THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
Orchard continued. 
formed. A mulching of half-rotten manure, or any- 
thing of a non-conducting description, should always be 
applied to the surface so soon as the planting is 
finished; and watering occasionally, or, perhaps, fre- 
quently, according to the season, will doubtless be neces- 
sary throughout the following summer. 
If the soil is of itself workable, as it should be, and 
fairly good, it would be best used alone around the 
roots of newly-planted trees. Manure is frequently very 
injurious in such a position, when it might be made of 
great benefit by being placed above, where its goodness 
could descend, and afford nourishment after some new 
root-growth were made. Feeding with manure may, at 
times, be carried to an excess; as, for instance, when 
strong, sappy growths are produced, instead of firm, short- 
jointed ones. A free growth should by all means be 
encouraged, particularly in young trees; bat it is desir- 
able that the wood should become well ripened in any 
case, and it is a necessity in trees large enough for 
bearing. 
Pruning is not very much required in Orchards, except 
a little cutting back the first year or two, to insure 
evenly-balanced heads, and just enongh thinning after- 
wards to prevent overcrowding. Much finer fruits are 
obtained from such fruit-trees as those planted in 
Orchards, when they are allowed to grow freely and 
naturally, always provided there is plenty of space for 
the admission of sun, air, and light. 
Selections of Fruits for Orchards. Fruit-trees, as 
standards, to bear the exposure of an Orchard, must, of 
necessity, be free-growing, and of a hardy constitution, 
the degree of hardiness necessary being regulated some- 
what by the locality. A list of such varieties of the 
principal fruits as are, from their strong-growing and 
generally productive nature, calculated to succeed, when 
8 in the way referred to, can only, therefore, be 
ven. 
Apea: Alfriston, Beauty of Kent, Blenheim , Cellini, 
onshire Quarrenden, Duchess of Oldenbur melow’s 
Pig: Fearn’s Pippin, Golden Winter Pea Hawthorn- 
den, Herefordshire Kentish Fillbasket, Keswick 
Lane’s Prince Albert, Lord Suffield, Manks Codlin 
Mère de M , Northern Greening, Small’s Admirable, 
Stirling Castle, Tower of Glammis, Warner's King, Worcester 
„ Wormsley Pippin, Yorkshire Greening. 
Cherries, Adams’ Crown, Bigarreau, Bigarreau Napoléon, 
Black Eagle, Bittner’s Black Heart, Downton, Elton, Kentish, 
Knight's Early Black, Late Duke, May Duke, Morello. 
Damsons, Cluster or Crittenden, Common, Farleigh Prolific, 
Prune, Rivers’s Early. 
Autumn Be ot, Beurré Capiaumont, Doyenné Bous- 
soch, Fertility, Hessle, Jargonelle, Jersey Gratioli, Louise Bonne 
of Jersey, Swan’s Egg, Williams’ Bon Chrétien, Windsor, Winter 
Plums. Diamond, Early Orleans, Goliath, Pond’s Seedling, 
Prince of Wales, Victoria. 
ORCHARD HOUSE. A most useful structure, 
devoted to the cultivation more especially of fruit- 
trees that do not succeed favourably in the open air, 
There are but few localities over the area covered by 
the British Isles in which any of our comparatively 
tender fruits can be obtained in perfection annually out- 
side, and, in the more Northern parts, many of them 
fail altogether to produce crops, except under glass pro- 
tection. Pot culture of fruit-trees in Orchard Houses has 
been practised some thirty or more years. It was at first 
confined simply to providing glass structures on a roughly- 
built scale; but many improvements have since been 
suggested and carried out, as a result of the experience 
gained, and because of the extent to which the system has 
been adopted, not only in this country, but in some parts 
of the Continent, and more extensively in the United States. 
An Orchard House may be either heated or unheated. 
The mere protection it affords, in spring and summer, 
Orchard House—continued. 
because of the bulk of warmed air contained in the 
interior, even when unheated by hot water, is most 
marked, even in favoured localities, when the fruits 
are gathered and compared with others of the same sorts 
grown outside. A very great advantage is, however, 
secured by having artificial heat at command in spring. 
At this season, mild weather may induce the blossoms 
to open earlier than is desirable, and a glass roof 
would be insufficient of itself to prevent injury, should 
there be a severe frost. Again, the prevalence of 
dull, cold weather at the same season is generally 
more injurious to expanded fruit blossoms than even 
a little frost with bright days; and this is the 
time for using a little artificial heat. It need not, 
and, in fact, must not, be used very much; but the 
exclusion of frost, and the preservation of a somewhat 
dry and airy atmosphere, are most important points to 
be secured onwards from the time the flower-buds ex- 
pand. When the fruits are set, a little warmth will also 
materially help them to commence swelling: the fact 
that they cannot stand still, but must either swell in a 
short time or drop off, is but insufficiently recognised 
in gardens generally. Great attention is devoted to 
fruit-trees when in flower; they are protected by glass, 
and by coverings of various descriptions—yery important 
precautions, certainly, yet, of themselves, only part of 
the necessary provision that should be made for assist- 
ing the fruits beyond, as well as at the flowering stage, 
when the weather is unfavourable towards them. A 
little heat at command also renders an Orchard House 
of much greater value in winter, when the fruit- 
trees are dormant. If the latter are limited mostly to 
such as are grown in pots, they may be arranged nearly 
close together, or even plunged amongst dry litter or 
bracken in a sheltered position outside, the house mean- 
while being used for plants, such as Chrysanthemums, 
or others of a hard-wooded description, that flower 
naturally or have to be forced in spring. Orchard 
Houses are not usually meant to be used for forcing 
purposes, although fruit from trees in pots has, under 
proper treatment, been obtained from such structures 
equal in quality to that produced in special forcing- 
houses. An attempt at forcing a number of different 
fruit-trees in one temperature, and under similar con- 
ditions, would, moreover, end in failure—at least, in 
part. Take the same collection, and gradually bring 
the different trees forming it into flower, afford them 
protection at that time, and due attention in respect 
of cultural requirements throughout the summer, and, 
in all likelihood, the purpose will be effected for which 
an Orchard House proper should be intended. Plenty 
of heat is provided by the sun during summer; it 
should be utilised to the fullest extent just after the 
fruits are set, by closing the ventilators somewhat earlier 
on fine afternoons at that season than is requisite at 
other times. Fire heat should only be used when it 
becomes really necessary, and then a little ventilation 
at the same time is most desirable. To have it at com- 
mand is, however, a valuable acquisition, which is of 
material importance for insuring crops, when, otherwise, 
they would be most likely to fail. Orchard Houses, in 
their simplest forms, are unheated; but the insertion 
of hot-water pipes, if only enough to exclude frost, is 
confidently recom: ommended, for the several reasons already 
set forth. ® main object is that of providing accom- 
modation for the culture of good varieties of somewhat 
tender fruits, in order that finer produce and superior 
quality may be secured than that which it is possible 
to obtain from trees on outside walls, or from such as 
are in the open ground. The reference to selection being 
confined to good varieties, is suggestive of what should 
be specially considered in giving space to trees in an 
Orchard House, If the fruits of any are but second- 
