240 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
JIarch  17,  1904. 
Fruit  Forcing. 
CHERRY  HOUSE.— Wli  en  the  fertilisation  of  the  blossoms 
has  been  effected,  the  Cherries  will  be  seen  swelling  at  the  base 
of  the  decayed  flowers  ;  then  syringing  may  be  resumed  once  a  day 
until  the  remains  of  the  flowers  are  cast,  and  then  twice  daily 
when  the  weather  is  clear  and  warm.  Artificial  heat  must  be 
given  to  prevent  the  temperature  falling  below  dOdeg  at  night, 
and  to  maintain  50deg  as  a  minimum  by  day.  Ventilate  at  oOdeg, 
and  close  at  the  same,  regulating  the  ventilation  according  to 
circumstances,  but  not  allowing  a  rise  ab9ve  Gocleg  without  full 
air.  If  aphides  appear  vaporise  the  house  with  nicotine  compound, 
the  foliage  being  clry  when  the  vaporisation  is  effected.  Keep  a 
.sharp  look  out  for  caterpillars.  Stopping  will  soon  require  atten¬ 
tion.  Pinch  out  the  points  of  the  growths  when  they  have  macle 
din  to  oin  of  growth,  removing  those  shoots  not  required.  Train 
extensions  in  their  full  length,  also  those  for  filling  vacant  spaces. 
Overcrowding  miast  be  strictly  guarded  against,  it  being  pre¬ 
judicial  both  to  the  present  and  future  crops. 
PEACHES  AND  NECTARINES  :  EARLY  FORCED  TREES. 
— An  equable  temperature  is  desirable  during  the  stoning  pro¬ 
cess.  With  too  much  heat  at  night  the  trees  are  deprived  of 
rest,  and  this  is  not  favourable  to  the  fruit,  cold  and  drying 
currents  in  the  daytime  are  even  more  injurious,  a  sudden  change 
sometimes  proving  fatal  to  the  crop.  Continue  the  night  tem¬ 
perature  at  GOdeg  to  Godeg,  also  in  dull  weather  in  the  daytime, 
but  TOdeg  to  75deg  with  gleams  of  sun,  ventilating  from  Gudeg. 
Attend  to  thinning  the  fruit  betimes.  It  is  not  desirable  to 
Itave,  during  the  stoning  process,  more  than  twice  the  number 
of  fruits  that  are  to  remain  for  the  crop.  One  fruit  to  every 
square  of  foot  of  trellis  covered  with  foliage  is  ample  for  the  large 
Peaches,  and  the  medium-sized  varieties  may  be  left  a  little 
closer.  Nectarines  being  smaller  than  Peaches,  are  often  left 
much  too  close,  which  reduces  the  sizei  of  the  fruit  proportionatel.v, 
whereas  to  secure  fine  fruits  they  require  thinning  similar  to 
Peaches. 
Secure  all  the  shoots  to  the  trellis  that  are  required  for  exten¬ 
sion  and  next  year’s  bearing  as  the.y  progre.s.s,  stopping  any  gross 
succes.sional  shoots  at  a  length  of  about  1.7in.  If  the  stopping 
results  in  laterals  pinch  them  at  the  first  loaf,  and  so  on  as 
produced.  If  extension  is  wanted  the  uppermost  laterals  may  be 
trained  in.  Pinch  laterals  on  extensions  to  one  leaf,  and  succeed¬ 
ing  growths  to  one  joint.  If  the  trees  are  in  good  order  there  will 
be  little  nece.ssity  for  stopping  the  shoots  if  they  are  allowed 
space  for  the  development  of  the  foliage  to  solidify  the  wood  as 
made.  Shoots  retained  to  attract  the  sap  to  the  fruit  should  be 
stopped  to  one  leaf,  they  having  previously  been  pinched  in  the 
first  growth  at  the  third  leaf.  Avoid  stimulating  the  trees  while 
stoning,  but  afford  due  supplies  of  water  and  food  of  a  phosphatic 
nature  combined  with  potash  rather  than  nitrogenous. 
SECOND  EARLY  FORC'ED  TREES.  -Proceed  with  dis¬ 
budding,  a  shoot  being  left  at  the  base  of  the  present  year’s 
bearing  wood  or  last  year’s  young  wood,  and  one  on  a  level  with 
or  above  the  fruits.  The  first  must  be  trained  forward,  but  the 
latter  should  be  sto^Dped  at  the  second  or  third  leaf.  Upon 
extensions  leave  young  .shoots  at  loin  or  18in  distance,  the 
growths  from  the  extremity  being  trained  as  a  continuation  of 
the  primary  branch.  Commence  tying  early,  as  when  the  shoots 
are  allowed  to  grow  considerably  they  cannot  be  brought  down 
without  danger  of  breaking.  Overcrowding  mu.st  be  carefully 
guarded  against,  it  is  fatal  to  fine,  highly-coloured  fruits  and  the 
formation  and  perfection  of  the  wood  for  future  crops.  Thin  the 
fruits  by  degrees,  leaving  those  well  placed  upon  the  upper  side  of 
the  trellis  in  .sufficient  quantity  for  a  crop,  or  a  little  more,  until 
the  final  thinning  before  stoning.  In  no  case  is  it  good  practice 
to  tax  the  trees  with  superfluous  fruits  after  they  are  the  size  of 
marbles.  A  temperature  of  Sodeg  to  GOdeg  at  night,  Godeg  by 
day,  increasing  to  TOdeg  to  Todeg  is  suitable. 
HOUSES  STARTED  AT  THE  BEGINNING  OF  FEBRUARY. 
• — The  trees  in  these  have  set  their  fruits,  or  nearly  so,  and 
recourse  must  be  had  to  syringing  in  the  morning  and  afternoon 
of  fine  days,  but  an  occasional  syringing  with  damping  the  house 
will  suffice  in  dull  weather,  always  having  the  foliage  and  young 
fruit  dry  before  nightfall.  Disbudding  must  be  done  gradually, 
commencing  with  the  most  forward  growths,  also  thinning  the 
fruits  after  it  is  seen  which  takes  the  lead  in  swelling,  removing 
the  smallest  first,  but  avoid  large  reductions  of  foliage  or  of  fruit 
at  one  time.^  A  temperature  of  oodeg  at  night,  5deg  less  on  cold 
mornings,  .'3odeg  to  GOdeg  by  day,  advancing  to  Godeg  or  TOdeg 
with  gleams  of  sun,  will  bring  the  trees  on  fast  enough  ventilat¬ 
ing  from  Sodeg  to  GOdeg,  and  not  allowing  an  advance  above 
Godeg  without  full  ventilation. 
HOUSES  STARTED  EARLY  IN  MARCH.— With  the  flowers 
expanding  syringing  the  trees  must  cease,  for  there  is  danger, 
especially  in  dull  weather,  of  weakening  the  blossom  and  conv'ert- 
ing  the  pollen  into  paste.  An  unusually  bright  period  and  a  dry 
atmosphere  ina.y  occasion  the  need  of  an  occasional  syringing. 
Damping  the  floors  and  borders  is  generally  sufficient,  and  a 
safe  plan.  Admit  air  freely  in  mild  weather,  and  fertilise_the 
flowers  On  fine  days.  Maintain  the  night  temperature  at  4odeg 
to  SOdeg,  Sodeg  b.v  day  artificially,  and  GSdeg  from  sun  hegt. 
Admit  a  little  air  constantly,  increase  the  ventilation  at  fiOdeg, 
and  give  more  as  the  heat  rises,  having  full  air  on  at  Godeg, 
closing  at  50deg.  Superfluous  flowers  on  the  under  side  of  the 
shoots  may  be  removed  bv  drawing  the  hand  down  the  growths. 
LATE  'houses.— Where  the  roof  lights  have  been  removed 
they  should  be  replaced  at  once,  the  buds  being  well  advanced  in 
swelling,  and  promising  an  abundant  crop  of  fruit.  If  there  be 
any  tra'ce  of  aphides,  apply  an  insecticide,  or  fumigate  the  house 
before  the  flowers  expand.  Nothing  conduces  more  to  a  good 
set  than  removing  the  flowers  on  the  under  side  or  back  of  the 
trellis,  and  turning  on  the  heat  after  the  anthers  show,  for  a 
short  time  in  the  early  part  of  the  day  to  advance  the  temperature 
to  GOdeg.  and  permit  of  ventilation,  a.s  if  there  is  a  prevalence 
of  dull,  cold  weather  at  that  time,  closing  the  ventilators  for 
safety  prejudioes  the  pollen.  Houses  that  have  fixed  roof  lights 
must'  have  the  borders  rendered  thoroughly  moist. — G.  A., 
St.  Albans,  Herts. 
The  Kitchen  Garden. 
ASPARAGUS  BEDS  may  now  receive  a  top-dressing  of  rich 
compost.  Wood  ashes  should  enter  into  the  mixture  largely.  Theie 
are  few  better  fertilisers  than  wood  ashes  which  har  e  been  chaiied 
in  a  smother  heap,  but  bleached  ash  is  much  poorer  in  quality.  It  is 
not  wise  to  mix  .salt  with  the  dressing.  This  may  be  applied  at 
a  later  date.  After  the  dressing  has  been  applied  the  beds  should 
be  edged  to  give  them  a  smart  appearance. 
GLOBE  ARTICHOKE  SEEDS  may  now  be  sown.  kOifor- 
tunately,  a  large  percentage  of  the  seedlings  are  worthless.  There¬ 
fore  it  null  be  necessary  to  select  those  which  produce  the  be^st 
heads  when  thev  bear  their  first  crop,  and  discard  the  bad  ones. 
TURNIPS. _ A  sowing  of  these  should  now  be  made.  Choose 
a  warm  border,  and  select  one  of  the  strap-leaved  varieties  for 
this  early  sowing.  These  turn  in  quickly,  and  are  therefore  not 
so  liable ‘to  form  hard  cores  as  the  Snowball  type,  which  are  better 
for  a  later  sowing. 
DWARF  OR  FRENCH  BEANS.— A  few  dozen  3in  pots  of 
these  will  prove  mseful  for  planting  out  in  April  where  they 
be  sheltered.  At  the  foot  of  Peach  walls  is  a  suitable  place.  The 
canvas  used  for  protecting 
the  trees  will  also  shelter  the 
Beans  when  planted  out,  and 
will  forward  them  several 
weeks. 
EGYPTIAN  OR  TUR¬ 
NIP-ROOTED  BEET.— A 
small  sowing  of  this  may  now 
be  made,  and  will  be  ser¬ 
viceable  for  early  supplies. 
CELERIAC  .should  now 
be  sown  in  heat.  This  re¬ 
quires.  a  long  season  to 
mature  large  roots.  The  soil 
should  be  rich  and  well  pre¬ 
pared,  or  the  roots  will  be  of 
popr  quality. 
CABBAGES.  —  A  few 
rows  of  these  should  now  be 
planted  to  keep  the  supph' 
going.  Spring  Cabbage  will 
be  a  poor  crop  in  many 
cases,  and  extra  attention 
should  be  given  to  this  early 
planting. 
Tritoma  Sanders!  x  May  Queen. 
CAULIFLOWER  SEEDS  and  other  winter  and  autumn  seeds 
of  the  Brassica  family  should  now  be  sown.  The  autumn 
varieties  of  Cauliflowers  require  a  sheltered  position.  As  sharp 
frost  often  injures  them,  the  seed  should  be  coated  with  red  lead 
to  keep  the  birds  from  destroying  the  seed  as  they  germinate, 
which  they  are  very  fond  of  doing. 
PARSLEY. — A  good  breadth  of  this  should  be  sown.  The 
soil  should  be  deep  and  rich.  The  seed  should  be  sown  a  little 
more  thickly  than  usual. 
HOEING. — As  soon  as  the  soil  becomes  dry  enough  the  Dutch 
hoe  should  be  used  freely  on  all  parts  of  the  garden  where  pos- 
.sible.  Its  use  will  be  more  necessary  than  usual  owing  to  the 
hard  condition  of  the  surface  soil  after  the  heavy  and  continuous 
