April 24, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



309 



foimd the Eeine Claude de Bavay Plum in the garden of its 

 raiser, Major Egperen, at Malines, and at once imported all 

 the trees I could find, and they are the trees which now bear so 

 well here. In my zeal I imported some himdreds under the 

 name, which to my great concern turned out Coe's Golden Drop. 

 In giving a history of my Plum-culture, although I fear your 

 readers will be tired of the everlasting cfio, I feel that I ought 

 to describe a new mode of planting Plum trees for market 

 purposes just commenced here. 



There are two kinds of Plums remarkable for the fastigiate 

 habit of the trees, for the size and beauty of then- fruit — one 

 purple, the other bright red — and for their prohtic habit. Well, 

 after closely observing these sorts for two or thi'ee years, I 

 determined on planting them to some extent. Accordingly, 

 last spring a plantation was formed of upwards of one thousand 

 trees, planted 5 feet apart, row fi-om row, and 3 feet apart in 

 the rows. It is intended to encourage their natural Cypress- 

 like habit by summer pruning, so that each row will form al- 

 most a hedge. In the course of seven or ten years, if neces- 

 sary, every alternate tree will be removed and replanted ; but 

 in the meantime they will have amply paid their way, for even 

 this spring many of the little pyramids are full of blossom- 

 buds. By this mode of culture — and it may be followed with 

 some kinds of Pears on Quince stocks and Apples on Paradise 

 stocks — the trees have the full benefit of the soil, which is too 

 often exhausted by intermediate cropping ; still, a light crop in 

 the centre of the space between each row may be taken for one 

 or two years. The great advantage, however, derived from this 

 mode of planting is the superior ripening of the fruit from the 

 radiation of heat from the bare surface of the soU, a subject 

 but Uttle thought of by most fruit-growers. 



In his eleventh paragraph Mr. Bobson mentions his freedom 

 from the imputation of " puffing any particular class of tree." 

 I am not aware of any person being liable to this apparent 

 inuendo ; hut I happen to know that two little books, published 

 ■within these twenty years, one having gone through thirteen 

 editions (13,000), the other twelve editions (12,000), have spread 

 the knowledge of garden fruit-tree culture over the whole em- 

 pire, and have reheved thousands of amateurs from the thral- 

 dom of persons calUng themselves gardeners, not the true 

 species, for a good accomplished gardener is a fine fellow, and 

 far superior, I am inclined to think, to a majority of the trading 

 classes, owing to his vocation bringing, on reflection, a know- 

 ledge of Nature and her handiworks. 



Mr. Bobson thinks that because the Filbert-growers prune 

 their trees properly, the same would have been done by the 

 Kentish fruit-growers if called for. The soU and climate have 

 more to do with Filbert-culture thai* most people are aware of. 

 The formation on which the soil rests suits them, for no prun- 

 ing, no skill, will make them succeed in the majority of soils. 

 The fruit-growers of Kent for some generations have felt satis- 

 fied with their orchards, and have not moved " upwards and 

 onwards." Some day ere long the firm of Messrs. Passive 

 Resistance, Jasper Standstill & Co., will be dissolved, and then 

 the Kentish fruit-growers must look to it, for depend upon it 

 many clever, energetic men will cultivate fruit in gardens and 

 take the best market prices. I have more than once stated that 

 fruit culture has not yet commenced, it is yet in the future ; 

 and when the above firm has ceased its operations, not only 

 will market garden fruit-culture be widely extended (our increas- 

 ing rich and luxurious population will take all that can be pro- 

 duced), but domestic gardening will largely increase, and orchard- 

 houses, ground vineries, vineyards under glass, cordon training 

 under glass ridges, dessert Orange culture, pyramidal and bush 

 culture of fruit trees, and other pleasant deviations from the 

 old-fashioned routine, will be disseminated among that rapidly 

 increasing and highly intelligent part of our population — the 

 middle classes of our country. That great truth, " Genius cuts 

 out new paths where ordinary mortals imagine nothing can 

 be done," is as applicable to fruit-tree culture as to the lugher 

 arts.— T. R. 



P.S. — Referring to the article by Mr. Vallance, page 270, there 

 is not the least doubt but that the French Paradise stock is as 

 objectionable now from its tendency to canker as it was in the 

 time of Miller, who describes it so accurately. The sort de- 

 scribed by Mr. Vallance is doubtless some variety of the Doucin, 

 so much like the Pommier de Paradis as not to be distin- 

 guished from it, but still not it. I have some thousands of 

 this sort ; the trees it gives are equally dwarf with those grafted 

 on the French Paradise ; but I reckon I was cheated when I 

 bought these stocks. 



[At one time we regretted the controversy between our two 



friends — for pokes were given and returned — but the preceding 

 most useful and sound communication would remove the re- 

 gret even if the pokes had been more numerous. However, we 

 think the controversy may now close. Each has vindicated his 

 opinions, and each, we are siue, regrets if he has annoyed 

 his antagonist. — Ens.] 



THE PARIS EXHIBITION OP 1807. 

 We understand that it is proposed to hold a meeting of florists 

 and horticalturists in the conservatory at the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society's Gardens, South Kensington, on the 1st of May, 

 at 10.30 A.M., in order that they may have the opportunity of 

 stating their views with regard to the great French Exhibition 

 of 1867. 



THE INTERNATIONAL HORTICULTURAL 

 EXHIBITION. 



On this day, four weeks hence, the Great International Hor- 

 ticultural Exhibition wiU be opened in the presence of one of 

 those distinguished companies which can only be seen on such 

 occasions ; and will disclose a splendour of form, and colour, 

 and effect such as has never been witnessed in this or in any 

 other country. The preparations that have been made are 

 already far advanced. The framework of the building itself 

 is now completed, and the roofing will in the course of a few 

 days be fixed, while the interior arrangements and gi'oundwork 

 have now acquired such a development as to exhibit distinctly 

 the outline of the whole. 



From the ground plan that we publish in our present Num- 

 ber, a pretty correct idea may be obtained of the way in which 

 the interior is laid out ; but no plan can convey to the mind 

 any conception of the vast dimensions. When we say that the 

 area occupied is over 3* acres, that its length is 563 feet, being 

 exactly the width of the Great Industrial Exhibition building 

 of 1862, its width 293 feet, and that its height is 30 feet in 

 the centre, some faint notion may be formed of what sort of 

 place it is. About .55,000 superficial feet wiU be appropriated 

 to the plants, which wUl be arranged on sloping grass banks ; 

 and 60,000 superficial feet are devoted to the promenades, 

 which will accommodate 15,000 persons ui the building, allow- 

 ing i square feet for each person. For the Orchids and other 

 tender plants special arrangements have been made, and an 

 appartment 500 feet long by 40 feet wide, heated with hot 

 water, and made perfectly secure, has been provided. 



The merit of the plan, and execution of the building and 

 earthworks, are due to Mr. Gibson, the skilful garden architect 

 and superintendent of Battersea Park, who, with his clever son, 

 has given his gratuitous services, and devoted himself with un- 

 wearied energy to secure the success of this great undertaking. 

 The framework and canvass have been constructed and erected 

 by Messrs. Unite, the eminent tent-makers and sail-cloth 

 nianufacturers of Paddington, who, in this matter, have aided 

 the Executive Committee by an affability and Hberahty which 

 is worthy of commendation. 



But, say some, " How is such a vast space to be filled ?" 

 " Filled ?" we say. Nay. Will there be room enough? Have we 

 not been told of more than twenty two-horse vanloads of things 

 coming from Waltham Cross Nurseries, as many from Slough, 

 and Ascot, and Knaphill, and nobody knows how many from 

 Chelsea ? Then we hear of Mr. Pince, of Exeter, fired with 

 all the ardour of early days, freighting a fabulous number of 

 railway trucks to convey examples of those grand conifers and 

 other ornamental trees for which the Exeter Nurseries have 

 been so long celebrated. Then there are numerous other exhi- 

 bitors who will be there in not less formidable force— from 

 Holloway and Hammersmith, St. John's Wood and Highgate, 

 Tooting and Dulwich, and a host of those grand private col- 

 lections besides, which can be seen nowhere else but in this 

 country. And then there are all the treasures of Kew— its 

 Palms, and Bananas, and other fine-foliaged things, all of which 

 have been placed at the disposal of the Committee, will be 

 there. There is not a nursery or garden establishment of any 

 note in the country that will not be represented ; and not of 

 this country only, for we already hear of great preparations at 

 Ghent and Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, and many other places 

 that intend to join in the honourable contest. All these varied 

 subjects skilfully and artistically arranged over a surface 'of 

 three acre.^ and a half nt picturesque undulating ground— verily 

 it will 'oe a grand sight ! 



