January 20, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



40 



ing should be regulated to obtain a great number of slender 

 shoots, as it is from them, and at their points chiefly, that the 

 little bunches of flowers come. All rank shoots should either 

 be removed or shortened. Against walls, therefore, the Bhoots 

 should be spurred. In fine specimens in pots grown to a 

 single stem, the head must be managed in a similar way to 

 secure abundance of these spray-like shoots. Such specimens in 

 pots, if the pots were mulched, would be Bafe enough in a shed 

 in winter where little frost could enter, and when from 6 to 9 

 or more feet in height, they make pretty objects out of doors in 

 summer. The single kinds are easily increased by seeds sown as 

 soon as the fruit is ripe ; also, by cuttings and layers, and the 

 double and dwarf kinds by grafting on the single kinds. 



R. Fish. 



METEOEOLOGY OF 1862. 



HABBOCK HALL, WIGAN, LANCASHIRE. 



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The highest reading of the thermometer in the shade occurred 

 ■on the 29th of May, 72°.0 ; lowest ditto on the 4th of March, 

 19°.0. The greatest quantity of rain that fell on any one day in 

 the year was on the 4th September, when 2.43 inches fell in the 

 seven hours preceding 11 p.m. of that date ; barometer at 29.301 

 inches ; wind, W. The aggregate rainfall of 1862 is below the 

 average of the last five years, and 9.45 inches less than 1861. 

 It fell in small quantities at a time, and extended over a greater 

 number of days than in the year last named. The temperature, 

 especially of the summer months, was likewise considerably 

 below the average. It was this low temperature, and the con- 

 tinued showery weather, that rendered the summer of 1862 so 

 disastrous to gardening. 



Kitchen-garden crops of all sorts have either been entire 

 failures or most indifferent in quality. Spring-sown Onions 

 •were, in a majority of instances, completo failures. Carrots 

 little else. Peas and Beans ran terribly to straw, the pods 

 (legumes) filling indifferently or not at all. Kidney Beans never 

 grow above 5 or 6 inches high, and never yielded a single dish 



Celery I am almost afraid to speak of. It certainly is the worst 

 crop I ever grew. Out of some 900 plants I believe there are 

 850 of them bolted. The White sorts are worst in this respect ; 

 the Red are a little better. I cannot account for it in any other 

 way than by supposing it to be the result of the untoward 

 season, as it was treated the same aB in previous years. — 

 J. Dunn. 



OECHAED-HOUSE FEUIT. 



We received some time ago specimens of the Newtown 

 Pippin Apple and Winter Nelis Pear grown by George Wilson, 

 Esq., of Gishurst Cottage, Weybridge Heath. On former occa- 

 sions we have had frequent opportunities of speaking of the 

 success of Mr. Wilson as a cultivator of fruits under glass, and 

 now we are enabled to lay before our readers additional proofs 

 of his skill in this branch of horticulture. The specimen of 

 Newtown Pippin measured 13i inches in diameter, and was of 

 a fine uniform pale yellow colour. Unfortunately it was seized 

 with an attack of that mischievous fungus, so prevalent this 

 season, before we had an opportunity of judging of its flavour ; 

 still, from what we saw of the Melon Apple and Northern Spy 

 grown by Mr. Wilson in former years, there is no doubt that 

 the Newtown Pippin would also have been fine. The Winter 

 Nelis Pears were among the finest we have seen, the largest 

 weighing 5f ozs. They were very handsome, and the flavour 

 was exquisite. 



POTTED PEACH AND NECTAEINE TEEES IN 

 AN OECHAED-HOUSE. 



Supposing Peaches and Nectarines in pots to be three or four 

 years old, to what extent should they be pruned in March ? 

 The trees in question have been pinched-back in the last summer 

 three times, according to Mr. Rivers' plan, and the shoots made 

 since August 1st are from 12 to 18 inches long. The writer is 

 aware that a small portion of last year's shoots must be shortened 

 to three or four eyes. His question refers to fruit-bearing 

 branches of the present season. — Subscribes. 



[If the trees have made shoots since they were pinched-in, 

 " from 12 to 18 inches long," these shoots should be shortened 

 to about 9 inches, taking care to prune down to a triple bud, or 

 a single leaf-bud. If there are too many of these shootB, so that 

 the tree is likely to be wounded when the leaves are on them, 

 some of them should be thinned-out with a sharp knife, leaving 

 no spur, but cutting them out close to the branch.] 



EFFECT AEISING FE03VI DEAINAGE. 



Having lately visited a friend on the edge of the fen country, 

 I heard a most singular and to me unaccountable statement of 

 a supposed fact, unchallenged and evidently believed by all 

 present. It was to this effect. 



Many persons living could remember fields in which the peat 

 soil when they were young was 15 or 16 feet in depth, and in 

 which a crowbar planted perpendicularly would soon bury itself; 

 that in ploughing these same lands now, the clay was often 

 brought to the surface, the peat, or bog soil rather, having all 

 disappeared except a few inches, and yet that the surface of these 

 fields was as high relatively to surrounding objects — for instance, 

 canal-banks, lock-gates, roads, and highlands as they are called, 

 upon which the towns and villages were built — as before the dis- 

 appearance of this large amount of soil. 



On my asking how they accounted for this phenomenon, they 

 all agreed the clay subsoil had risen in the same degree that the 

 surface had disappeared, and attributed it to the same cause — 

 drainage. Being equally unable to controvert or explain this 

 statement, I agreed to refer the matter to you for your opinion. 

 Does wet clay increase in bulk when deprived of moisture? I 

 had always thought the contrary, but we wait your decision. — 

 J. R. Peaeson, CMlwell. 



[There is a well-known story of Charles II. enjoying the joke 

 of puzzling the Royal Society by asking, " Why a vessel of 

 water weighed no more when a fish was put into it than it did 

 before, though no water escaped from the vessel ? " The joke 

 was ended when one of the members said, " Who has proved 

 that it is so?" We, following that member's example, must 

 ask, In any place known to have lost 15 feet of peat, is the surface 



