1 88 Peach-growing at Montr euil. 



the neighbourhood. All the crops, however, are divided into small 

 plots, showing how each person has his own little portion, and has 

 it moreover for ever if he so chooses — ^land being bought and sold 

 here as simply as an overcoat in England. But getting nearer still 

 to the village, a great number of white walls, about seven or eight 

 feet high are seen, enclosing rather small squares of land, and 

 almost entirely devoted to the peach. As the walls are netted over 

 many acres in some parts, the effect is curious when you look over 

 them from a distance. In the squares are small fruit trees and aU 

 sorts of garden crops. 



There are numerous cultivators, M. Lepere and M. Chevalier 

 being among the most distinguished. M. Lepere's garden is large, 

 and consists simply of a series of oblong spaces which are sur- 

 rounded by peach walls, both walls and ground being well-covered 

 and cropped — neat, clean, and in all respects satisfactory. Of 

 course the peach is the favourite subject, but neat pyramidal and 

 fruitful pear and cordon apple trees, are also to be seen, and the place 

 is altogether many degrees above the ordinary type of French fruit 

 or kitchen gardens. A very old man, dressed in a blouse, is moving 

 along the walls nailing in the shoots here and there, and with him 

 a dozen young men, his pupils. That is' M. Lepere, who has a 

 class twice a week. Incidentally I may say that the principle of 

 giving a full explanation of their system of doing anything well, 

 animates French gardeners more or less. Did anybody ever hear 

 of an unusually successful English market gardener or fruit grower 

 calling a class round him at a low fee, or no fee at all ? The French, 

 though proud of their success in this way, are careful to give it the 

 fullest possible ventilation ; and those who attend here cannot fail 

 to learn the culture of the peach as well as need be, if so disposed, 

 for the master glides along the wall, and stops and nails in the 

 shoots, and cuts out the foremost branches here and there tliat are 

 not wanted for next year's work ; and, in short, does and explains 

 everything before his pupils. He has been cultivating peaches 

 here for a couple of generations, and certainly has reason to be 

 proud of the result. He inquired as to the state of gardening in 



