66 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



C Jannaiy 28, 18(8. 



they should always be taken into consideration when planning 

 improvements or alterations, and at all times tacitly respected. 

 ' — ^ArESHIBE Gabdeser. 



SUCCESSFUL ORCHAED-HOUSE CULTURE. 



About four years ago the thought occurred to me how much 

 I should like to erect an orchard house ; so, after having made 

 myself thoroughly acquainted with Mr. Kivers's little book on 

 this particular subject, I consulted the advertisement pages of 

 the Journal, and soon found the very thing I believed would 

 Buit me — namely, a tree cover, manufactured at Birmingham. 

 After a correspondence with the firm that advertised, I had a 

 length of 40 feet C inches erected against a south wall in my 

 fruit garden, in Wiltshire. It was finished on Christmas eve, 

 18C4, and so pleased was I with it, that I immediately applied 

 to the same firm for 40 feet more ; but on receiving a reply that 

 ■what they had done for mo was merely an experiment (a most 

 happy one for me), and that they could not add more except at 

 a very considerable advance in price, I wrote to a respectable 

 firm in Bath, who contracted to add what I required at much 

 less coat, and I have now an elegant structure 80 feet long, 9 feet 

 high, and 8 feet wide, with ample ventilation at the top and 

 bottom. And now for the results. 



Fruit trees had been previously planted in the border against 

 the wall, and the consequence was a good crop of Peaches and 

 Nectarines, and also of Strawberries in pots, the first season. 

 The second year I had a very fair crop of fruit, and the last 

 season, 1807, more than seven hundred Peaches and Nec- 

 tarines of exquisite flavour, besides a large quantity of Plums 

 and Cherries grown in pots, and a few well-ripened Apricots. 



I should also state that twelve choice Vines were planted at 

 6} feet apart, with the view of securing a partial shade, the 

 thermometer during the last two summers having frequently 

 ranged from 95° to 100'. From these Vines I have cut fifty-five 

 bunches of well-ripened Grapes, most of them well coloured, 

 some of the bunches of the Alicante weighing just 2 lbs., and 

 ipiown without any artificial heat. 



The thought often occurred to me. How is it I so frequently 

 read of failures in orchard-house culture? Surely there must 

 be some cause why fruit should not succeed under glass, and I 

 have come to the conclusion that it is this : Either the master 

 does not understand the management of the structure, or the 

 gardener may, perhaps, think that he has quite enough to do 

 without the additional work which an orchard house is sure to 

 entaU if properly attended to. I have the good fortune to have 

 »a old and confidential gardener, who has lived in the family 

 for nearly half a century, and takes and feels as much interest 

 in his work as if all under his care were his own property. I 

 gave him Mr. Eivers's little book, with this remark, " Do not 

 attempt to fill your head with too much at a time, but read a 

 little, and follow the directions as nearly as possible, and I 

 think we shall succeed ; " and he has done this to my entire 

 satisfaction, as the trees, after a heavy crop, are all looking most 

 promising and full of blossom-buds for this year. 



The border where the tree cover stands had plenty of trench- 

 ing mould put into it when first made ; and as the space is 

 limited we frequently top-dress with rich manure, as the roots 

 are always seeking nourishment from the surface. All the 

 trees in pots are top-dressed twice every season with malt dust 

 ami sheep manure, and manure water of some sort is always 

 used twice a-week. The Vines have likewise bones and char- 

 coal ; but two most essential points to insure success are 

 free ventilation, and plenty of water which has been warmed by 

 the sun's rays. All the plants are syringed before sunrise and 

 after sunset. 



Mr. Elvers, as well as Mr. Pearson, and others, have given 

 some valuable receipts for smoking orchard houses, but I can 

 assert that mine has never required this treatment, nor has it 

 ever been done. We have found it an excellent jilan to have 

 the wall and fruit trees whitewashed during the winter, and 

 early in the spring to have all the plants and Vines done over 

 with a solution of lime, soft soap, soot, and sulphur, the latter 

 being freely used in a dry state, and placed about the border in 

 tins. It keeps the house thoroughly healthy, and it is an 

 effectual preventive of the depredations of wasps, &c., as they 

 do not like its fumes when the sun is shiuing ; but it is removed 

 just at the time the trees are in blossom, or my special friends 

 the bees would decline to pay their always-welcome visit. 



We have for some time given up using shreds, as on ex- 

 amining them I have frequently found a deposit of the eggs of 



insects, &c., using as a substitute small hooked nails, and 

 tying the shoots to them with matting. 



I was often much amused, when first commencing, by some 

 persons telling me, " You may grow Grapes if you like, but yon 

 are sure to find it an utter failure with other fruit trees ; the 

 leaves will all blister and curl up ,and yon will have no fruit" — 

 more than a slight mistake most assuredly, as it has been often 

 remarked by my friends that they never saw a better crop, or 

 trees in finer condition, and as regards the flavour of the fruit, 

 all have said who have tasted. Give me a Peach or a Nectarine 

 grown under glass. 



I can never mention Mr. Eivers's name without a feeling of 

 gratitude for the immense amount of pleasure and gratification 

 I have derived through him and his writings. May his shadow 

 never grow less, and his substance ever increase. — Bath. 



CUPRESSUS ]\L^CROCARPA. 



It is to be regretted that this beautiful and fast-growing tree 

 should be liable to the mishaps described by Mr. Kent and 

 " A SoMEKSETsniRE Pakson," but I fear their complaints of 

 its shortcomings will be too generally confirmed to leave much 

 hope of its attaining the dimensions of a large tree. Still, we 

 ought not altogether to despair of such a result. The fact of 

 its doing well on a very stiff clay, as stated by " A Someksei- 

 sniEE Pakson," is weU worth knowing, especially as those 

 having so obstinate a soil to deal with are not always ac- 

 quainted with the ornamental trees which there thrive, al- 

 though they may know what common trees succeed. I, as one, 

 therefore, thank him for his communication, and beg to oiler 

 some further remarks on this handsome tree. 



In the autumn of l.s.j'2 a small plant of this Conifer was 

 sent here in a pot, and as it was reported to be not hardy, it 

 was kept in a pot the whole of the following year. It was not 

 until May, lH'tl, that it was planted out, but it had been out of 

 doors a great part of the time, though sheltered in severe 

 weather. In planting it out, the roots were carefully dis- 

 entangled, and extended at their full length before being covered 

 up ; even one or two of the largest roots which would not give 

 way were fractured rather than they should remain coiled 

 close to the collar. Fortunately the plant had several roots all 

 springing from its base, and did not consist of one or two 

 large roots with all the others proceeding from them, as I have 

 seen in other specimens, and which is much to their disadvan- 

 tage. It is to this circumstance that I attribute in a great 

 measure the after-success. Planting, I need hardly remark, 

 checked growth much. Part of the season was spent ere the 

 plant recovered, and in the following spring, that of 1855, it 

 was about 2J feet high. Its progress then and afterwards was 

 most rapid, for some years in succession averagiag 3 feet 

 annually ; and last autumn it was .36 feet high, the growth in 

 the past season having been less than in any previous year, 

 owing to the plant having suffered so mueh from the frost o£ 

 the previous winter. 



Surrounding the tree there are specimens as high as itself 

 of Picea cephalonica. Cedar of Lebanon, and Spruce firs, 

 which have, no doubt, had the effect of sheltering it from 

 high winds, but whether they will be of service when this fine 

 tree overtops them, time alone will deteriaine. So far it has 

 withstood our highest winds without further damage than a 

 slight inclination towards the north-east, our highest winds 

 coming from the opposite direction, bat younger trees have 

 succumbed to the gale. We all know that very high winds find 

 out even sheltered places. An old friend of mine, a forester of 

 long experience, used to remark that in general more trees are 

 blown down in valleys and sheltered places Ihan on hill tops, 

 and I believe he was right. 



The sheltered position of the tree no doubt preserved it in a 

 great measure, and its hardiness appeared to be equal to that 

 of the Scotch Fir and Cedar of Lebanon up ia January, 1867. 

 Indeed, I may say until May, for, unlike many other species of 

 Conifers and shrubs, no token of injury appesvred till in that 

 month the foliage on all the lower branches and for a consider- 

 able distance up the tree became discoloured, and much of it 

 fell oS ; the growth being in consequence more feeble. The 

 foliage now, though still existing on the tips of most if not all 

 the branches, is so thin that the interior dead twigs and naked 

 stems can be seen all around. This was not the ease before, for 

 on walking round the tiree no twig thicker than the finger could 

 he seen without putting the bransies aside, so dense was the 

 foliage, siad so long Aid it hang. The top »i She tree was 



