iSyi.] HINTS FOR AMATEURS. 303 



this rule. Again, referring to syringing trees in flower under glass, 

 which is by no means a new practice, but much older than my garden- 

 ing career, it may do no harm under certain circumstances, but I would 

 be sorry to adopt the system under all circumstances. A letter in a 

 contemporary, from Mr Taylor of Longleat, is one as full of common- 

 sense on this matter as anything I have read. This subject, with 

 several other old ones, is being ventilated; and this, no doubt, will lead to 

 good results. Extreme views often take the place of moderate practice, 

 such as deep drainage and shallow borders for fruits, which are rapidly 

 becoming things of the past ; and the old system practised by Mr 

 Crawshaw with his famous Vines in Norfolk, which were grown in 

 borders 5 or 6 feet deep and drained in proportion, leaving the front open, 

 and adding 3 feet of soil piecemeal, just as the roots were ready to 

 consume it. Many others famous for Vine-culture followed this prac- 

 tice, and my old comrade of the spade (Mr Speed of Chatsworth, 

 whose success in gardening generally is so well known) follows this 

 practice so far as he can. The nature of the soil, position, and locality, 

 must, however, be the guide in many of these matters, as no one 

 would take the same liberty with heavy clay -land in Cheshire, 

 which is a damp county, as they would with light sandy loam in Nor- 

 folk; and as this applies to one fruit, we believe it applies to others. 

 With ourselves both ends of the garden here cannot with propriety be 

 treated alike. The syringing of Peaches when in flower, except in one 

 instance, has never been practised by me; and it is years since I had 

 not large quantities to thin, especially from the fruit set in January 

 and February. In one case this year a tree of good size was planted 

 on a back-wall in an early Peach-house. It remained dormant till the 

 fruit in front were stoned ; it then began to grow and flower abundant- 

 ly. The syringing never ceased, as fruit was no object. The set of 

 peaches was very thick, and required thinning. The first time I ever 

 heard of the syringing system was in 1854. A young gardener came to 

 a fresh place in the west of England, who had only lived in one situa- 

 tion before, and he spoke of syringing his Muscats to set them, and 

 was much surprised to learn that it was not the practice throughout the 

 country, as his old master had practised it with Muscats all his life ! but 

 never used the syringe, except then, after his Vines were broke an inch 

 or 2 in length. Syringing cannot be overdone on wall- trees during 

 this month, either morning or evening ; but young trees growing very 

 luxuriantly will not require much moisture either to foliage or roots : 

 a little careful lifting of roots and a little pruning on one side of over- 

 luxuriant trees, might now be very serviceable. We have practised 

 this with the best results in July and August on Apricots, Cherries, 

 Peaches, Pears, and Plums. Where strong roots are allowed to run 



