given  early  on  fine 
mornings,  with  warmth  in  the  hot-water  pipes  to  expel  moisture 
and  allow  of  the  berries  being  wanned  equally  with  the-  surround¬ 
ing  air,  moisture  being  kept  from  condensing  on  the  berries. 
There  must  not  be  anything  like  a.  leak  in  the  roof,  no-  mouldy 
leaves  or  decayed  berries,  and  moisture  kept  down  as  much  as 
possible,  that  likely  to  arise  from  the  border  being  prevented  by 
covering  it  with  dry  material,  than  which  nothing  answers  better 
than  roughly  cut,  clean,  sweet,  and  dry  Wheat  straw. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Chiswick. 
Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens  at  Chis¬ 
wick,  height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil, 
At  9  A.M. 
© 
1902. 
October. 
li 
At^9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
.s 
cd 
P3 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-£t. 
deep. 
*-<  - 
Q  83 
■W  U  (E 
«  t*  as 
£  2* 
£  ©o 
O  P< 
u 
5 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
43 
m 
© 
A 
bo 
5 
43 
CO 
<o 
o 
(4 
JEg 
O)  o 
B 
Sunday  ...  5 
E.N.E. 
deg. 
47-9 
deg. 
45-4 
deg. 
57-5 
deg. 
45-7 
Ins. 
deg. 
51-0 
deg. 
53-8 
deg. 
55-5 
deg. 
43 ’0 
Monday  ...  6 
E.S.E. 
48T 
47-6 
52T 
46-5 
— 
51-2 
53-6 
55-2 
430 
Tuesday...  7 
W.N.W. 
51-7 
49-8 
56-5 
44-0 
— 
51-5 
53-4 
55-1 
42-5 
Wed’sday  8 
S.E. 
44-4 
43-5 
571 
39-5 
— 
52  C 
53-5 
55  0 
28-3 
Thursday  9 
E.S.E. 
54-9 
51-4 
61-2 
42-8 
0-36 
51-3 
53-2 
54-8 
340 
Friday  ...10 
S.W. 
600 
56-8 
65-2 
51.8 
0T5 
52-3 
532 
54-6 
47-0 
Saturday  11 
S.E. 
55-9 
55  2 
61-2 
53-2 
002 
53-8 
53-7 
54-5 
40  0 
Means  ... 
51-8 
500 
53*7 
46-2 
[ 
Total. 
0-53 
51-9 
53-5 
55-0 
39  7 
The  first  part  of  the  week  was  dull  and  dry,  the  latter  part 
brighter,  but  more  unsettled,  with  rain  on  three  days. 
— <*«»*► — 
Publications  Received. 
“Journal  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture  of  Victoria,” 
August,  1902.  Part  8  of  vol.  1.  Chief  contents:  Phylloxera- 
Resisting  Stocks,  Poultry  and  Their  Diseases,  Fruit  Preservation, 
Vegetation  Diseases  Act,  Rust  in  Wheat,  and  Black  Spot  of 
Apple.  *  *  “  Le  Jardin,”  September  20.  Contains  :  Culture  of 
Saintpaulia  ionantha,  Terrestrial  Orchids,  A  New  Transplanting 
Machine  (Illustrated),  &c.  *  *  “  An  Afrikander’s  Appeal  to 
Afrikanders  to  Assist  in  Bringing  About  Peace  in  South  Africa.” 
by  H.  W.  Fourie,  jun.  ;  Cape-  Town  :  Office  of  “  De  Kolonist,”  Brie 
Street.  (Sent  by  Peter  Barr.)  *  *  “  Garten  Flora,”  September 
15.  *  *  “  The  Canadian  Horticulturist,”  September,  1902. 
Special  features:  Bradshaw  Plum,  Plum  Growing  in  Ontario, 
Popularising  Public  Parks,  Burlington  Fruit  Station,  The  Yellow 
Day-Lily.  *  *’  “Men  of  the  Moment,”  No.  5,  the  Right  Hon. 
A.  J.  Balfour ;  Treherne’s  Penny  Series.  *  *  “  Le  Moniteur 
d’Horticulture,”  September  10,  contains  a  coloured  plate  of  hardy 
Phloxes  (six  varieties).  *  *  “  The  Western  New  York  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society.”  *  *  “  Meehan’s  Monthly,”  September,  con¬ 
taining  an  elegant  coloured  plate  of  Monotropa  uniflora.  *  * 
“Third  Annual  Report  on  the  Soils  of  Dorset,”  issued  by  the 
University  College,  Reading,  August  1902,  price,  one  shilling.  *  * 
“  Le  Jardin,”  September  5,  coloured  plate  of  three  Gentians  and 
three  Primulas.  *  *  “  Cassell’s  Dictionary  of  Gardening,”  part 
17,  price  7d.  net,  contains  a  coloured  plate  of  Sutton’s  Blue 
Primula,  and  many  beautiful  illustrations.  The  part  ends  at 
Siegesbeckia.  *  *  Autumn  syllabus  of  Swanley  Horticultural 
College;  also  syllabus  of  work  done  in  summer  1901.  *  * 
“  Miniature  Rifle  Clubs,  and  How  to  Form  and  Conduct  Them,” 
by  H.  Marks;  London:  17.  Victoria  Street,  S.W.  *  * 
“The  Chemistry  of  the  Farm,”  by  R.  Warrington;  London: 
Vinton  and  Co.  (Limited),  2s.  6d.,  new  edition.  *  *  “The 
Tropical  Agriculturist,”  September;  this  number  contains  notes 
and  articles  on  the  following  subjects:  Fish  Culture-  in  Ceylon, 
Rubber  Planting  in  the  Malayan  Peninsula  and  British  North 
Borneo,  Vanilla  Cultivation  in  Seychelles  and  Ceylon,  Tea  Grow¬ 
ing  at  a  High  Elevation  in  Ceylon,  Trees  for  Tea  Estates, 
Troubles  of  Cocoa-nut  Planters  in  the  Straits,  Fever  in  Plants, 
Flora  of  Malay  Peninsula,  A  New  Pepper,  and  Wood  Fuel.  *  * 
“  Garten  Flora,”  October  1,  contains  a  coloured  plate-  of  Cyrto- 
podium  punctatum,  Lindl.  *  *  “  Bulletin  de  la  Societe  Cen- 
traTe  d’Hortieulture  du  Department  de  la  Seine-Inf erieure.” 
*  *  “  Le  Moniteur  d’Horticulture,”  October  10,  with  coloured 
plate  of  Roses,  the  varieties  being  G.  Nahonnand  and  Princess 
de  Bassaraba  de  Bracovan,  both  Teas. 
