20 PROFITABLE FRUIT CULTURE. [May 



disappointed applicants for the position attacked me at every move, 

 through the public print ; so that I got almost ready to give up the 

 place. I got so disgusted that I went into the chief architect's 

 office and told him so. His answer was that as the Department 

 had found no fault, I should go on. He counselled me to pay no 

 attention to them, but to go on as I was doing and I would come 

 out right. I did so, and the result proved the wisdom of his words. 

 The many eulogiums I now hear about the work are very- 

 encouraging to me. 



If your correspondent should ever be successful in getting a 

 situation as a landscape gardener, let him pray that it be not a 

 public one, for, if it is, he will have to endure many such unpleasant 

 things as I have related, and perhaps a good many more. I may 

 add that my success here has given me two chances to far more 

 lucrative positions, which were very tempting. But when I looked 

 back on the past, and saw the great pleasure I had had since my 

 first years, I said to myself, my cottage and my little garden still 

 remain, and, all things considered, there are associations here that 

 could not be found easily. I have been frequently told I was 

 foolish to devote myself so closely to this work, and that I would 

 never get any thanks for it. I have got thanks a thousand times, 

 until the cup runs over, well repaying me for my exertion, I am 

 glad to see you make public Mr. ]\Iiller's affair at Fairmount Park, 

 for this system of exchanging plants is an old-established one, and 

 was almost considered obligatory amongst gardeners in Scotland in 

 my day there, and it would be a good thing if it were more practised 

 than it is. It is a pleasure to find the charges against Mr. Miller 

 so utterly unfounded. — Median's Gardeners Montlily. 



PROFITABLE FRUIT CULTURE. 



ME. WATKINS, a practical fruit-grower, in a paper read before 

 the members of the Herefordshire Chamber of Agriculture, 

 cited two successful cases of apple-growing last season that came 

 under his own notice. In one case a small orchard of about three 

 acres was recently planted with standard apple trees of good sorts 

 for table and kitchen use. The trees were properly cared for and 

 manured, and as some sorts were found to be growing too freely, 

 they were root-pruned. The result was a magnificent crop of fruit 

 last season, which realized about £16 per acre after paying all 

 expenses. In the other case an orchard was placed in Mr. 

 Watkins' hands. The trees were a mixture of culinary, dessert, 



