26 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t January 8, 1867. 



one magnificent specimen of Adiantum euneatum, for which 1 

 confess a special fondness. Between the pathway and the 

 sides of the house a bench runs all round covered with plants, 

 and over them, depending from the roof iu wire baskets and 

 on wooden matrices, you have Orchids iu endless variety ; the 

 odd Eiiape of the flower in one ease, the rich colours in another, 

 and the jiowerful perfume in a third, compelling you to 

 pause and admire. Not a foot of space in this large house is 

 lost, and yet the arrangement is so perfect, that when at the 

 farther end you meet with n lovely copy of the Venus de Medici, 

 you are satisfied that her presence there is in thorough keeping 

 with the whole. 



Attached to the larger building is a smaller one, in which the 

 temperature is lower, and where another class of Ferns and 

 Orchids is under cultivation. Here you may rest on the sofa 

 and admire the wall over against you, clad with Moss and 

 covered with graceful Ferns, which are retained in their position 

 by ornamental wirework ; on turning your eye to the right you 

 may see reflected iu the large mirror which forms the outlet 

 the whole passage along which you have come, with its verdant 

 and variegated fringework — 



" So wondrous fair, the whole might seeui 

 The scenery of a fairy di-eam." 



Space will not permit me to speak of the greeuTiouse, or 

 vinery and Peach-house, in the former of which are many rare 

 and beautiful plants. My object is so far served, in showing 

 what men of meaus and taste may do to provide an endless 

 source of instruction and enjoyment for themselves and their 

 friends, and in paying a just tribute to one who has used with 

 such industry and liberality the advantages and facilities 

 which, as an extensive shipowner, he enjoys for introducing new 

 plants and splendid specimens of known species to our land, in 

 which the disadvantages of climate can be overcome by the aid 

 of art. — J. E. A. 



CURRANT CULTIVATION. 



The Currant is one of our most useful hardy fruits, and may 

 be grown to perfection as well in the gardens of peasants 

 as in those of the wealthy. Under ordinary circumstances it 

 will be ripe by the early part of July, and by careful protec- 

 tion from the depredations of birds the Bed varieties may be 

 had in use until the end of October. 



Although I venture to offer a few cultural remarks on this 

 useful fruit, I do not by any means wish it to be understood 

 that I anticipate offering any new suggestion, or writing any- 

 thing not well known to the majority of gentlemen's gardeners ; 

 but I write for the amateur. 



Whatever mode of pruning the Red and White Currants may 

 be adopted, they require to be regularly pruned every year. In 

 rearing young trees various methods may be practised, but the 

 easiest and most general is by cuttings. 



In raising trees from cuttings the first object to be attained 

 is a clear stem about G or 8 inches high, and free from suckers. 

 The cuttings are procured from the growth of the previous 

 year, and for them the strongest, straightest, and best-ripened 

 shoots should be chosen. All the buds on the portion to be 

 inserted in the ground should be carefully picked out, leaving 

 three or four of the terminal ones, and reducing the cutting 

 to about a foot iu length by taking off the unripeued points. 

 By removing the buds, or eyes, the trees are prevented from 

 throwing up suckers, which are injurious, besides being un- 

 sightly and troublesome to displace. The cuttings may be 

 planted in a shady situation in rows about 18 inches apart, 

 and about 9 or 10 inches asunder in the row. They will gene- 

 rally iu the first season produce about three shoots each, all of 

 which may be allowed to grow during the summer, in order to 

 assist in the production of roots. If it is intended that the 

 trees shall be grown in the open quarters in the usual bush 

 tnm — open in the centre, then when the leaves have fallen in 

 the autumn, two out of the three may be cut away, leaving the 

 third, the most upright, for the future stem, and shortening 

 it down to about three buds ; the lowest bud below the cut 

 must be about 8 inches above the grouud. Three shoots will 

 usually be produced in the following year, and iu the autumn 

 the trees will be ready for their final planting. 



Any common garden soil will suit the Currant, and it will 

 grow freely and bear abundantly either in an open or a shady 

 situation ; but to insure good fruit the ground should be well 

 cultivated, and, previous to planting, be trenched to the depth 

 of 2 feet. While they will grow in almost any soil, Currant 



trees delight in a strong loam, and will there produce best, 

 but on a sandy soil the crop will come in rather earlier. The 

 time of planting will be from the fall of the leaf to the be- 

 ginning of March, but to insure success they should be planted 

 in October. 



When the trees are planted the roots should be nicely and 

 carefully spread out in a horizontal position, and the shoots 

 may be reduced one-third of their length, taking care to cut 

 to a bud pointing outwards. We have now a tree with a stem 

 8 inches high, and three branches diverging from it. Several 

 shoots will be produced in the following season ; but two should 

 be encouraged on each branch, the rest being shortened to within 

 one or two buds, or an inch of their base. The six shoots left 

 will form the framework of the future tree, and should be again 

 shortened to two-thirds of their length, or about 9 inches. On 

 these other branches may be encouraged from near their base, 

 and at a regular distance from each other of G or 8 inches at 

 their extremities, and confining the head to the height of 4 J or 

 5 feet. When the trees are thus formed, by allowing the re- 

 quisite number of branches to rise at regular distances from 

 each other, they will require every winter the laterals or side 

 branches produced in the previous year to be cut back to one or 

 two eyes, around which a number of little fruit-spurs rtill be 

 formed ; and the leaders having attained the desired height 

 must be cut to within two or three buds of their base. 



There are some people who recommeud summer pruning for 

 bush Ciirraut trees. Where trees are strong and luxuriant, 

 producing a mass of watery spray, crowding the centre of the 

 bush, this may be removed in June to admit sun and air — 

 agents essential for perfecting the growth and flavour of the 

 fruit. All the root-suckers may be twisted off. I may here 

 observe that if there be no more shoots retained than will be 

 necessary to remain at the winter pruning, the next season the 

 tree will iu consequence be less vigorous, for more leaves are 

 encouraged, or more of the respiratory organs of the plant ; 

 and in proportion to these so wiU the roots be, and the more 

 roots the more vigorous the tree. 



Besides being planted in the open borders. Currant trees may 

 be trained against a wall. For this purpose they may be 

 planted 3 or 4 feet apart. In training wall trees two branches 

 should be taken, right and left, in a horizontal direction, about 

 G or 8 inches from the bottom of the wall. From these, up- 

 right shoots should rise at about 8 inches from each other. 

 As these grow upwards the leaders will require shortening, ac- 

 cording to their strength, to encourage the formation of fruit- 

 spurs. The laterals must be shorteued-in in June, and at the 

 winter pruning should be cut nearly close to the old wood. 

 Many other modes of trainiug may be adopted, according to 

 the inclination of the cultivator; but the same S3'stem of 

 pruning may be invariably pursued — namely, spurring-in the 

 laterals and shortening the leading shoots. 



My remarks have hitherto been applicable to the Red and 

 White Currants ; the system of pruning to be followed with the 

 Black Currant must be somewhat different. The Red ' and 

 White Currants bear the fruit both ou the young wood of one, 

 two, or three years' growth, and on the older branches, from 

 small snags and spurs ou the sides of these, and which often 

 continue fruitful for several years. The Black Currant bears 

 chiefly on the wood of the preceding year ; also from spurs, 

 which, however, are less abundant and smaller in size than 

 on the Red and White Currants. In pruning very little short- 

 ening is required. The chief thing to be done is, when the 

 branches are too crowded, to thin them oat, or to shorten 

 back any that are becoming too high. No two shoots should 

 be allowed to touch each other, and all cross branches must be 

 cut clean away. The fruit is disliked by some peoijle, and 

 never brought on the table for dessert. It is used in tarts 

 and puddings, and made into jellies, wines, and preserves.— 

 QuiNiiN Read, Fort liill Gardens. 



GRAPES IN A COOL HOUSE FOR MARKET. 



Aftek many years of plodding industry my friend has ac- 

 complished his purpose. By the labour of his hands he has 

 built himself a home. His plot of garden he has walled round, 

 and in the enclosure he is about completing a vinery. His 

 aim has been to obtain abundance of light and ventilation. 

 He has succeeded admirably. The house is a lean-to, the 

 back wall 18 feet high, length of rafter 18 feet, length of house 

 upwards of 80 feet. He purposes planting twenty-seven Vines 

 of a sort or sorts which will produce by sale the best returns. 



