216 



REPORT ON THE 



is extensive; this department occupies nearly two acres. In a 

 long range of houses, 10 feet high at back, and between 6 and 7 

 feet wide, Peaches are trained horizontally against the back wall, 

 and sometimes the extremity of one branch is inarched to some 

 part of a branch of the adjoining tree, thus forming a continuity. 

 Along the front, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, and Cherries were 

 being forced in pots. The fruits on these were just set. The 

 varieties of Cherries in forcing were the May Duke, and another 

 said to be a new variety, called the Reine Hortense. The Plums 

 were in 13-inch pots, and their shoots are pinched in summer, 

 so that little winter or autumn pruning is required. 



Many of the forcing-houses have evidently been constructed 

 on economical principles, but independently of this, small houses 

 appear to be still preferred ; for a new house, on which expense 

 in well fitting up has not been spared, is only 8 feet high at 

 back, 4 in front, and 10 feet wide ; the length, 20 lights, about 

 80 feet. Peaches are planted against the back wall, and trained 

 to horizontal iron wires, 8 inches apart, running through eyed 

 holdfasts. From iron uprights, by the side of the footpath at the 

 back, very neat wire trellises extend across towards the front ; 

 against these Peach-trees are trained and kept to their limited 

 space by pinching, the trellises being only about 4 feet high 

 even at the footpath, and the distance from one trellis to the 

 other is only 4 feet ; the trees, one at each trellis, are planted 

 almost close to the footpath, and their branches are trained hori- 

 zontally towards the front. 



In an older house, Figs were trained in the same way against 

 trellises similar to those above described. They were planted 

 close to the south side of the footpath at the back, and had all 

 their branches trained horizontally towards the front. They 

 had a very promising appearance for fruit. The young shoots 

 are pinched early. 



A number of Fig plants were observed that had been raised 

 by layering from plants in the open ground. They were layered 

 in small pots in May, 1846, and in October last they were re- 

 moved, shifted into 12-inch pots, and taken into the house for 

 forcing. They were studded with a profusion of young fruit. 



In the Peach-house, the horizontal mode of training along the 

 back wall has been generally adopted, the bearing wood being 

 encouraged on the upper side. The Apricot-trees in houses 

 were also trained in this way. In one of the houses a Peach- 

 tree has been budded on the apricot as a stock, and is yet thriving 

 very well. 



Some of the fruiting Pine-houses appear not to have been 

 originally constructed for that purpose. They are more than 

 10 feet high. The back wall is perpendicular to the height of 



