CHAP. VI VILLA GARDENIXG 343 



Varieties for Late Houses. — Bearing in mind the neces- 

 sity there is for variety, and that it should be of a successional 

 character, I give below the names of some varieties which are 

 excellent. Of late years much improvement has taken place 

 in the sorts of late Peaches. Some of the best late as well as 

 early Peaches have an American origin — Albatross, Barrington, 

 Condor, Diamond, Golden Eagle, Goshawk, Late Admirable, Lord 

 Palmerston, Osprey, Noblesse, Prince of Wales, Sea Eagle, Stirling 

 Castle, and Stump the World. Where there is only one early 

 house for Peaches, and one late house with nothing intermediary 

 in character, it will be better not to begin forcing too early — 

 the beginning of the new year will be time enough ; and then 

 by the introduction of some early varieties into the later house, 

 and a few late-bearing trees into the early one, the two may join 

 hands together. 



CHAPTER VI 



Orchard-House. — When we speak of the progress of gardening 

 we perhaps hardly realise the fact that much of this progress has 

 been owdng to cheap glass. Without this there would have been no 

 Orchard-houses scattered over the land, nor yet the masses of bright 

 exotics -which we notice in every garden. This, perhaps, in the 

 eyes of some people would have been no loss. Still, in a climate 

 like ours, bright colours have an enlivening effect. 



The Orchard-house idea originated in the prolific brain of the 

 late Mr. Thomas Rivers, but the idea as promulgated by him has 

 grown with the exigencies of the time, and now takes the form of 

 a substantial structm-e of wood and glass mounted on brick walls. 

 There is no economy in the use of inferior materials or workman- 

 ship. A house must be -well built if it is to hold together, but in 

 the Orchard-houses of the future I have no doubt all perishable 

 materials used in construction will be under cover. Mr. Rivers 

 grew his trees mostly in pots, and recommended that system of 

 ciUture. On his advice it was adopted by many, but afterwards it 

 was abandoned by some in consequence of the time and labour re- 

 quired. Any given result can be more easily obtained by planting 

 the trees in a border than by growing them in pots. For instance, 

 we will say, " Here is a span-roofed house for late Peaches. What 

 system shall I adopt to obtain the largest amount of fine well- 

 flavoured fruit at the least cost 1 " If the question is put in that 

 way I do not think the potted trees would find many advocates. 

 On the other hand, if an enthusiast in fruit culture wants a hobby, 



