346 THE TLORIST. 



situations." That orchard-houses are a valuable auxiliary to good 

 gardens, I am fully persuaded ; but then they must be very different 

 structures from Mr. Rivers's glass roofs, resting on posts, and the spaces 

 between filled in with Arbor-vitee, &c. ; or even from his more recently 

 erected ones with wood shutters, &c. 



Mr. Rivers claims to be considered the poor amateur's friend. He 

 wishes to furnish the man of small income with all the dainty kinds of 

 fruit, and to supply which very large and costly establishments are 

 supported by many of our aristocracy. This is a very praiseworthy 

 motive ; but, with all due deference to Mr. Rivers, I cannot see how 

 his orchard-houses will ever realise it. 



I should very much like to hear your opinion on fruit-trees in pots ; 

 as to whether there is any real economy, or any decided advantage, in 

 growing them in pots to planting them in borders of soil. This is a 

 point which should be settled at once ; and it is to such practical men 

 as yourself that the public look for the solution of such questions. 



From my own experience, I know that the cultivation of fruit-trees 

 in pots is attended with an immense deal of labour ; and so will any 

 amateur, however enthusiastic he may be, find it, it he has all the work 

 to do himself. Even Mr. Rivers finds it necessary to place the pots his 

 trees are growing in on a bed of soil for the roots to penetrate into it, 

 and this notwithstanding his liberal doses of liquid manure. 



Then why not, I ask, plant them in the soil, and be done with all 

 the trouble of cutting off the roots, and placing fresh soil for them to 

 strike into every year ? I know what Mr. Rivers has said in favour of 

 growing the trees in pots, but I cannot see there is any advantage in 

 the system to the fruit-grower ; whilst I can see a very serious objection 

 to it, namely — that for pot-culture a much greater number of trees will 

 be required for an orchard-house than when the trees are planted out 

 in borders, and consequently the nurseryman's bill will be so much 

 larger. This is a matter of vast importance to the poor amateur, whom 

 Mr. Rivers, with his cheap houses, wishes to befriend. I merely make 

 this remark in support of the view I take of the subject, without 

 intending any offence to Mr. Rivers or any other person. It has 

 been said that by having fruit-trees in pots we can have a greater 

 variety of fruit, and for a greater length of time. I admit that we can 

 have a greater variety of fruit, but I am not quite so certain that we can 

 have them for any greater length of time. One good tree in a border 

 will bear as many fruit as six trees in pots, and consequently will furnish 

 fruit for the dessert for as long a time as the six trees in pots, and with 

 a proper selection of sorts the time might be equally long. From my own 

 experience, I know that twenty trees planted in a border will bear more 

 fine fruit than sixty trees in pots in an orchard-house of the same size. 



But some may urge it as an objection that trees planted out will soon 

 get too large for any ordinary orchard-house. To this I say no, with 

 root-pruning and proper management. 



There is, however, one very great advantage to be gained in growing 

 fruit-trees in pots in orchard-houses, namely — for proving new kinds 

 of fruit. This is their legitimate purpose, and to this they should be 

 confined. This is a nurseryman's business, and to this they should con- 



