590 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  25,  1902. 
JAPANESE  WINEBERRY  —  Similar  treatment  to  that 
accorded  for  Raspberries  is  admirably  adapted  for  this  fiuit. 
The  fruit  is  borne  on  the  strong,  fully-ripened  suckers  the  year 
following  their  production,  hence  after  fruiting  prune  away 
these  old  growths  entirely  to  make  room  for  the  new.  It  is 
important  that  the  growths  should  have  had  every  opportunity 
to  ripen  well.- — E.  D.  S. 
Fruit  Forcing. 
PEACHES  AND  NECTARINES :  EARLY  FORCED 
HOUSE.— The  buds  of  trees  started  in  former  years  during 
December  are  swelling  freely  and  showing  colour,  so  syringing 
over  the  trees  should  cease,  as  the  water  often  causes  the 
flowers  to  damp.  Maintain,  however,  a  genial  condition  of  the 
atmosphere  by  sprinkling  the  floor  and  border  with  water  in 
the  morning  and  afternoon  of  fine  days.  Provide  a  little  venti¬ 
lation  constantly  at  the  top  of  the  house.  Raise  the  heat  early 
in  the  day  to  50deg,  and  not  exceeding  55deg  from  fire  heat,  and 
admit  a  little  air,  yet  not  so  as  to  lower  the  temperature  below 
50deg.  Increase  the  ventilation  with  the  sun  heat,  having  it 
full  at  65deg,  and  gradually  reduce  it  with  the  declining  tem¬ 
perature,  closing  (subject  to  a  small  amount  air  of  being  left  on) 
for  the  clay  at  55deg.  On  cold  nights  the  minimum  tempera¬ 
ture  shoulcl  be  maintained  at  40deg  to  45deg;  between  the  latter 
and  50deg  is  ample  on  mild  nights.  Nothing  is  gained  (but  the 
prospect  of  a  crop  may  be  lost)  by  undue  haste  until  the  days 
have  turned,  and  there  is  an  increase  of  light  and  length  of  day. 
Nevertheless,  aim  at  steady  progress,  allowing  the  trees  abund¬ 
ance  of  air,  and  a  genial  warmth  by  clay,  with  rest  at  night. 
SECOND  EARLY  HOUSE. — The  very  early  Peaches,  Alex¬ 
ander  and  Waterloo,  have  not  proved  satisfactory  varieties  in 
many  places  for  early  forcing,  through  casting  the  buds,  though 
when  the  trees  are  grown  as  standards  and  pinched,  the  buds 
are  retained  on  the  latest  made  wood,  and  the  bearing  is 
satisfactory.  Early  Louise  is  generally  too  poor  in  colour  to 
please  either  at  table  or  for  marketing  purposes.  Hale’s  Early 
is  everything  desirable  as  regards  size  (being  medium),  colour, 
and  quality,  but  the  tree  has  the  bud-dropping  defect  in  less 
degree  only  than  marked  in  Alexander  and  such  varieties  as 
Early  York.  Of  all  varieties,  Royal  George  holds  its  buds  the 
best,  and  for  general  purposes  the  best  of  all  Peaches  for  forcing. 
Stirling  Castle,  of  the  Royal  George  type,  however,  is  quite  as 
much  in  favour  as  Royal  George  in  some  localities,  especially 
northern,  for  early  forcing,  and,  though  somewhat  smaller,  has 
good  colour  and  excellent  quality.  Dymond,  a  fine,  large,  highly 
coloured  fruit,  ripens  about  the  same  time  as  Royal  George,  and 
is  first-rate  in  quality.  In  Nectarines,  Cardinal  is,  perhaps,  un¬ 
rivalled  as  a  first  early,  and  Early  Rivers  comes  next,  for  Lord 
Napier  lias  a  bad  fault  of  shrivelling  at  the  apex,  and  this  de¬ 
tracts  from  the  appearance  of  the  fruit,  though  not  its  quality, 
which  is  excellent.  Elruge  is  the  usual  companion  for  Royal 
George  Peach,  and  is  unsurpassed  ;  for,  though  Stan  wick 
Elruge  is  larger  and  ripens  a  little  earlier,  it  has  a  bad  habit  of 
dropping  its  fruit  when  commencing  ripening.  All  these  things 
tell  in  mrketing  returns.  If  the  house  has  been  open  to  receive 
the  autumn  rains,  the  border  will  be  thoroughly  moist  to  the 
drainage.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  lights  have  not  been  re¬ 
moved,  there  may  be  need  for  repeated  waterings  to  bring  the 
soil  into  a  moist,  but  not  sodden,  condition,  as  is  often  the  case 
by  dosing  with  liquid  manure  at  thei  time  of  starting  or  just 
before.  Judicious  applications  of  liquid,  manure  help  them 
immensely,  and  where  the  drainage  is  efficient,  there  is  little 
danger  of  the  soil  getting  sodden  by  the  rainfall  or  applications 
of  water.  Fire  heat  will  only  be  necessary  at  the  commencement 
to  prevent  the  temperature  falling  below  freezing  point  at 
night,  and  to  maintain  50deg  in  the  daytime,  admitting  air 
freely  at  and  above  that  heat. 
SUCCESSION  HOUSES. — The  cleansing  of  the  house  and 
trees  should  be  pushed  forward,  and  brought  to  a  close  as  soon 
as  possible.  Where  the  trees  have  been  infested  with  brown 
aphis,  red  spider,  or  scale,  it  is  desirable  to  syringe  the  whole 
house  with  hot  water  at  a  temperature  of  140deg,  which  will 
soften  the  dirt  and  destroy  all  the  insects  it  reaches.  The 
woodwork  should  then  be  thoroughly  cleaned  with  carbolic  or 
paraffin  soap  and  water,  using  a  brush,  and  the  glass  inside  and 
outside  with  clear  water.  The  trees  should  then  be  dressed 
with  an  insecticide,  those  advertised  being  handy  and  effective, 
adhering  to  the  instructions.  Or  dissolve  1-J-lb  of  softsoap  in  a 
gallon  of  soft  water  by  boiling,  and  on  removing  from  the  fire 
add  half  a  pint  of  paraffin  oil,  and  stir  briskly,  so  as  to 
thoroughly  amalgamate  the  oil  with  the  soapy  solution.  For 
use  dilute  to  six  and  a  quarter  gallons  with  hot  water,  and  apply 
at  a  temperature  of  130deg  to  140deg,  either  by  spraying  or 
application  with  a  brush,  the  latter  being  the  most  effectual 
when  done  thoroughly,  and  care  taken  not  to  dislocate  the 
buds.  Prior  to  this  the  trees  will  have  been  pruned,  and  after 
dressing  the  branches  can  be  re-arranged,  and  the  growths 
trained  to  the  trellis.  The  walls  should  be  limewashed.  Re¬ 
move  the  loose  surface  soil,  add  fresh  lumpy  loam  with  a  fourth 
of  well-decayed  manure,  and  supply  a  handful  of  some  approved 
fertiliser  per  square  yard.  Dissolved  bones,  dry  and  crumbling, 
five  parts,  sulphate  of  potash  three  parts,  sulphate  of  ammonia 
one  part,  and  ground  gypsum  two  parts  (mixed)  may  be  used. 
If  the  soil  be  rich  and  inclined  to  dampness  or  soapiness,  apply 
basic  slag  phosphate  at  the  rate. of  lib  per  square  yard,  and 
point  in  without  disturbing  the  roots.  In  the  case  of  the  other 
mixture  a,  light  scratching  with  a  rake  or  fork  will  suffice,  and 
the  rain  or  watering  will  work  the  ingredients  into  the  soil.  If 
the  roof  lights  are  fixed  ventilation  should  be  given  fully,  the 
trees  being  afforded  as  much  rest  as  possible,  care  being  taken 
not  to  allow  them  to  become  dry  at  the  roots.  If  the  roof  lights 
are  movable,  and  have  been  removed,  they  may  remain  off  until 
the  time  arrives  for  starting  the  trees,  or  until  the  buds  com¬ 
mence  swelling,  when  the  lights  must  of  necessity  be  replaced  to 
insure  the  safety  of  the  buds  and  blossoms. 
UNHEATED  HOUSES. — These  structures  are  often  made  re¬ 
ceptacles  for  other  plants,  and  the  welfare  of  the  trees  is  more  or 
less  interfered  with.  The  better  plan  is  to  remove  the  roof 
lights  and  let  the  trees  and  soil  have  the  benefit  of  the  ex¬ 
posure.  The  trees  will  not  take  the  least «harm,  no  matter  how 
severe  the  weather  may  be,  provided  the  wood  be  well  ripened ; 
but  if  there  is  any  doubt  about  that,  the  lights  are  best  re¬ 
tained  over  the  trees,  as  frost  acting  on  such  whilst  wet  may 
cause  their  destruction.  In  the  latter  case,  and  also  when  the 
lights  are  removed,  pruning  may  be  deferred  until  the  buds  com¬ 
mence  swelling,  or,  preferably,  proceed  with  it,  cleansing  the 
house  and  trees  as  opportunity  offers,  and  as  detailed  for  succes¬ 
sion  houses.  If  the  trees  are  disposed  to  make  long- jointed 
wood,  it  is  advisable  to  avoid  nitrogenous  manures,  especially 
those  of  a  quick  acting  nature,  as  nitrate  of  soda  and  sulphate 
of  ammonia,  also  potassic,  such  as  muriate  of  potash,  supplying 
bonemeal  or  basic  cinder  phosphate,  which  furnishes  phosphoric 
acid  and  lime.  Potash,  if  given  at  all,  should  be  in  the  form 
that  will  hinder  its  softening  tendency,  such  as  refined  kainit 
(double  sulphate  of  potash  and  magnesia),  using  about  equal 
parts  of  it  and  basic  slag  phosphate,  supplying  4oz  of  the  mix¬ 
ture  per  square  yard,  pointing  in  lightly.  On  the  other  hand, 
where  trees  make  too  little  wood,  and  are  more  prolific  of  fruit 
than  desirable  for  attaining  a  first-class  size,  the  border  may  be 
dressed  with  a  combined  phosphatic  and  nitrogenic  manure,  say, 
dissolved  bones  two  parts,  nitrate  of  potash  one  part,  using  4oz 
per  square  yard.  If  a  limy  soil,  use  steamed  bonemeal  three 
and  a  half  parts,  muriate  of  potash  one  and  a  half  part,  and 
nitrate  of  soda  one  and  a  half  part,  applying  4oz  of  the  mix¬ 
ture  per  square  yard.  The  mixture  should  be  given  when  the 
trees  commence  swelling  the  buds,  washing  in  moderately,  re¬ 
peating  when  stoning  is  completed.  These  elements  mainly 
benefit  the  trees  in  the  year  of  application,  therefore  they 
must  be  applied  when  they  can  be  appropriated  and  trans¬ 
formed  into  imbibable  form.  This  is  when  the  trees  are  in 
growth,  and  to  benefit  the  fruits  the  manure  must  be  available 
whilst  they  are  swelling.  Carefully  examine  inside  borders,  and 
supply  a  thorough  watering  if  dry,  or  lack  of  moisture  at  the 
roots  will  cause  the  buds  to  fall  later  on.  Keep  the  houses  as 
cool  as  possible,  so  as  to  insure  complete  rest. — St.  Albans. 
»  » 
LA  RGE  =  FLOWERED  CLEMATIS  FOR  SPRING. 
Every  nurseryman  and  every  florist  knows  of  the  loss  of  plants 
of  Clematis,  both  by  themselves  and  their  customers.  This  loss 
is  more  likely  to  occur  when  the  creepers  are  set  in  the  fall  than 
when  done  in  spring,  having  in  mind  the  large-flowered  sorts 
principally.  These  are  largely  grafted  on  the  C.  flammula,  and 
the  fleshy  roots  of  this  stock  do  not  take  kindly  to  fall  trans¬ 
planting.  Just  why  this  is  I  cannot  say,  and  it  may  not  be  so 
generally ;  but  it  has  been  my  experience  that  to  set  out  the 
plants  in  the  fall  is  almost  equivalent  to  throwing  them  away. 
That  the  cold  soil  has  something  to  do  with  it  is  believed,  because, 
when  potted  and  placed  in  a  greenhouse,  the  result  is  different. 
Magnolias  and  Tulip  Poplars  behave  in  a  similar  way,  and  they 
have  fleshy  roots.  Transplant  them  in  autumn,  and  they  die  for 
sure  ;  set  in  spring,  they  grow.  Careless  planters  cause  the  death 
of  many  Clematis  by  not  spreading  out  the  roots.  They  set  them 
in  a  bunch,  as  if  the  cluster  was  one  root,  resulting  in  the  inner 
ones  getting  not  a  particle  of  soil  to  touch  them.  These  roots 
rot,  and  the  whole  mass  becomes  diseased.  The  roots  should 
be  well  spread  out,  so  that  each  is  encased  in  soil.  Sand  is  good 
to  use  to  cover  them  with,  as  it  works  in  well  around  the  roots. 
Many  trees,  evergreens,  such  as  Hemlock  and  Arbor  Vitae,  especi¬ 
ally,  are  often  destroyed  in  the  same  way.  They  have  large 
clusters  of  small  roots,  mat-like  in  appearance,  and  it  needs  great 
cave  to  have  the  soil  reach  everyone. — J.  Meehan  (in  the  “  Florists’ 
Exchange.”) 
