September 23, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAaE GARDENER. 



277 



are three-quarters of an inob in diameter, and are, Mr. Batters 

 informs us, used by the neighbouring villagers for making 

 fruit pies. They are fleshy, sweet, with an agreeable sub-acid 

 flavour, and are certainly superior to unripe Plums when used 

 for culinary purposes. 



On the 17lh, according to the ancient custom, the 



Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress received at the Mansion 

 House the Master and Wardens of the FnniTEREES' Company, 

 who presented to them a splendid assortment of choice fruit, 

 including Pine Apples, Melons, Pears, Apples, Peaches, Green 

 Gages, and other Plums. The gift was laid out with much 

 taste in the saloon. Some cordial expressions of goodwill 

 were interchanged between the Company and the Lord Mayor, 

 and the interview terminated, as usual, with an invitation to 

 the Court of Assistants to dine at the Mansion House. In 

 olden times the annual gift of the Company to the chief 

 magistrate consisted of twelve bushels of Apples " of various 

 kinds and of the finest description that can be procured." 

 The purchase used to be made in state at Farringdon Market, 

 and the fruit was thence carried in baskets covered with white 

 napkins to the Mansion House. The records add that the 

 Lady Mayoress handed the fruit to her housekeeper, and placed 

 in each of the porters' baskets a bottle of wine. The men were 

 then regaled with a dinner in the Lord Mayor's kitchen, and 

 having satisfied themselves retired, taking with them the frag- 

 ments for their evening's supper. This old ceremony has not 

 been observed for many years. There were eighty-two Livery 

 Companies, but three are extinct, and among them "The 

 Gardeners' Company." .James I., in the year 1605, incor- 

 porated this fraternity as the Master, Wardens, and com- 

 monalty of the mystery of Fruiterers, and their arms, granted 

 soon after, has the tree of knowledge entwined by a serpent, 

 with man and woman on each side thereof. Their motto is 

 " Deus licit incremcntum," God giveth the increase. The 

 Fruiterers are governed by a Master, two Wardens, a Court of 

 Assistants, and a Livery. The Company have no hall. 



All the above to flower next year should be planted this 

 autumn, and they will accommodate themselves to most ordinary 

 garden soil. Of course the ordinary selections of Crocuses, 

 TuUps, Narcissus, and the Hyacinth would materially alter the 

 appearance of the little garden. So far it will be seen that I 

 advocate the mixed system of planting, which I consider looks 

 as well as any in such places, and there is generally some flower 

 or other to be seen during most part of the year. But there is 

 no reason why there should nob be a miniature fernery just to 

 accommodate a few of the common sorts found in hedges, or a 

 little piece of rockery here and there, just as taste dictates. 



When so many features are needed in such small gardens the 

 attention required is greater, but then if rightly managed the 

 enjoyment is greater also; but to show all off to advantage not 

 a plant should be allowed to over- run its allotted space, and each 

 should be staked to its position in the most natural manner. 

 All weeds and dead foliage should be kept picked off, and 

 everything, even the palings that surround the garJen, should 

 be kept scrupulously clean, and then the occupants of the 

 house may sit at their windows and enjoy a homely aspect; and 

 the freshness of the flowers and plants after watering, together 

 with their perfume, creates a treat to be thoroughly enjoyed by 

 all. — Thomas Eecoed. 



NOTES ON VILLA and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



STREET GARDENS. 



Thbouoh the late fine weather these little enclosures, where 

 care and attention are paid to them, now present their proper 

 cheerful and ornamental aspect; and in passing along a street 

 one feels it a matter for regret that the line of beauty so con- 

 spicuous should be broken here and there by an untidy and 

 neglected plot ; but if anything can be gleaned from the wonder- 

 ful progress made of late years in town gardening we can safely 

 leave this to be remedied in time. It is not too much to say- 

 that there is as much or more variety of design in the laying- 

 out of the little spaces than in many other parts of decorative 

 gardening. There is scarcely two alike, and the great variety 

 of plants grown in them testifies fully the class of plants the 

 owner has a fondness for. I admire this, but I think it would 

 be better if many were not to dwell upon summer bedding 

 plants alone, because there is a barrenness for the greater por- 

 tion of the year, and which could be easily obviated with hardy 

 and inespenfive plants. 



The choice of plants is great even for these limited areas, but 

 as these gardens vary in size considerably, plants must be 

 selected accordingly. I like to see a certain portion filled up 

 with suitable-habited evergreen trees and shrubs, but this must 

 be done cautiously, and overcrowding must be avoided. We 

 sometimes see a Wellingtouia or a Cedrus deodara planted in a 

 garden of ^ only a few feet square, and close to the windows ; but 

 these, being large-growing trees, are quite out of place here, 

 but might be admitted where there is a fair scope for them, say 

 of several rods of ground. Neither should other things be 

 planted too close to them. Generally speaking, plants of a com- 

 pact habit and slow growth should be chosen, such as the green 

 and golden Hollies, Arbor- Vitajs, Phillyreas, Rhododendrons, 

 Thuja aurea, Aucubas, Tree Box, Swiss Junipers, and Irish 

 Yews. These can always be kept within bounds, and may be 

 regarded as always agreeable to look at, and are permanent 

 plants. Spacd should be allowed for a few other subjects in the 

 flowering way besides a few summer bedding and climbing 

 plants. These are Roses, Hydrangeas, Solomon's Seal, Gla- 

 diolus, hardy Lilies, Lily of the Valley, Polyanthuses, Prim- 

 roses, Violets, Hepaticaa, and many other hardy permanent 

 plants that would thrive in these enclosures. There are also 

 hardy bulbs, which may be planted in clumps of five or seven 

 to stand permanently. The Winter Aconite, one of the hardiest 

 as well as the earliest in throwing up its yellow flowers, contrasts 

 well with a few patches of Snowdrops, and the Scilla siberica, 

 a blue flower of great richness. Then there is the Grape 

 Hyacinth, of which both the blue and the white ought to be 

 planted, as they contrast well with each other ; and the common 

 Daffodil, too, ought to have a place. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



FBUIT GABDEN. 



Peaks on the walls have a splendid opportunity to ripen, and 

 if the fruit is not of good quality this year it will be but little 

 use trying the trees any longer. It may be matter of astonish- 

 ment to many fruit growers to hear that such fine varieties as 

 Keight's Monarch, British Queen, and Glou Mori;'.eau are very 

 indifferent from a wall facing west. The weather is so favour- 

 able this year that the fruit may ripen well, but light sandy soil 

 on gravel is the worst of all for Pear trees. The hot weather is 

 causing all that has been gathered to ripen rapidly. Williams' 

 Bon Chretien has been used, and we are now using Fondante 

 d'Automne and Beurre d'Amanlis. The first named is a very 

 richly-flavoured fruit from pyramid trees ; the latter is a free- 

 bearing variety, but it is not rich or juicy, and speedily decays 

 at the core ; it is a free-bearing sort from a pyramid. It may 

 be well to draw attention to Triomphe de Jodoigne ; this is not 

 generally considered a good Pear, nor is it of first-quality flavour, 

 but the tree is a robust grower and a certniu bearer. We have 

 just gathered the fruit ; it will ripen about the end of October. 

 Still another, which is very little known — viz., Edmund's, an 

 American variety ; it is grown as a double cordon, and as such 

 is a very free-bearing sort. Until this year it has been worthless 

 as regards flavour, now the fruit is ripe and of very fair flavour; 

 it is gritty at the core, and cannot be recommended while there 

 are such sorts as Louise Bonne of Jersey ripening at this season. 

 We are preparing ground to plant-out a few fruit trees this 

 autumn. The best time to plant is in November, but the ground 

 ought to lie for about two months to settle, and besides soil that 

 is freshly turned up is not in good condition to be planted upon 

 immediately. We trench deeply, removing if necessary some of 

 the stony soil from the bottom of ihe trench, and adding clay 

 loam in its place. We tried chalk in the bottom of the trenches 

 on one occasion, but were not favourably impressed with the 

 result of the trial. It may be necessary to add manure ; if so, it 

 ought to be well decomposed and applied sparingly. 



It is the fashion with some to take the Strawberry runners 

 early in August and prick them into beds closely together, and 

 to plant them out when well established ; they will to ready at 

 this season, and ought to be put out at once. It is not possible 

 that such plants can carry a crop of fruit next year, but they 

 must be kept free from weeds, and the runners must be removed, 

 so that a season is lost. Our plants put out early in August are 

 now very large and in the best possible health ; the runners 

 are removed frequently, and the ground hoed as often as it is 

 required. Bed spider has been troublesome, but syringing the 

 plants with soot water is the means of destroying the spider, 

 and the leaves become of a rich healthy green. 



VINEBIES. 



Nothing can be done as yet in the early houses, but before 

 writing of them again in the " Doings " the Vines will probably 

 have been pruned. We admit air night and day, so that the 

 house may be kept as cool as possible. Most of the old leaves 

 have fallen, and the buds continue to start into growth. These 

 growths are stopped as soon as they are formed, as it is not to 

 the advantage of next year's crop to encourage root action now. 

 When the Vines are clothed with foliage we would not be afraid 

 to keep the house warm, for as long as the leaves are attached 

 to the wood the buds continue to develope the incipient growth 

 for next season. Do not allow red spider to find a home on the 

 Vines. Even if no trace of this scourge is perceived it is quite 

 as well to syringe once a week at least as a preventive. 



In the late houses all fruit is ripe, and the only care necessary 



