im 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ Mnrch 14, 1867. 



where the grubs were concealed, and made good havoo among 

 them. 



I soon discovered, also, tliat the beds on the grass would not 

 answer, independently of insect depredations. Tlie sun was 

 hot upon them during a line summer's day from morning till 

 evening, there being no shade from the walls as in the side 

 beds, and they were soon scorched up, being upon a rock with 

 no depth of earth. Thoy were also much injured by gales of 

 wind, which came from one or two quarters round the neigh- 

 bouring buildings with concentrated force, and broke the plants 

 to pieces. I therefore abandoned the centre beds, and sodded 

 tbem over in the autumn with turves, which I was careful to 

 have procured from a different locality. Nevertheless, the next 

 spring I had an inundation from them of a grub of a different 

 species; it was like a caterpillar in appearance, about IJ inch 

 in length, and moved on its feet as rapidly, but it had a tail 

 like a rat, nearly as long as its body, begiuning with the same 

 thickness as the body, and gradually tapering to a point. Tliey 

 soon found their way on to the gravel walks, and as they 

 could not climb the tiles which bordered both the grass and 

 the beds they were easily swept up and destroyed — in quan- 

 tity a full half-peck. I never before saw any grubs hke them, 

 noi have I ever seen any resembling them since. Their 

 length, including head and tail, was upwards of 2 inches in 

 tome of thei:i. 



I still had a great difficulty in keeping my grass alive ; it 

 was- frequently watered, as also were the beds, but it seemed 

 to buorch up the more with watering, as likewise did the plants. 

 I was soon convinced by experiment that the fault was a too 

 slif^ht watering — not that it answers to deluge the plants, and 

 let the water run away ; they require, and the grass especially, a 

 continued soft shower. I had, therefore, a tap laid on, and pro- 

 cured a suflicient quantity of india-rubber tubing to enable me 

 to direct the water from the tap to any part or corner of the gar- 

 flee. India-rubber is far better than gutta percha, and little more 

 in cxp 'use. The latter is not nearly so flexible as the former, 

 and is apt in dry weather to burst, and become useless. I had 

 a fine rose to fix on to the brass spout, to receive which I had 

 an iron rod with a curl or two at the top, which I could stick into 

 the ground and remove from one part to another; and I con- 

 trived to fix the brass rose to the curl at top in a perpendicular 

 petition, so that when the wafer was let on it spurted upwards 

 like a fountain some 12 or 14 feet in height, exhibiting beauti- 

 ful r.unbows if the sun was out, and falling in a soft shower of 

 minute particles on everything wilhin a radius of 10 feet. If 

 there was a breeze it was wafted in one direction or another 

 beyond that radius ; and by leaving it in each place before 

 removal to another at least for half an hour, the whole garden 

 became gently and thoroughly saturated in the course of an 

 afternoon ; for I did not begin to water until the shadows from 

 the western side began to draw on to the grass, and there I al- 

 ways began first. Twice a-week, though I kept the grass well 

 mown, I found quite sufficient watering even in dry and hot 

 weather to keep all green and flourishing. For the trees I had 

 a different nozzle to the spout, by which I could send the water 

 with great force on to the stems and branches, taking care not 

 to destroy the leaves, and by this means they were in a great 

 measure cleansed from soot and smoke. 



Though things now began rapidly to assume a different 

 apjKHiance, I had yet to learn what would flourish, notwith- 

 staudiug the smoke, and what would not. I had to ascertain 

 thit entirely by experience ; for the numerous gardeners who 

 attended the market, which is an excellent one for flowers and 

 plants, I found knew little or nothing about it, their produce 

 of this description being generally purchased by persons who 

 resided in the suburbs, or for window-culture only in the town. 

 I was repeatedly assured that a plant would succeed in the 

 towu, which I found to my mortification would not succeed at 

 alt; and this assurance came from parties too honourable wil- 

 fully to deceive, but they had no real experience of town oul- 

 twc tl oaiselves. 



I mill commence, then, with those plants which will best en- 

 dure the test, among the foremost of which are DaJiUas. All 

 soastb flourish and blossom freely, but the hardiest are the 

 yellow and the white, which also are not considered dainties 

 by the caterpillars and earwigs, and used to be left in the 

 ground by me throughout the winter, protecting them with a 

 little dry litter only. If, however, tho borders in v.hioh Dahlias 

 are planted are backed by walls, they are drawn up to an in- 

 convenient height — 5, (5, and even 7 feet. To remedy this I 

 latterly planted only the dwarf kinds, from 1 to 2 feet only in 

 height, in open situations ; but these grew to 2 or 3 feet in 



height, and answered very well, only they required to be taken 

 up for the winter. 



I may here remark that most plants which grow to the height 

 of 2 or 3 feet, if near a wall, will bend away from it, especially 

 in hot weather, evidently seeking for a freer circulation of air. 

 About half a century ago I remember a Sir Kichard Philhps 

 maintaining a sharp controversy with another philosopher, 

 whose name I forget, on the question whether plants are ptished 

 up or pulled up. Like the two knights in the fable who tilted 

 furi(msly at each other on the momentous question, whether a 

 shield on a certain statue in view of each was gold or silver, 

 so these assailed each other with similar fury and a similar 

 resulf, impartial readers coming to the conclusion that both 

 were in the right, and that plants may be both pushed up and 

 drawn up. The fact, however, which I have just stated of 

 plants bending away from the perpendicular when a wall is 

 near, shows clearly that there must be attractive influences 

 from without the plants, as well as the propulsive ones from 

 wilhin. 



Whilst on this subject I would notice another fact, which 

 may interest the general reader. Years ago, when "my lines 

 had fallen in pleasant places " (as, indeed, I am thankful to 

 say they have now), I built a parsonage-house in the letter 

 L-shape, and in the angle, where there was on one side a blank 

 wall with a south aspect, I planted a Pear tree. For the first 

 three or four years it did not flourish, the reason assigned by 

 gardeners being, that the spot was too dry, being protected 

 from the west and south-west rain.5 by the other side of the 

 building. After this period, however, its growth improved re- 

 markably, and it bore excellent fruit. A few feet from the 

 stem of the tree there was a well, on opening which, to repair 

 a pump that was supplied from it, I observed that the Pear 

 tree had sent forth a single branch of its roots to this well, 

 down which it had to descend fully 10 feet before it could reach 

 the water, and thus I accounted for the favourable change which 

 had taken place in the growth of the tree. It would, however, 

 have been a nice and knotty point for the doughty philosophers 

 just referred to, under which power the tree was influenced in 

 this instance. 



Chrysanthenntms likewise will endure the smoke, more espe- 

 cially the bushy sorts wish small flowers. They like to be 

 frequently removed ; they need not be raised from cuttings, 

 but succeed well by division of the roots, of which, indeed, 

 they are all the better ; the flowers dwindle if the root is too 

 large, jMy plan was to shift them every spring, and make 

 them change places with the Dahlias, giving to each hole, for 

 both plants, a little fertilising compost. — PiiiLOicEros. 

 (To be continued.) 



TLANTING PEAR TREES. 



QUI-NPE .1ND PEAR KTOCKS. 



(Concluded from page 174.) 



Nov,' for the Pear stock. I have nothing to say against it 

 where the soil and climate are favourable, when the space is 

 not small, and when immediate production is not desired. 

 The Pear tree delights in a strong loam, the subsoil a marly 

 clay, or even gravel, free from stagnant water. On light soils, 

 with a ferruginous sandstone bottom, it may grow and occa- 

 sionally afford good crops, but it never thrives ; and yet it does 

 so on light soils, the subsoil of which is marl, or of an otherwise 

 calcareous nature, or gravel free from sand and superabundant 

 moisture. On a wet soil it may live, but does not thrive. The 

 Pear on the Pear stock is longer-lived, and some say furnishes 

 a greater produce than on the Quince ; but that is opposed to 

 my experience, for I find that the largest and most handsome 

 fruit, and, for the area, tlie heaviest crops, are borne by trees on 

 the tjuince. Soch bear from the first, making a good return 

 for the ground and labour long before trees on the Pear stock 

 produce any ((uantity of fruit worth naming. In fact, planting 

 an orchard of Pear trees is planting for another generation. 



But what of trees on the Pear as pyramids ? They are very 

 well where the soil and climate are suitable ; but they do not 

 bear with such certainty, the fruit is uot so fine as from trees 

 on Ihe Quince stock, and the trees can only be kept productive 

 by frequent lifting, which, when they are becoming old, is 

 not safe. They require much more room, and however well 

 pinched, outgrow the space, and are then neither useful nor 

 ornamental. The I'ear on the Pear stock requires plenty of 

 room to develope its full proportions ; it is then longer-lived, 

 more healthy, and any loss of production in the beginning is 



