February 2S, 1865.] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICTJLTITKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



171 



ripened slowly and thoroughly, so as to be of excellent 

 flavour. The late Pears did not shrivel, but seemed to be 

 in a very happy condition. In the severe frost that occurred 

 about the ISth of December last some hot water was let 

 into the pipes to keep it out of the house, and on the 24th 

 of the same month all the unripe Pears were placed in new 

 13-inoh flower-pots, in some cases two or three sorts in a 

 pot, divided by thick layers of old newspapers ; other pots 

 with a wooden cover to each were then placed in the fruit- 

 ceUar, where the temperature during winter averages from 

 40° to 42°. They have continued to ripen slowly and well, 

 and I am inclined to think I shall have a good supply of 

 Pears till far into April. Josephine de Malines is just now 

 in perfection, and Bergamotte Esperen and L'Inoonnue (Van 

 Mons), just commencing to ripen. 



The most remarkable effect of this thorough ripening of 

 Pears in a house full of light and warmth has exhibited itself 

 in Winter Nelis and Beurre d'AremWferg ; some fruit of these 

 two kinds were gathered in October, and divided into two 

 portions, part being at once placed in the fruit-cellar and 

 part in the orchard-house ; they were gathered from one 

 tree of each sort. Those placed at once in the cellar ripened 

 early in December ; those placed in the orchard-house till 

 the 24th of December and then removed to the cellar have 

 ripened as follows ; — the Winter Nelis at the end of January, 

 lasting to the 8th of February. The Beurre d'Aremberg are 

 only just now (February 14th), ripening; they are plump, 

 of a bright yellow, and juicy and excellent, as are the fruit 

 of Passe Colmar treated in the same way. These very late 

 Peajs are still firm and sound. 



The rationale of this mode of ripening late Pears seems to 

 me to be as follows : — The Pears exposed to a warm light 

 climate for two months after being gathered throw off a 

 considerable portion of watery juice, leaving the remainder 

 more inspissated and saccharine ; thus tending to the pre- 

 servation of the fruit for a lengthened period of time. 



I have not found late Apples benefited by being placed 

 under the same circumstances as late Pears, because they 

 seem not to require more warmth than our climate usually 

 gives to fully ripen them, with the exception of American 

 Apples ; but after one of our wet cloudy summers, which 

 always occur at intervals, many kinds would doubtless be 

 improved by being placed under glass. 



Apples keep so well in my fruit-cellar that I have never 

 thought of any other mode of preserving them. At this 

 time (February 14th), the early autumn Apples are sound 

 and plump, and I have often known Hawthorndens to keep 

 till late in March. As this cellar seems to be almost per- 

 fect as to its fruit-preserving qualities, I will in a few 

 words describe it, so that if an opportunity offers it may be 

 imitated. 



On the crest of the hiU, formerly called " Bonks HiU," on 

 which stands my dwelling-house, there was formerly a fosse 

 some 20 or 30 feet wide, forming a semicircle to the north- 

 east: this was evidently excavated for the purpose of a 

 temporary defence. From its position this formed a dry 

 ditch, and my great-grandfather thinking, I suppose, it 

 would spare the heavy expense of digging, threw an arch over 

 itso as to form a vault upwards of 30 feet long and 12 feet 

 wide. As the crown of this arch came within a foot of the 

 adjoining surface rain would have penetrated, and thus make 

 the apartment damp and unfit for a wine-cellar, for which it 

 was intended, he therefore built a large shed over it, so that 

 the earth resting on the arch should be perfectly dry. This 

 is_ now my fruit-cellar. It has at one end an iron-grated 

 window, which is closed with a shutter in di-y, cold, windy 

 weather, and a door at the other. It is perfectly frost-proof, 

 so that Potatoes, uncovered and lying only within a foot of 

 the strong but loose-fitting door, which is truly a ventilating 

 door, never become frozen in our most severe frosts. In this 

 dry, but not too dry, place, with slight ventOation and a 

 very equable temperature, varying from 40° to 44°, from 

 November till the end of March, fruit is kept in great per- 

 fection ; it seems, therefore, to approach to what a fruit- 

 room should be.— T. R. 



monial in recognition of his services to horticulture, and as 

 a mark of the high esteem in which he is held by all who 

 know him ; and we take the opportunity of reminding our 

 readers that the subscription list will shortly be closed. 



The Inokam Testimonial.— In another column will be 

 found a list of subscriptions to the fund for presenting Mr. 

 T. Ingram, of the Royal Otardens, Frogmore, with a testi- 



VISITS TO GAEDENS PUBLIC AND PEIVATE. 

 Me. James Veitch's, Chelsea. 



Knowing that I was somewhat interested in the new 

 system of double-roofing which my friend Mr. Bewley of 

 Blackrook had originated, and of which he entertained such 

 favourable opinions, I received a courteous invitation from 

 Mr. Veitoh to inspect a range which he had lately had con- 

 structed on that principle ; for with that enterprise which 

 ever characterises this well-known firm they had determined 

 on testing it by their own personal experience, and had (as 

 Mr. Bewley indeed told me when visiting his gardens last 

 summer), sent over their foreman for the purpose of seeing 

 it in operation and taking plans ; and although the month 

 of February is not a very agreeable time of the year for 

 visiting gardens, yet as I knew in this wonderful establish- 

 ment there is always such an emharras des richesses that 

 something is always to be seen and learned too, I ventured 

 on the undertaking one day last week, and have put down, 

 a few jottings of what I saw and heard. I may at the same 

 time observe that, great as was always the interest attaching 

 to this establishment, it will in future be doubled ; for since 

 the death of old Mr. Veitch, the Exeter establishment having 

 been abandoned, the whole energies of the firm are concen- 

 trated on their London nursery, comprising not only the 

 splendid concern at the King's Road, but also about thirty or 

 forty acres at Coombe Wood. To London, then have been 

 transferred, not merely the most choice of the plants that 

 adorned the Exeter establishment, but also, what will tend 

 more to the increase of the interest, their able and successful 

 foreman, Mr. Dominy, and the more experienced of theii 

 Exeter men. When, then, the alterations now making are 

 completed, there will be so rich a treat for all who really 

 love flowers and plants, and can appreciate them whether 

 they grow them or not, as will make the homoaopathic 

 Saturdays at South Kensington hide their diminished heads; 

 and now in its present state there is to every plant-lover 

 abundant materials, even in the depth of winter, to make 

 him forget all the dreariness without in the rarities and 

 beauties within. 



The range of double-roofed Orchid-houses is 120 feet long, 

 in three divisions, whUe a T-shaped house at the end is 

 devoted to cool-house Orchids and other plants which will 

 bear a lower temperature. In these three divisions the 

 Orchids are arranged according to the tempei'ature of the 

 climate from whence they come; the division nearest the 

 boiler averaging a temperature of 70°, the middle 65°, and 

 the further end 60°. The advantages which Mr. Veitch has 

 found already resulting from the plan are great economy of 

 fuel and pipes, for in the very warmest part of the house 

 the heat is maintained by a single flow and return on each 

 side ; and even this gives so much heat that it is found 

 necessary to brick in the pipes. Air-shafts are also inserted, 

 by which a constant supply of cool air enters the air-chamber 

 in the centre of the house, and is there heated and dispersed. 

 Besides this, the temperature of the houses is entirely de- 

 ficient in that dry heat which one so often finds, and there 

 are not those constant variations of heat and cold which are 

 so injurious to the health of plants. These were just the 

 points that Mr. Bewley urged, and I am glad to find that 

 in other hands his success is repeated. 



And what shall I say to the plants that these houses con- 

 tained ? — ^the splendid masses of Dendrobiums and Cattleyas ; 

 the glorious Vandas ; and Phalsnopsis SchiUeriana with its 

 curious mottled leaves — more beautiful, however, in their 

 younger state than in their more mature growth — and ama- 

 bilis with its snow-white fiowers ; Cypripediums of all sorts, 

 including a new one brought from Manilla by Mr. J. G. 

 Veitch (and which I believe is to be named la;vigatum), 

 now flowering for the fii-st time, and promising to be quite 

 as fine as, and very distinct from, all other known varieties ; 

 and then there is that fine plant of viUosum which fetched so 

 high a price at Stevens's sale. I can only say that they 

 were the very perfection of growth, that the rarest and most 



