271 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ April 14, 1863. 



score of half-opened trusses. This continued pruning-away of 

 every flower when past its best, even though the point should 

 be fresh, is the secret for keeping plants long in health. By 

 such means we have Been a plant of common Mignonette grown 

 in the common way, or hanging over the pot, very good alter it 

 had been in the same pot seven year; 1 . When these tree Migno- 

 nette plants are a full ma93 of bloom at one time, this thinning of 

 flowers must be done freely if the plant is to keep on long alter- 

 wards. By this free thinning, stopping and training in summer, 

 and fresh surfacings of good soil, the same plant will continue 

 ' for years ; but there is so much trouble in keeping the soil in a 

 healthy state in such large pots through the winter, that gene- 

 rally it will be the best plan to sow and grow one season for 

 blooming during the earliest part of the next. 



When I was fond of such plants I used to grow some as 

 pyramids — that is, the base of the cone on a level with and 

 falling over the rim of the pot, and the plant gradually lessen- 

 ing in width to the apex. Such plants from 15 to 20 and 

 24 inches in height are very pretty. The main features of 

 management are the same, with the exception of securing the 

 necessary and right-placed side shoots; and to produce them 

 the stem had sometimes to be stopped, as there was little risk 

 of that not getting up. 



The above remarks, however, apply only to what are generally 

 called tree Mignonette plants. There is but one little point 

 concerning them which 1 have overlooked, and that is careful- 

 ness in watering if the last ehiffc should be a large one. In that 

 case only the new soil in proximity with the ball and the ball 

 itself should be watered, and the bulk of the Dew soil at the sides 

 of the pot should not be deluged until the roots are working in 

 it. This rule applies to all large shifts, as otherwise the soil is 

 apt to become soured ; and if so, the Mignonette trees will not 

 flourish. ' E. Fish. 



THE FLAVOUR OF FKTTIT. 



Ik writing of the Warden of Winchester's garden, "D.," of 

 Deal, tells us that Mr. Weaver, " like most practical men, has a 

 contompt for fruit trees in pots," and that "the fruit is poor 

 in comparison with that grown on trees planted out." When 

 will there be an end of these baseless opinions given by soi 

 disani " practical men ? " Ah! when? 



I have a great respect for the abilities of Mr. Weaver, and for 

 his character generally ; but I cannot resist telling him that I 

 am also a practical man, and that 1 know his opinion as given 

 above ha9 no foundation whatever. Why is " Mr. Eivers, of 

 Sawbridgeworth," excepted, when writiDg of failures in orchard- 

 houses? There are hundreds of gardeners'much more clever, 

 practically, than he is, and able to do what he does. 



He has, however, one quality which carries, and has carried, 

 Englishmen through many ill-orgauised plans and many scrapes, 

 and made them triumphant in so many quarters of the world— 

 the most dogged perseverance ; and if the principle of any mode 

 of culture is sound, perseverance must in the end triumph. 

 Thus it is, that in spite of the prejudices of many men, orchard- 

 house culture is annually spreading and triumphing. 



I am quite aware that I need not tell such men as Mr. 

 Weaver that the flavour of fruit, barring extreme sunless 

 seasons, is entirely undtr the control of the gardener. A clever 

 man can command flavour ; a dull man, when he finds his fruit 

 flavourless, makes idle excuses, which should never be listened to. 



During last summer I had numerous Erench fruit-growers 

 visiting me, and they were all struck with the (to them) new 

 idea— the culture of Peach trees in pots, and, I may add, 

 equally delighted ; for although in the greater portion of France 

 Peaches do not require the summer climate of the orchard-house 

 to ripen their fruit, it was the immunity from spring frosts, 

 often so destructive in their country, that delighted my French 

 friends. Well, they were, of course, anxious to taste the fruit. 

 I remember gathering some fine specimens of the Noblesse 

 Peach from a tree in a pot, which they declared exquise, and 

 equal, if not superior, both in size and flavour to any they had 

 ever eaten in France. I had, in truth, commanded them, as it 

 were, to be good, and they were good — and why so ? Because 

 they had been thinned severely. This is the control I have 

 alluded to. 



If a tree trained to a wall be allowed to ripen — say ten dozen 

 of fruit, when five or six dozen only should have been left, they, 

 although they may be of a fair size and colour, suffer in flavour 

 to an extent scarcely credible. It is the Bame with potted trees : 



they are in most seasons, and more particularly this season, 

 crowded with fruit. Now, if a Peach tree five or six years old 

 be suffered to bring to maturity five or six dozen of fruit when 

 only three dozen should be left to ripen, their flavour will be 

 most inferior ; and then men who when prejudiced look only at 

 the surface of things, cry out, " How can you expect good fruit 

 from trees in pots?" Such are thy ways, O Prejudice! — the 

 peculiar attribute of the cultivators of the soil, and I fear also of 

 some of the cultivators of the arts and sciences. It is like 

 " the old man of the sea," — it clings to us, it will not be shaken 

 off. In the case of Sinbad the more he was shaken the closer he 

 clung to his victims, and nearly choked them by entwining his 

 legs round their "throttles." In like manner does prejudice 

 too often strangle the working of our brains. 



To return to our fruit. How often has the gardener had 

 occasion to complain of his Pears not being good, although 

 produced by fine trees trained against walls ? He complains of 

 the season ; but it is in moat cases owing to the trees being 

 allowed to bear just double the number they ought to have done. 

 It is the same with Plums and Apricots, and, indeed, all kinds 

 of fruit, as well as that of orchard-house trees. I could illustrate 

 this by several cases, but one will do. 



In 18S1 I had a very thin crop of a favourite sort of Plum, of 

 which a large number are annually preserved. During the 

 winter of that year, and till late in the spring of 1862, these 

 preserved Plums were very frequently on the table, their aroma 

 on a tart or pudding being opened was most delicious. Last 

 year the crop of these Plums was so abundant as to hide the 

 leaves. Thinning was not thought of, as the trees were so 

 numerous. The usual quantity were preserved, and have 

 been in use up to the present time. They are perfectly sound 

 and good, but the fine aroma peculLr to them in seasons when 

 they are thin on the trees is entirely wanting. The following 

 ought to be inscribed on every wall, and in every fruit and 

 orchard house : — By thinning you make indifferent fruit good. 

 By crowding yon make good fruit bad. 



With regard to trees in pots, and trees planted out in orchard- 

 houses, I have charming specimens of both. I like both modes 

 of culture, but the perfect control exercised over trees in pots by 

 the facility of removing them to force or retard them, or the 

 great pleasure of placing a tree or trees full of fine fruit in the 

 entrance-hall, so that your friends may see the fruits of yojr 

 labour, is so gratifying that no caviller can once arrest the pro- 

 gress of pot-culture. The oddest thing is that men who oppose 

 this description of culture have never gone into it, but have 

 merely skirmished ; and, after a faint attempt at a charge, have 

 been repulsed by their old and cherished friend Prej udiee, who 

 always keeps his bayonet fixed and pointed at their brains, ready 

 for action if they try and release themselves from his shackles, 



A few words more about thinning fruit and I have done. If 

 very fine and high-flavoured fruit are wished for, a tree capable of 

 bearing three dozen of medium-sized Peaches should be allowed 

 to bear only twelve or fifteen. This thinning is terrible work for 

 the amateur — it is like drawing a tooth, and every fruit that falls 

 to the ground creates a pang ; but it must be done. A small 

 sharp penknife is the best implement to employ, and is much 

 better than tearing off the fruit with the finger and thumb. A 

 well-formed Peach or Nectarine tree, be it bush or pyramid, 

 with its fruit properly thinned and nearly ripe, is one of the 

 most beautiful objects the skill of the cultivator can produce. 

 No Camellia, or Orchid, or Rose tree can be more so. Yet this 

 is an object for which some gardeners " feel contempt !" 



What " a heap of words " has that paragraph written by 

 "D.," of Deal, called forth! I have only to apologise for my 

 attempt to show that contempt ought not to be felt for anything 

 in nature that the skill of a persevering good gardener can make 

 interesting and beautiful. — E., of S. 



Sale oi? Obchids. — On the 8th Mr. Stevens, at his Auction- 

 rooms, King Street, Covent Garden, disposed of a very superior 

 collection of established Orchids, some the property of a gentle- 

 man, and others recently imported. All the lots, 195 in number, 

 realised good prices, but we can only afford space for par- 

 ticularising a few of them : — Vanda Lowii, strong plant, £9 15*. j 

 JErides Schroederi, very fine young plant, £16; Cypripediurn 

 caudatum, good plant, £7 10*. ; Phaleenopsis SchiUeriana, fine 

 young plant, £11 ; Cypripediurn hirsutissimum, good plant, 

 £5 10s. ; Cymbidium eburneum, true, fine plant, £15 10*. ; Sac- 

 colabium species nova, Philippine Islands, £5 ; Cattleya Trianwi, 



