346 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 12, 1863. 



EKUTT TEEESIN POTS. 



The Bubject of growing fruit trees in pots, which has been so 

 freely discussed in the columns of The Joubnal oe Hoeti- 

 cuxtuee, must^ if not very instructive, have certainly proved 

 very amusing to most of your readers. The subject I confess 

 is interesting to me, as I have had under my care for the last 

 few years a collection of upwards of three hundred fruit trees 

 in pots, consisting of Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Plums, 

 Cherries, and Pigs. 



I believe I may say that I am considered to have been toler- 

 ably successful in the cultivation of them. This season most of 

 the trees are covered with fruit j and although some of them are 

 not so, yet all are healthy, perfectly clean, and well-formed trees. 

 Visitors call them magnificent trees, but visitors will some- 

 times be complimentary. My employers appear to like them, 

 and I rather like them myself, and of course, I consider myself 

 in duty bound to do all I can to cultivate them successfully ; 

 but at the same time, from what I have already said, it may be 

 supposed that, in my own homely way, I may have come to some 

 conclusions upon the subject. I admit that I have done so, 

 and in as few words as possible I will state them. 



I am convinced that good fruit may be and has been obtained 

 from trees growing in pots ; and I am also convinced that better 

 fruit may be and has been obtained from trees planted out and 

 trained in the usual way, and if time and labour be reckoned as 

 money (which they ought to be), the fruit from trees planted 

 out is obtained at least 100 per cent, cheaper. 



I admit that a fruit tree in full bearing and growing in a 

 flower-pot is a curious and very interesting object, and so are 

 Mushrooms growing in flower-pots. I have seen the surface of 

 some two or three dozen nine-inch pots completely covered with 

 snow-white Mushrooms arranged on the floor of a dark cellar — 

 a sight I can assure your readers worth lighting a candle to 

 look at. — G. 



[We have omitted the last paragraph in your note because, on 

 second thoughts, we are sure you will agree with us that a mode 

 of culture so interesting, even if not profitable, does not deserve 

 ridicule. You have alluded to one fact on which you would 

 oblige us by more information — growing Mushrooms in pots. 

 We had heard of this being done, and should be glad to know 

 more of the mode of culture pursued. — Eds. J. of H.] 



METEOROLOGICAL NOTES. 



"What a remarkably fine season!" is an observation we 

 hear on all sides. Fruit trees are laden with blossom in one place ; 

 and in another we hear of it being set and the young crop swel- 

 ling with unusual rapidity. There is no doubt, however, that 

 we shall hear complaints by-and-by ; and even now, in the begin- 

 ning of May, the weather is too fine for some. 



On all Bides we hear of its being a very dry spring. 

 Water is said to be scarce and the ground dry and hard. Three 

 months ago the story was what a bad reason it has been, so 

 accustomed are we to run to extremes. However, taking it for 

 granted that the early winter months were wet, they were not 

 more so than is usual at that time ; but the last three months 

 have been unusually dry — drier than any similar period I have 

 any record of, excepting the spring of 1853, when the rainfall 

 was less for the winter six months than it has been this year. 

 This will be seen by the following table, which exhibits the 

 rainfall in inches for the winter season mentioned, commencing 

 with the 1st of November and ending with the last day in April, 

 as compared with the rainfall for the corresponding Bix months 

 for the last eight years : — 



Winter of 1855-56 -. rainfall, 12.40 inches. 



,. 1856-57 „ 10.72 „ 



1857-58 „ 6.93 „ 



„ 1858-59 „ 9.01 „ 



„ 1859-60 , 17.21 „ 



„ 1860-61 „ 10.68 „ 



„ 1861-62 „ 16.82 



„ 1862-68 „ 7.95 „ 



The wettest month during the above period was November, 

 1861, when 6.10 inches of rain fell ; the driest was February, 

 1857, when only 0.27 of rain fell. Nevertheless, singular as it 

 may appear, and probably at variance with the popular notions of 

 long droughts and long wet periods, I have no record in the years 

 above given of there ever having been more than fourteen con- 

 secutive days without any rain, while seventeen consecutive wet 

 days without a dry one is the longest period of an opposite 



character. I need hardly say that small, almost inappreciable 

 quantities of rain sometimes divide long periods of dry weather, 

 so as to leave no greater number of days without rain than is 

 given above. Even in the month that is past, though an unusually 

 dry one, less than three-quarters of an inch of rain falling, 

 that was distributed over ten days, being the 4th, 7tb, 8th, 11th, 

 12th, 16th, 22nd, 28th, 29th, and 30th. 



With regard to the progress made by vegetation, the present 

 season may be justly regarded as an early one up to the end of 

 April, but a period of dull and cold weather will eaBily reduce it 

 to the level of ordinary seasons. With me some Apple blossom 

 was out on the 16th April, being three days later than it was 

 in 1859 ; but, in general, vegetation was certainly farther advanced 

 at the end of that month this year than it was at the same 

 time in 1859. Asparagus, however, haB been earlier in years 

 gone by than it is this season ; and, on the other hand, the fine 

 weather sent that harbinger of spring, the cuckoo, amongBt us 

 earlier than I ever knew it. I heard it several times on the 

 13th, and some assert it to have been heard the day before. The 

 other tokens of spring I need not go into, as it is with regard to 

 the amount of rainfall that I beg to call the attention of your 

 readers. I confess I look with some degree of alarm to the pro- 

 bability of wells, ponds, streams, and other sources of supply 

 being exhausted before summer is over. Whether this may prove 

 to be the case or not remains to be seen ; certainly if these 

 reservoirs depend on the winter's rain to feed them for this sum- 

 mer's work, there is much reason to fear that a deficiency will 

 follow. 



In regard to the absence of all sharp frosts, the past winter 

 has also shown us that some of our ideas were erroneous about 

 the tillage and pulverisation of the soil, for in many instances 

 where the ground was dug up in time and received the benefit 

 of the dry weather in February and March, it works pretty well 

 — better than it sometimes does after frost when the latter is 

 followed by a season of wet weather. Of the well-doing or other- 

 wise of crops it is premature to speak ; but at present all is 

 hope, and in many instances the promises are flattering. 



J. KOBSON. 



BARBADOES POTATO. 



It does not appear that this Potato has been grown to any 

 extent for the last seventeen years. For some years before this 

 period it was considered in this neighbourhood the finest sort in 

 existence, one Potato being sufficient for a dish. I have made 

 inquiries in all directions. From one quarter I was informed 

 that 10s. were offered for a tuber. There are no knobs on the 

 Barbadoes Potato, as stated by " Q. Q.," to exist in the varieties he 

 mentions, and it has but very few eyes. It is an early sort, and 

 the haulm, although branching, is not very tall. Many thanks 

 to those who have endeavoured to throw some light upon this 

 subject. — A Constant Beadek. 



WHAT ABE GOOD MANNERS IN VISITING 

 A FRIEND'S GAEDENP 



I have a neighbour who comes to see me several times a-year, 

 and whose visits I have hardly grace enough to endure. He 

 has a smattering of horticultural knowledge, and he owns a 

 country place, which he thinks is the very pink of perfection. 

 " Now, I want you to go around and show me your grounds." 

 Well, while I am trying to do so, he struts loftily, and talks 

 about his own establishment, his English gardener, and hiB fast 

 horses. Am I pointing out a fine specimen of the European or 

 Siberian Silver Fir, he breaks in, " Oh, yes, I've several like them, 

 only bigger ; the pedlar of whom I got mine, said they called 

 them Balsams down in the swamp." Show him a Delaware or 

 Rebecca Grape, and he will admit they are tolerably good, but 

 smaller and leBS fragrant than the Charter Oak and Northern 

 Muscadine. A Japan Lily is passable, but then he has several 

 other kinds, yellow, red, and white, lots of them ! And bo he 

 runs on about his arbours, and his terraces, and his serpentine 

 walks, and his Btatues of Venus and Neptune, and much other 

 gimcrackery with which his pretentious place abounds. When 

 he has sufficiently disparaged my place, and lauded bis own, he 

 goes home. I pray you, Mr. Editor, happen this way some 

 time, and bring him down from his high horse. 



A friend of mine, who is a fond planter of trees, has also a 

 thorn in his flesh. It is a lady ! She looketh not well to the 



