September 12, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
203 
mental, gains in beauty from the large pendant clusters of 
lossy black fruit now hanging in great abundance over and 
nestling so charmingly among it. It is an arcade of great and 
growing beauty, always affording pleasant shade at a season 
ef the year when shade is desirable, and now yields a valuable 
supply of fruit for making blackberry jelly, which is even 
more important from a practical point of view. 
Nothing can be better than this method of training a really 
valuable fruit. It is a material aid to that economy of space so 
importantin all gardens, and especially so in a small one. The 
fruit, moreover, is more easily picked than when the growth is 
permitted to ramble in a wild thicket, and the fruit is kept 
trom contact with the soil; and yet I must confess to a wish 
to see wild thickets of it among bold rockwork, and also to 
afford it the prominent place among ornamental climbers on 
buildings of which it is worthy EDWARD LUCKHURST. 
LOSS OF THE FRUIT CROP. 
REGARDING the products of the earth, second only in im- 
portance to farm produce is the fruit crop, and so important is 
the latter that many farmers are already turning their attention 
to it by commencing fruit-growing. There is no effect without 
a cause ; and especially when the effect is undesirable I habitu- 
ally strive to know the reason why. If to ascertain the nature 
of disease in the animal world be half a cure, in the vegetable 
kingdom it is much the same, and, alike, a remedy is of import. 
To succeed in securing closer observations anywhere is some- 
thing gained, and this shall be my object in the following re- 
marks. 
In the vegetable world how many there are who never con- 
sider that heat is the great parent of allincrease. A sufticiency 
of heat accompanied with bracing air secures perfected fruit 
buds in autumn, and without which a favourable spring may 
come in vain. Heat acts by degrees; and it is not an argu- 
ment to the purpose, if advanced to the contrary, that we may 
have fruit on the north side of a tree, whilst the south side is 
barren, as the south side of a tree is more subject to damage 
from spring frosts. As evidence of the gradual action of heat 
we have the fruit buds on one branch following each other as to 
their state of perfectness, and, without anything deteriorating 
in the weather, afterwards we shall have some buds set their 
fruit and some not, some good fruit and some indifferent ; but 
whatever the effect, all may be traceable to the perfectness or 
otherwise of the fruit bud. 
I will now give a few facts that have come under my own 
notice this present season, and which I think will tend to prove 
the soundness of what I am advocating. My means of testing 
thave been ample, and personally I am quite satisfied. From 
my own garden I took up with the utmost care a large number 
of fruit trees and bloomed them under the most favourable 
circumstances in tubs under glass. I haye also grown several 
other trees under exactly the same circumstances, which I have 
had from the Messrs. Rivers of Sawbridgeworth and from Mr. 
Smith of Worcester ; some taken from the open ground, and 
some which had been grown in pots. Save two Plums (a 
Transparent Gage and a Victoria), an Apple (Harly Havrvest), 
and one solitary fruit of Beurré d’Amanlis Pear, of those 
subject to the cold rains we had here in the north last autumn, 
there has been no fruit from trees taken from the open ground. 
From two Worcester Pearmain Apples—that gem recently 
antroduced by Mr. Smith—I have had fruit with which I have 
been delighted, grown partly under glass and set out to colour 
and flayour in the open air. From one small tree of Souvenir 
du Congrés Pear had from Mr. Rivers I have had six fine 
fruit, and from another which had only two fruit buds I have 
just taken—rather too early—two Pears which I wished to have 
ripe for our local show, the one weighing 14 and the other 
143 ozs. Of Jefferson’s Plum, likewise from Mr. Rivers, I have 
fine fruit, whilst the Plums from the trees taken from my own 
garden are all more or less deformed. This clearly proves that 
‘one reason for the loss of the fruit crop here has been brought 
about by the undeveloped fruit buds of last season. 
I shall now show that our wet autumn was not the only 
deteriorating influence we have been subject to; spring frosts 
had something to do with it, and perhaps also had cold rains, 
but I hardly think so. Of a row of Early Harvest Apple, from 
whence the one I fruited under glass was taken, there has not 
been one fruit, neither have Ia Plum outside. With a more 
favourable spring those fruited inside prove that we should 
have had some fruit, better or worse, outside. To further show 
that the fruit buds here were only partly developed I will 
advance one more convincing proof. I had some Apples from 
the open ground from Mr, Smith, which I planted in the 
open ground, and they are now carrying fruit. This is the 
more convincing, considering that the removal was not an 
advantage. Another proof is that Court-pendu-Plat Apple, or 
the Wise Apple as some call it, did not bloom till spring frosts 
were gone, and still I have not on thirty trees one fruit. Late 
varieties, of course, are more especially depending on autumn 
heat, and thus this variety would be more readily affected by 
autumn cold than others. We learn from the above facts that 
with an exceptional spring we may do with a previous un- 
favourable autumn, and that with a favourable autumn, or with 
the greater heat of the south of England, fruit buds can battle 
more successfully with an unfavourable spring. 
What can we do to assist Nature under such circumstances ? 
Drainage is one valuable aid, and of which we cannot speak 
too highly. The tree with stagnant dampness about its roots 
is in much the same predicament we are in, and much the 
same likely to get out of order as we are likely to do when we 
have permanently wet feet. As one remedy we must drain 
where necessary. Much has been written about allowing trees 
to grow more naturally. I believe in copying liberally our 
lessons from Nature, but I believe for all that that it is man’s 
duty to improve—* to mend Nature.” For a certainty if, say, 
thirty-six fruit be a full crop, then twelve fruit will be fully 
half the weight of the thirty-six, and perhaps be of quite as 
much market value. Judiciously thinning a crop is one desir- 
able way of mending Nature. I have no objection to a tree 
expanding, but I have a great objection to haying a tree so 
overcrowded that the inner branches are deprived of reason- 
able light and air. As another aid we must thin the branches 
of fruit trees liberally, and if we go so far as to protect in 
spring, to be of more avail we must remove our protectors 
each morning, or, to our discomfort, we shall find that we 
are simply making our blossoms so much the more tender, 
that when frost comes they will only stand a proportionate 
amount. 
Since the above was written I have taken first prize in the 
dessert class at the Bishop Auckland Show with the Worcester 
Pearmain Apple spoken of, also at the Alnwick Show; and 
with the Pears I took second prize amongst twenty-two com- 
petitors, I unfortunately having had to set up three unripe fruit, 
—JOSEPH WITHERSPOON, Fed Rose Vinerves, Chester-le-Strect. 
CREAM PINE MELON. 
THE figure and description of this new Melon in Dr. Hogg’s 
“Year Book” led me to purchase a packet of seed, for I am 
quite as fond of Melons as of Strawberries. The crop was a 
good one, and the first fruit was ripe about the middle of 
August. It was only of medium size, but so heavy that I was 
somewhat puzzled to account for its weight of some 34 tbs.— 
quite half as much more as any other sort of Melon of the 
same size. Upon cutting it the reason was obyious by the 
extraordinary solidity and thickness of the scarlet flesh and 
the small quantity of seed enveloped in such thick pulp as left 
no hollow space in the fruit. The flavour is hardly rich 
enough for this Melon to find fayour with a connoisseur, and 
yet it is so sweet and juicy that it is likely to become a 
general favourite. 
It has answered very well upon a mild hotbed in an ordinary 
garden frame, growing so freely and cropping so well, and 
also requiring so little attention, that I feel disposed next 
season to devote two or three frames to it in order to obtain a 
certain quantity of a fruit that is likely to supplement the 
regular supply so well.—FRAGARIA. 
ALNWICK HORTICULTURAL AND BOTANICAL 
SOCIETY. 
THIS Society held their annual Show on the 5th inst. in the 
beautiful grounds of Alnwick Abbey, kindly granted for the occa- 
sion since the commencement of the Society by His Grace the 
Duke of Northumberland. A lovelier or more romantic spot 
could scarcely be wished for the purpose, with the beautiful Alne 
meandering in its tortuous course through the grounds, and the 
district rich in historic associations. In addition to the many 
attractions that Alnwick affords the Castle gardens are kindly 
thrown open to the public, which is an immense boon and highly 
appreciated, as every courtesy is shown to visitors by the Super- 
intendent, Mr. Ingram, and his staff. His Grace takes also a very 
active part in the interest of the Show. He is the patron of it, 
gives very liberal prizes towards it, and has provided the Society 
