332 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



a pot, removed from a damp and cool greenhouse into 

 a Pine stove, rould not, by any mean?, be expected to 

 produce gum and mortification. 



The principles I consider of the most essential im- 

 portance iu the cultivation of the Peach, are as follows: — 



1st. Shallow borders of chopped turf. 



2nd. Planting on mounds of brick. 



3rd. Total absence of insects. 



4th. Constant stopping during the growing season, 

 all young wood which is disposed to burst into buds 



laterally. 



5th. Liberal, but progressive disbudding of the young 

 6th. Reasonable cropping. [wood. 



7th. Top-dressing when necessary. 

 8th. No young wood reserved at the final disbudding, 

 but what is necessary for the next year. 

 9th. Early nailing of the young wood. 

 10th. All young and growing shoots, except the weak 

 and inferior portions of the tree, stopped the moment 

 the fruit begins to change for ripening. 



Now, 1st, by shallow borders, I mean from a foot to 

 eighteen inches, although I plant on the mounds, and 

 with great success, for I have neither insect, curled leaf, 

 or gum, and a fine crop of fruit. But be it understood, 

 that the chopped turf, which the trees in the garden 

 under my care are growing in, is the furrowings from old 

 clay pastures — a good and adhesive loam ; and this 

 the Peach likes, if mellow. 1 will pass by the 2nd 

 point, as I have, as it were, included that in my first. 



3rd. Total Absence of Insects. — I have known in my 

 time a wall of fine trees irrecoverably ruined by aphides 

 in about the space of one week, or little more. Now, 

 aphides in this case were certainly not, as " Omikron " 

 states his to have been, a mere consequence of previous 

 disease ; for the trees were in all respects most assuredly 

 in perfect health. However, the cure is simple and 

 cheap. As soon as you perceive aphides, which will be 

 about the period of the " setting " Peach showing itself 

 through the blossom, syringe the trees two days succes- 

 sively with tobacco-water. This has never failed with 

 me to keep off aphides for the whole summer. However, 

 we hate another enemy to contend with. The red 

 spider will generally, in a period of drought, commence 

 an attack. For this some recommend sulphur, some 

 cold water. I am quite assured, from experience, that, 

 however natural it may seem to see a tree deluged with 

 the engine some sunny afternoon in May, when perhaps 

 the thermometer at midnight may indicate 28°, it is by 

 no means congenial te the Peach. That the Peach will 

 do well without this ablution, through the early part of 

 spring, I am well assured ; for the whole of my Peaches 

 out of doors have this season not received one drop of 

 water, and it has not rained here since about the end of 

 March, and the dews have been rather light. 



My plan with regard to the red spider, is to apply 

 with a paint-brush a line of sulphur between every two 

 main shoots on the wall, drawing also a broad band 

 of the same at the bottom of the wall. The sulphur is 

 mixed with a little skimmed milk, and made into a 

 thick paint, by mixing it with thick clay water, and a 

 little soft-soap, to make it adhere. I have tried this 

 scheme for three years, and seldom or never can a red 

 spider be seen in the trees here. Every time the sun 

 shines, the smell of the fumes may be perceived even across 

 the walk in front. About three shillings' worth of sul- 

 phur, and a man's labour for four hours, insures in this 

 respect perfect freedom from this pest, and, as far as I 

 have seen, entirely supersedes the necessity of so many 

 cold syringings, which, to say the least of them, are great 

 robbers of the solar heat absorbed by the wall, and which 

 is of great use to counteract the sudden depression of tem- 

 perature so frequent at night through the month of May. 

 4th. Constant Stopping the Young Wood, or in fact 

 promoting the equalisation of the sap during the grow- 

 ing season. — All that the knife can do in winter 

 pruning is as nothing compared to what may be effected 

 in this way during the period of growth. Strange that 

 so much should be said about systems of pruning, and 

 so little attention paid to summer stopping ! Robbers 

 are suffered to take the lead, to the prejudice of the true 

 bearing wood, and after decoying the sap from the pro- 

 fitable wood, and exciting a superfluous action of root, 

 are cut out at the winter's pruning, leaving a prepon- 

 derating power in the root, leading to a necessity for 

 root-pruning, and causing nakedness in the lower parts 

 of the tree. 



5th. Liberal but progressive Disbudding of the Young 

 Wood. — By liberal I mean that at the final thinning, 

 about the end of May, no more wood shall be left in the 

 tree than is wanted for the next year ; and by progressive 

 I mean that the only true maxim is to thin little and 

 often. Nature does not like to be taken by surprise ; 

 and by doing this with a light hand, she is able in the 

 interval to restore the reciprocal and necessary balance 

 between the root and branches. I make no doubt that 

 gum is often excited, certainly increased, by a wholesale 

 robbery of this description, soon after the tree has budded. 

 6th. Reasonable Cropping.— Over -cr owing exhausts 

 the energies of the Peach, shortens its life, and renders 

 the fruit inferior in size, and more especially in flavour. 

 As an average rule for a tree in good health, I should 

 recommend the fruit to be at least six inches apart at the 

 final thinning. 



7th. Top-dressing when necessary.— It is evident that 

 with shallow borders, there will arise a necessity for top- 

 dressing in hot and dry weather. In the early part of 

 summer, those trees which require watering should have 

 four inches of good rotten manure spread over their 

 roots, and a liberal watering once, or it may be a second 

 time ; over this mulch will set all to rights. Let no young 



must be 



bark, the bud desired for insertion ; 



I wood be reserved at the final disbudding, but what is 

 wanted for the next year. 



8th. Has been treated on um'er section 5. 



9th. All young wood should be nailed close the in- 

 stant it is long enough ; no pains should be spared to get 

 the wood well ripened, for on this everything in the next 

 year depends. 



10th. All young and growing shoots, except the weak 

 ones, and those on the lower portions of the tree, should 

 be stopped the moment the fruit begins to change for 

 ripening. By this time the true bearing wood of the 

 next year will be well formed. All after this, I regard 

 as superfluous, and tending to keep up a late action of 

 the root, which will be of no service to trees in health, 

 or of sufficient vigour. Stopping also tends to concen- 

 trate the energies of the tree, at the very time that con- 

 centration is most required ; for at this period all that is 

 wanted is abundant elaboration, preparatory to the ripen- 

 ing of the wood, and the flavouring of the fruit. How- 

 ever, at this juncture all the lower and weaker parts of 

 the tree should be excepted. This is the commencement 

 of their harvest ; and this, with the stopping of the luxu- 

 riant wood through the summer, will tend more to 

 equalise the sap, than all the systems of pruning, which 

 have ever possessed undue importance. 



Our kitchen-gardens are all, in my opinion, laid out 

 on wrong principles. Had I the laying of one out en- 

 tirely according to my own judgment, I should reject the 

 idea of growing vegetables altogether on fruit borders. 

 I would, however, have narrower bordtrs— say six feet 

 wide, which is plenty for any tree, if good chopped turfy 

 loam is used. On the border, across the walk, I would 

 establish table trellises, and very dwarf espaliers ; and 

 next to that, at the head of the quarters, a ten- feet wide 

 slope, backed up with turf for all the early crops. There 

 would then be no pining about the loss of the wall-border. 



In conclusion, I would assure " Omikron," from ex- 

 perience, that if these directions are attended to, success 

 is the certain result, and he need be under no appre- 

 hensions about mildew, aphides, red spider, or any other 

 disease. — Robert Errington, Oulton Park. [We have 

 a letter on this subject from ** Omikron/' for which we 

 hope to find room next week.] 



ROSE-GARDEN.— No. IX. 



(Continued from page 317) 



Preparing the Bud for use. — Take the shoot in the 

 left hand, holding the thick end inwards ; enter 



the knife three-fourths of 

 an inch above the bud, 

 and bring it out the same 

 distance below, cutting 

 half through the wood, so 

 that the shield (or portion 

 of bark containing the 

 bud) comes off in the 

 shape of the segment of a 

 circle : this is when the 

 buds are scarce, and it is 

 desirable to procure as 

 many as possible from the 

 same shoot ; if the latter 

 be of no consequence, a 

 full inch may be given to the 

 top of the shield. Iu using 

 buds, only such part of the shoot should be cut off as 

 contains buds enough for the stock under operation : if 

 a shoot be kept long out of water, and the weather be 

 hot, the last buds upon it will sometimes slip with diffi- 

 culty, and are consequently not be depended upon. 

 D the knife to bud with, the blades of which mi 

 very thin, three- 

 eighths of an inch 

 wide, and about 

 two inches long ; 

 the handle three 

 inches, and the 

 ivory point to turn 

 back the bark with, 

 two inches long, 



andthinattheend. 



Take the bud be- 

 tween the finger 



and thumb of the 



left hand, holding 



the point of the 



bud downwards, 



press the bud 



gently to keep it 



in its place, twist 



the upper end of 



the shield, which ought to be nearest 



you, gently backwards and forwards, 



and the wood will come loose from 



the shield. Take out the wood with 



the right hand, and see that no 



vacuum be left in the inside of the 

 bud ; if there be the root is gone, 

 and it is impossible it should suc- 

 ceed (although the bark uniting 

 might appear to give hopes of it) ; 

 if not, the shield is fit for use, pro- 

 vided the bud has not been nipped 

 too hard, or displaced by the shield 

 having been incautiously bent ; in 

 either of which cases, time must 

 show the defect by the failure of the 

 bud. Or, — Mark out in the shoot 

 by cutting round the shield, and 

 peeling oft the rest of the outside 



press the bud gently against the wood, with 



the 



fio&ei 



and thumb of the left hand, and, twisting the wr> a 

 side to side, the shoot being in full stve, the shSaS 

 detach freely. Or, — Marking out the bud 



directed, place' 



piece of silk 



eld wHl 



88 above 



a hair or 



behind 



between the bark^ 

 wood, and taking care 



were, 



that the silk, as it 



crapes the wood that 

 lies behind it, in it, pro . 

 gress between the bud 

 and the shoot, pul i thc 



wo ends of the silk, and 

 the bud will remain un- 



injured, and the shield 

 fall off safe and sound. 

 If there be the least dif- 

 ficulty in detaching the 



shield, from its adherence 

 to the wood, theihootii 



.. f , . . , 4 , , not »n order, and thebuda 

 upon it must be rejected, though some might, by a n 08 - 



sibihty, succeed. In the first of these cases, thesepara 



tion of the little segment of wood which comes off with 



the shield, should commence at the end of the shield 



nearest its summit, which mode, 



from the slanting position of the 



bud, hooked, as it were, into its 



case, will be found less likely to 



displace the eye, than beginning 



at the other end ; the edges of 



the bark of the shield should be 



smooth and clean, particularly 



where, as subsequently directed, 



it is cut off to meet the bark of 



the stock into which it is inserted. 



If the shoots have been brought 



from a distance, and the leaves 



have not been cut off, as above directed, on removal of 



the shoots from the parent tree, the shield will not slip 



so easily, and the eye of the bud will be in great danger 



of injury. 



ON THE CULTIVATION OF TEA IN KEMAON 

 AND OTHER PARTS OF THE HIMALAYAN 



MOUNTAINS. 



At an evening meeting of the Royal Asiatic Society, 

 held on the 24th ult, the Earl of Auckland in the chair, 

 a lecture was given by Professor Royle, On the Success- 

 ful Cultivation of Tea in the Himalayan Mountains. Iu 

 commencing, Dr. R. remarked, that in order to cultivate 

 any plant successfully in a new situation, careful atten- 

 tion required to be paid to the influence of physical agents, 

 especially if it was desirable that the plant should retain 

 all the properties which render it useful in the arts— in 

 medicine, or as an article of diet or of luxury. To 

 find a suitable situation, it is necessary to observe not 

 only the chemical, but also the mechanical nature of the 

 soil, and the due supply of water, &c. Also the climate, 

 including the course of the seasons, the temperature of 

 summer, and that of winter ; the differences of dryness 

 and moisture, with the effects of light, of winds, &c. ; 

 and to notice the plants which are associated together. 

 It is hardly ever possible to get minute and accurate in- 

 formation on these points, and least of all in the case ot 

 the Chinese Tea-plant, as no competent observer is known 

 to have visited the districts where it is more especially 



cultivated. From the diffi " -«■*-*-«—*««« * 



formation on all the requisite pom**, . — - , 



for ascertaining, what was required for the successful cui- 

 tivation of the Tea-plant elsewhere, was to draw infer- 

 ences, from the extent of its geographical distribution 

 China, the general nature of the soil, the peculiarities 

 the climate, with such notices of the ve 6 eta [ i lon „^ lis i 1 

 were able to obtain from the progress of the un 

 embassies. We know that an inferior Tea np» 4C 

 near Canton, a good-flavoured Tea in ^e Ankoy «» ^ 

 but most of the Tea of commerce in the Black and u 

 Tea districts. It also appeared that Tea is culti*«c 

 China from 17° to 36° of N. latitude, but the blacK i 

 of commerce from 27° to 28°, and the green 1 eas » 

 29° to 31° of N. latitude chiefly. The soil, "^g 

 accounts, appeared to be poor rather than rich, 

 climate of China being one of great extremes, tne 

 plant must necessarily be subjected to considerate ^ 

 in summer, as well as to great cold in winter. * fae 

 no regular rainy season, but there would appea ^ 

 some moisture of the soil and climate in many 

 situations where Tea is cultivated. ^ fr# 



Dr. Royle then called attention, on maps sen it oy 

 •rowsmith and by Mr. Walker, to the relative p^_ 



II 



lal 



east across China to the province of F° k \ en >^ g 



Ida wucic *v m ■»»» — * t 



ifficultyof obtaining precise in- 

 lisite points, the method adopted 



Arro 



tions of China and India, and especially of the 1 ^^ 

 tricts and the Himalayan Mountains. These e\te . . 



Tea dis 

 >n d from 



Cashmere to Bootan. From thence a branch ■«■ ^ 

 east across China to the province of Fokien, <v c. ^ 

 range thus extends over 45° of longitude, but do 

 make more than 10? of northing. As in a / v f e ° dl J^ im it8 

 the forest-clad bases of the Himalaya, to .their ■ ^^ 

 covered with eternal snows, we meet with aimo 

 variety of climate that is encountered m proceeding 



