290 TiiF FmnisT. 



strenuously urged that orchard hovjsos arc a valuable auxiliary even to 

 good gardens, and in our opinion indisiiensahie in oxpoHcd and cold 

 situations. Tlie cases of faihire that we liave heanl of are very tew, 

 and can easily be traced to other causes than tlie lauMs of tlu- Imuse, 

 while tlieir suciess has now llie test of ex|ierience to reconnnond tliem. 

 We fi-el, therefore, some gralilication in knowing that our estimate of 

 their utility luis been satislactorily proved, and, furtlier, that ihoy are 

 s|iringiiig up in all directions, winch can only arise from the fact that 

 tluir merits are duly appreciated by loyors ot fruit. We are not quite 

 sure wiietlier fruiting tiie trees in pots is tiie cheapest and best way to 

 obtain pern\aneMt crops, but on this we reserve our remarks for the 

 present. We must cominence with plants in some shape or other, 

 and Mr. Rivers and the few other nurserymen who have so kindly 

 undertaken to supply our wants havo really got these up so nicely to 

 hand, such charming little compact buslies reaily furnished with fruit 

 buds, tliat no one can resist the temptation to ]iurchase. Parties iuive 

 now only to build their house, and despatch their order, au'l forthwith 

 they can have these miniature trees all ready to han<l, anil fit for 

 inunediate work, and a short six months over may enjoy the fruits of 

 their labour without having their hopes frustrated by inclement seasons 

 or destroying blights. As nurserymen have so obligingly taken the 

 trouble to get pot fruit trees ready (or bearing fruit at once, why not 

 attempt the same thing with trees for walls ? How rarely do we seo 

 trained trees, excepting what have been cut back close hoirie and 

 presenting nothing Imt five or six strong shoots, which they tell us 

 must be cut back again after planting. Why could not a part of their 

 stock of trained trees have their shoots cut only half way back ? With 

 Pears, Plums and Cherries we should get a few spurs the secontl year, 

 and with the I'each some smaller shoots, which, in all prol>aliility, 

 would proiluce fruit buds. But, say they, if we did not sell them the first 

 year they would be too large afterwards, and unsaleable. Kor our own 

 part we should prefer them to trees clt)sely cut back, and furnished only 

 with young wood, and so, we believe, would most others. But, let us 

 ask, does not the practice of cutting back strong vigorous young trees 

 often produce gum and canker? We have seen A[tricots, Cherries, and 

 Peaches, too, become gunnned and worthless through the severe pruning 

 resorted to to procure handsome plants, /. <?., with long straight shoots, 

 and which perhaps have even no leaf buds for one-half their length, 

 in conseipience of the gross habit induced by this system. 



To return to our subject, for the above digression has no reference 

 whatever to anything we saw at Sawbridgeworth, — the orchard houses 

 here are of the usual form, most of them having an eipial span roof. 

 Sonte of those first built are merely glass roofs or sheds, the side plates 

 supported liy posts placed in the ground, the space between the siilo 

 plate and ground being fille.l in by clipped hedges of Arl)or-vitie or 

 Yew. Others, more recently put up, have the sides bnanled up, and 

 are furnished with shutters niiiiiing tlieir entire length to open for 

 ventilation. The roofs are all iixed, but are provided with the means 

 of allowing the heated air to escape from the apex, thus creating a 

 current of air from the sides to the angle of the roof A very goo<l 



