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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April 21, 1863. 



rather grow fine-rooted plants, as Cape Heaths, in pots, I should 

 prefer a bed of earth for the Cucumber and the Melon ; and 

 though I have known them grown well in pots, yet a bed of 

 earth either in a frame or Cucumber-house, seems to be the 

 best and most natural method, and I certainly prefer it. 



Then, with regard to the Pine Apple. Many grow this fruit 

 in beds of soil, dispensing with pots altogether, and say that 

 time and trouble are saved ; but whether this is really preferable 

 to pot-culture, there is, I believe, reason to doubt, for those who 

 dispense with pots do not always find the course of Pine-culture 

 run smooth. Then, again, with regard to the Vine : it is natural 

 to suppose that when Vines have a good border to root into, 

 they are more likely to produce a yearly crop of fruit with less 

 labour than if grown in pots. Nevertheless, the pot-cultivation 

 of the Vine has its advantages ; and as good Grapes can be grown 

 in pots, and large numbers of Vines are raised every year for the 

 purpose of fruiting in pots, there is no likelihood of the practice 

 being discontinued. 



Now, I consider it is just the same with Apples, Pears, Plums, 

 Cherries, &c, as it is with Vines. We naturally look for abundant 

 cropB of these fruits from trees cultivated in the usual way, and 

 the principal supply for the markets must certainly be from 

 orchards ; but if our orchards never failed to yield their yearly 

 supply of fruit, there would be one advantage in having orchard- 

 houses, and that is for an early supply. But then fruit-cul- 

 ture in the open air is subject to many vicissitudes. The pre- 

 ceding season may have been wet and cold, consequently the 

 wood has failed to ripen ; or the blossom-buds are eaten by birds ; 

 or the flowers are beaten off by Btorms of wind, hail, or rain ; or 

 if the fruit set, it is eaten when in a green Btate by grubs, and 

 when ripe by birds. Sometimes the yield happens to be abundant 

 in spite of all these obstacles ; but very often the trees are obliged 

 to succumb, and the owner looks in vain for his return. Now, 

 it is just in order to evade all these impediments that orchard- 

 houses are built ; and if a suitable border is made, and the trees 

 planted in it, all well and good. They may be kept dry in order 

 to ripen the wood at the proper season, and the buds, blossoms, 

 and fruit, are protected from birds, blighting winds, &e. The 

 chances of obtaining regular and certain crops are therefore 

 increased ; but then, many arc not satisfied with this, and like to 

 have their trees in a more portable style. They are, therefore, 

 put in pots. In this condition they can be moved about at 

 pleasure. The roots need not be cramped, if the pots only be 

 proportioned to the size of the trees ; nor need they be starved 

 for want of nourishment, since it may be supplied to them in 

 the form of liquid manure. If just enough of this is given as 

 the tree requires it, the roots will show no disposition to ramble, 

 even though they may have the chance, in search of nourish- 

 ment. 



That orchard-houses are often failures as regards the supply 

 or the non-supply of fruit is undeniable ; but then is it because 

 orchard-houses are altogether on a wrong principle ? or is it not 

 rather that in individual cases the trees are not managed on a 

 right one ? Among several different collections of potted trees 

 that I have seen, I have failed to distinguish any indication of 

 skilful manipulation. The relative proportions of the pots and 

 the trees seemed to have been totally disregarded. The latter 

 appeared to have been roughly dug out of the ground, bundled 

 into the pot in the most c;;reless manner, and the pot filled to 

 the very brim with the very coarsest soil, then the collar would 

 stand 6 inches above the top of that, and anywhere but in the 

 centre — altogether when finished the tree having anything but 

 the appearance of a well-balanced pyramid. Why trees should 

 be treated in this way, and then expected to bear fruit and do 

 well, I cannot imagine. The same gardener who treats Ins 

 orchard-house trees somewhat in this way, behaves very diffe- 

 rently towards his flowering plants. These are carefully and 

 neatly potted, the pots being proportioned to the plants as they 

 advance. Why cannot the same treatment be applicable to pot- 

 grown orchard-house trees ? Surely the old maxim, that what 

 is worth doing at all is worth doing well, is applicable to these ; 

 and I fancy that those who are successful with orchard-house 

 trees, are really as careful with them when young and as they 

 grow up as one would wish to be with the choicest greenhouse 

 plant. And wherein consists the greater claim of the latter to 

 such unremitting attention ? A well-grown Azalea or Chorozema 

 is a beautiful object when in bloom. So is a well-grown Peach 

 or Apple tree even in a pot ; but in the case of the latter there 

 is a great advantage, for after the blossom falls the tree is still 

 an object of interest on account of the fruit. When that is ripe 



the tree is again an object of beauty not only to the eye, but 

 offers its luscious burthen for the gratification of other senses, 

 particularly that of taste. 



No one who has successfully cultivated fruit trees in pots, or ever 

 seen good crops of fruit so cultivated, would ever offer a word 

 in opposition to orchard-houses, unless circumstances should 

 render them altogether superfluous. If Mr. Robson is not par- 

 ticularly favourable towards them, it does not follow of necessity 

 that he should be strenuously opposed to them. In a district 

 so favourable to the cultivation of fruit as Kent, the advantages 

 derivable from orchard-houses may be trifling, that of earliness 

 being the chief, while the time and attention required are increased 

 very much. But there are many districts where the fruit crop 

 is far more uncertain than it is in Kent — where, in fact, some of 

 the more tender kinds seldom produce crops of good size and 

 flavour. It is iu such places that the advantages of the orchard- 

 house are seen by contrast, where it is a mere matter of certainty 

 of the in-door in contrast with the uncertainty of the out-door 

 crop, and then the management of orchard-houses and their 

 inmates becomes of double interest. Many are content to cul- 

 tivate fruit under glass who would not care to cultivate flowers 

 alone, or to build houses for them ; and orchard-houses have 

 certainly been a means of stimulating the love of horticulture, 

 and giving it a wider scope than it would have otherwise re- 

 ceived. 



The question may be asked, What is the successful manage- 

 ment of orehard-houses ? The amateur who merely amuses 

 himself with a small house and a few trees, is delighted if two- 

 thirds of them bear fruit in one season, and is content with one- 

 twentieth part of the fruit that might be produced on a tree 

 covering the Bame space as his orchard-house. This is not the 

 case with the practical gardener ; he is content with nothing 

 short of the same amount of fruit, or even more than would be 

 produced on the same surface, supposing it were covered with 

 healthy bearing standards, the earhness and greater certitude of 

 obtaining regular crops being considered equivalent return for 

 the necessary outlay. 



If regular and early crops are to be obtained by means of 

 orchard-houses, then certainly these advantages are indisputable ; 

 but how is that regularity of bearing to be arrived at ? and this, 

 probably, is just what amateurs would like to know. Well, it 

 just amounts to this : Induce your trees to make fruit-bearing 

 wood, and when it is made, harden it and ripen it well. The 

 former is to he done by encouraging a kindly root-action during 

 the growing season ; a proper heat and humidity both at top 

 and bottom will do this, and everybody knows what fruit- 

 bearing wood is when they see it. To ripen the wood retard 

 root-action, but not suddenly, by keeping the roots cool and dry, 

 and well expose the wood as much as possible to the sun. On 

 these points success mainly depends. The next in importance 

 is, I consider, to let the fresh air have free access to them, and 

 let them break gradually, so that the new growth is strong and 

 healthy. Many trees drop their buds and first leaves from 

 being started too hastily by being kept close. There are other 

 essential points, as giving them suitable soil, repotting when the 

 wood is ripened, thinning the fruit and the young shoots, &c. ; 

 but if amateurs would give proper attention to making and 

 ripening the wood, their trees would be productive, and there 

 would be few complaints of failure. 



Experienced growers are in the habit of discussing technical- 

 ities, taking the main points for granted. The inexperienced 

 amateur catches at these minor matters, and follows them to the 

 letter. He measures to an inch the size of the pots, to a day 

 the time of potting, also to an ounce the proportions of loam 

 and dung of which the soil is composed, or is very particular 

 about washing off the blossoms when the fruit is set, if it should 

 set, and other small matters which come naturally enough in 

 their season; but that plodding, untiring watchfulness on 

 which success depends is not to be thought of, so that the trees 

 receive only a fair share of attention when they are most at- 

 tractive. To the ordinary observer Buceess in any particular 

 branch of horticulture speaks of cleverness and skilful handling ; 

 but to the gardener it also indicates hard, plodding industry, 

 and a watchfulness that in any branch of industry would not 

 fail to bring success. 



This brings me to a point in " T. R.'s " letter which appears 

 to reflect on the customary practice of exhibiting specimens of 

 horticultural skill, which is certainly done by the majority of ex- 

 hibitors with the view of taking prizes. Doubtless the reflections 

 of a man of genius differ widely from those of the mere prize- 



