Jul; 11,1887.] 



JOUJBNAL OP HOBTICULTUIIE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



21 



themselves hononrably beaten, the Show be enriched as anti- 

 cipated, or the public be perfectly Batisfied. — D. T. Fisn, Hard- 

 wicke, Bunj St. Ediimnds. 



MERITS OF THE SPIR;EAS. 



There ii now and then Bomothing Buid in " our Journal " 

 about border flowers, and I think something more miglit be 

 said about some or all of them. At all events I will venture 

 to call attention to one genus of them, seeiii(» that they do not 

 occupy the position I could wish in the shrubbery and her- 

 baceous borders — I mean the Spirocas. 



First take one of the shrubby species for an example— Spinra 

 ariipfolia. As a single specimen well gnuvn in the shrubbery 

 or any open space, with its light and giaceful plumes, when in 

 bloom I know of uo plant more beautiful. It ia worth any 

 amount of care, and deserves a place in all shrubberies. Then 

 there are Spiraea bella, S. Douglasii, S. salicifolia, S. grandi- 

 tlora, S. lanceolata, and others — all deserving of more extensive 

 cultivation. 



Of the herbaceous species, Spirrea arunous.with its beautiful 

 creamy white, feather-like plumes, is a meet companion indeed 

 for S. ariirfolia. In my opinion Spirnm aruncus is one of the 

 most graceful border plants that I have seen. Besides, there 

 are venusta, lobata, ulmaria, and others that might be named. 



Last — not the least favoured — is Spira>a filipendnla, a British 

 plant though it be, for it is worthy of a place in the herbaceous 

 border, along with its compeer, S. filipendnla flore-pleno. 



Prior wrote of this family, and so would I — 



" Peiiceful and lowly in tlieir n.itive soil, 

 They ncitlier know to spin, nor cnre to toil ; 

 Yft with confess'd mftt?uifi''''"'^c deride 

 The vile ftttirc jind impotence of pride." 



— JI. H., Acklam Hall, Middlcshorough-on-Tces. 



FRUIT-THINNING. 



" It ia always a troubled anxious period, that of fruit-thin- 

 ning — a time to be lived through as one best can, but not 

 enjoyed," said Mrs. Stephen Taylor, of Rose Hurst ; but, then, 

 Mrs. Taylor has little interest in the growth of fruit under 

 glass, and always regards her husband's suggestions or expla- 

 nations to his gardener or bits of gossiping to herself as com- 

 plainings, and is very thankful that " the season can come but 

 once in the year." She does not understand " why there should 

 be so much talk and such a fuss about fruit thinning inside ; 

 the Gooseberries, Currants, and Apples are left to thin 

 themselves or go undone, and they are much more useful, as 

 well as wholesome, to say nothing about the cost." 



Of course, Mr. Stephen retaliates, and will have it "that the 

 little blackcaps thin the bushes sometimes too much for us ; 

 and that there is sore to be a north-east wind come in with a 

 vengeance when the Apples are about the si;^e of nuts, and 

 shake them down, so that Nature does lier thinning in a whole- 

 sale manner ; but, then, we cannot allow blackcaps or north- 

 east winds in our orchard-houses or vineries." 



Poor Mrs. Stephen had the misfortune to marry into a large 

 family, all proud of their fruit-growing, and what makes matters 

 worse, they live near, and are always visiting each other, and 

 comparing notes ; and their conversation, pleasant enough 

 to themselves, sounds to the lady like the words of an un- 

 known language. Brother Matthew says, " If she would cut 

 an eye from a cane, and grow it, and fruit it, the dead words 

 would come to have life ; and she might do so easily enough, see- 

 ing she has no babies to nurse." But Mrs. Stephen thinks she 

 has plenty of the trouble without entering the lists. Why, 

 only last Kaster Monday, when they went to brother Jeremiah's 

 to dine, ho carved so slowly, that the lamb became cold and 

 stiff, telling about the number of his Peach blooms, " as if it 

 mattered." And even when they were all ready for the return 

 home, they would have a light, .and go in and see if the bloom 

 was really setting on the Peach trees, nnd if the Vines had 

 started in good order ; and brother Jeremiah carried the lamp 

 all on the slope, as men usually do, until the oil, not very 

 fragrant, dropped about. Nor was that all, for Mrs. Stephen 

 said she bore away among her skirts more species of living 

 insects than she knew to have existed. 



And then it is very tiresome going over to brother Matthew's 

 farm, for he is always talking about "my Vines and mv drapes;" 

 '* such promising bloom, such compact, properly thinned-out 

 bunches." He makes long speeches, and declares " that any man 



who can save a couple of hundred pounds may sit under his own 

 Vine, and eat the fruit thereof, and is quite sore it would pay 

 good interest; his does at least, better than his railway stockat 

 present." And he ifl sure to say all this when brother Watson 

 is there, and his vinery cost more than £200, ami pays no 

 interest any way, though it has been up more than (our years. 

 He might have had a few bunches of Black Hamburgha the 

 year before if lie had not fidlowed brother Stephen's advice, 

 and cut away his fruit until what was left on the canea looked 

 like Beans strung on slender threads, and hung down in a 

 weary drooping manner until the weak threads broke or dried 

 up, and the berries (ell away. Mrs. Stephen is " quite sure 

 that all her husband understands about the matter is to eat 

 the fruit and pay his bills." 



Yet, by theory, Mr. Stephen is a great thinner — never says 

 to his gardener, "There, you have done enough." Mr. Mat- 

 thew says " that his brother Stephen's bunches are always 

 thin, and loose, and lanky, falling about on the dish when 

 gathered as if they possessed some watery element, and were 

 seeking their level." He prides himself upon his own bunches 

 keeping their proper shape, sitting upon a plate or dish in 

 a correct manner, not ashamed of their appearance." Mr. 

 Matthew is a great worker ; but, then, he is large of limb, and 

 strong of muscle, and he puts his heart as well as his hands into 

 his work; his house is well built and well ventilated, and 

 stands on a warm soil in an open airy situation. Mr. Watson 

 says that that is more than half the battle, for his house is 

 on low land, near to a river, and close upon a neighbour's 

 plantation ; so close, indeed, that the trees not only shelter 

 but shade, the heavy branches of a Sycamore sweeping right 

 over his little lean-to vinery, and every gust of wind shaking 

 about the myriads of green flies that crowd the under sides 

 of the leaves. Then, too, the leaves choke up his back ven- 

 tilators, keeping out the fresh air, and making perpetual 

 lines and shadows, such wavings to and fro in his vinery 

 that it is unpleasant to bo there. Nor is that all, they 

 keep out the sunshine, so that the walls and floor grow damp 

 and green, and when he complains, his obliging neighbour 

 says, "Cut them. Cut them by all means if they trespass on 

 your property ; they have no business, only let my side of the 

 fence slune." So Mr. Watson cuts away in a half-do fashion ; 

 for, afraid of taking too much, he takes too little, and ends 

 with doing no good to himself, and no harm to his neighbour's 

 trees. 



" There is one comfort, at any rate, Watson," says brother 

 Matthew, "yon will not have much superfluous fruit to cut 

 away; your thinning-time will be short. I hope you will not 

 have to do like Jeremiah, buy tobacco-rag instead of tobacco. 

 I cannot imagine however .Jeremiah has patience to grow 

 Cherries and Plums in pots. Why, the heaviest crop I ever 

 saw on one tree would just do for our Sunday dessert ;" but, 

 then, Mr. Matthew had seven olive branches and a wife, and 

 his brother lived alone. Then, too, tastes differ, for Mr. Jere- 

 miah would rather have a good ripe Peach than anything in 

 the world ; and Mr. Matthew, even at the risk of offending his 

 brother, often declares " Peaches are no better than a mealy 

 Potato or a good Swede Turnip." 



When the long days of May and June come then the thin- 

 ning fever reaches its height, and Mrs. Stephen Taylor says it is 

 dreadful living at Rose Hurst, for each brother wants to have 

 all the Vines done after the manner of his own, and is quite 

 sure they will be ruined if they are not. Though the ruin 

 never comes, yet she fancies it lessens the necessary confidence 

 every Vine grower should have in the plan he has adopted. 

 Then the brothers at their frequent meetings at Rose Hurst, 

 which is a halfway house, argue nnd dispute over their 

 wine. Mr. Stephen pnffa away at his pipe, Mr. Matthew 

 makes long speeches — so long that he is constantly having to 

 relight his cigar, Mr. Watson sits and listens, as befits a 

 yonnger brother, and Mr. Jeremiah thinks "it does not matter 

 much what way Vines are grown, for it appears to him as if 

 the Vine very 'much resembles corn, in that it will grow in 

 various ways" under very different circum>tances. It is like 

 the church on the hill, many paths lead up to it, it is not 

 necessary all should journey by one ; some chose the fields, 

 others the back-lanes, and some the dusty highway ; and it is 

 all one if they are there before the bells cease to ring." 



After this there is silence for a long lime. Mr. Matthew 

 gets his cigar on the full go, and Mr. Stei hen takes the oppor- 

 tunity to refill his pipe, thrusting itdown hard, and then, push- 

 ing the decanter close to his brother, says, " There, Jeremiah, 

 after that you will do with another glass." 



