312 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



[ April M, 1806. 



PEOTECTING THE BLOSSOM OF AVALL 

 FRUIT TREES. 



I LIVE a few miles, less tbnn ten, due north of London, and 

 for thirty years I have grown Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots 

 on an open wall facing full south. During all those years I 

 have never protected them in the least, and I have lost once 

 now and then, yet very rarely, my crop of Peaches and Nec- 

 tarines by the spring frosts, but my Apricots have never been 

 injured. 



This season my Apricots have been in profuse bloom, but they 

 were in consequence of the mild winter so very forward, that, 

 departing from my usual practice, I thought it only prudent to 

 retard, if I could, the expanding of the blossoms. I suspended, 

 therefore, over the tree a cloth supported on poles, through 

 the sunny days, and there were but few of them, of February 

 and the first half of llarch. always continuing the covering 

 through the immediately following nights, but removing it 

 wholly when the weather was dull and gloomy. The sequel is, 

 that not a blossom has set its fruit, and " the Begum's " anti- 

 cipations of Apricot-jam are at an end for this season ; but then 

 she has the gratification of knowing that a friend's Apricot on 

 a west wall that has been left wholly unprotected, shows an 

 ample crop. 



Such a failure as this looks very like propter hoc as well 

 as post hoc, and brings to mind Talleyrand's impatience of 

 blunders, and what he said of them. I shall "protect" no 

 more. — Beta. 



[We believe that if Apricot blossoms could be kept dry, they 

 are as well without protection. On many south walls this 

 season we believe the centre of the blossom was injured by wet 

 and cold, when west and east aspects escaped from being later. 

 We notice nothing wrong in the mode of covering adopted, but 

 it is possible that the germen of the fruit was injured before 

 covering was resorted to. We had a box of fine blossoms sent 

 to us to look at, and on examining them not one had a sound 

 pistil. Most likely if you had not covered at all you would 

 have been blaming yourself.] 



A PLEA FOR EVERGREENS NOT GENERALLY 

 GROWN. 



It is much to be regretted that at the present time the atten- 

 tion directed to such plants as are likely to constitute a feature 

 in dressed grouuds is too much confined to those having only 

 an ephemeral existence. A glare of colour for two or three 

 months is thought to be of more importance than watching the 

 progress of plants that may, in all probability, continue for cen- 

 turies. Pinuses, it is true, aro grown, aud a few select species 

 are favourites everywhere ; but the mass of other trees is much 

 neglected, and there are several shrubs of great merit which 

 are far from so generally grown as I think they ought to be. 

 My object in the following remarks is partly to direct attention 

 to the merits of certain trees and shrubs, aud at the same time 

 to ask some questions as to one or two, respecting which I am 

 desirous of further information. With these I shall commence. 



First, I wish to have the opinions of those who have grown 

 Skimmia japonica extensively, as to how it comports itself as a 

 shrub. Unfortunately I have not had a chance to try it, as the 

 soil here is adverse to it. I also desire similar information 

 with regard to Pernettya mucronata, likewise a berrv-bearing 

 plant of great beauty when well managed, but which I cannot 

 grow. Desfontainea spinosa I Iiave seen in great perfection out 

 of doors, but I do not think it is plentiful enough for general 

 adoption there ; it is certainly deserving of attention. Then 

 we have several plants of recent introduction from .Japan, some 

 Aucubas, for instance. The one called A. japonica vera seems to 

 be of slow growth here, but it is quite hardy I should think. 

 Will the male one over revolutionise the chai-acter of our old 

 familiar Aucuba, which even now is not so much grown as it 

 deserves to be ? The other Aucubas I am not acquainted with, 

 and I expect that they are not yet sufficiently numerous to be 

 used in out-door work executed for effect. 



Raphiolepis ovata is a promising plant, quite hardy, and I 

 think likely to be a favourite, and, the foliage being good and 

 abundant, it will, I think, rank high amongst evergreens. I 

 wish I could say the same of the Cotoneasters. C. Simmonsii 

 looks very well in autumn when loaded with beautiful orange- 

 coloured berries; but its leaves become shabby, and, in fact, 

 fall off, and the other species seem to have too great a resem- 



blance to C. microphylla. Nothing can bo better than the 

 latter for covering a steep bank, its deep dark-green foliage and 

 healthy appearance rendering it very ornamental in such a 

 position. Rabbits are, however, very fond of it, and where 

 they abound it ought not to be planted ; they aro also fond of 

 another plant, not by any means so common as it ought to be — 

 Grisehnia littoralis. This fine evergreen is, perhaps, more 

 densely clothed with foUage than any ]ilant which I know, ex- 

 cept the Box, and being of compact growth desenes to be more 

 generally grown. Photinia serrulata is too tender for most 

 places, excepting against a wjill ; but I believe Eugenia Ugni 

 and E. apiculata to be hardy enough, and well fitted for a 

 sheltered shrubbery. Then we have the hardier varieties of 

 Indian Azaleas, which at Falrlawn are as hardy as the Rhodo- 

 dendron and look as well ; and Camellias, too, will thrive in 

 places where the soil and situation suit them ; but they very 

 seldom produce good flowers out of doors, as the least wet 

 spoils them. 



Many other evergreens might be named as capable of adding 

 to the interest afforded by that class of plants — one which I 

 should like to see more extensively gi'own ; and I hope that 

 those who have succeeded well with the species above men- 

 tioned, or who know of others deserving of attention, will re- 

 cord their views. — J. Bobson. 



JOTTINGS OF GARDENS IN LEICESTERSHIRE. 



Leicester ! what thoughts arise at the mention of the 

 name ! Few counties call up more thoughts or subjects for 

 reflection. What troubles have been there ! what scenes of 

 strife and commotion ! what sermons its very stone walls 

 preach ! It is full of interest. Its Fosse road, what troops 

 have passed aloug its highway ! — its river Soar, with its famous 

 bridge which Richard III. passed over to the memorable battle 

 of Bosworth ; aud a tablet in the wall surrounding the grounds 

 of A. Turner, Esq. (now famous for Orchids), tells the traveller, 

 " Near this spot He the remains of King Richard III., the last 

 of the Plantagenets." Leicester ! with its old abbey walls and 

 Norman archways, where the most famous man of his day — 

 the butcher's sou, the dictator of kings — the great Cardinal 

 Wolsey expired, teaching important lessons to yet unborn gene- 

 rations of the instability of human greatness when, passing 

 through that old gateway in the north wall; he said, " If I had 

 served my God as I have served my king." Leicester ! with 

 its fine agricultural aud grazing land ; its granite, slates, and 

 coal ; its wool and woollen manufactures ; its rapid strides in 

 trade and commerce ; and its boot and shoe manufacture, a 

 trade which has sprung up within the last twelve years. Trade 

 and commerce flourish ; and men of business who, a few years 

 since, worked hard for their subsistence, now, having made 

 their fortunes, have their handsome suburban villas, which are 

 a credit to the town and county. 



From the race-ground to Oadby, a distance of three miles 

 and a half, is one continuous line of detached villas — neat, 

 pretty, and apparently well kept — and I could not fail to be 

 struck with the gi'eat and pleasing variety of trees and shrubs 

 with which the grounds surrounding them are planted. It 

 would be well if many of those intrusted with the laying out 

 and planting of similar villas round London would go down 

 there and take a lesson or two, so that we might not have so 

 much monotony in the varieties of shrubs yearly planted. The 

 suburban mauia is extending in every direction ; east, west, 

 north, and south aro heard the trowel and hammer, and long 

 may it continue; long may trade flourish, long may our fa- 

 vourite horticulture lind support, and the spirited nurserymen 

 receive encouragement. 



Few towns have made, and are still making, greater strides 

 in horticulture. It is a work of time to deeply engiaft a love 

 of the beautiful in any district, particularly such a one as this 

 was a few years since ; but it has been done, and all honour 

 to the few who quietly impressed the minds of others, and 

 gently led them on. I dare not mention names, or I might 

 those to whom Leicester is much indebted; they have "done 

 good by stealth," and would "blush to find it fame." There 

 were not many places a few years ago to interest the horticul- 

 turist or botanist, and they were far apart, but a change has 

 come. Leicestershire can now support its floral and horticul- 

 tural exhibitions in most of its towns and villages of any 

 note. Here flowers are now grown from the lowly Pansy to 

 the most gorgeous and rarest Orchids, and fruits from the 

 " show " Gooseberry to the luscious Peach and Pino ; and if 



