1873.] THE FAELUEE OF OUT-DOOR FEUIT CROPS IX 1872. 5 



since Vreelandii came first, and tlie wliite was considered indispensable ; more- 

 over, tliis latter variety stands well when cut, and will travel a long distance 

 without drooping, a fault which places B. jasminoides in the background. 



It would be well to try in England, the plan of planting them out in a warm 

 pit or frame for cutting all the summer, and then clearing them away, to receive 

 another batch in the autumn. In this country, young plants grow so fast and 

 flower so well in the open ground that it is not necessary to do so ; but a few 

 plants of B. jasminoides^ treated as shrubs planted in a greenhouse, give abund- 

 ance of flowers at all times. — James Taplin, South Amhoy^ Neio Jersey^ U.S.A. 



THE FAILURE OF OUT-DOOR FRUIT CROPS IN 1872. 



^EVEE, within my recollection, has such a general failure of Hardy Fruits 

 occurred as in the year of grace 1872. In some sheltered localities both 

 orchards and gardens may have produced good crops on particular varieties 

 ^ of Apples, Pears, and Plums, but these instances were few and far between. 

 In the kitchen garden and orchard here, the fruit trees are mostly young, with a 

 great want of shelter from trees or belts of trees in the vicinity. The only 

 varieties of Apples which bore anything of a crop were : — Lord Siiffield, the 

 Oldendburg, a Eussian variety, the Alfriston, the Cockle Pippin.^ and the Murgil. 

 The Keswick Codlin, which is generally such a great bearer, was this year quite 

 devoid of any fruit, either on old or young trees. A quantity of single and 

 double cordon trees on the French stock ripened good crops, the varieties being, 

 Ccdville blanc, Calville St. Sauveur., Belle Dubois^ Reinette grise., and Reinette du 

 Canada. All the varieties were grown on the bottom of south and south-west 

 walls, and the foKage of the trees above them protected the blossoms from the 

 frosts in April and May. The Pear crop on standards was likewise nearly a 

 total failure ; the only varieties showing fair crops were Louise Bonne., Broom 

 Paj-k, Beurre de Capiaumont, and the Easter Beurre\ with the stewing pears 

 Catillac, Leon le Clerc de Laval., and Vicar of Winkfield. Pears on the walls, from 

 their setting earlier than on standards, escaped, and showed good crops ; particu- 

 larly, Beurre' d' Amanlis Panachk., Marie Louise., Doyenne du Cornice., Winter Nelis., 

 and Josephine de Malines. Apricots here, although covered with glass lights, were a 

 greater failure than in any year since 1860, and the same may be said of Peaches 

 and Nectarines, on the open walls. On a long glass-covered wall here, where a 

 little artificial heat can be given, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, and Cherries, how- 

 ever, were a great crop, and made up for all the losses on the open walls. The hardy 

 bush-fruit, such as Currants and Gooseberries, were much injured by the frosts 

 on the tops of the bushes, and produced only half a crop ; but owing to the wet 

 summer, Easpberries bore excellent crops, and the same may be said of Straw- 

 berries, though the rain rotted them on the ground in Jul}'. 



Owing to the rainy and rather warm summer, vegetables of all kinds 

 produced excellent crops, the greatest failure being in that noble tuber, the 

 Potato. It may be interesting to some readers of the Florist and PoMOLoaiax 



