i8Si.] DUNDEE HORTICULTURAL ASSOCLVTION. 381 



siderably from many Peach-growers. At no time did he approve of letting the 

 temperature of the Peach-house fall below the freezing-point. During frosty 

 weather he applied fire-heat just sufficient to keep out the frost, and in dull 

 cold days he found it better to heat the pipes and open the ventilators, rather 

 than to have the house shut close to keep up the temperature. Fumigating 

 with tobacco required some care ; too dense a cloud would sometimes cause 

 the tree to cast both fruit and leaves. It was much better to fumigate 

 slightly two or three nights in succession ; or by taking advantage of a dull 

 day, to keep the house in a smoky condition for six or eight hours. A 

 smoke which can be dimly seen through, if maintained for that time, will 

 destroy every living aphis in the house, and do no injury to the most tender 

 flowers or foliage. He never practised evening syringing on Peaches, or on 

 plants of any kind whose foliage is exposed to the full blaze of the sun 

 through undimmed glass, being of opinion that the leaves were thereby made 

 tender and less able to bear the heat of the following day. In dry sunny 

 weather he usually syringed copiously in the early morning, and with such 

 treatment he succeeded in retaining fine healthy foliage, free from insect- 

 pests of all sorts. A considerable discussion followed the reading of this 

 paper — some points being closely criticised. Mr Wilkie showed, however, by 

 a splendid specimen of the fruit grown under his care, that his treatment, 

 however different from other successful growers, could well afford to stand 

 upon its own merits. 



Mr AVilliam Alison, Seaview Gardens, Monifieth, then read a paper on 

 " Exotic Ferns." " These plants," he said, "might be considered as remnants 

 of the vegetation of a past era in the history of the earth, — geology having 

 shown that they existed in great numbers and variety at a date long prior 

 to the present era. But a very few years ago, Ferns found only scant favour 

 amongst cultivated exotic plants. In this, however, as in many other matters, 

 public taste had improved much; and now it was not enough that our gardens 

 were gay with masses of colour — grace also was appreciably demanded. 

 When this improved taste began to displace the taste for mere gaudiness which 

 too long held sway among the refined, as it did amongst the unrefined stiJl, 

 Ferns were sought for, cultivated, and used as decorative plants. It was no 

 wonder that this was so. In no other class of plants did they find the same 

 inimitable grace or exquisite lacing in form, enough of themselves to charm 

 and to cheer any one with a true love for the beautiful in plants. Ferns en- 

 hanced an hundred-fold the beauty of the choicest gems of cut-flow^ers, when 

 judiciously arranged with them. So much were they now appreciated, that 

 no plant-house or dwelling-house, from the drawing or dining room to the 

 lady's boudoir, was considered complete without them, either as plants or cut 

 fronds. To lovers of the beautiful in nature, no other plant could rival the 

 Fern in cheering the homes of those who were confined to the smoky city." 



Mr Alison then spoke at some length on the cultivation of Ferns in the 

 fernery or greenhouse. The great poihts-in the successful cultivation of Ferns, 

 was to see that they never sutfered for want of water, and that they had a suit- 

 able moist atmosphere, with light, heat, and air, according to their various 

 constitutioms. He did not approve of syringing the plants overhead, unless 

 in exceptional cases ; and such varieties as Todeas, Hymenophyllums, &c., 

 Gymnogrammas, Nothochenas, &c., were sure to suffer both in health and 

 appearance by having their fronds syringed or wetted in any w'ay. Except 

 for the purely peat -loving varieties of Ferns, he did not approve of using 

 X)eat, preferring instead a good rich loam, well mixed with sharp sand, horse- 



