574 THE GARDENER. [Dec. 



FRUIT-CULTURE. 



I think I may answer the questions put to me by " Learner," and also 

 make a few concluding remarks upon the merits of the subject lately 

 under discussion between myself and J. S. W. together, as both are a 

 part of the same subject. With regard to "Learner's" question, I 

 may be allowed to state that I desire to be courteous even to a 

 " masked junior ; " and while I congratulate my young friend upon his 

 shrewdness and subtlety, I also hope to be able to satisfy his "curiosity " 

 upon the point he has raised. Let me, however, remind " Learner " 

 that there is such a thing as "setting a sprat to catch a mackerel," 

 and that in doing so there is just the possibility of losing both. 



" Learner " wishes to know why, after I say the produce from a 5-inch 

 pot is equal in all respects to that of a 6-inch pot, I go on to state that 

 for " all round work " nothing surpasses the 6-inch size. The answer 

 is simple. It is because there is hardly one place in twenty where 

 labour is over-plentiful, and, of course, the 6-inch pots do not require 

 the same amount of watering as the 5-inch, for obvious reasons. I 

 shall be surprised if it is proved that I enumerated Sir Charles 

 Napier in the list of those varieties that I have forced in 5-inch pots. 

 If so, it has been an oversight, as I have invariably found that only 

 those varieties that will bear hard forcing will succeed well in small 

 pots, and my memory must be treacherous if I included Sir Charles 

 Napier in the number. 



I have next to express my surprise that the discussion on " Fruit- 

 Culture " between J. S. W. and myself should have collapsed so sud- 

 denly after my last paper in ' The Gardener ; for September. I hope 

 the idea of my sending out a "seedling" Strawberry for which 

 J. S. W. stood horticultural sponsor at Leeds has not frightened him 

 :out of the field. W. Hinds. 



[This controversy may now be discontinued. — Ed.] 



ORCHARD-HOUSE FRUIT-CULTURE. 



I shall feel obliged if some of your correspondents who are able and 

 willing should give their experience on the culture of Peaches, Pears, 

 Apples, <fcc, in pots under glass. Several gentlemen have made in- 

 quiries at me about this, and being myself unable to give an answer, it 

 has occurred to me to ask for information through your columns. One 

 gentleman asks if it would be advisable, and likely to prove satisfac- 

 tory, to erect an orchard-house, without any artificial heat whatever, 



