March 31, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



247 



BEES IN" MY OECHAED-HOUSE. 



Sunday, March 22. — What a glorious sunny day ! How filled 

 is the air with the harmony of birds ! The blackbird, the thrush, 

 the chaffinch, and, above all, the lark, are pouring forth their 

 thanks for this foretaste of spring. Well, as is my custom after 

 morning service, I Btrolled into my orchard-house, and to my 

 surprise — for, since the winter of 1860 which destroyed all the 

 bees in this neighbourhood, so that I am not cognisant of a single 

 hive — I found it literally full of bees, every tree loaded with its 

 glowing blossom had from ten to twenty of these sabbath-working 

 little fellows all busy in apparently gathering nothing but pollen, 

 although, I dare say, they now and then stole a sip of nectar. 

 As soon as two large lumps of the golden dust were glued to their 

 thighs they took their departure home — heaven knows where, 

 and then came every minute fresh arrivals to join in the loud 

 hum of happiness and content. I almost fancied they thanked 

 me for giving them such an early feast ; and, then, how fearless 

 they are, alighting on a flower close to one's eye, and allowing 

 one to watch every movement without betraying the least feeling 

 of anger or discomposure. There is something in all this very 

 charming, the stillness of the Sabbath thus agreeably broken by 

 the pleasing sounds of bird and insect life. 



That I am not alone in my train of thought, allow me to illus- 

 trate by quoting from a note just received from one who is at the 

 head of the scientific world, one whose mind is so gigantic in its 

 grasp as to be able to people the world of countless ages past 

 with its inhabitants. May I, therefore, trespass so far as to 

 give an extract from the note in question ? — " I have been 

 Bitting in mj orchard-house surrounded by the loveliest bloom, 

 with the sun shining warm at my back, amidst the hum of bees. 

 One hour of enjoyment of such precocious summer repays the 

 whole year's care. To ears wearied with the din of town, to 

 other senses offended with its fog and fumes, to the mind jarred 

 by the inevitable conditions of official responsibilities and intel- 

 lectual struggles, you may conceive the paradise of such a con- 

 trast as I am now enjoying. A Sabbath peace, broken by the 

 pleasing songs of happy birds, and the distant call of the rook ; 

 all the worldling's world shut out. But you cannot appreciate 

 the scene without seeing it ; and the full enjoyment of my garden 

 will be wanting until you have an afternoon with me in it." 



Such are the reflections of a man of high intellect — how 

 different from those of the prize-looking-for gardener ! 



I begin to think that orchard-houses are far more adapted to 

 the refined and philosophical, than to those who calculate how 

 many fruit each tree will produce, and if they will be able to 

 " flhow" at some horticultural exhibition. "What lover of his 

 trees could bear to strip them to make-up "dishes" of fruit, or 

 send his beautiful trees, loaded with their fair produce, some 

 miles at the risk of every leaf and fruit being bruised, and the 

 beauty of the tree destroyed? No amateur or real lover of 

 gardening would risk this. I have sometimes been half tempted 

 to Bend two or three of my finest trees, merely to silense those 

 detractors and persons of confined ideas who think everything 

 worthy of being seen should be exhibited ; but I have never 

 had the courage, feeling assured that a fine tree of fruit must be 

 destroyed, however carefully packed, during a journey of sixty 

 miles. Exhibiting gardeners know little of the feelings of the 

 real lover of orchard-house culture, wbo enjoys his house nearly 

 at all seasons ; but if there be any difference in the measure 

 of his enjoyment it is in spring, when the trees are in full 

 bloom ; and he looks at them, not as he looks at his wall trees 

 with a mixture of hope and fear — the latter largely predominating 

 — but with a calm, delightful, confident feeliDg that nearly every 

 flower will produce a fruit, and that the only trouble he looks 

 forward to is thinning it. The climate, also, of the orchard-house, 

 irrespective of the fruit it gives and ripens, is a source of great 

 pleasure. I often hear from friends, who are victims to pul- 

 monary disease, expressing the pleasure they derive from the 

 climate of their orchard-houses. It is, indeed, at all seasons — 

 except in bitter dark weather, when there is not a gleam of 

 Sunshine for days — perfect. In the bright sunny weather we 

 have had for some days past, the thermometer has stood at 72° 

 in my large house, but the ventilators at a low level, admitting 

 two large volumes of air, made the climate like that described 

 by the Persian poet — " The warmth was not heat ;" and, I may 

 add, in cool weather, " Its coolness is not cold." Think of this, 

 Mr. Robson, and repent. 



March 27th. — I have just paid my morning visit to my 

 orchard-house. The trees never were more magnificent. The 

 most striking are those with large flowers, and first among them 



are the Orange Nectarines, the Pitmaston and Rivers's Orange ; 

 the latter has the largest flowers and is really gorgeous. Next 

 to these are the varieties of Grosse Mignonne Peaches, all bright 

 and beautiful. Then we have the Shanghai, Montague Precoce, 

 Early Victoria, and Early York Peaches, aod the Hardwieke 

 Seedling, and Early Newington Nectarines, all with large and 

 showy flowers. Among those with small flowers there are some 

 varieties almost petalless, or apetalous, to use the botanical term : 

 the Petite Mignonne Peach is remarkable for this. Others have 

 small petals so bright and pretty that one is always arrested by 

 them. Such are Imperatrice, Downton, Violette Hative, and 

 Elruge Nectarines, and the Violette Hative Peach. Besides these 

 there are many intermediate flowers, scarcely two alike in the 

 orchard-house, unless of the same variety. The effect may be 

 imagined when I state, that there are more than four hundred 

 trees, three hundred of which are Peaches and Nectarines, in my 

 house in full bloom. 



Pears, Cherries, and Plums with their pearly blossoms con- 

 trast so beautifully with the bright pink of the Peaches and 

 Nectarines, as to make the picture perfect. My largest trees are 

 now from ten to fourteen years old ; and although their roots, to 

 use Mr. Kobson's phrase, are " cramped in pots" (oh! Mr. R., 

 they are in the most perfect and vigorous health), the Apricots 

 are all off bloom, and have set their fruit so thickly as nearly to 

 hide the leaf-buds. I counted seven fruit in a square inch of 

 space, and yet such men as our nonprogressive friends, Jasper 

 Standstill and Peter Heavyhead, say that Apricots are difficult 

 to cultivate as house trees. I ca'inot help saying " pooh." 



I am fearful our friend Mr. EobBon will feel a little nervous 

 irritation in seeing the, to him, disagreeable words " orchard- 

 house," at the head of this article. — T. R. 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 

 Aeteb the favourable weather for out- door operations which 

 we have lately experienced, all kinds of work here should be in a 

 forward state. Take advantage of the dry condition of the 

 ground to get manure wheeled upon quarters where it is wanted, 

 and to push forward any jobs which may involve wheeling. 

 Beans, earth-up growing crops, and continue sowing for succes- 

 sion. Broccoli, bow for a main crop. Cabbage, sow for a main 

 autumn crop. Pork up the earth between those planted in the 

 autumu. Capsicums, pot-off as soon as they are fit. Cauli- 

 flowers, stir the soil round those under hand-lights, and earth 

 them up. Sow for autumn crop if not already done. Cardoons, 

 sow seed if that vegetable is esteemed. Celery, prick-out the 

 early crop. Potatoes, plant the main crop. Spinach, bow 

 small crops of the Round in di ills, but little at a time, as it 

 soon runs to seed. Tomatoes, these should now be potted-off. 

 Sow seeds of herbs and other vegetables that may have been 

 omitted during former weeks. Remove all litter and weeds. 

 Earth-up early crops, strewing a little soot or fresh lime about 

 them to prevent the attacks of slugs. Protect recently-30wn 

 seedB from birds by a covering of nets, or by twine stretched 

 over the rows or beds, with pieces of glass suspended from it in 

 a manner to clash with the wind and to flash with the sun. 



BLOWER GABDEN. 

 All nature is now starting vigorously into life ; and, however 

 delighted we may be by looking on the productions of genius, no 

 art can inflame our Bensibilities like the glow we feel coming 

 over us on viewing the universal mind of the Great Designer 

 unfolding itself in every leaf and flower ; and, instead of the sigh of 

 despondency coming over us, we should feel that this is a season 

 of the year to be joyful, and to be ready at all times to respond 

 to alt the animate and inanimate expressions of nature about us. 

 Prosecute vigorously, till finished, improvements in this depart- 

 ment. Bring speedily to a close the laying-down of turf and 

 the planting of deciduous and evergreen shrubs. Make a sowing 

 of all the showy hardy annuals in the flower garden and shrub- 

 bery borders. Pay due attention in sowing to the heights and 

 the arrangement of colours. Gravel put on walks, especially if 

 sloping, should be almost in a state of mortar prepared for nse ; 

 well trodden and afterwards rolled, it forms a hard and durable 

 walk. To keep Ivy close to a building, it is advisable to defoliate 

 it about this time, and it will soon again be covered with fresh 

 and vigorous leaves. Continue to put in cuttings of those choice 



