1873.] ON THE VALUE OF OECHAED-HOUSE FEUIT. 21i) 



heads, and it would seem that the heads of the raisers of Eoses in France are 

 not hirge enough to contain two ideas at once. On the other hand, our new Eoses 

 are in most cases losing in sweetness, in constitution, m perpetuity of flowering. Few 

 of them will compare on these three points with the old favourites, Bavunne 

 Prevost, Beaiiti/ of Waltham, and Duchess of Sutherland. The one idea 

 is a large globular rose, a show rose., no matter if it has no scent, does not 

 grow, and will not flower in the autumn. Many of our recent Hybrid Perpetual 

 Eoses are lamentably deficient in these great qualities, and are, in my judgment, 

 little more than summer Eoses. The French raisers should hasten to learn the 

 fact, that the majority of their customers grow Eoses for garden and house 

 decoration, rather than for exhibiting, and that such will not be satisfied with 

 anything short of novelties that smell sweet, grow well, and bloom perpetually. 

 They must hasten to accept these facts, and work accordingly, or the English 

 raisers, who are now fairly on their track, will assuredly supplant them. We 

 want a Paul Neron in form and size, of every colour and shade of colour, white, 

 red, and yellow — blue, if we can get it — that shall excel all existing kinds 

 in sweetness, exceed them in hardiness of constitution, and give forth a suc- 

 cession of flowers from June till November. — William Paul, Paulas Nurseries, 

 Waltham Cross., N. 



ON THE VALUE OF OKCHAKD-IIOUSE FRUIT. 



fHAVE read with much interest a paper from " M. T." (p. 200), on the 

 value of Orchard-house fruit ; and as this produce is represented by many 

 IIq) as falling short of their expectations, I will give you the result of ten years' 

 \ experience, in the hope of placing the merits of the Orchard-house fairly 

 before your readers. 



With the exception of Pears,* all our fruits can be grown in these structures 

 with certainty, both as to quantity and flavour. But the house must be well 

 constructed as regards light and ventilation ; water in abundance must be always 

 at command ; air must circulate in every foot of the building ; and not a leaf 

 must ever manifest the presence of aphis or red-spider. All this may appear a 

 little formidable, but the syringe and constant supervision of the gardener or 

 amateur for the first few weeks will be certain preventives ; and besides the 

 attractive health and beauty of the trees during the summer months, an ample 

 supply of the choicest fruit, three weeks in advance of the open-wall crops, will 

 well repay all the trouble and watching it so imperatively demands. 



Firstly, then, as regards the house. It should be a "lean-to," with a back 

 wall 10 ft. to 11 ft. high. The front lights-, which should be only 

 two bricks from the ground, should work on pivots, with pins to 

 regulate the opening of the sashes, so that the ventilation effected 

 by them may range between an inch and a perfect course when the sash 

 or light is horizontal. Then at the back (or top of the wall), iron shutters of 



• Mr. G. F. Wilson, who adopts pot-culture, grows Pears to great perfoctiou of crop, size, and flavour 

 by the aid of the orchard-house, but they are swellod out-doora during eummer. 



T. O 



