Jnly 7, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



the information would soon spread among those interested in 

 snch plaeeB. Tbe charge for a single admission might be Is., 

 and for cards admitting four persons 2s. Gd. ; the expenses of 

 the men to show visitors over the grounds to be deducted from 

 the general receipts, and the men to be strictly prohibited from 

 receiving gratuities. — Hoetatoe. 



up. Ram the soil hard whilst dry when potting Vines, Peaches, 

 or any other fruit trees, keep fruit-tree borders solid and 

 mulched with manure, and there will be fewer failures in fruit 

 culture. — J. R. Peabson, Chilwell. . ^ ,> j 



LUXURIANT FOLIAGE, BUT NO FRUIT. 

 " In the winter of 18G5-6 you supplied me with a number of 

 pyramid fruit trees — Apples, Pears, and Plums, as well as Cur- 

 rants. These have, with the exception of a few of the Pear 

 trees, thriven grandly as far as wood and foliage go ; but we 

 obtain scarcely any fruit. Last year we had a few Apples 

 (Domino and Warner's King), and about half a dozen Pears of 

 various sorts. Not a Plum has yet formed. Again, this year 

 there are some Dominos, and a very few of other sorts, but no 

 Pears. The trees have been carefully treated — planted, pruned, 

 &c, in accordance with the instructions given in Rivera's 

 ' Miniature Fruit Garden ' — a good authority, I presume. 



" The soil is a fair loam, on deep gravel and rubble. The 

 situation high, yet sheltered, and being high and on gravel, 

 the garden is very much parched in long droughts like the 

 present. This affects Strawberries and many flowers, which 

 need diligent watering. All kinds of fruit trees and bushes, 

 however, thrive in growth, while they bear little or no fruit. 

 This is, perhaps, more strikingly the case with Raspberries 

 than with any other. The canes are each year most vigorous, 

 the foliage luxuriant and fresh throughout the season, and the 

 show of blossom magnificent. The blossoms, however, prove 

 universally blind, and never set. Can' you suggest where the 

 fault lies? Is it likely that the situation is too dry ? Bat, if 

 so, would not the foliage tell the same tale ? 



" I have some thoughts of removing the fruit trees to another 

 garden in a lower situation, where the loam is somewhat deeper 

 and the subsoil less porous. In this lower garden vegetables, 

 to which at present it is exclusively devoted, are grown with 

 good success. May I hope to find advantage in this removal ? 

 It is not intended purely for the sake of -the fruit trees, but 

 with a view to adding the ground to the lawn and flower garden. 

 — E. H." 



The above letter, just received, describes in forcible language 

 the state of many gardens and individual fruit trees — trees and 

 plants growing luxuriantly, and bearing little or no fruit. I 

 believe, in the majority of cases, keeping the land loose by 

 digging and forking is the cause of failure. 



Some years since I was sent for by a gentleman to inspect 

 his Peach trees (standards planted out in a border of his 

 orchard house), which he told me always cast their fruit. No 

 trees could look better ; they were as clean and healthy as could 

 be wished. After asking his gardener all the questions I could 

 think of as to the management, and receiving satisfactory 

 replies, I all at once thought of the soil, stamping upon which 

 with my heel I found it almost as light as a feather bed. 

 " How is this ?" I asked, knowing the gardener had often been 

 to see my trees, and that he knew the borders had never been 



disturbed since the houses were built. "Oh," he said, "Mrs. 



will have winter salads grown here." "Give my compliments 

 then," I replied, " and say she must not expect Peaches." The 

 border was made solid and kept so, and there was a full crop 

 the next season. The (act is not so easy of explanation as 

 some people think, but fruit trees like Bolid soil, not loose. 



That digging amongst such plants as Raspberries and Straw- 

 berries must be a stupid practice is patent on the least con- 

 sideration. Why manure a piece of land and then destroy the 

 roots seeking to occupy it ? When the roots have been muti- 

 lated, how can the plant be expected to bear drought or carry 

 fruit ? I saw at Berry Hill, near Mansfield, the other day, a 

 large bed ef Hautbois Strawberries with as much fruit as any 

 common variety might be expected tp carry, and this on 

 light land. Other varieties were loaded with the largest crop 

 I ever saw in my life. I asked Mr. Cope, the gardener, how 

 they had been managed. He said as soon as the crop was 

 gathered all weeds, runners, and dead foliage had been removed, 

 and the ground between the rows covered with a very thick 

 dressing of manure. The rows had also been watered two or 

 three times with manure water. The plants were then en- 

 couraged to make a strong healthy growth in the autumn. The 

 whole land was full of roots, and covered, as the surface was 

 with the remains of the manure, the plants had not suffered 

 from want of rain, whilst Strawberries in the neighbourhood, 

 on better soil, which had been dug in the winter, were burning 



ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY. 



The July Show of tins Society opened yesterday, and will close 

 to-day. The large tent, which in former years was filled with fine 

 specimen plants, chiefly stove and greenhonse, is on this occasion 

 principally occupied hy table decorations, bouquets, and hanging 

 baskets, to the exclusion of all other examples of horticultural skill. 

 The substitution has been too much in one direction, and it is not 

 altogether satisfactory ; the place is not suited for such a display, and 

 such a display without fine specimen plants is scarcely what we look 

 for as an encouragement to horticultural skill ; an encouragement to 

 artistic arrangements it undoubtedly is, but that, though it should not 

 be lost sight of by a horticultural society, is less to be considered by it 

 than excellence of cultivation. The artist wants the graceful in form, 

 the beautiful in colour, and whether the plants be well-grown or ill- 

 grown matters little to him ; he can skip from flower to flower till he 

 has gathered sufficient for his purpose — the wreath of to-day that will 

 be faded to-morrow, and lost for ever if not depicted upon his canvas. 

 Horticulturally, then, fruit is the great feature, and of that there 

 is not very much ; it is very good without being super-excellent, and 

 there is none of it bad. 



The best collection of fruit arranged as a dessert comes from Mr. 

 Johnson, gardener to the Marquis of Aylesbury, Savernake, and con- 

 sists of two Queen Pine Apples, Black Hamburgh and Muscat Grapes, 

 Bellegarde and Tetoade Venus Peaches, Elruge and Violette Hative 

 Nectarines, two Melons, Black Tartarian and May Duke Cherries, two 

 kinds of Strawberries, and White Currants. Mr. Bannerman, Lord 

 Bagot's gardener, at Rugeley, is second with excellent Pines, Grapes, 

 Peaches and Nectarines, Cherries, Strawberries, and Melons. Mr. 

 Clark, gardener to Earl Cowper, Brockett Hall, is third, and Mr. 

 Carr fourth. 



The best six dishes of out-door fruits consist of Gooseberries, 

 Currants (White and Bed), Cherries, and Strawberries, from Mr. 

 Gardiner, gardener to P. Shirley, Esq., Eatington Park, Stratford-on- 

 Avon. Mr. Clark, gardener to Earl Cowper, is second ; and Mr. 

 Harvey, gardener to B. Wroughton, Esq., third. 



Pine Apples are bnt poorly represented as regards number, but are 

 generally good. The best Queen comes from Mr. Acres, gardener to 

 Mr. Copestake, Highgate, and is a splendid fruit of 6 lbs. ; the second 

 best, weighing 4 lbs. 10 ozs., is from B. H. Smith, Esq., Calderstone, 

 Liverpool ; and the third best is Moscow Queen, from Mr. Gardiner. 

 Mr. Miles, gardener to Lord Carriugton, Wycombe Abbey ; and Mr. 

 A. Wright, gardener to C. H. Roberts, Esq., Regent's Park, also send 

 very good fruit of the same variety. For the best Pine of any kind, 

 Mr. C. Penford, gardener to Earl Radnor, Longford Castle, Wilts, is 

 first with Providence ; Mr. Bertram, gardener to R. T. Crawshay, 

 Esq., Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr Tydvil, being second with the 

 same kind weighing 8 lbs. 1 oz., but not quite ripe at the top. Mr. 

 Acres is third, with a finely-ripened 5-lb. Queen ; and Mr. Miles 

 and Mr. Ward fourth, the former with an S-lb. Providence, and the 

 latter with a Smooth Cayenne of 5|lbs. In the miscellaneous 

 class the first prize is awarded to Mr. H. Harvey, gardener to B. 

 Wroughton, Esq., Wooley Park, for three Queens fifteen months from 

 the sucker, weighing collectively Hi lbs. The best pair of Pine 

 Apples in pots come from Mr. Miles, Lord Carrington's gardener, and 

 are of the Queen variety, tearing fruit averaging about 4 lbs. The 

 gardener to Mr. Flower, Tooting Common, comes second with well- 

 fruited plants of the same variety, and Mr. Hepper, gardener to J. 

 Walmsley, Esq., The Elms, Acton, is third. 



Melons are but few. The best and second best in the green-fleshed 

 class are small fruit of Marquis of Ailsa and Dr. Hogg from Mr. 

 Crane and Mr. Gardiner respectively. Scarlet Gem and Meredith's 

 Hybrid Cashmere take the prizes in the scarlet-fleshed class, the one 

 coming from Mr. Cross, gardener to Sir F. Goldsmid, Bart., the other 

 from Mr. Burnett, gardener to Mrs. Hope, The Deepdene, Dorking. 



Of Grapes there is but a small show ; there are competitors enough 

 to take all the prizes, and only a few are left " out in the cold." The 

 best 12-lb. basket of Black Grapes comes from Mr. Ward, gardener to 

 T. N. Miller, Esq., who has finely coloured Black Hamburgh. Mr. 

 Davis, Whetstone, is second, and Messrs. Standish & Co. third with 

 Royal Ascot. The best baskets of White Grapes (Muscats), are from 

 Mr. Osborn, Finchley, and Mr. Davis. 



Of Black Hambnrghs splendid bunches in size, berry, and colour 

 from Mr. Penford, Earl Radnor's, are first, and fine bunches from 

 Mr. Bannerman second, Mr. Davis being third. 



Muscats from Mr. Pizzey and Mr. Davis, though the best, are not 

 ripe enough. The former has also a first prize for an excellent bunch 

 of Royal Muscadine in the class for any other kind. Mr. Penford is 

 second with good bunches of Black Prince. 



Of Peaches Mr. Lynn, gardener to Lord Boston, Hedsor, and Mr. 



Miller, Combe Abbey, send fine dishes of Grosse Mignonne, Royal 



George, and Violette Hative, and take first and second prizes. For 



I Nectarines Mr. Miller and Mr. Lynn are respectively first and second, 



I the former with very fine examples of Violette Hative and Elruge. 



