262 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[September 8, 1888. 



60s. per acre, while orchard land was worth £4 

 to £10, showed that owners who screened them- 

 selves behind their legal rights were not only the 

 enemies of the people, but also their own. 

 Small fruit farms had become deservedly popular 

 in the most prosperous States of America. 



Mr. "W. F. Emptage, of Hawkswick, St. Albans, 

 read a paper on "Fruits Suitable for the District 

 for Market Purposes." After describing the 

 qualities of the land in the locality, he said that 

 some of this land would pay better with fruit 

 than with Wheat, but with this condition— that 

 the soil must not be trenched. Trenching fre- 

 quently occasioned " canker " of the soil. On 

 the riversides of the Ver, Lea, and Colne, he 

 ventured to assert, there was some of the finest 

 land in the world, but it was mostly covered with 

 grass. Those who, a few years ago, persuaded the 

 farmer to lay down grass had done more to pro- 

 mote agricultural depression ^than any foreign 

 competition. It had drawn the labourer from 

 the land ; and he was rather glad the past season 

 had been so bad, because it would give the 

 quietus to theTaying down of good land to grass. 

 The land was now bound down by cursed laws, 

 and held by hands which did little for their 

 fellow beings. A better state of things might 

 be brought about by the better cultivation of the 

 land. In the growing of fruit lay England's 

 salvation. He considered that a greater produc- 

 tion of the Grape would prevent much exces- 

 sive drinking, and they might be grown so as to 

 be supplied to the poor man, and made to pay, 

 at 4d. per pound, and then pay better than 

 Wheat. He spoke thus after having made 

 experiments in Grape production in Herts. 

 They need not let foreigners supply all our fruit. 

 In conclusion, he would recommend the early 

 system of cultivation combined with the system 

 of irrigation discovered by the Hon. A. N. Cole, 

 of Wellsville, U.S.A., which adopted, the land 

 of England and Ireland would support in com- 

 fort their populations — indeed, would amply 

 support that population if doubled. 



Mr. E. Hobday, of Ramsey, Huntingdonshire, 

 in a paper on " Fruit Planting in Relation to 

 Land Tenure," considered that the main cause of 

 our neglected fruit gardens was that the land 

 was bound up in " fetters forged in a narrow- 

 minded past," and to make the land productive 

 to its fullest extent it must be absolutely free. 

 Fruit growers should feel assured that it would 

 be possible for them to become owners of their 

 own freeholds ; and no impracticable conditions 

 should be imposed on tenants which were likely 

 tfl hamper industry. He referred to the baneful 

 ejects of the extraordinary tithes and ancient 

 manorial exactions. Mr. Hobday condemned 

 fie former practice of growing numerous varieties, 

 and said that beyond selecting good stocks it was 

 necessary to judge of what would best suit a 

 locality before planting, and to well consider lhe 

 capabilities of the land. He hoped that the 

 English markets would soon be filled with home- 

 grown fruit. 



Among other papers read was one by Mr. 

 Joseph Cheal, of Crawley, Sussex, on "Apple 

 and Pear Culture," which he regarded in the 

 light of the proverb " He that plants Pears, 

 plants for his heirs." He dwelt in detail upon 

 the " Cordon " system of culture, recently 

 adopted in this country, and signifying practi- 

 cally the planting of fruit trees in extended 

 lines. He had witnessed the remarkable success 

 of this system in the Channel Islands. Gar- 

 deners had been slow to recognise its advantages, 

 but the want of success complained of in some 

 quarters could be traced to a false start in some 

 important particular, or to the want of knowledge 

 as the proper pruning and treatment. 



At the close of the Conference resolutions 

 were passed protesting against the tolls exacted 

 at Covent Garden and provincial markets ; pro- 

 testing against the practice of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society in granting First-class Certifi- 

 cates to comparatively worthless fruits ; and 

 calling upon the Legislature to appoint a Royal 

 Commission to enquire into the present system 

 of tenure of labourers' allotments, and the ques- 

 tion of improved systems of culture. A special 

 resolution was also passed against the railway 

 rates charged to horticulturists. 



MABKBTING FBUTT. 



Apropos of the above important subject, we 

 reprint a letter which appeared in the Gloucester 

 Journal of September 1 : — 



" Much has lately been said and written upon 

 the better utilisation of our crops of fruit, and it 

 all tends to show how far Englishmen are 

 behind other countries in preserving and packing 

 fruit. The present method of disposing of our 

 fruit is more worthy of the rough and ready 

 times fifty years ago than of the present day, 

 when science and skill have done so much to 

 enlighten us. What are the facts ? In England, 

 when we get an abundant crop of fruit (take 

 Plums as an instance), the few first pots usually 

 sell well ; but the markets soon become so com- 

 pletely glutted that salesmen sometimes have a 

 difficulty in selling for a sufficient sum to pay 

 the carriage, and the grower gets only a trifle, 

 or perhaps nothing, for picking and packing ; 

 consequently many tons are often left to rot 

 when the crop is very heavy. As soon as the 

 main crop is gone, the few very late Plums 

 usually fetch good prices, thereby proving that 

 there is always a fair consumptive demand ; 

 therefore if, instead of glutting our markets 

 when the main crop is ripe, we could utilise a 

 portion by drying, &c, we should secure better 

 prices for the remainder ; and then we should 

 have the dried and preserved fruit for use in 

 winter and spring, instead of purchasing these 

 from other countries. Owing to the climate it 

 would probably be impossible for us to produce 

 dried and crystalised fruit equal to that which 

 we import from France, &c. ; but, surely we 

 might produce an article which would command 

 a ready sale at a reasonable price ; as the dried 

 and crystalised plums which we import are sold 

 at prices which place them entirely beyond the 

 reach of the majority of our population. It 

 certainly appears an absurd policy to feed our 

 people with home-grown fruit only during the 

 time it will keep in its raw state, and import 

 what is required for the remainder of the year ; 

 and this, while we throw away the raw material 

 which, with proper treatment, would produce a 

 similar article to that imported. Also with the 

 harder fruit (Apples and Pears) much, might be 

 done in drying for spring and summer use, and 

 cheap jam might be made, which would be a 

 boon to the mass of the people, and thus, in a 

 time of plenty, prevent the present waste and 

 the flooding of the country with wretched cider 

 and perry. 



" Packing also is a matter in which we are far 

 behind. Smaller packages might be used with 

 very great advantage, and the best fruit would 

 sell much better in small boxes, which could be 

 made very cheaply. These should be branded 

 with the packer's name, thereby insuring to the 

 purchaser a guarantee that the fruit would 

 be as good throughout the box as on the top. 

 After this system had been adopted for a little 

 time those who packed really good fruit would 

 soon find their labours amply rewarded. Very 

 much more could be said upon making fruit 

 more profitable, but some practical experience 

 of drying, preserving and packing would be much 

 more instructive than volumes of written argu- 

 ments. There appears to be a move throughout 

 the country in this very important matter, and 

 the Gloucestershire Root, Fruit and Grain So- 

 ciety are well to the front, as they are offering 

 through the kindly aid of two county gentlemen 

 several prizes of considerable value for essays 



upon this subject and for dried and preserved 

 fruit in various forms, to be competed for at their 

 show in November. Those who would like to 

 compete for these prizes, and, in fact, any in- 

 terested in fruit, would do well to write to the 

 secretary of the society — Mr. T. H. Phelps, 

 Tibberton, near Gloucester, who will forward a 

 schedule which fully explains the prizes offered." 



The Fernery. 



LASTREAS. 



This genus includes many very pretty species, 

 which deserve better attention than they usually 

 get ; as they are chiefly hardy, or nearly so, they do 

 not meet with such good treatment as those that 

 require a higher temperature. The deciduous sorts 

 — some of which are very pretty — often suffer much 

 through being neglected after they have lost their 

 fronds, and, consequently, when they start into fresh 

 growth in the spring, the fronds are attenuated and 

 deformed. To keep the plants in good condition 

 through the winter, a little protection is necessary 

 even for the hardy sorts when grown in pots, and 

 they all require just enough moisture to keep the 

 roots in good condition ; and as soon as the first 

 sign of activity is discernible they require to be 

 brought into a light cool position. It is 3 one of the 

 greatest faults connected with Fern -growing to keep 

 them in dark over-shaded positions. Of course, 

 plants started under these conditions will not bear 

 exposure afterwards, unless great care is taken in 

 hardening them off; but start them in full daylight, 

 and they will withstand a great amount of sunshine, 

 provided proper attention be paid to watering ; and 

 plants so treated are not only more beautiful, but 

 more serviceable as well. 



Most of the Lastreas are of rather slow growth, 

 especially in a young state, and generally the spores 

 are longer in starting into growth than is the case in 

 many other Ferns, and they are consequently liable to 

 be over-grown by other sorts which spring up as weeds. 

 I saw an instance of this not long since. Lastrea 

 erythrosora had been sown, and a good number of 

 young seedlings were pricked off, but these turned 

 out to be Pteris ; however, the seed-pot was stood by, 

 and later on a good crop of the right sort came up. 



In growing Lastreas the chief thing is to keep 

 them clean. Thrips are particularly partial to most 

 of the species. It seems almost impossible to 

 keep them perfectly clean, but a good deal may be 

 done by keeping all the old fronds removed, always 

 avoiding a dry, arid atmosphere, and using as little 

 artificial heat as possible. The plants should never 

 be disturbed at the root, except when they are in 

 active growth, and they may be repotted two oi 

 three times during the season, if it is desired that 

 they should make as much growth as possible. Any 

 ordinary compost will suit them, but peat should be 

 used very sparingly. Like many other Ferns they 

 thrive much better in good loamy soil than where 

 much peat is used. Of the numerous species and 

 varieties the following are among the most useful : — 



L. aristata variegata. — This is one of the prettiest, 

 and perhaps the most useful of the genus. The 

 fronds are of good substance, with a bright green 

 surface, relieved by a linear marking of pale green 

 Although this comes from Japan, and is nearly hardy, 

 it succeeds best in a higher temperature, and to form 

 useful specimens two or three should be grown in the 

 same pot. 



L. patens. — A very elegant Fern, with gracefully 

 arching fronds of a pale green ; this forms a very 

 pretty plant for table decoration. To grow this suc- 

 cessfully the plants must have plenty of room, as, if 

 the fronds come in contact with each other, they get 

 deformed, and do not attain a symmetrical outline ; 

 but if the plants are stood upon inverted pots, and 

 receive favourable treatment, they form very hand- 

 some specimens. 



L. erythrosora is another very useful Fern for 

 decorative purposes. In a young state the fronds 

 have a bright reddish-brown tint, which changes 



