144) Improvement of a Fruit-horder. 



half the shoots to two or three buds, in order to produce 

 young wood and flower-buds for next year ; and those which 

 produce their flowers from the sides of their shoots, such as 

 Andr6med«, Kalm/a, /'tea, Clethra, &c., I deprive of all irre- 

 gular shoots, and some shoots I cut down to a few eyes, in 

 order to furnish the plants with young wood for the following 

 year. About six or seven years ago, my plants ofi<!hododendron 

 ponticum made shoots from 3 ft. to 5 ft. high, when the idea 

 occurred to me of making standards of them, which I have 

 succeeded in doing, to the great ornament of some gardens 

 in which they have been planted. Standard rose trees are 

 ornamental in summer, but standard rhododendrons being 

 evergreen, they are ornamental all the year. 



Improvement of a Fruit-horder^ 8^0. — In August, 1824, a 

 very fine south wall at this place had only a few blighted 

 peach and nectarine trees upon it. I suspected the border was 

 unsuitable, and soon found this to be the case. It was too 

 wet. I therefore had it all dug out to the depth of nearly 6 ft., 

 covered the bottom with middle-sized rubble-stones, 6 in. 

 thick; and this, intended as a drain, I covered with stone 

 plank (paving-slabs ?) laid closely together, to prevent the 

 roots from descending into the rubble. This bottom of stone 

 J covered with reversed loamy sods of considerable thickness, 

 and on these placed the roots of the young trees, filling up 

 the border with fresh loam and sandy bog earth, well mixed 

 too-ether. The trees were duly watered, and, from time to 

 time, watered and washed with soap-suds from the laundry ; 

 which I continue to do, as it frees the trees from insects, 

 and greatly encourages their growth. They have already 

 extended from 3 ft., when planted, to 1 4 ft. in extent ; and are 

 fruitful for their size. I cover with netting in the spring; train 

 in the fan manner; and, in short, nothing can exceed the 

 healthy beauty of the trees, and the great success of the im- 

 provement. — W. B. Hose, Gardener to Francis Ca7initig, Esq., 

 Foxcoate. April 11. 1828. 



