October 4, 1861. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



271 



able, and any other particulars relating to this highly popular 

 plant, so that where local circumstances will permit of the 

 mode of cultivation being varied, we may look for success 

 with somewhat more of certainty than we can at present. 



While on this subject, I may mention that at most of the 

 places to which I have been this summer, the Gladiolus has 

 done well, and those we have here have flowered abundantly 

 and strongly, and retained a better foliage than usual. 

 Even in the dry weather of August they seemed not to lack 

 any of the freshness which was so wofully absent in other 

 things, and from this we may infer that the Gladiolus hardly 

 requires hand-watering, nor yet a dripping summer to do 

 well, but simply wants bright sunny weather. Of course, 

 it need hardly be stated that this hastens the decay of the 

 bloom, as well as its production, and that those who want a 

 prolonged display must, therefore, adopt some shading 

 process. The condition of the plants, however, in the present 

 autumn, and their past success, augur favourably for 

 another year ; let us hope that the Tritoma may also raise 

 its head in a more prominent manner next season than it 

 has done this, and that a like failure may not occur again. 

 J£ any one who, by a different mode of culture, has suc- 

 ceeded this season would record his practice in The 

 Journal of Horticulture, he would confer a great benefit 

 on others, who, like myself, are far from satisfied with the 

 result of this year's growth. — J. Bobson. 



LEAN-TO ORCHARD-HOUSES. 



1. "What do you consider the best height for the back 

 ■and front of a lean-to orchard-house, so that a narrow path 

 might be made round the front for a man to squeeze along 

 in pruning ? 



2. Do you think it a good plan to raise the back border 2 feet ? 



3. Will 14 feet wide hold four rows of trees when matured, 

 with a two-feet path in the middle, and one of 18 inches in 

 front ?— A. Q. 



[It is impossible to gain every advantage by any one mode 

 of building a house. The low-fronted houses, as Mr. Bivers's 

 lean-to's, are no doubt the cheapest. Our orchard-houses 

 this season have been pictures of health and fertility. The 

 garden-wall existed previously, it is 11 feet in height, width 

 of house 11 feet, height in front 3i to 3J feet, according to 

 the slope of the ground. There are trees against the back 

 wall, and 5 feet from it a row of trees in pots, and a second 

 and third row near the front, just leaving enough of room 

 i for a man to get along stooping. The whole of the back of 

 the house as well as the front is supplied with dwarf tem- 

 porary plants in the spring, for keeping and hardening-off. 

 The trees used may ba kept much the same size by pruning, 

 Or if allowed to grow larger, a less number of trees will do. 

 If heavily cropped some will be exhausted prematurely. 

 Our pathway now is latticed wood IS inches wide. With a 

 house at all moderate in height, there is no occasion for 

 sinking the pathway. That was done to obtain headway in 

 a low house and thus secure economy. 



In your fourteen-feet wide house if no walls HOW exist, and 

 M esc Houghton is far enough south, yon might mats a 

 ■span-roofed house easiest-say 5 feet at sides and 10 feet at 



f^'i 6 -^ alf . 0f J the 5 feet S lass > and a walk down the 

 middle, with a bed for two rows of trees on each side. If you 

 resolve on a wall and a lean-to, then we would have the back 

 wall a. least 12 feet in height, and the front from 4 to 6 feet, 

 the latter height if you want a comfortable pathway in front, 

 the former if you are satisfied to pass along as you can. 

 ihen tor internal arrangement we would advise, vou to have 

 trees planted out against the back wall, and no other trees 

 in the house for from 5 to 5* feet from the wall, and 

 these should not be allowed to be above 5 or 5i feet in 

 iieignt. This opening at the back of 5i feet or so would be 

 tne mam passage, and thus you might have three rows of 

 wees m front, either in pots or planted out, and root-pruned 

 as necessary. By this mode you could have Peaches and 

 Nectarines against the back wall, and Cherries, Plums. &c 

 ot the best sorts in front. Bear in mind what has frequentlv 

 been referred to in "Doings of Last Week "-the watering 

 that will be required for trees in pots. The labour in thi! 

 respect would be lessened if the trees were planted out; 

 put then they are kept small with more difficulty. 



The plan involving least labour in such a house would be 

 to plant against the back wall, and to plant also in front, and 

 train to a trellis some 15 inches from the glass, the trellis to 

 be rounded at 5-j feet from the back wall, so that the sun's 

 rays could reach the bottom of the wall. The trellis at the 

 highest should not, therefore, be more than 6 feet from the 

 ground. 



By not planting trees against the back wall and having 

 your main path in the centre, you will have beds on either 

 side that will each hold two rows of dwarf plants. In such 

 a case we would advise the back border being raised IS or 

 24 inches, as that would secure more sun light to the back 

 bed. For the sake of neatness, however, one side of the 

 pathway at least would need to be held up with bricks or 

 something of that kind. With such a height as we have 

 spoken of, the back border might be 15 inches higher at the 

 back, slope gradually to the front, and thus a sunk path be 

 avoided, and the expense of keeping up the sides. In our 

 lean-to's the ground at back is about 15 inches higher than 

 in front, and the narrow wooden trellis is on the level. 

 Formerly we had a nice gravel path within 2 feet of the 

 back wall ; but we could not keep it moist enough, and 

 greatly prefer the narrow wooden path through which we 

 can pour water at pleasure. Did we wish to try pots, as you 

 are resolved to do, in such a fourteen-feet-wide house we 

 would plant out against the back wall and have three rows 

 of trees in pots in front, the back row not nearer than 5 feet 

 from the back wall, nor above 5 or 5i feet in height. We 

 would only leave from 18 inches to 2 feet for passing along 

 in front, and unless the front were 5 or 6 feet in height, we 

 would not seek a regular pathway there. 



We think these remarks will embrace most of your ques- 

 tions. If you do not plant out against the back wall the 

 border will be all the better for being raised there, and you 

 will have ample room at first for four rows of trees. By 

 keeping to the bush form and having the main pathway in 

 the middle, if ever you wish to plant out the best specimens, 

 one row in each bed will be enough, and you could put a 

 pot plunged in any open space so that no room should be 

 lost. In spring, autumn, and winter such a house will be 

 useful for many things besides the fruit trees. — B, F-J 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



September 27th. 



Floral Committee.— At the meeting held this day there 

 was an extensive display of seedling Dahlias, but few were 

 considered worthy of certificates. 



Mr. C J. Perry, Castle Bromwich, had Ne Plus Ultra, 

 large, and of fine form, and quite distinct in colour, pink 

 veined with buff yellow. This well deserved the first-class 

 certificate which was awarded to it. Startler, dark maroon, 

 with pale blush tips, was also a pretty flower. Mr. Turner, 

 Slough, again exhibited his fine, deep golden yellow seed- 

 ling Leah, which has been noticed in previous reports as 

 J?eJ£" a first-class flower, and on this occasion it fully main- 

 tained the oWaste wMeli ha§ feegn gives <?- &l also, 

 Bosetta, rosy crimsea, With a magenta tinge, a very bright 

 Colour. Mr. Turner likewise Seat a collection of the sorts 

 sent out by him, comprising large and fine blooms of Lord 

 Palmerstoit, Lord Derby, Criterion, Charlotte Dorling, Prin- 

 cess of Prussia, Chairman, Cygnet, Lord Clyde, Leah, and 

 others. For this he received 1 a special certificate, and a 

 similar award was made to him for five boxes of Eoses ; 

 among the finest blooms were Senatenr Vaisse, Francois 

 Lacharme, Pierre Notting, Vainqueur de Goliath, Olivier 

 Delhomme, President, Beauty of Waltham, and SouVenir de 

 Malmaison. Gloire de Dijon, with which alone one box was 

 filled, was in splendid condition. A plant of Lilium anratum 

 bearing two of its immense blooms was also shown by the 

 same exhibitor. A box of Eoses in very good condition was 

 likewise contributed by Messrs. Paul & Son. 



Mr. Eawlings, Bethnal Green, had a second-class certifi- 

 cate for Dahlia Purple King, a large and showy kind, lilac 

 purple with a magenta tinge; Mr. Sladden, Queen Victoria, 

 Mrs. Sladden, Sparkler, Exquisite, and others, which were 

 shown at the meeting of the 13th of September, were again 

 exhibited, but the Committee did not think them worthy of 

 an award. 



