viii Preface. 



London does from other parts of the British Isles, or even of Eng- 

 land. Practically we are under almost the same influences ; what 

 one succeeds with the other may attempt with confidence. The 

 Parisians get their finest peaches from within a few miles of the 

 city, where they must be grown upon walls as in England and 

 Ireland. Their finer winter pears they also grow upon sunny 

 walls, and they take more pains to protect the blossoms in spring 

 than we do. I well know that their climate is superior to 

 ours for the culture of the pear, but am convinced that the 

 difference in climate is not sufficient to account for our de- 

 ficiency with this fine fruit j that with well managed and protected 

 walls we can grow a supply of good winter pears for our own 

 markets ; and emphatically that as good and as cheap peaches may 

 be grown in many parts of England and Ireland as ever were pro- 

 duced at Montreuil. Of one thing we may rest assured, that what- 

 ever the climate may do, the French fruit-grower does some- 

 thing more for his fruit trees than the British one generally does. 

 The attention which is paid to equalizing the sap and keeping the 

 tree thoroughly under control, and the success attained, are some- 

 thing quite remarkable. While I write this there is not a good fruit- 

 garden in the neighbourhood of Paris but has its walls protected by 

 a wide temporary coping, while in numerous cases with us there 

 is no protection at all, or but a very imperfect one. This fact speaks 

 for itself. 



As regards the difference in the climate of the southern parts of 

 England and the neighbourhood of Paris, considered with reference 

 to what is called " subtropical gardening," I can offer some 

 evidence. Last summer, I left Paris for six weeks from the 

 month of August, solely with a view to examine the state of " sub- 

 tropical gardening" in Britain and compare it with that around Paris. 

 I came direct from Paris to the London parks, and was surprised to 



