i88i.] WALL-BORDERS IN KITCHEN-GARDENS. 5L3 



furnished with standard and dwarf trees, trained in the old-fashioned 

 fan system, which at the time of my visit (end of August) were heavily 

 cropped with ripening fruit. It would be useless to plant trees in such 

 a soil as this, and on the ordinary level, consequently the whole of the 

 border, to a depth of about 30 inches and 10 feet wide, was thrown out, 

 a drain laid from each tree to the main pipe, over these being spread 

 a layer of stones, clinkers, tfee., and as much fresh turf as could be pro- 

 cured, worked in with the best of the old soil and mortar-rubbish. 

 This brought the back of the border when settled to about 18 inches 

 above the ordinary level ; and as the trees when established were freely 

 mulched with manure, and no vegetables permitted on the Peach 

 border, the roots are easily kept near to the surface, as they should be. 

 At Longleat, also, an unusual difficulty is experienced with Peach 

 and Nectarine culture, but this is not apparent to a superficial ob- 

 server. Mr Taylor has notliing to complain of with regard to eleva- 

 tion ; but he appears to have a soil to deal with that is very unsuit- 

 able to the Peach. This "is composed principally of a strong clayey 

 loam, without the slightest trace of lime — a remarkable fact, seeing 

 how abundant the latter is in the district. Whether this affects the 

 longevity of the trees I am unable to say. One thing is certain, their 

 life is a "short one;" and it is equally certain, under Mr Taylor's 

 management, it is a " merry one." His method of training, as recently 

 described in the pages of the ' Journal of Horticulture,' is original, 

 and decidedly worthy of general imitation. In the first place, he com- 

 mences with maiden or unformed plants, giving the preference to those 

 that have formed a weU-ripened growth about a yard long. When 

 received in November, they are planted 4 feet apart, and uprightly 

 against a south wall. To continue in his own words, and which I can- 

 not do better than copy verbatim : " The knife is not to be used at 

 all the first winter, unless it is to cut off a small side-shoot or two 

 which may be formed ; but this is not really necessary, and I gene- 

 rally leave them on and tack them to a wall. When the plants have 

 made growths 2 or 3 inches long in spring, which they will do in abun- 

 dance, some of these must be selected along each side of the stem, at 

 intervals of about 9 or 10 inches, which must be carefully looked after 

 and trained outwards, with about the same slope as the roof of a 

 slated house; the other shoots, where crowded, may be carefully 

 thinned by taking some of them off close to the stem, but leaving as 

 many as there is room for to clothe the stem and assist circulation, 

 merely stopping them to four or five leaves. The second year will see 

 the wall nearly covered, and bearing a few fruits ; while the third, 

 should the season be favourable, will bring a full crop, and every other 

 tree will require removal." He further remarks, he has a " good 

 length of wall in this happy condition," and confesses to being " not 

 a little proud of it;" and with good reason, for heavier crops of 

 highly coloured fruits I liave not seen, whether under glass or on the 



