462 
JOURXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER,.  :Novewber.i9,  1903. 
Apple,  Middle  Green. 
Fruit,  medium  size,  two  inches  high  and  the  same  in  width; 
round,  even,  except  for  a  characteristic  rise  or  tiny  hump  on  one 
side  next  the  eve;  skin  smooth,  rich  greenish  yellow— a  bright, 
beautiful  colour— prettily  flaked  and  mottled  with  crimson  on 
the  sunny  side,  the  mottling  giving  it  a  russety  shade  on  this 
side.  Eye  open,  with  reflexed  segments,  set  in  a  moderately 
deep,  slightly  furrowed  basin.  Stamens  marginal;  tube  short, 
funnel-shaped.  Stalk  half  an  inch  long,  nearly  straight,  stout, 
and  covered  with  greyish  felt.  It  is  set  in  a  deep  round  cavity. 
Flesh  yellowish-white,  firm,  very  juicy,  rich  and  sugary. 
An  excellent  dessert  Apple  of  first-rate  quality.  Mr.  Seden, 
manager  to  Messrs.  J.  Yeitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  at  Langley, 
says  of  it :  “  The  tree  has  a  good  habit,  is  robust,  and  a  good 
hearer.” 
Strawberries  in  Pots. 
All  iflants  for  earlj*  forcing  should  be  placed  in  frames,  with 
a  view  to  protect  them  from  heavy  rains  and  snow.  Severe 
frost  does  the  plants  no  good,  and  often  harm,  by  destroying 
the  tender  fibrous  roots,  while  heavy  rains  and  snow  often 
cause  the  drainage  to  become  much  choked.  In  frames,  and 
plunged  to  the  rims  of  the  pots,  the  plants  are  quite  safe,  only 
take  care  not  to  allow  any  to  become  and  remain  dry  at  the 
roots,  to  use  the  lights  only  when  heavy  rains  prevail,  and  then 
with  them  tilted  at  the  hack,  and  closed  when  snow  and  frost 
occurs,  otherwise  drawing  off  the  lights. 
If  protection  by  mats  is  given  in  severe  weather,  the  plants 
can  he  removed  at  any  time  as  required  for  forcing.  One  of 
the  coinmonest  and  worst  practices  is  to  pile  the  pots,  plapt 
outward,  in  a  sort  of  half-cone  against  a  wall,  packing  them 
in  sawdust  or  .soil ;  and  the  consequence  is  they  get  frozen 
through,  and  the  roots  injured,  whilst  not  a  few  suffer  from 
drought,  as  they  are  practically  unavailable  for  watering.  A 
greater  mistake  is  made  in  placing  the  plants  in  borders  in  a 
Peach  house  with  open  ventilators,  where  the  currents  of  air, 
being  constant  and  excessive,  provoke  evaporation  that  simply 
wastes  the  energies  of  the  plants,  and  mostly  destroys  the 
roots  at  the  sides  of  the  pots.  It  is  a  better  plan  to  stand  the 
pots  on  a  foundation  of  ashes  in  a  .sheltered  position,  and 
surround  them  with  ashes  level  with  the  rim  of  the  pots,  afford¬ 
ing  them  a  slight  covering  of  straw  or  bracken  in  severe 
Apple,  Middle  Green.  A.M.  October  13. 
weather.  This  answers  vei’y  well  for  midseason  and  late  .forcing 
plants,  they  being  removable  at  any  time,  and  take  no  harm, 
only  if  frozen  the  plants  must  be  thawed  in  a  house  not  much 
above  freezing  point. 
Where  there  is  the  convenience  of  a  Strawberry  house,  and 
the  fruit  is  required  early,  say  in  late  February  or  early  in 
INlarch,  a  batch  of  plants  may  be  introduced  at  the  latter  part 
of  November  or  beginning  of  December,  placing  them  on  .shelves 
near  the  glass,  and  only  employing  fire^to  exclude  frost  at 
night,  and  to  maintain  a  temperature  of  oOdeg  by  day,  at  and 
above  which  ventilate  freely.  The  plants  forming  this  hatch 
should  be  the  earliest  matured;  with  well  formed  crowns,  and 
of  the  mo.st  approvcel  early  forcing  varietii^,  than  which  we  have 
not  found  better  than  La  Gros.se  Sucr^e,.  Bpyal  Sovereign,  and 
Vicomtesse  Hericart  de  Thury.  The  old  Black  Prince  .is  earlier 
ancl  forces  readily,  htvt  is .  very  liable  ter  hiildew,  which'  often 
ruiiis  the  crop.  .  .  ’  ' 
Where  there  is  convenience,  and  the  crop  is  required  very 
early,  or  when  the  plants  are  backward,  it  is  a  great  aid  in 
early  forcing  to  afford  the  plants  the  benefit  of  a  slight  warmth 
at  the  roots  by  making  up  a  bed  of  leaves  about  2ft  in  height, 
placing  the  plants  in  a  frame  or  house  upon  it,  packing  the  space 
between  the  pots  with  clamp  leaves.  The  bottdni  heat  at  the 
base  of  the  pots  should  be  Godeg.  the  top  being  kept  ,  cool, 
50deg  not  being  exceeded ;  ancl  when  mild  draw  off  the  lights. 
This  will  promote  activity  at  the  roots,  and  the  crowns  will 
push  little  or  nothing;  yet  the  plants,  after  a  month  of  this 
treatment — the  bed  then  being  cool,  or  the  nets  withdrawn  in 
preparation  for  removal  to  a  vinery  just  being  started— will  go 
right  away  without  having  the  leaves  drawn  or  the  tru.s.ses 
weakened  by  being  placed  direct  from  cool  quarters  in  a  house 
almost  warm  enough  when  started  for  the  Strawberry  tvhen  in 
flower.  In  fact,  plants  with  well  developed  crowns  and  abun¬ 
dant  roots  do  not  always  succeed  in  a  vinery,  because  they  arc 
brought  into  flower  too  rapidly;  but  treated  in  the  manner 
advised,  excellent  fruit  of  La  Grosse  Sucree  may  be  had  in 
March  from  a  vinery  started  at  the  new  year. — G.  A. 
Figs  :  Earliest  Trees  in  Pots. 
To  have  ripe  fruit  at  the  end  of  April  or  early  in  May  the 
trees  should  be  started  in  December,  and  they  must  be  of  the 
early  varieties.  After  trying  most,  I  find  Early  Triolet,  St. 
John’s,  and  Brown  Turkey  reliable  in  the  first  crops,  and  giving 
a  succession  of  fruit.  Dress  the  trees  with  an  approved  insecti¬ 
cide,  ancl  stand  them  on  loose  brickwork  pillars,  so  that  they 
may  not  settle  with  the  fermenting  materials,  which  being 
placed  in  the  pit  and  brought  up  about  the  pots  will  afford 
gentle  warmth  ancl  genial  moisture,  but  the  heat  about  the 
pots  must  not  exceed  GScleg  until  the  trees  are  fairly  in 
growth. 
The  top  heat  may  be  kept  at  oOcleg  to  Sodeg  at  night 
ancl  6.5cleg  by  clay,  the  trees  and  house  being  damped  in  the 
morning  of  fine  days,  and  again  in  the  afternoon,  but  it  must 
be  clone  .sufficiently  early  to  allow  the  trees  to  become  fairly  dry 
before  night.  Water  must  be  given  at  the  roots  to  render  the 
soil  evenly  moist,  supplying  it  at  the  same  temperature  as  that 
of  the  heat  about  the  pots,  but  avoid  overwatering  or  a 
wet  condition  of  the  soil,  as  that  neither  favours  root  formation 
nor  a  steady  development.  Also  avoid  a  close  moist  atmosphere. 
The  moisture  arising  from  the  fermenting  material,  with  an 
occasional  damping  of  the  paths  ancl  walls,  will  be  .sufficient 
in  dull  weather. 
Early  Forced  Planted  Out  Trees. 
The  earliest  house  should  be  closed  in  December  to  have 
ripe  Figs  in  May.  Where,  however,  the  earliest  Figs  are 
obtained  from  trees  in  pots,  starting  the  trees  in  borders  may  be 
deferred  until  the  New  Year,  so  as  to  afford  a  succession. 
Planted-out  trees,  even  with  the  roots  confined,  as  they  should 
be  for  early  forcing  in  narrow  borders,  will  not  ripen  the  fruit 
so  early  as  trees  in  pots  Avith  the  aid  of  bottom  heat ;  hence,  if 
started  at  the  same  time,  they  will  afford  a  close  .succession  to 
that  from  trees  in  pots.  The  trees  having  been  pruned  and 
dressed  with  an  insecticide,  the  house  thoroughly  cleansed,  and 
the  border  top-dressed,  attention  may  be  given  to  the  moisture 
of  the  border.  Assuming  the  soil  has  become  dry,  apply  water 
in  a  tepid  state  at  the  roots  at  frequent  intervals,  until  the 
soil  is  thoroughly  moi.stened  through  to  the  drainage,  but  not 
made  sodden  by  over-supplies.  In  the  matter  of  temperature, 
proceed  as  for  the  trees  in  pots. 
St.  Louis  World’s  Fair. 
Under  the  classification  of  pomology,  its  appliances,  methods,  and 
products,  there  will  be  installed  in  the  Horticulture  Palace  of  the 
Universal  Exposition  of  St.  Louis,  1904,  displays  as  folloAvs; 
rOMOLOGA'. 
Pomcceoiis  and  r.tone  fruits  :  Apples,  pears,  cjuinces,  cherries,  plums,  pe.aches, 
apricots,  nectarines,  Ac. 
Citrus  fruits  ;  Oranges,  lemons,  limes,  shaddocks,  pomeloes,  &c. 
Tropical  and  sub-tropical  fruits:  Pineapples,  b.anan.as,  guave:,  mangoe;, 
tamarinds,  figs,  olives,  sapodillas,  Ac. 
Small  fruits  :  Strawberries,  raspberries,  blackberries,  dewberries,  gooseberries, 
currants,  Ac. 
Nuts  :  Almonds,  chestnuts,  filberts,  hickorynuts,  walnuts,  Ac. 
Casts  and  models  of  fruit  in  wax,  plaster,  Ac. 
ARnORIC'ULTUBE. 
Fruit  trees  and  methods  of  propagating,  planting,  growing, training,  pruning  ,  Ac. 
APPLIANCES  AND  METHODS  OK  POMOLOGY. 
fools  for  nurserymen  :  ipades,  picks  hoes.  Tools  for  pruning,  grafting 
gathering,  packing. 
