44 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 19, 1864. 



themselves. A large portion of trie fruit is sent to Covent 

 Garden Market, though the house is not organised for the 

 sale of the produce by eliminating valuable but not prolific 

 sorts, and it is really painful to see the gorgeous varieties 

 sent to an indiseiiminating public, and to rapacious dealers. 

 "What would these care for tr-opical Peaches — rare sorts im- 

 ported by Mr. Rivers, and carefully selected and sent to me 

 as a favour by him ? The public has much to learn still 

 about the trouble these things cost the producer. Judging 

 from the average knowledge of our visitors, I should say 

 about one-third do not know a Nectarine from a Peach when 

 they see it. "We find, too, that many who themselves can- 

 not grow even common things, are much disappointed un- 

 less the orchard-house is literally breaking down with the 

 weight of early Peaches. As if anything early is ever re- 

 markably fine or prolific ! There is undoubtedly great igno- 

 rance about these matters — not that we know much more 

 ourselves as yet, but orchard-houses are excellent instructors; 

 even for that reason they should be built. 



One thing orchard L houses do teach, and that is not to 

 overwork the trees. I believe that the poor things, if called 

 upon for the credit of the house, would risk any amount of 

 vegetable vitality. I once put it to a favourite diagonal 

 cordon to show visitors what we could do working sympa- 

 thetically together. I was to prune scientifically, to water 

 carefully, and to feed it well; besides, abundance of light 

 and air was to be provided for it. It then engaged to do its 

 best, and being young had no thought about consequences. 

 The result was one hundred and twenty fine Early Newing- 

 ton Nectarines, but the poor diagonal has never been quite 

 well since. It occupied about 30 square feet of the back 

 wall, making thus four Nectarines per square foot. 



To prove what I advanced before — that orchard-houses 

 have the valuable quality of hastening the period of ripening 

 fruits as years advance — Early York, ripe August the 1st in 

 1861, was ripe on the 23rd of July in 1862, while this year 

 it is as early as July 4th. Canary, ripe July 23rd in 1862, 

 was ripe on July 20th, 1863, and July 11th, 1S64. 



As to produce. This year we have 1200 fine fruit, Peaches 

 and Nectarines ; about 100 Apricots, and a fine promise of 

 Pigs ; a few Plums, no Cherries, having no room to spare ; 

 but I see them growing well in my friend's houses. We 

 have also, along the rafters, about 100 bunches of Grapes. 

 All this produce is first-rate in quality, and would be much 

 greater but for the variety of trees growing, many of which, 

 though good, are not prolific. These are retained for the 

 sake of experiment, but will ultimately be condemned. 



The weather has again changed, and become warm, and 

 there is much lack of moisture. Our tanks are sadly tried, 

 and I have no doubt that watering is a sad toil to many 

 just now. Syringing is freely kept up ; and we always 

 syringe, even when the fruit is colouring. The practice is 

 condemned by some ; but I must confess that the reasons 

 given do not seem very sound. At night, especially, how 

 does syringing affect the flavour of fruit more than a heavy 

 dew? 



As to ventilation, it seems in July and August as if no 

 amount of openings can be sufficient. The atmosphere is 

 at times inconveniently close and unwholesome, do what we 

 will. This must affect the vitality of the trees, especially if 

 at all crowded. At any rate we find that the red spider 

 abounds, and does most injury in trees placed in corners, 

 where the draught does not affect them. In the same way, 

 branches and shoots in dusty or neglected places are sure 

 to become a prey to insects. 



The shoots on the Peach trees have now elongated con- 

 siderably, and, if destined to prolong the branch, have even 

 required to be stopped freely. It is well not to do this too 

 early in the season, unless the tree is bare at the lower 

 portions. By allowing them to extend and strengthen first, 

 the tree will much benefit in general vigour. As to those 

 destined to be fruit-bearers, we have already discussed three 

 classes of them. There remain now only two more classes, 

 and these I shall briefly notice. The first of these two is a 

 shoot composed in nearly equal proportions of fruit-buds 

 and of wood-buds, the latter, of course, nearest the stem. If 

 out of doors, in the winter cut above the second triple 

 bud; but if in the orchard-house, at the summer pruning 

 pinch in to four well-coloured leaves at the first pinching-in. 

 The other class are very vigorous and long, composed 



chiefly of wood-buds, perhaps a few fruit-buds near the 

 summit or point of the shoot. Out of doors, in winter, cut 

 in to two buds close to the stem, to produce two new shoots 

 next season. In-doors, if you recognise these shoots clearly, 

 and do not require them to fill up, then pinch back very 

 short — to two leaves. At any rate, be much on your guard 

 against these shoots ; they are not useful, nor productive, 

 and may become very gross and rampant, absorbing sap 

 and doing no good with it. Should the close summer prun- 

 ing be early, by having discerned their nature in time you 

 will probably obtain two weaker shoots from the two eyes 

 left, and these may ripen too, and bear. However, by pinch- 

 ing in to four well-coloured leaves when the summer shoot 

 has had time to be sturdy, and not before, and then to two 

 leaves the second growths, as soon as these are pretty sturdy, 

 the third growths may be pinched in closely any way. The 

 leading branches to be allowed to gather strength before 

 stopping them also. This is the easy science of in-door 

 Peach-pruning. Summer laterals (antitives in French), to 

 be pinched in just above the first pair of leaves. But these 

 also should be allowed to make a little growth, or they may 

 shrivel up. This is the chief secret — close s um mer pruning 

 in, but not too early in, the season. — T. Collings Beehatjt, 

 Richmond House, Guernsey. 



NOTES FROM PAPJS, 1864. 



BOSE LOBE. 



To me there is no greater treat connected with a trip to 

 Paris than a few hours' chat with my good friend M. Mar- 

 gottin, of Bourg-la-Beine. I am always sure to get infor- 

 mation, and reliable information too, on many points con- 

 nected with the Rose. And then he is such a thorough 

 enthusiast — and one does like an enthusiast, for it im- 

 plies earnestness — and the Rose has been so especially 

 his flower, he has given so much time and thought to it, 

 that he is not a mere Rose-grower or Rose-seller, but also 

 a Rose-lover. He will discard Roses which some other 

 growers would send out with high-sounding names and 

 descriptions ; and hence there have been comparatively few 

 Roses sent out from his establishment which we can well do 

 without, while Jules Margottin and Louise Odier will be 

 grown as long as Roses are grown. Some people say he is 

 bigotted in his opinions. I dare say he is, and he has a 

 right to be; for if a man knows a subject thoroughly, if he 

 has grasped it in all its proportions, he must be necessarily 

 in the eyes of others, when he maintains views and opinions 

 which he knows to be right, considered as such. In a very 

 old book I find it written of one, "Unstable as water he 

 shall not excel," and so with those who are readily moved 

 by what this or that person says ; but I am bound to say I 

 find a good deal of good honest common sense in all he says, 

 and were he on our side of the channel I should call him a 

 thorough John Bull. 



"We had, then, on that bright sunny day after the thunder- 

 storm of the 9th, which had so much damaged his bloom, a 

 good chat as we went amongst his fine stock of stand ard 

 plants. The hybridising of Roses came up on my asking 

 him his opinion of John Hopper, which he pronounced a 

 grand Rose, and telling him he had something to say to it, 

 as it was a child of Jules Margottin ; he then stated what 

 I was before unaware of — that he, at any rate, of the French 

 nurserymen, does not trust to the chance hybridising of 

 insects, but that he has for years regularly crossed some 

 of his flowers. At the same time he does not seem very 

 much enamoured with the results, and thinks he has perhaps 

 done as well where he has not done so. He found, as most 

 have done, that strange freaks are played in this matter. 

 As my friend Mr. Standish has found that from two white 

 Grapes he has produced the very blackest Grape he knows, 

 so from two red Bourbons he had obtained a fine white, of 

 which he had entertained great hopes. He had grown it 

 for several years, and he then determined on propagating 

 it for sale. But alas ! it would not then open well, and so 

 he discarded it; for, as he justly observed, a Rose that will 

 not open well in France is sure not to open well in England. 

 The Bourbon Rose which he sent out this season named 

 Reverend H. Dombrain, was a seedling from Louise Odier 

 crossed with General Jacqueminot ; and as I saw it there it 



