JOUBKAL OF HOBTICULTUKE AND COTIAGE GABDENEB. 



( JoJt aa, 1869. 



from the rosery in the direction of the maneion, ig the site of 

 the old orangery nitbin a Ion- ftone balastradicg ; non a cosy 

 arbour, with trelliees ou either side extending some distance 

 either way, and coTered with Wiotaria sinensis, llagroUa 

 grandillors. Clematises, Uoses, i:o. In front of this trellic- 

 work etood a line rovi of Tltimca elegaue. and in front of these 

 large specimen scarlet IVlargoninmf. Ac, a grand bank of 

 colour. The level of the terrsce ou which is the orangery is 

 some Jl feet above the level of tlie greonsward. On the terrace 

 is a tmall but very neat geometrical garden, the outhne of 

 which is worked in Box-edging, and forms a chain border. 

 The grormdwork of the chain was formed of Viola comuta, 

 then in the full Hush of its beauty ; the centre of each link of 

 the chain being planted v.ith HyacLnth?. mingled wilh CoUinsia 

 bicolor. The angles formed at the jaiu:ture of the links of the 

 chain, were filled up with the blue Venus' Looking-glass. On 

 either side of the chain pattern was a narrow marginal border 

 filled alternately with patches of London Pride, mingled with 

 Calandiina speciosa and Leptoeiphon densiflorus. 



Close by, and under the v.ecping shade of a magnificent lofty 

 specimen of Abies pendula. is a raisrcd tablet inscribed to the 

 memory of the Eev. John JIason, the designer of this part of 

 the beautiful grounds at Xuneh&m, and which intimates that 

 " George Simon. Earl Hircourt. consecrates this cenotaph to 

 the memory of his friend." llound here were to be seen huge 

 specimen Magnolias in full bloom, the pale tints of M. cou- 

 spicua alternating into the darker hues of M. Soulangeana, 

 while splendid bushes of Persian Likes, liarbeiis aquifolium, 

 and other ornamental plants lent their aid towards the general 

 contribution of beauty to be seen at this delightful spot. — \ i-i. 

 (To be uon tinned.) 



THE LOSS OF THE PEACH fROl' OF isiii). 



The failure of the Peach crop of the present season is in 

 every way remarkable, and not only rtmarkable, but it is also 

 quite unprecedented. There have been seasons in particular 

 districts in which the crop has been eqndlly deficient, but then | 

 the loss has been occasioned through sime particular agency, 

 and the cause could be satisfactorily accounted for. We know 

 by experience what it is to lose a crop of fruit owing to spring 

 frosts, or even the trees themielves from frost in winter. We 

 have also experienced deficient crops through the paucity of | 

 bloom, caused through the badly-ripened wood, on account of 

 some neglect on our own part, or the unpropiLious character 

 of the preceding season. This season, however, is different 

 ia its causes to all former ones. It is also more general 

 than has ever been known within memory. Throughout the 

 whole of the United Kingdom, with ver;- few exceptions, like- 

 wise in France, even at Montreuil, wiiore it may be said to 

 be all Peaches, and in Germany, Switzerland, <tc. — indeed, 

 from almost all quarters the reports sect to me toll the same 

 sad tale — " Our late Peach crop is almost a total failure." It 

 is a failure on all trees on the open walU, protected and unpro- 

 tected. It is a failure in orchard houses, in all unhealed 

 houses. It is a failure wherever the trce^, at the time of bloom- 

 ing and the setting of the fruit, had not the advantage of a 

 little more heat and encouragement than was aSoided in the 

 natural state of the atmosphere. 



Sach, then, is the general report of the slate of the Peach 

 (in which are included the Nectarine and Apricot) crop this 

 season. Whence the exceptions? The reports sent to me are 

 again almost unanimous— "A\'e have abundance of fruit in all 

 our early houses, fruit finer, too, than usual." The Peach 

 crop in all early houses — in all hou=e.i which have had the 

 assistance of artificial heat daring the tljv.ering and the setting 

 period, is everywhere excellent. I hear of no failures with 

 trees in heated houses, excepting through sheer mismanage- 

 ment. I hear of but just a few successes, of a few fau' crops 

 where artificial heat has not been provided. Mr. Saul reports 

 that at Stourton, in Vorkshire, the crop taken altogether is a 

 good one, aud this from trees on the optu walls, which had been 

 carefully protected at night and during the times they were in 

 flower. Mr. Kingsley, of Tliirsk, also reports a good crop, but 

 whether on trees on the open walls, or ia the orchard houses, 

 I am not certain. I hear also of a crop in Ayrshire, and, 

 lastly, a most magnificent crop ou trees in pots in an unheated 

 orchard house at Scone Palace, Perth. 



Katurally all those who have succeeded in procuring a crop, 

 attribute the success to their own superior management, and I 

 wiU not he uncharitable enongh to consider it otherwise. 



Donbtless, considerable credit is dae in some instances, but it 

 is scarcely fair to suppose that this almost universal failure 

 has been the result of mismanagement. I shall be slow to 

 believe, that at Montreuil such has been the case, or that the 

 fine old Peach trees, which are under the management of onz 

 best gardeners, have been neglected. Are we to imagine that in 

 the case of orchard. houses, such tkilful practioners as Messrs. 

 lUvers, Pearson, Wilson, &c., have lost their crops of fruit, as 

 they all confess to having done, through mismanagement and 

 neglect '! Scarcely so. No ! the loss has been occasioned 

 through causes beyond the control of the caltivator, at least 

 with the means he had at his hand for prevention. 



Lut let us inquire a Utile more closely. The only saocees of 

 note with trees on the open walls is that of Mr. Saul's ; and it is 

 attributed by him partly to the protection afforded the trees, 

 and partly to the splendid healthy condition of the trees them- 

 selves, and the fine wood formed during the previous summer. 

 This conclusion is arrived at from the fact of the trees ou 

 which their crops arc produced having eu£ered severely from 

 the drought of last summer. There are others who advance the 

 same opinion as to the cause — viz., that it is owing to the ex- 

 traordinary heat of last summer, which in many cases proved 

 very injutions to the trees. This may, indeed, account lor 

 some isolated cases, bat I am not prepared to admit it as 

 generally applicable. The failure is far too general to admit 

 of this explanation. In the case of trees under my own im- 

 mediate charge, as well as those in many other gardens, I never 

 recollect seeing the wood in finer cuudition, or the buds more 

 plump and promising than they were at the end of last year, 

 which in my opinion was one of the best seasons for Peach 

 trees ever known in this country. 



Neither am I inclined, like your able correspondent. Hi. 

 BrC'baut (see page 87i, to attribute the cause of this season's 

 shortcomings to " excessive cropping." I am well aware of 

 the evil effects of overcropping, and its weakening influences 

 on the future condition of the tree. With pot trees in orchard 

 houses, it, no doubt, frequently happens that the trees are 

 overcropped, and are, therefore, made to perform their func- 

 tions the following season ; but the simple qaestion is this. 

 Were all or any of the trees which are this season destitute of 

 fruits, overcropped last season '/ I venture to say very lew, 

 at least not sufficient to estabhsh the rule. It is not only trees 

 in pots, or trees in orchard-houses, but trees everywhere, 

 whose blooming, S^c, took place at a certain period of the 

 year, and which were not assisted by artificial heat. I think 

 Air. Btebaut is going too far, notwithstanding his great ex- 

 perience, in Jissuming that " by carefully regulating the crop 

 on each tree, we can, no matter what the season is, secure a 

 good crop." I approve of Mr. Biebaut's practice, and congra- 

 tulate him on his success, which is so much greater than m.v 

 own and that of many others. But I feel 'kind o' jealous." I 

 have some hundreds of trees in and out of pots in orchard 

 houses, and on the open walls. Trees, too, which were not 

 overcropped last year, and which never before failed to pro- 

 duce a crop, but are this season barren. It is altogether a 

 mistake to say, that " by regulating the crop on the trees every 

 year according to their powers of bearing, itc tbatthey thus 

 acquire a steady habit of production, aud are independent of 

 atmospheric changes." 



The loss of the crop of this season is distinctly due to 

 atmospheric action — to, as stated by Mr. Pearson (page 421), 

 " a total absence of sun and a cold, damp atmosphere whilst 

 the trees were in bloom. The pollen was like paste, and the 

 blooms were unfertilised. A little artificial heat to dry the air 

 would have saved the crop." Such, then, is the opinion of one 

 of the most successful orchard-house cultivators of the time ; 

 but what has Mr. Hivers, the inventor of orchard houses, and 

 the greatest Peach cultivator and expcrimentaUst of this 

 country, to say on the subject? Mr. Kivers states that " the 

 blossoms in March required more warmth and dryness than 

 they had under common circumstances ;" and to show that the 

 lack of heat had much to do with it, the following examples 

 are given : — " Early in January forty trees in 10-inch pots were 

 selected from the common lot and placed in a gentle forcing 

 house. These all set well, and produced splendid crops of 

 fruit, whilst those of the same age, in the same sized pots, 

 left in the unhealed house, dropped all their fruit." Further, 

 some tall standard trees in the centre of one of the houses, at 

 the greatest distance from the ventilators, are pretty well 

 cropped, while all the others in the same house, as well as 

 everywhere else in the nursery, have entirely failed. And, 

 again, Mr. Stevens, of Trentham, writes, ''No Peaches in our 



