SUBURBAN FRUIT-GROWING. 



815 



GOOSEBEKKIES 



have the good quality of being useful both in their ripe and un- 

 ripe state. The method of growing them in fan shape, as recently 

 exhibited by Messrs. Veitch, offers many advantages. It is easier 

 to protect the fruit and to gather it when the bushes are thus 

 trained. A cool, moist situation suits them best. 



Currants, red, white, and black, will, like Gooseberries, thrive 

 under the shade of other trees, and all surplus fruit can readily 

 be preserved for winter use. 



Cherries can rarely be ripened out of doors except when 

 protected by netting, as blackbirds, thrushes, and starlings cannot 

 otherwise be kept from them in London. Cherries grown in a 

 cool orchard house are, as many of you know, most delicious, 

 and they can then be kept safe from birds. They are worthy of 

 this protection, and the good qualities of some varieties can only 

 be brought out when ripened under glass. 



Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots ripen well on south walls 

 in the suburbs of London. They require copious supplies of 

 water, especially after the stoning period, and the roots should 

 be frequently lifted to keep the trees in fruitful condition. Heavy 

 crops may be relied on under glass. 



There are not many sorts of Plum that fruit regularly in 

 London soil. The ' Victoria ' is an exception, but much may 

 be done to increase fertility by mixing lime with the soil and 

 occasionally lifting the roots. The Plum resents the use of the 

 knife and thrives best in firm ground. 



To have the choicest plums in perfection they should be 

 grown in pots under glass, and they are then most delicious. 

 Some very fine exhibits are shown to-day, and to these I beg to 

 draw your attention. Those exhibited by Mr. Leopold de 

 Rothschild are especially fine, and when I saw them last week 

 all the trees were covered with fine fruit, and they presented a 

 charming sight. 



Figs ripen well in most parts of London when trained on 

 walls, but two crops in the year may be relied upon when grown 

 under glass. 



The Mulberry is a good town tree, and thrives round London. 

 It should be planted on a lawn, so that the fruit may fall upon 

 grass. Mulberries freshly gathered are very welcome in hot 

 weather, especially to an invalid. 



