be secured in order to have the flowers properly fertilized. The pollen will, however, need to be transferred by hand from the stamens to the pistils, and it can be done best by means of a small camel's-hair brush, at the same time carrying along any surplus pollen that may be found, on a small spoon or wooden paddle. Care must be taken that pollen is conveyed to every pistil, or the fruits will be irregular in form. The pollinating should be repeated every pleasant morning. As soon as

the fruit has set, the application of liquid manure should commence, and should be repeated two or three times a week until the fruits begin to color.

If more than eight or ten fruits set upon a plant, the smaller and imperfect ones should be removed. The plants should never be allowed to suffer for want of water, and occasionally on warm, bright mornings the foliage should be syringed, but this is not advisable while the plants are in blossom, or after the fruit begins

to color. In order to keep the fruit from the damp soil, where it will be likely to rot, some support must be pro vided. Mr. Hunn, of the Cornell Experiment Station, who has been quite successful in forcing strawberries, is well pleased with cork chips, and with fine netting placed upon the pots, as seen in Fig. 86. In about a month from the time the fruit sets, the berries will begin to ripen, and in ten days to two weeks the plants may be thrown out and replaced with others, which will need the same care, except that less attention need be paid to pollinating the flowers. The red spider and aphis may be troublesome, unless proper remedies are used.

The variety selected will have much to do with the results secured. For the best success, it should be an early sort, with rather short petioles and small leaves, that is little subject to disease. Unless other perfect flowering plants are grown to provide pollen for them, pistillate sorts should not be selected, although otherwise many of the imperfect-flowered varieties are well adapted for forcing. The Beder Wood, a perfect-flowered variety, is one of the best, its principal fault being the light color of the fruit. Among the later sorts Sharpless and Parker Earle are well adapted for forcing. Although the results will be less satisfactory, fruit may be obtained four or five weeks earlier, by shortening the period of rest.

In a good market, well-grown fruit (Fig. 87) will bring from two to four dollars per quart in February, and not over a dozen plants, which in six-inch pots will not occupy more than three or four square feet, will be required to furnish them, and they will not occupy the houses more than ten or twelve weeks. There is also a call for the plants, while in fruit, at prices that will be quite remunerative. A well-grown plant with a crop of fine fruit, as seen in Fig. 88, is a handsome ornament for a table.

CHAPTER XX.

FRUIT TRLES UNDER GLASS.

In many sections of the country the climate is not adapted to the growing of such fruits as the peach, apricot and nectarine in the open air, and although these fruits can generally, be obtained in the market in their season, as a rule the varieties are not of the best quality from the fact that the most desirable varieties, so far as quality is concerned, are generally lacking in hardiness and are consequently unproductive when grown in the open air. On this account there seems to be a growing interest in orchard houses and in the forcing of fruit under glass.

While a cheap lean-to house built against a wall will give good results, the form best adapted to the purpose is the even-span. If the expense can be afforded, the curvilinear roof is desirable, as it gives more room for the growth of the trees. While good results can be obtained without fire heat, it will be necessary if the fruit is to be forced, and may save a crop if the weather is cold or wet at the time the trees are in blossom, or while the fruit is setting, as a check at that time may prevent the setting of the fruit. Ample ventilation should be provided at the ridge and will be desirable in the side walls, that a good circulation of air may be procured.

The trees may be grown either in pots or tubs, or planted out in borders in the house. The former is desirable from the fact that the trees being portable can be placed close together during the winter, and the con

ditions can be controlled better, but on the other hand there is the disadvantage of requiring much more fre

quent attention regarding the wa

tering of the

trees, particularly

during the summer

will require somewhat larger sizes.

months.

For the pear,

a quince stock is desirable, and the Mahaleb is preferred for the cherry, but peach seedlings can be used as stocks for the peach, nectarine and apricot, although the myrobolan plum stock can be used for them as well as for the plum.

For pot cul

ture, trees of pear, plum or cherry will require from ten-to fourteen-inch pots when three or four years old, and as they increase in size can be shifted to tubs. The peach and nectarine trees The soil for the

plum and pear trees should have a liberal admixture of

clay, while the cherry and peach trees will do best in a sandy loam soil. When first potted, about one part of decomposed manure to five parts of soil will be sufficient, but for repotting and top-dressing the amount of manure can be doubled. It will also be well to add for each bushel of soil a four-inch pot each of ground bone and wood ashes. The repotting should be done after the growth has ripened in the fall, but if the roots have not become matted it will not be necessary each year, as it will often suffice if the surface soil is removed and a top-dressing added.

When the buds begin to swell in the spring, the trees should be syringed on bright mornings, but they should be kept rather close and

dry while they are FIG. 90. EARLY TRANSPARENT GAGE FRUIT in blossom, and

particular care should be taken that they are not checked in their growth from any cause until after the fruit has begun to swell. After this time the trees should be syringed in the morning and again in the after