94 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



I Febraarj 8, 1877. 



each being left at the height of 3 feet. With an otherwise 

 jndiciouB system of culture, ai manuring and cleanliness of 

 the ground from weeds and suckers, valuable "hedges" of 

 fruit are produced snflloiently rigid in themselvea so as to be 

 secure from injury by boisterous weather, and the fruit can 

 be conveniently and expeditiously gathered. Raspberries thus 

 cultivated yield (taking one year with another) highly pro- 

 fitable crops, and the plan is worthy of adoption in the vicinity 

 of large towns, where the demand for this favourite fruit is 

 frequently greater than the supply. 



Raspberries aUo grow a^^ well, if not better, than any other 

 fruit under the shade <u trees. The home of the Raspberry 

 is in the woods, and t is fact conveys a hint that it may be 

 profitably turned to ; -couut as an undergrowth crop. In 

 many fruit orchards i; i? thus turned to account in a profitable 

 manner. When thie Uii'de of culture is adopted it is found of 

 special importance to plant thinly — that is, the canes should 

 be grown singly, each having 3 or 4 feet of ground area. When 

 the ground is kept clean and suckers are prevented growing, 

 ■valuable crops of Raspberries are produced in orchards where 

 the large trees are not, closely planted and the shade is not 

 exceptionally dense. It is not uncommon for Raspberries thus 

 grown to produce crops when those in the open do not do so. 

 Late spring frosts are frtquently inimical to the Raspberry 

 crops, and I have more than once known " wild Rasps " in 

 ■woods plentiful when the canes in the garden have been barren. 

 The woods ailorded shelter from spring frosts, and similarly 

 the shelter produced by orchard fruit trees has insured fruit 

 on the " undergrowth " crop — the Raspberries. When the soil 

 is heavy the leaves of the trees and canes afford almost or 

 quite sufficient nourishment for the Raspberries, but a dress- 

 ing of salt and soot, or guano, applied during showery weather 

 in the spring is a profitable investment. When Raspberries 

 are grown in the manner described they do not injure the 

 fruit trees. I am intimately acquainted with an orchard 

 having an undergrowth of Raepborries, and the trees in that 

 orchard of Apples, Plums, and Pears, have for a period of 

 twenty years produced crops of fruit fully equal to any in the 

 neighbourhood where Raspberries have not been grown beneath 

 the trees. The undergrowth crops in the orchard alluded to 

 have been of substantial value to the owner. 



Raspberries may also be grown in gardens on the same self- 

 " supporting " principle. I have had excellent crops without 

 the aid of either stakes or wire, and without bending the canes 

 into a series of arches, and while the rows in summer have 

 been attractive by their productiveness, in the winter they have 

 never been coneidered unsightly. When wires and stakes are 

 procurable it is right that they should be used in gardens, but 

 I would not have anyone deterred from growing Raspberries 

 on account of the absence of these extraneous supports. 



I have grown Fastolf, Red Antwerp, Northumberland Fill- 

 basket, and Carter's Prolific, and I give the preference to the 

 latter for growing on the free-and-easy system alluded to. It 

 is short and robust in growth, productive, and the fruit is 

 large and of excellent quality. For growing on tall trellises 

 Northumberland FiUbasket is suitable ; it is very vigorous and 

 produces fine fruit. Can any growers detail their experience 

 with McLaren's I'rolific ? 



Canes grow well when planted in February, provided tho 

 roots are not permitted to become dry during removal and 

 transit. — A Market Gardener. 



POTATO PLANTING. 



I QUITE sigree with " A Northern Gardener's" advice as to 

 preparing seed Potatoes before planting, as on that, in my 

 opinion, rests tho foundation of the crop ; and, like your corre- 

 spondent, I cannot advise planting so early as January. 



I have had fourteen years' experience in Potato-growing on 

 two kinds of soil — the one a heavy black soil, such as the 

 Briar delights in ; the other a light red soil that you can work 

 at any time. I have tried the early planting recommended by 

 "A VouNG AiiATErr.," and have been rewarded with a half 

 crop of the worst Potatoes I ever grew. Many of the sets 

 remained in the same condition as when planted, only the 

 robust sprouts had disappeared and wero replaced by a few 

 wiry sprouts which had not the strength to push through the 

 soil. So much for early planting. 



During late years I have not planted a Potato on the heavy 

 soil until April (alter tho ground has been dug and manured 

 in the autumn), when the soil was dry on the surface, then 

 forking it over, planting as the ground was dug, in rows not less 



than 2 feet 6 inches apart, being careful not to plant too deep, 

 say 2 inches, sowing a little gas lime mixed with ashes on the 

 sets, and covering them with the next spit, always avoiding 

 treading on the ground except when it has been dry. After 

 this treatment 1 have had a full crop of sound Potatoes. On 

 the red land I follow the same plan, only planting deeper, and 

 the rows a trifle nearer except for large-growing sorts. ,JJS? 

 I have used gas lime mixed with ashes, and find it a good 

 remedy against insects. — J. H. Dixon. 



THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Knowing nothing about the Society, its position and per- 

 plexities, beyond what I have endeavoured to learn from 

 reading the papers, it has occurred to me that I may venture 

 to say scmtthing which cannot well share a worse fate than 

 much that has been written by those who are supposed to be 

 well acquainted with the subject in all its intricacies. In the 

 institution with which I am connected all the principal garden- 

 ing papers are taken, and opportunity is also afforded the 

 members for reading the daily press. It is from this source, 

 therefore, that I have derived my information, and I have read 

 the several reports and letters which have appeared by the 

 light of such common sense as I happen to be endowed with. 

 As to the paitios individually concerned in the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society I know nothing, and it is consequently not 

 possible that I should have any special sympathy for the 

 " Kensingtonians " and their friends — people whom I have 

 never seen, and in all probability never shall see. I am neither 

 disappointed in anything that has occurred during the past nor 

 prejudiced in regard to any contingency of the future, and 

 possibly on that account I can regard matters the more calmly 

 than at least some can who have written on the subject, and 

 who are to a certain extent identified with some particular 

 " policy " that has from time to time been mooted. I am not 

 committed to any " plan," and no man or " party" has any 

 claim to my support. In a word I am independent, and will 

 look at the position from that standpoint. 1 am a gardener 

 earnestly desirous of seeing horticulture flourish and the 

 Royal Ilorticaltural Society healthy and prosperous. That is 

 my desire, as it is that of hundreds of others in a similar 

 position with myself. 



In reference to the Society, if one thing more than another 

 has been impressed on my mind it is that the present Council 

 are earnest in their desire to promote the art which the Society 

 they represent was established to foster. I have gathered this 

 from the writings of many men, and from, I think, every sec- 

 tion of the gardening press — that the Council is composed of 

 earnest practical men, whoeo one great object is to promote 

 horticulture and render the Society, in fact as well as in name, 

 a real horticultural Society. That appears to have been gene- 

 rally admitted, and the shows and meetings, a? reported, have 

 been much more successful since the present men were at the 

 head of affairs than before they were appointed to their honour- 

 able yet onerous c tfice. The work done at Chiswiok has also 

 been eminently useful and instructive. 



If I appreciate the position rightly, I am also under the im- 

 pression that the Council were not only willing but anxious to 

 dissociate the Society from the " fashionable lounge " at South 

 Kensington, so that they might bo at liberty to better carry 

 out purely horticultural work. If I am correct in my recollec- 

 tion they made proposals to and obtained a hearing from the 

 Royal Commissioners towards the carrying-out of this object 

 — an object which would have been effected hut for the decision 

 of the debenture-holders. I do not blame this important body 

 for defending their own interests, but simply record the fact as 

 one which cannot be overlooked in considering the present 

 position of the Society. As I understand the matter, the 

 action of the debenture-holders placed the Council in this 

 position — that be they ever so earnest in their desire to out 

 themselves (ibe Society) adrift from South ivensington, they 

 are absolutely powerless to do so for a period of at least two 

 years. That I conceive is an important fact to be remembered. 

 Let us, then, admit that the debenture-holders and the Court 

 of Chancery compel tho Council to retain the gardens at South 

 Kensington for a certain period, and what next ? 



Two cour.';es are now open for adoption ; first, tho practical 

 closing of the gardens — letting them go to ruin — and ostra- 

 cising the local residents ; rejecting the support which many 

 have given, and it is presumed many are willing to give again; 

 powerfully aiding to place the Society in a solvent state, en- 

 abling it as far as possible to prosecute its legitimate functions. 



