20 EEPORTS OF THE rRUIT COMMITTEE. 



Spencer, Althorp Gardens, Northampton. — The First Prize was 

 awarded to Mr. J. Cox ; and the Second Prize to Mr. A. Ingkam. 



Mr. Cox stated that the locality in West Kent, in which his 

 fruit was grown, was ahout forty miles from the sea ; exposed to 

 south-west winds, but sheltered from east, north, and south ; the 

 climate generally humid; the soil, rich garden earth, 18 inches 

 deep, on a subsoil of yellow clay, inclining to marl, with veins of 

 iron, and fine sand, many feet deep, the surface sloping to the 

 south-west, at an angle of about 8°. The tree on which the fruit 

 was produced was trained horizontally against a south wall about 

 12 feet high, and is about thirty years old, in healthy condition, 

 growing on the pear stock ; the only pruning it requires is, to 

 break off all the breast-wood when in a young state. The fruit 

 exhibited was produced on branches which were grafted up the 

 side of the main stem twelve years ago, and have not failed 

 during the last ten years to bear a fair crop. The fruit were of 

 admirable texture and flavour. 



Mr. A. Ingram stated that High Grove, near Reading, is con- 

 siderably elevated ; the soil stiff, inclined to clay ; subsoil gravel. 

 The tree, planted in a border sloping a little to the north, is fan- 

 trained against a north wall about 13 feet high ; but a peculiarity 

 deserving of notice is, that, after reaching the top of the wall on 

 the north side, the branches are trained downwards in a perpen- 

 dicular direction on the south side, and from the portion of 

 branches trained in this aspect the pears exhibited were gathered 

 on the 19th of October. Mr. Ingram further stated, that the 

 fruit produced on the south side is always larger than that on the 

 north side, but that the quality of the latter is also good. The 

 tree is old, but healthy and vigorous, and always bears well ; it is 

 trained on the spur system. The fruit shown was of very good 

 quality. 



Mr. TiLLERY described his soil as a stiff sandy loam, on a clay 

 subsoil, but drained ; the clay from the drains was burned, and 

 put in the bottom of the borders, a portion being also mixed with 

 the soil in planting ; the ground slopes to the north. The tree, 

 about twelve years old, was transplanted in 1858 ; it is on the 

 pear stock, and is pruned and trained in the ordinary way. 

 Where the burnt clay has been employed, the transplanted trees 

 thrive well. The fruit were fair-sized and well grown, but, being 

 from a west aspect, were not equal in richness to those produced 

 from a south wall near London, and nearer the level of the sea than 

 Welbeck, which occupies a high situation in the midland counties. 



