308 



JOTJBNAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ Ma; 6, 1869. 



Upon this may be added 9 inches of good rough stones, or 

 bricks broken np with a hammer, which will leave about 2 J or 

 3 feet for the soil. 



We shall premise that the required quantity of soil has been 

 obtained from a good old pasture, and been put up into a ridge 

 for a few months. The beat soil for the Pear is a good rich 

 mellow loam, not too light, but rather inclined to be heavy. 

 This having been obtained, lot one load to at least every eight 

 be added of the best stable or farmyard manure, with charcoal 

 or wood ashes in considerable quantities, as well as a good 

 addition of crushed bones, where good fruit is more an object 

 than the expense incurred. Let these all be turned over once or 

 twice to get thoroughly incorporated, after which the soil may 

 be placed in the border after a layer of green turf has been put 

 therein, to prevent the soil from running at once down through 

 the rubble. This operation completed, the planting of the trees 

 may be proceeded with at once as already directed ; and I may 

 here state that a considerable gain is effected if the trees can 

 be procured and planted about the middle of October, or even 

 earlier, before the leaves fall. In the case of trees, however, 

 which have to come a long distance, this would be impracticable, 

 as they would become heated upon the journey, and conse- 

 quently much injured. 



We now come to speak of the distances which ought to be 

 between the trees at planting. This will depend entirely upon 

 the mode of training and the stock used for grafting. If the 

 Quince has been used, and the trees are intended for pyramids, 

 the distance need not be more than 12 feet, or 15 feet at most. 

 If on the Pear stock, the distance ought not to be less than 

 18 feet if intended for border lines ; and if intended for an 

 orchard plantation even more will be necessary, say from 24 to 

 30 feet, according to the size they are to be allowed to grow. 

 If the trees are to be planted against the wall, the distances in 

 this case will be regulated by the height of the wall as well as 

 the stock used. For a wall of 8 feet in height the Quince will 

 snswer very well, and the trees may be planted every 12 to 

 14 feet. Where the wall is from 10 to 12 feet, or higher, the 

 Pear will suit better as a stock than the Quince, as it will grow 

 quicker and fill up the space sooner. For a wall 12 feet high, 

 18 to 20 feet is a good distance to plant, while 20 to 24 will be 

 better where the height is 15 or IG feet. It is seldom that walls 

 are much higher than this, but a good guide to planting is to 

 pnt the trees one and a half times the distance from each other 

 that the wall is in height. When the trees deviate much either 

 ■way from this rule, they do not look so proportionate or so well. 

 Nothing looks worse than to see trees upon a 15-feet wall planted 

 every 14 or 15 feet ; or, what is even worse, to see a 9-feet wall 

 with the trees planted 24 or 30 feet apart. 



It is now a demonstrated fact, that of all materials nsed for 

 garden walls, there is none so suitable, or which answers the 

 purposes of fruit-culture so well, as brick. It ought, however, 

 to be of the very best quality, as nothing can be more teasing 

 than to see the bricks decaying from the effects of the weather, 

 in the course of a few years after being built. The difference 

 between good and inferior bricks is very trifling, while all the 

 other materials and workmanship will be the same. The good 

 old rule, therefore, holds good in this as in other cases — viz., 

 get a good material, pay a good price for it, and yon will get 

 satisfaction out of your bargain. The thickness of the wall will 

 depend entirely upon the height. A wall 9 inches in thickness 

 — that is, one brick thick — should not be more than 6 or 7 feet 

 high, as if higher the wall is sure to be soon affected by frost, 

 lain, and wind to such an extent (hat its security is doubtful. 

 A. wall from C to 12 feet should be ISJinchesthiok— thatis, one 

 and a half brick — which makes a very substantial wall, and at 

 the same time does not require piers to strengthen it, which, 

 at best, mar the beauty of the whole, while I am rather sceptical 

 whether they meet the end in view or not. All walls above 12 feet 

 onght to be 18 inches in thickness, which will give them strength 

 enough to resist the fiercest storms with impunity. Walls of 

 this thickness may with benefit be made hollow, which does not 

 in the least weaken them, while they are said to be warmer than 

 those built solid. Various materials have been used for copings, 

 but none answers the purpose so well as stone. Stone copings 

 are more expensive at first, but the cheapeet in the end, as all 

 sorts of compositions are sure to crack in the course of time, 

 and the rain entering through these cracks destroys the wall. 

 Copings ought to rise in the middle and slope to the edge; and 

 I would recommend that a gutter be cut along the edge 2 inches 

 broad and 1 deep, which would prevent the drip from falling, 

 as it often does in great quantities, npon the branches, foliage, 

 and flowers of the trees, to their great injury. If the coping 



is cemented together, the water could be led through these 

 gutters to small lead pipes placed efery 100 feet, which could 

 empty themselves into the drains at the bottom of the walls. 



About most places the south walls are all covered with either 

 glass. Peaches, or Apricots. The next best situation must there- 

 fore be selected for the Pear. Most gardens are so placed as to 

 face the sun from 10 to 11 a.m. In such a case the west side of 

 the walls will be the best for the Pear, as it will not only be less 

 exposed to the easterly winds and spring frosts, but will there- 

 fore have one hour more of the sun in this position than any 

 other which could be assigned to it, unless the south ; and many 

 varieties of the Pear merit the latter position, which they do not 

 often get. — James M'Millan {The Gardener.) 



EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mat 4Tn. 



Floral Committee. — Rev. J. Dix in the cliair. Messrs. Standish 

 and Co. sent a small collection of plants, of which Struthiopteris 

 orientalis. a very handsome half-hardy Japanese Fern, received a tirst- 

 clasa cortiticate. From the same firm came also some interesting 

 seedling Rhododendrons, with a white ground, in some instances densely 

 dotted with dark spots in the centre ; also Acer japonioum argentenm, 

 one of the platanoides section, which it was requested should be sent 

 again in the autumn ; Zonal Pelargonium Jean Sisley, a very iine 

 variety, bright orange scarlet, with a conspicuous white centre ; and two 

 new double Zonal Pelargoniums, named Wilhelm Spitzer, a brilliant 

 scarlet, and Mario Lemoine, bright rose. These were two very pro- 

 mising varieties. Messrs. Standish likewise sent a hybrid Nosegay 

 Zonal, called Engc'ne Buenzod, with bright pink flowers in large 

 trusses. 



Mr. Shaw, Manchester, sent Croton Wrigleyanum variegatum ; the 

 plant was too small for any decision as to its merits. 



Messrs. Veitch exhibited a small collection of Orchids and other 

 plants. Vanda Dennisoniana received a first-class certificate ; a new 

 species of Brassia, somewhat like B. macnlata, a very handsome 

 Orchid, was also awarded a first-class certificate; Epidendrum syrin- 

 githyrsum, Achryanthes acuminata, Peperomia heterostachys, Croton 

 aucubsefolium, and others. A special certificate was awarded the col- 

 lection. 



A very interesting group of the seedling Coleas raised by Mr. Banse 

 at the gardens at Chiswick, was much admired. 



Mr. Bull sent Geonoma zamoreusis, a small-growing Palm, which 

 received a fir^t-class certificate ; Podocai-pus Maki variegatus — first- 

 class certificate ; Pitcairnia tabnlBcformis, Achyranthes acuminata, 

 and Chamjerops arborca {?), to be seen again. 



Mr. Turner, Slough, sent a new Azalea Madame Vander Ctnyssen, 

 largo deep rose ilower, spotted in the centre, the flower rather too flat ; 

 it received a first class certificate. Also a basket of small plants of a 

 new Golden Zonal Pelargonium, called Golden Attraction, with very 

 deep golden-colonred foliage. 



Mr. Keynes, Salisbury, exhibited a basket of a new Zonal Pelargo- 

 nium, called Little Pinky, said to he useful for ornamental bedding 

 purposes, but not equal to many other weU-known sorts. 



Mr. C. Noble, Snnningdale, sent a collection of the seedling early- 

 flowering Clematis, some of them very promising, but many of the 

 plants too small, and the flowers not even fully expanded. Albert 

 Victor, a fine circular pale lavender flower, received a first-class cer- 

 tificate ; Miss Bateman, creamy white, a fine circular flower, was also 

 awarded a first-class certificate. Among the others, which will pro- 

 bably be sent again, were Lord Napier, Lord Londesborongh, and 

 Lady Londesborongh. 



Mr. Edmonds sent several fine trusses of Rhododendron Metropoli- 

 tanum, which he cut from the conservatory. Chiswick House ; a brilliant 

 carmine rose, very conspicuous and beautiful. 



Messrs. E. G. Henderson sent several specimen Blandfordias, an 

 Ixora, and Azalea Bonquet de Flore. A special certificate was awarded 

 for the collection. 



Mr. Green, gardener to W. W. Saunders, Esq., sent a large collec- 

 tion of variegated-foliaged plants, which received a special certificate. 

 Mr. .J. Cooper, Rcigate^ sent a specimen of Toxioophtoa spectabilis ; 

 Mr. Boyce, nurseryman, Clapham, a Zonal Pelargonium, not equal to 

 many others in cultivation ; and Messrs. J. & C. Lee a fine specimen 

 of Azalea altaciarensis. 



Mr. Sherratt, gardener to J. Bateman, Esq., received a first-clase 

 certificate for Deudrobium janthophlebium, also for Dendrobimn 

 transparens. E. Salt, Esq., received a special certificate for a fine 

 specimen of Masdevallia Veitchiana with four beautiful flowers,^ also a 

 special certificate for a fine example of Dendrobium Falconeri. Mr. 

 Watson, florist. Hammersmith, was awarded a first-class certificate 

 for a very fine white, early, forcing Pink, one of the purest whites ever 

 seen, and most useful for spring decoration. 



Messrs. Downie, Laird, it Laijig sent a curious sport of a Colens, 

 which may lead to a new form of this nseful plant, the leaves pale 

 green with a dark centre, margined with bright red ; it is an interesting 

 sport, and may probably produce a race of tricolor Coleuses. 



Meeting on Council and Exhibitors. — In accordance with a 



