Januai-y 11, 1872. 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



foi-med in the spring. During the summer the roots grow, and 

 life is thus established between them and the Umb above. In 

 autumn the limb is severed at the place where it was gu-ded, 

 and set in the ground in the same way any young tree would be. 

 The next year, according to Mr. Hutchinson's statement, this 

 new tree will bear fruit just as though it had not been cut 

 from the parent tree. 



To what extent this operation may be carried, and how 

 successful it may prove, remains to be seen. We have no 

 doubt Mr. Hutchinson has demonstrated that the new trees 

 will produce fruit at once, but wo suppose sufficient time has 

 not elapsed since his experiments commenced to determine 

 what effect early bearing may have upon their future growth. 

 That a young tree can bear fruit to any extent and at the same 

 tune put on a vigorous and thrifty growth, is not in accordance 

 with our observation. And we suspect that Mr. Hutchinson 

 will fail to produce very healthy trees from the applieatioa of 

 liis new discovery. We shall expect in a few years to hear 

 that his trees have died ; or at any rate that they have become 

 so feeble that they wUl cease both to produce fruit and to grow. 

 If it shall prove otherwise, the discovery is an important one. 



Experiments to a considerable extent have been made in 

 Bristol and New Hampton, and wo hear that farmers in various 

 parts of the State are buying town and farm rights with the 

 intention of testing the practicabUity of this new system of 

 producing early-bearing fruit trees. If successful, a complete 

 revolution in om- manner of obtaining Apple trees vrill be the 

 result. Instead of buying trees from the nursery which re- 

 quire from ten to twenty years to come into bearing condition, 

 the Urabs from our old trees will be converted into new ones 

 that wUl give us fruit at once. While we have no great ex- 

 pectations in regard to this new process, we have thought it of 

 sufficient importance to call the attention of our readers to it, 

 who can for themselves make such inquu-ies and investigations 

 as the subject would seem to merit. — {American Gardener's 

 Jiloiith!!/.} 



SOOT FOE ORANGES— ORANGES UNDER VINES. 



I SEND a portion of a twig, and also an Orange, to show the 

 effects of a free use of soot for top-di'essmg the pots in intensi- 

 fying the colour of botli leaves and fruit. The twig is taken 

 from a Silver Orange ; the fruit I had from a St. Michael's, hut 

 the skin is thick, although the pulp is sweet. 



These Oranges have been imder my Vines in the vinery all 

 the year round, the heat during the last two months has been 

 kept at about 50°. I have Tangierine Oranges in the same 

 house ripe and sweet, the leaves equally green and luxuriant. 

 I use the syi'inge frequently, and often apply hquid manure, 

 which carries do'wu the soot from the surface of the pot. — 

 J. C. Baenham, Noncicli. 



[The foliage of the twig was mteusely dark green and healthy. 

 The fruit small ; rind very thick ; and flesh juicy, sweet, well- 

 flavoured, and seedless.— Ens.] 



"LES PROMENADES DE PARIS." 

 WjB concluded om- last notice of M. Alphand's splendid 

 work with the Grande Cascade de Longchamps; and not in- 

 appropriately do we return to the subject with a view of the 

 Grand Lac of the Bois de Boulogne. This great lake was dug 

 out m 1853 and 1854, and although in a somewhat permeable 

 EoU, it has remained quite perfect. It occupies a superficial 

 extent of 190,000 metres, or about forty-three acres, and it 

 contains two islands of the extent of 80,100 square metres. 

 To prevent the soakage of the water the sloping sides of the 

 lake have been built with calcareous blocks up to the edge of 

 the water, and the bed is formed of a layer of concrete 4 inches 

 thick, well rammed, and then plastered over with a coat of 

 mortar IJ inch thick. The mortar is composed of three pai'ts 

 sand and one part hydi'aulic hme. The concrete is composed 

 of two parts of this mortar and three parts of sUiceous gravel. 

 We come now to Chapter VI. in our analysis of the book, 

 and this we find devoted to the forest plantations, turf, and 

 gardening works of the Bois. This part is very richly illus- 

 trated witli portraits of the finest specimens of trees, and of 

 the landscape effects produced by the skilful gi-ouping of the 

 forest and ornamental trees used in the plantmg. Among the 

 finest of the former are ,/!,7s. 33 and 34, Thuja gigantea and 

 Ai'auearia imbiicata, and fine specimens of Cunninghamia 

 sinensis and Larix eui'opjea pendula, of which we reproduce 

 the figure. Not the least interesting and instructive of this 



chapter is that portion which treats of planting the avenue 

 trees, and the use of the protectors and supports ; also the 

 manner of transplanthig large trees, which is very fully illus- 

 trated, and which is performed with an apparatus which 

 appears to be at once simple and effective. One of the most 

 useful parts of this chapter to the practical man is that which 

 treats of the clumps and the style of planting, %\-ith a Ust of 

 the trees, shrubs, and flowers with which each is planted, and 

 also of the flower beds distributed throughout the Bois. 



Chapter VII. is devoted entirely to architectui'al works, with 

 ground plans and elevations of the lodges, gates, summer- 

 houses, and restaurants that are distributed throughout the 

 Bois. Chapter VIII. treats of those parts of the Bois which 

 have been leased out for special purposes ; one of these is the 

 Pro Catelan, a reserved piece of ground consisting of about 

 seventeen acres, which was enclosed by the city of Pai'is, and 

 converted into an ornamental giuxlen, with places of amuse- 

 ment, buffets, aquarium, dahy, photogi-aphy, music, and all 

 manner of attractions. The racecourse of Longchamps is 

 another of these, a skating establishment is a third, and, 

 perhaps, the most important of all to our readers wUl be the 

 Jardin d'Aoclimatatiou. Those who have seen and remember 

 that charming retreat find here a lasting representation of 

 that which we believe suffered, perhaps, more than any other 

 part dirriug the sad events which occurred dm'ing the past 

 year in Paris. The close of this chapter is occupied with very 

 useful details and illustrations of the ice-houses in the Bois. 

 We shall not dwell on the following chapter, which is entirely 

 given up to the formation of the Aa-tesian weUs wliich supply 

 the whole of the water for the Bois — works of wonderful 

 engineering skill and abUity. Here every detail is given of 

 the machinery and apparatus employed. 



Chapter X. introduces us to that wonderful gardening esta- 

 blishment of the city of Paris, La Muette, lately the scene of 

 the great strife between the Commune and the Versailles 

 troops. M. Andre thus described La Muette in our tenth 

 volume :— 



" Situated near one of the entrances to the Bois du Boulogne, 

 the La Muette gate, at the extremity of the fashionable quarter 

 of Passy, this establishment covers an area of nearly five acres 

 between the Rue de la Tour, the Avenue de I'Empereur, and 

 the old historical castle of La Muette. The railway between 

 AuteuU and St. Lazare cuts the ground into two unequal parts, 

 of which the smaller is taken up by frames; the orangery, 

 sheds, cellars, &c. 



" The frames are more especially intended for raising plants 

 from seed, and for the extensive propagation of softwooded 

 plants for bedding, such as Pelargoniums, Verbenas, Calceola- 

 rias, Salvias, Fuchsias, Chrysanthemum frutesoens, &c. There 

 are altogether 2900 lights set in straight hues, and arranged in 

 sections according to the description of plants gro^vn in each. 

 The frames are shortly to be replaced by a range of fifty low 

 houses communicating with each other, and forming the most 

 complete assemblage of glass houses ever seen. Each section 

 is in charge of an under-foreman under the general dh'ectiou 

 of the foreman, and he has two or three assistants, mth whoso 

 aid he has to manage from 100 to 150 Ughts. He alone is 

 responsible for the plants, also for the breakage of glass, and 

 other casualties arismg from carelessness, and as a compen- 

 sation he receives a small monthly allowance. The advan- 

 tages of this system are, that the workman takes better care of 

 the plants and materials committed to his charge, economy is 

 consequently secured, and the men, being confined to one de- 

 partment, speedily gain great experience of the particular 

 plants livith which they are engaged. To give an idea of tho 

 immense number of plants raised at the Fleuriste de la Meutte 

 (that is the name of the estabUshment) , I may state that it 

 amounts to nearly 3,000,000 a-year. Pelargoniums alone count- 

 ing for 290,000, Cannas for 70,000, and other principal genera 

 in proportion. 



" The orangery or conservatory, constnxoted in a very econo- 

 mical manner, is 226 feet in length, and is used for the pro- 

 tection in \vinter of hardwooded plants taken up in autumn 

 for planting-out in the follo\i'ing year. A large shed of the 

 best construction serves to shelter soils, peat, and various 

 composts, as well as spades, rakes, watering-pots, and light 

 tools. Down the middle for the entire length of the shed runs 

 a table 13 feet wide, at which sixty men can pot M-ith freedom 

 the innumerable plants struck from cuttings in the frames. 

 Spacious cellars, 9 feet 10 inches high, cut out of the rook at 

 great expense and at a considerable depth below the surface, 

 extend beneath the frames. They are intended for protecting 



