ORCHARD-HOUSES. 29 



that the fruit from a tree in a pot is quite as large 

 as that from one planted out. In a cold summer 

 like that of 1860, the roots in pots were warmer 

 than those in beds, even where raised above the 

 surface of the surrounding land, and the fruit 

 generally of a finer flavour. Trees in pots can be 

 moved about, placed nearer or wider apart, and 

 are less in the way when the house requires 

 painting in short, they are more conveniently 

 managed on every occasion than when growing in 

 a bed. Fruit trees always make wood enough, 

 often too much, if their roots are unconfined, so 

 that, except requiring less water, there appears 

 no advantage in turning them out of pots. 



In a dry warm house ants are often a great 

 annoyance, eating the stamens and ovary out of 

 Peach blossoms, and afterwards attacking the 

 fruit. When trees are trained to a wall the ants 

 will mount in spite of every precaution. 



One of the advantages of cultivating Peaches in 

 pots, is the facility of destroying ants' nests by 

 hot water. 



Many gardeners will be glad to know that if 

 before the fruit is ripe a mixture of treacle and 

 arsenic, be put on small pieces of glass and placed 



