AngQSt 20, 1871 ] 



JODBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE G.mDENEE. 



159 



SUCCESSES AND FAILUKES. 



CHE Editors have .<iiirely done well in giving 

 ^ , Mr. Pewtress's liint to the world. It is in 

 liuman nature for a man to be proud of liis 

 success, and rightly so ; it is right, too, that 

 it be recorded witli a plain naiTative of its 

 acliievement, for it becomes insti-uctive in 

 pointing out a path to others wlio are seek- 

 ing the same end. Such narratives, how- 

 ever, should be very plain and matter-of- 

 fact, not wiitten with a motive of self- 

 glorification, but with a main object and intention of 

 giving friendly aid to a stragghng brother. A record of 

 successes is, then, one of the best means of imparting 

 information, and that in a form to work by ; and the 

 neai-er it does this, the plainer it can be seen, and the easier 

 it is to transfer from paper to practice, the more is its 

 value enhanced, the object of tlie \vriter appreciated, and 

 a detail of his experience welcomed. But after saying this 

 it must be, beyond all controversy, the fact that a "chro- 

 nicle of failures, and above all the reason why," would be 

 of immense usefulness in pointing out the bogs and quick- 

 sands of gardening into wliicli many a worker falls when 

 he is least aware of their presence. But by the same 

 principle that man is prone to advert to that which adds 

 to his reputation, he is averse to recording anything 

 which he may feel can be interpreted as detrimental to 

 his fame. That is human nature, and what does it prove ? 

 Just human weakness. It is a manly act to own a fault, 

 admit an error, acknowledge a failure, and it requires 

 strength of mind and moral courage to do this, wliicli is 

 always commendable — yea, even more so than the honour 

 which attaches to a success, which may have cost httle 

 or no sacrifice by physical, mental, or moral effort. I 

 think it was Wellington wlio, on seeing a man pale on 

 entering the deadly breach, expressed his admiration of 

 the courage of that man above his fellows, wlio rushed 

 in with seeming thoughtlessness ; he saw and felt the 

 danger, yet faced it, his comrades entering without seeing 

 or heeding any danger at all. 



We may take it that every successful man has had 

 failures, and if lie, for the benefit of others, summons-np 

 courage to recount them, lie does a good thing — a noble 

 act which any right-minded man will appreciate. How 

 frequent is a scene like this : A visitor comes into a 

 garden, he may see things very good, and compliments 

 the owner and manager alike ; he has come to praise, and 

 he praises. It is very pleasant, and is more or less 

 encouraging, but I candidly own that I esteem it a 

 greater favour to be in a right mind and manner told 

 wherein I fail and why. So does every man, except the 

 few unteachables whose misfortune is that, with them, 

 pride and ignorance liave the same meaning, only they 

 do not know it. Some years ago my employer pointed 

 out to tlie chief of a firm what he conceived a failing 

 point. The reply of the latter was, that the greatest 

 kindness anyone could confer was to tell him, not where 

 he was strong, but where he was weak. That firm has 



No. 699.- Vol. XXVn., New Seeies. 



now one of the largest seed and nursery businesses in 

 the world. Mr. J. W. Pewtress is of the same spirit, and 

 eventually ho will succeed. 



The question is fruit failures, and in no branch of gar- 

 dening are failures more common. In this matter I am 

 one of the " eiTing ones." I have been within garden 

 walls nearly thirty years, but rot a day too long to be 

 able to plant a garden with fruit trees to the best advan- 

 tage. 1 might fail now as others, older and better men, 

 have failed abso, but should not make the same mistake 

 as in more youthful days that most young men, and old 

 men, though young gardeners, are apt to commit. Mr. 

 Pewtress has made a mistake — he admits it — hundreds 

 would be glad to help him out of it, but will feel their 

 lack of power. I am of the weak but willing throng. 

 Mr. Pewtress says, " I think the reason why I fail is that 

 my garden is too early. A warm south aspect on the 

 slope of a hill brings fruit trees into bloom, and makes 

 vegetables of all kinds two or three weeks earlier than 

 my neighbours', and as a result the late spring frosts 

 destroy all the promise that was displayed." Here is a 

 failure of no small magnitude — un.suitable site. He is 

 not alone ; but that is no aid, and his best consolation 

 may be that it is unavoidable. It may have been, there 

 or nowhere. That is often the case, and the grievance 

 should certainly be less than when a man has had a 

 choice of a good site and selected a bad one. 



It may be, however, that he has made another mis- 

 take — the common snare above alluded to — of planting 

 far too many varieties in a given piece of ground. If he 

 has, there is hope for him, and that out of the number a 

 portion may peradventure prove themselves adapted to 

 the site. Fruit trees would seem to have their caprices, 

 one variety appearing to be at home in one district, and 

 another in another. It is always well to mark what may 

 be called the local fancies of fruit trees, and to plant 

 extensively those kinds which flourish in the places in 

 which more trees are required. Fruit-tree catalogues are 

 very allm-ing. The description of varieties is skilfully 

 given, and there is generally one quality in this and 

 another in that rendering most irresistible to the would- 

 be planter, who is invested with a power to plant largely 

 for the first time in his existence. It is not suggested for 

 a moment that the hsts are drawn up to mislead, but, on 

 the contrary, they are very faithfully done. But it is not 

 possible, in reading of the virtues of the several varieties, 

 to be certain that these virtues will show themselves when 

 the trees are planted in any particular district. If justice 

 is done them they are mottly as good as represented. 

 The thing is to find out the locality that naturally^ suits 

 certain sorts, and this can only be done by experience. 

 In looking over a garden of fruits in great variety, one 

 is soon struck with "a few kinds that invariably do better 

 than their neighbours. They are nearly always laden 

 with fruit, while others are generally destitute of it. The 

 remark, under such circumstances, is frequently-heard, 

 " If aU my trees were of these sorts I should be full 

 of fruit." Then why not graft? That is the common- 

 sense plan to adopt when half the trees in a garden are 



No. 1S51.— Vol. LII., Old Sbbifs. 



