October 31, 1887. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTIOULTDBB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



333 



landlord, and for which, thoufih iucnrriDR all the expense, they 1 

 might actually be made to pay an increased rental. i 



Iteturning uow to the description of Mr. Tearsou's fine new i 

 orchard-houBC, internally two rows of iron colimiiiR, 10 feet 1 

 apart in the line, siijiport the roof, which, with the sides above i 

 the boarding, iti glazed with '21-oz. glass. The ventilation is i 

 admirably arranged ; the side sashes open siuinltaueously by a 

 handle working a rod and segmentarm, whilst at top a ridge- 

 board acting like a parallel ruler, is lifted up by means of a 

 handle, bevelled wheels, rod, and lever arm. So smoothly and 

 easily did the whole work that the entire length of the ridge- ■ 

 board was lifted up by no greater exertion of strength on the 

 handle than could be exorcised by the little linger, and even 

 then care had to be taken not to overwork the apparatus. This 

 house is the last erected, and as such is that which contains all 

 the improvements which the experience with the others has 

 suggested. Tliough cnustructed of the best materials, its cost i 

 did not exceed £300, and to heat it, if it were to be employed 

 otherwise than as an orchard-house, would take about £100 

 more. Some pot trees of Cue's Golden Drop I'lum were here 

 in fine bearing, and the fruit was most delicious — perfect sweet- 

 meats. Mr. Pearson remarked that this variety, .Icfferson, and 

 Beine Claude do Bavay,are the only i'lums which with him are 

 really improved in flavour by being ripened under glass, the 

 cUmate being too cold for them to come to perfection in the 

 generality of seasons, except when the trees are trained against 

 a south wall. 



The next house was a span-roofed vinery built last autumn, 

 and measuring 100 feet in length by 21 feet in width. Being 

 intended also as a Pelargonium-house, there is not more than 

 3 feet of border inside, confined by retaining walls 2 feet in 

 height from the flyor, l)ut outside the borders will be added 

 to as necessary, until their total width shall have reached 14 or 

 15 feet. The sides of this house, like those of the preceding 

 are supported by iron standards resting on brick pillars, be- 

 tween which the roots of the Vines planted in the three-feet 

 inside border can pass into that outside. Ueat is afforded by 

 two flow and two return-pipes on each side, one flow being 

 directly under the front lights, the other along the retaining 

 wall by the side of the path where also are the two return- 

 pipes ; to economise heat the flue of the chimney is carried 

 nnder the pathway the whole length of the house. In this ! 



most eligible for the purpose. This, like all the newer honses 

 at Cbilwell, is spun-roofed, a form of construction which Mr. 

 Pearson prefers to the lean-to, not only on account of its superior 

 elegance, and when employed as conservatories or orchard- 

 houses the agreeable promenade which such houses form, bat 

 also because alfording light on all sides, and being mote con- 

 venient fur most gardening operations. However much therer 

 :s to be said in favour of lean-to's as regards cheapness of con- 

 struction at first, and their afterwards economising fuel when 

 artificial heat has to be employed, there can be no question 

 that the span-roofed form is far more convenient both to those 

 who have to perform the labours of cultivation, and to those 

 who come to see the results. What, for instance, can be more 

 unpleasant than to pass through a narrow low-roofed vinery, 

 afraid every moment of touching the bunches of Grapes over- 

 head '.' However lino these may be, the stooping position which 

 has to be adopted seriously impairs the pleasure which would 

 otherwise be felt by their inspection— in fact, prevents all their 

 beauty being seen In greenhouses and conservatories, there- 

 fore, where but little artificial heat is employed, and in orchard- 

 houses where there is none, there can be li"ttle doubt that as a 

 rule the span-roof is the preferable, on the other hand for forcing, 

 and where utility alone has to be considered, the balance of ad- 

 vantage seems to be in favour of the lean-to. 



The next house is that which, until superseded by the one 

 first described, was called the large orchard-house, hut now 

 it is known as the old orchard-house. It must not, however, 

 be supposed that though thus taking a secondary rank, it is 

 either anticiuated or inelegant ; far from being so, it is, as may 

 be judged by the engraving in the previous page, taken from Mr. 

 Pearson's " Hints on Orchard-Houses," a pleasant promenade 

 at all times, and especially so when the fruit trees are covered 

 with their heavy crops of finely-ripened fruit. The Vines 

 which are trained on the roof and partially cover it, when in 

 bearing add much to its effect, and afford a pleasing shade, bat 

 Mr. Pearson is rather disposed to questi»in the propriety of 

 their remaining there much longer, thinking that if not re- 

 moved, or, at least, prevented from taking the extension which 

 they shortly will do, their shade will prove injurious to the 

 fruit trees beneath. This house is 90 feet long by 130 feet wide, 

 and the roof is supported by iron pillars in the interior, and 

 strengthened by tie-rods as shown in the annexed section. 



vinery are twenty-seven permanent Vines of the best varieties, 

 and a large number of seedlings for experiment, besides several 

 hundred fruiting Vines of different kinds in pots, with finely- 

 ripened wood and large buds. There was likewise a fine young 

 stock for growing into strong Vines next year. Mr. Pearson 

 here pointed out a new Grape, the cane of which, when he re- 

 ceived it from the nursery, was imperfectly ripened. Being 

 afraid if he placed it in a hothouse to complete the ripening of 

 the wood that the eyes would start, he inarched it on a strong 

 Vine, where it is now growing freely, and thus saved the 

 bottom eyes. 



The next house, of the same dimensions as the last, was 

 devoted to pot Vines plunged in three beds running the length 

 of the house, and uuder each bed was a layer of slates forming 

 a chamber about G inches deep, which served to contain a flow 

 and return four-inch pipe. Altogether there are ten rows of 

 pipes in this house, in addition to which the smoke-flue is 

 carried uuder the pathway to economise heat. It contained 

 about l.'iOO strong fruitiug-canes, besides young Vines advancing. 



A fourth house, CO feet in length and 20 feet wide, hkewise 

 gontained Vines in pots tn planting out, and in every respect 



There is a central path extending from end to end and two 

 side paths, all three of which are paved, and edged with neat 

 round-headed tiles. The area is thus divided into four borders, 

 in which are eighteen standard Peach aud Nectarine trees that 

 have never been root-pruned, and, Mr. Pearson remarked, they 

 grew as freely and cost as little trouble as 'Willows. The result 

 of this natural mode of treatment — natural at least as com- 

 pared to that which has to be pursued when the Peach tree is 

 grown against walls out of doors — was visible in the fine health, 

 immunity from insects, and the abundant bearing of the trees, 

 for such they well deserve to be called. Crawford's Early. Belle- 

 garde, also known as French Galande, and Noblesse Peaches had 

 been loaded with fruit, and Pitmastou Orange Nectarine was 

 the same. Great quantities of the produce from this honse 

 had, however, been already gathered by the beginning of Sep- 

 tember, and sent to Nottingham market, the Peaches bring- 

 ing on an average is. per dozen, a price which, considering the 

 immense difference between wholesale and retail quotations, 

 was very good. Numbers of fruit, however, ill remained on 

 the trees, and afforded good evidence of the excellence of the 

 fruit both as regards size and flavour. W'alburtou Admirable. 



