May 26, 1870, ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



than the present century, and whose auceess as a fruit grower, although 

 not on a large scale, may be best understood by the following details 

 of hia practice and its result. 



The residence of my friend resembles in many respects the others I 

 nave faintly described, a comfortable-looking farm house of the 

 smaller class standing a short way from the road, which bounds the 

 little property on its east and south sides. A. roadway and flower 

 Ixwder connect the house and outbuildings with the main road, while 

 aear by are two cottages with small gardens attached, and a small 

 orchard of Apple and Pear trees on grass, adjoins the house. The 

 rest of the little property formed an orchard in tillage, and with but 

 slight exception the fruits grown were confined to two — Damsons 

 and Red Currants. The former were standard trees, with stems from 

 5 to 6 feet high, very much alike, and the Currants were low bushes 

 of the ordinary description. The Damson trees might be ten or 

 twelve years old, and were planted in rows about 12 feet apart, and 

 the same distance from each other in the tow, there being two Currant 

 bushes between every two Damson trees in the row, and one whole 

 tine between the rows of Damsons, so that the ground was cropped 

 with trees and bushes, each occupying stations 6 fett by 4. An ordi- 

 nary clipped hedge about i feet high forms the northern boundary to 

 this little plot, and there is no other shelter on this the coldest Bide, as 

 the adjoining field is arable land, so that there is no advantage on 

 this side from the position of the property ; and the bloom on the out- 

 side row of tree j was oertainly later, and not so abundant as that on 

 the others, which were a complete sheet of white. The growth of last 

 year was in many cases clothed with blossom up to the tips, and, as 

 might be expected, where this fruit formed the principal 3uurce of in- 

 come, attention had been paid to the variety grown, as well as to the 

 culture. 



Mr. John Crittenden, the proprietor, originated many yeax3 ago a 

 2j£ 6 ft 0f ^ amsou ' n of extraordinary bearing qualities as compared J ^S'^to*^ ite naWlo a favourite Apple, and the 

 with the sorts usually grown, so much so, that of late years many i.? 6 , p 5.£ - 



fancy modes of training fruit trees ; I had tho facts from the owner, 

 who has beon a fruit-grower for a longer period than that assigned to 

 ordinary mortals, as he is fast approaching fourscore years, although 

 hale and hearty, and still taking great interest in fruit and Hop culture. 

 The soil 30 favourable to the growth of the fruits mentioned, as well 

 as to others, is far from being inviting in appearance. A Lincoln- 

 shire farmer would not think much of it for corn and green crops, but 

 it suits trees of most kinds. The subsoil, however, entices the roots 

 of trees downwards, and still a congenial medium is met with. Stones 

 esist in tolerable quantity, yet not so much as in some other grounds, 

 and there w a total absence of stagnant water — in fact, the draw-well 

 fordomeBtij uses is upwards of 100 feet deep, atwhich depth, I believe, 

 the rock is found. Isolated stones, however, of large size are met 

 with at 3 or 4 feet from the surface, and, I believe, they consist of 

 what is termed oolite limestone, hard and well adapted for road- 

 making. At only a Bhort distance from this spot Kentish rag is dug in 

 quantity, aad in the refuse of it added to' the surface soil and in other 

 oehria, grow healthy fruit trees well laden in favourable years. I do 

 not think any deep excavations have ever been made in Mr. Crittenden's 

 orchard, but he has been in the habit of manuring liberally and with 

 such different material': as woollen waste, rags, guano, Rape dust, and 

 road scrapings, as well as with dung when it could be had, and now 

 and then night soil is used. Mr. Crittenden justly observed that a 

 liberal return was entitled to a corresponding outlay, and the trees 

 promised sc well at the time of my visit that I hope to see them again 

 when the crop is ripeniDg. In the interval, however, if any one can 

 record a similar instance in which corresponding frnitfulness has 

 followed any of the numerous modes by which fruit trees are advised 

 to be trained now-a-days, I would be glad to h^ar from them ; and I 

 also hope to be able to say a word or two on the cultivation of other 

 orchard fruits which are extensively grown in the same district. In 

 addition to the Damson, which originated with Mr. Crittenden, East 



growers have done away with their old kinds, and introduced " Crit 

 tendon's" variety. In other orchards it was pointed out to me that 

 the Prune and Shropshire Damsons had been cut down and grafted 

 with Crittenden's kind, which is the most popular in the district ; and 

 every year a stock of it is raised by Mr. Crittenden from suckers, 

 which can be had in any nomber. I can fully confirm all that has 

 been said about its free-bearing, and its qualities as a fruit. It is now 

 extensively grown in the neighbourhood, and any one having Damson 

 plants for sale is invariably ashed if they are Crittenden's Prolific, or 

 the Prolific, as it is sometimes called, and deservedly so, for whi 

 froit begins to swell the branches have in many 



Diamond Plum was likewise raised there. — J. Robso: 1 



CRYSTAL PALACE SHOW. 



May 21. 

 The Crystal Palace May Show, held on Saturday last, was a com- 

 plete success ; the day was one of the warmest, if not the warmest, we 

 have had this year, and the exhibition on the whole one of the finest 

 ever known at the same season. The collections of Stove and Green- 

 .„ house plants were of the highest merit, the Roses were magnificent, 

 to be propped j the Orchids were Rood, the Heaths and the Azaleas fine, and there 



ap to prevent their breaking. Tedious as this woik may appear, we \ was an excellent display of other subjects. 

 may be assured that it pays, otherwise it would not be done ; bat an Among tte collections of fifteen Stove and Greenhouse plants, tnat 

 experienced orchard workman can both put up props to prevent the I from Mr. Baines, gardener to H. Micholls, Esq., Southgate .Lodge, 

 branches breaking, and also place his ladder against the tree for fruit I at once attracted attention_by_the largo size and _«^ ra J™ , J^P^ r " 

 gathering, without doing any harm, which an unpractised hand is | fection of the^ specimens 



sure to inflict. The appearance of the orchard in question must be I 

 aa rich-looking, or more so, when the fruit is ripe, than when the ' 

 trees are in bloom. I will now notice the other features of the place, 

 and the nest important fruit cultivated is the Red Currant. 



A close examination of the kinds of Red Currant grown, not by 

 Mr. Crittenden alone, but also by other fruit cultivators in the district, 

 lias resulted in two varieties being about equal favourites, and pos- • ,. 



aibly the names here given them are different from those in nursery- I large spathes; Bongainvillea g.abra ; a magnificent Azalea j™ 1 ?™* • 

 men's lists, or they may be kinds not grown by the trade. In East I Erica Cavendishu ; Azalea Coronata, a splendid mis 01 cnmsou 

 Farletgh, however, many thousands of each are grown. One kind is blossom ; Eriostemon neriifoUum ; and Enca veutncosa eoccinea, 



Mr. W. Chapman, gardener to J. bpoae, 



In' this admirable collection, the finest, 

 believe. Mr. Baines has ever exhibited in London, there wa3 a plant 

 of Ixora coccinea with somewhere about eighty flower heads, counting 

 them in all stages, the finest measuring 5 inches across. The other 

 plants were equally fine, and consisted of Genetyllis tulipifera, quite 

 I feet in diameter ; Boronia pinnata ; Aphelexis macr3ntha purpurea 

 and humilis rosea ; Epacris KcJipse, magnificent ; Clerodendron ] 

 fourianam; Isoraaurantiaca; Anthurium Scherzeriauui- 



ith thirteen 



somewhat later than th 



nd bears larger fruit; the other, about 1! feet 



mimewuni later loan me oiuer, ana Dears larger iran, , ua otiior, uuvu. ^ »^^» — * .-— — -■ •-- . - • . , . ,, 



however, ib an enormous bearer. In common parlance thev are the Esq., Hawkesyard Park, Rugeley, was second witn a ni a niy me 

 Cratch and Scotch, and even in the flowering state there was a per- ons collection, containing, among others very fine specimens otli„™. 



a, Pimelea mirabilis, Isora coccinea, AdenanJra rra- 



Peed, 

 third with a fine 



ceptible difference, so much so, that I heard a workman say he could I spectabilis rosea, 



pick out each sort at that stage of their growth when the two were I grans, Aphelexes, and a very gcod Acropnyllum 



mixed in a plantation. As far as appearance could convey an idea of gardener to Mrs. Tredwell, i^ower Norwood, v 



frnitfulness, they seemed to bo all that could be desired, and I was told I Franciscea calycma.jind very good speciinpnajif i some^o^ ^pmnis 



they bore pretty well when completely shaded by larger trees, although I named abov 



not, of course, so well a* when thev had air and snnshin 



tops of the Damson trees only touched each other very slightly in a 

 few places, the Currants had more daylight than they are likely to 

 enjoy a few years hence, and I may add they were rather severely 

 pruned, the Damson, on the contrary, being pruned very little. Only 

 the tips and straggling shoots of the latter were trimmed in. so as to 

 give the head of the tree a sort of uniform, agreeable shape, the heavy 

 bearing checking all undergrowth. 



Perhaps your readers who have followed me thus far lay Bfty, 

 '• There is nothing particular in all this." If they will follow me into 

 figures they may form their own conclusions. The property, as I have 

 already stated, is very small, only ., - arres, including the site of th" 

 dwelling-house, outbuildings, small yards, two cottages and their 

 gardens, as well as the garden to the farm house, and the orchard in 

 grass, with its Apple and Pear trees, of which I do not intend to take 

 flay account here. It may easily be supposed that these deductions 

 from the snm total must leave very little for the orchard in which the 

 Damsons and Currants are groTm. I was given to understand its 

 extent was rather under two acres, and yet this little orchard has been 

 known to produce upwards of one hundred bushels of Currants, and 

 nearly seven hundred bushels of Damsons, besides 8 or 10 cwt. of 

 Hops, all in one year. 



The above figures I commend to the attention of those who advocate 



Wheeler, gardener to 3. Phillpott, Esq., Stamford 

 Hill, was fourth with good specimens. 



For ten stove and greenhouse pl.-.nts the first prize went to Messrr, 

 T Jarfcon fc Son, of Kingston, who had fine specimens of Pimelea 

 Henderson!, Aphelexis macrantha purpurea, Chorozema cordatnm 

 Eplendens, and good examples of Stephanotis floribuoda, Genetyllis 

 fuchsioides, and some others. The second" prize was awarued to Mr 

 B. S. Williams, of HoUoway, for a collection containing excellent 

 plants of I-ora coccinea, Pimelea elegans, Enca Cavendishu and 

 depressa, Ayhelexis macrantha purpurea, and others. Mr. Morse, ol 

 Epsom, was third. In the corresponding class for amateurs. Mr. A. 

 Wright, garcener to C. H. Coniptcii Roberts, Esq , Regent's Park, was 

 first with a fine Medinilla magnifica, Ixora coccinea superba, Boagain- 

 villea glabra, Boronia pinnata, Erica Cavendishu, Genetyllis tuhpi- 

 fera. Azalea Magnet, and other plnnts. Mr. Ward, gardener to 1- G. 

 Wilkina, Esq., Leyton. who was awarded the second prize, had ft 

 lar«e and beautiful'specinieu of Tetrathecaericefolifl, a fane Genetyllis 

 talfpifera, Erica Cavendishii, a very large specimen of Dalechanipia 

 Roezliana rosea, but from the oreponderance of foliage over tte rose- 

 coloured floral leaves not so effective an exhiMuou plant as the Bou- 

 gainvilleas : also verv good plants of Stephanotis flonbunda, Aphelexis, 

 and Dracoptvllum <?racile. Mr. Carr. gardener to P. L. Hinds, iisq., 

 Byfieet Lodie, took the third prize; and the fourth went to Mr. 

 Wilkie, Oak Lodge, Kensington. 



