OCTOBER IS. l8 9 8 - 



GARDENERS' 



MAGAZINE. 



669 



1 A ^^ion"however, that he really grows celery on his vine borders with 

 ^three-fold object of securing good celery, mutilating his vine roots, 



PRESERVING SURFACE ROOTS. 



deed grateful to " Lux" for dealing mercifully with me 



His 



f horticulture, few such delinquents survive, not being among the fittest. 

 Therefore we can calmly content ourselves, viewing with equanimity of 

 nd any 'attack from the lingering few. As a contrast to the antiquated 



dea promulgated by " Lux " regarding roots in the first nine inches of 

 'urface soil, I would remark on what I saw in a noted garden recently. 

 When walking through the vineries with the accomplished head, he 

 showed me with pride and enthusiasm the mass of fibrous roots permeat- 

 ing every inch of the surface of his borders. This most successful 

 gardener showed unmistakably the value he put upon these fibrils by the 

 care with which he handled them. The health of the vines, the crops 

 they were carrying, and their perfect finish were positive proofs that the 

 plants' requirements were thoroughly understood and administered. It 

 would have required the courage of a "Lux" to suggest the digging of 

 these vine borders, and the crooping of them with celery. If u Lux" is 

 a traveller, and ever finds himself in the self same garden, let him try 

 what effect an announcement of his views will have on the clear-headed, 

 deep-thinking adept in charge. 



" Lux's " startling declaration in italics that <s roots do not create food, 

 but food creates roots? is only in keeping with his other contentions. I 

 wonder what he would think were I to reverse it, and say that roots 

 create food, but food does not create roots ? Strictly speaking, I entirely 

 fail to see what assumption he can base his assertion upon — that food 

 creates roots. Perhaps he will kindly enlighten us. For, remembering 

 a rather heated discussion years ago in a contemporary on this same 

 subject between weighty men for and against the root-creating power of 

 food, and the result arrived at being doubtful, I will still leave it a moot 

 question. The food- creating power of roots is, however, a very different 

 thing, and a fact familiar to lesser lights than u Lux." This fact has been 

 referred to more than once in the pages of the Gardeners' Magazine 

 during the last few years. In order to make the fact apparent to " Lux " 

 (for his light burns low at times), it might be well for me to remark that 

 water is the natural solvent of plant food in soils. Any substances that 

 do not dissolve in water are termed insoluble. Now, I have seen some 

 big trees growing in rocks — limestone, for instance — with their roots 

 outside the influence of " Lux's " mutilating machine, and yet they grew 

 and flourished like green bay trees. Limestone rock is insoluble, in the 

 general sense of the term ; but the roots of trees are able to create food 

 out of it to support the growth of the plants. It will be remembered 

 that roots are organs of excretion, as well as organs of absorption. As 

 such they, by osmosis, pass out at their ends sap, which generally has 

 arid properties, and this dissolves substances otherwise insoluble, 



trailing and assimilating plant food out of them, 

 of demonstrating this fact 



The simplest means 

 is to cover a piece of perfectly smooth 

 polished marble with a thin layer of sand, sow mustard seeds on it, and 

 keep moist and warm. When the young plants have grown for a short 

 time wash all off, and it will be found that the rootlets have eaten their 

 way into the marble. Seeing, thus, that roots will decompose insoluble 

 solid rocks, and create plant food out of them, we can readily perceive, 

 in our n.ind's eye, how the same process is facilitated in soils. Knowing 

 this, we can dismiss "Lux's" "new truth" and aphorism from our 

 thoughts with the kindly wish that he may be more fortunate in his next 

 selection of such luxuries. 



"Lux 5 ' asks me to say which fruit trees are the healthiest, those 

 growing in old orchards without culture, left, in fact, to Nature : or those 



m cultivated land where the soil is annually dug. 0 



ma , e , a r, ght, and I certainly strongly condemn neglect in the one case, 

 and the ruthless destruction of fibrous roots in the surface soil in the 

 other. Neither modes of culture tend to desirable results. Nevertheless, 

 »n answering the question, I am sorry my experience and observations do 

 not enable me to verify the conditions in which " Lux " has been pleased 

 to present the respective points. On the contrary, I have had to dig up in 

 jny time hundreds of dead and dying fruit trees which had been slowly, 

 surely, killed by the pernicious practice of digging the surface soil 

 ccupied by their roots, and destroying all these organs of nutrition found 

 erein. And I can point to manv now that are fast eoiner the way of all 



Two wrongs do not 



a 



*i • * puuii kvj uiciijy iiuw mat me la^i going tne way 



wings organic through the same cause. With a deep, fertile loam 



eve ^ lll ! n 8r — fruit trees may exist for a considerable length of time 

 cron theil r ° ots confined to the under stratum, but their growths and 

 to ! n are never what the V wouId be were the Y allowed and encouraged 



1 ' " In the " Wasted Orchards of England n there 



But where roots are left undisturbed, 



Wupy the surface soil. 



5nVs°t° w ny exam P les of neglect. 



ance f k pt ^ rom * e fr u ' ttrees > they never assume the pitiable appear- 

 land f • mutilated objects grown on what " Lux " terms cultivated 



otherwise confining the extension of branches, the proportion of nitrogen 

 to tnat of phosphorus and potash usually employed should be reduced, 

 in truit culture generally, orchards, for example, the trees should be 

 encouraged to grow as quickly as possible with onlv as much knifing 

 as may be necessary to secure light to all parts and the head uniform. 

 1 he trees ought to be regularly fed ; the natural fertility of the soil 

 aeterminin^ the kinds of manures, and quantities of each, to use. If 

 the orchard is a grass one, a double dose will be necessary. In all 

 cases the fertilisers should be applied in autumn or early winter as top- 

 dressings, to allow time for their being well washed into the soil before 

 they are needed by the plants. During the dormant period of the trees 

 manures can be applied better than when the roots are in action, and 

 those which have to undergo a chemical change before they can be of 

 any use to the plants, have time for a rearrangement of particles. Among 

 manures for this purpose may be noted basic slag, bone meal, fish 

 guano for phosphorus ; kainit, sulphate of potash, and ash from the 

 burned refuse heap, for potash ; and sulphate of ammonia for nitrogen. 

 The chemicals may be applied at four ounces to the square yard when 

 the roots are not active, and only half that quantity when they are so. 

 The best manure of all, however, is farmyard liquid. It can be used at 

 its full strength without the least harm ; but frequent applications of this 

 will necessitate an occasional one of quicklime. By feeding with these 

 materials, and feeding with judgment, the health and growth of the 

 trees can be regulated to our liking, and heavy crops of fine fruit 

 obtained annually. Not only this, but the roots of the plants will be 

 inveigled into the surface—richest, healthiest— layer of soil, and get the 

 benefit of the air. " Lux " lays such stress on "without mutilating and 

 lacerating them." The plants' roots would find food ready to hand, and 

 would neither have to multiply to get it, or hunt to find it— important 

 items in successful fruit culture. If " Lux " will read, study, and digest 

 these well-known facts, and lay them to heart, perhaps " Peter" will have 

 less grounds for contention and more reverence for his master. 



J. RlDDELL. 



w 



Vine Culture in the Open. 



In his book on "Vines and Vine Culture," Mr. A. F. Barron strongly 

 recommends the Royal Muscadine for open-air culture on walls : he also 

 mentions Black Hamburgh and Black Prince as ripening their fruits 

 sometimes in fine weather. White Frontignan and the Dutch Sweet- 

 water are also mentioned as ripening their fruits very fairly on walls in 

 the Chiswick Gardens, but the latter frequently sets badly. When Mr. 

 Robert Fenn was at the Rectory, Woodstock, many years ago, he gre .. 

 grapes in the open with great success; but they were planted against the 

 gable end of the house, and had the advantage of a chimney flue, at the 

 bottom of which a fire was always burning by day. Some years ago 

 Black Hamburgh grapes were annually grown, ripened, and coloured 

 upon open walls at Branham Park, Tadcaster, but the walls were warmed 

 by means of flues. In this case one hundred and twenty yards of the south 

 side of the gardens were flued, and from this wall excellent peaches, 

 apricots, and Black Hamburgh grapes were obtained, the pitches and 

 apricots ripening fully three weeks earlier than upon walls not flued, 

 thereby extending the season by that time. In fine summers it was said 

 the Black Hamburgh grapes ripened as completely and coloured as 

 finely as in a vinery. It must be admitted that even in the most favour- 

 able districts in the south of England grape-growing is a precarious 

 business ; and this is probably the main reason why it is so seldom 

 attempted. Vet there are many who, while they cannot afford to erect a 

 glass structure, might undergo the expense of flued walls. It does appear 

 as if the principle, if it is not extensively applied, is yet capable of more 



general application. . „ . 



What is the time required to bring grapes to perfection in the open 

 air? In the grape-growing districts of France the vines begin to grow 

 about the middle of March, and the fruit is ripe about the end of Sep- 

 tember or beginning of October; and as the mean temperature in March 

 and April in France is somewhere about eight degrees above what it is 

 in this country ; and September and October would be probably about ten 

 decrees higher than with us, it will be seen that our summers are not long 

 enough for the cultivation of the grape in the open. Hot as the summers 

 are sometimes while they last some artificial means require to be 

 adopted to obtain the best results. It is true that in the Marquis of 

 ffi vineyards in South Wales grapes will generally ripen pretty well 

 lul In air It must be remembered, however, they are special sorts, 

 m 2£ VSuSSS and not for eating. Seeing then ft has been 

 grown for ^ ^f^ t flued wa ll is quite sufficient to counteract the 

 ^S^y^^^lZ so far north as Yorkshire, and as flued 

 Sh it ! imSbl^e^ly and as cheaplv constructed as solid ones, 

 Z MS !SJSSiM to commended. Of course, fire-heat would be 

 their C old days during the months of March, April, 



req , U M L ctVrt the is into early growth, and also in September and 

 and May to start the vine J v io ^ M rf ^ jf 



October to as anything in the way of fuel could be burned - 



would be a mere trine, as any « * j # iic n n^d 



Growths may be short and small, fruit scanty and below the ™ d tl ^g S 7 S prunings and rubbish which will burn mi K ht be disposed 



of in this way. 



In ge ?' ze , but the trees, when free from parasites, are generally healthy. 

 as he d'H lhe tW ° Sets o{ trees ' " Lux " has made the same mistake 



suit w ln conn ection with roots and food. He has reversed facts to . ,. of ,„ n m ncai „- _ - . ^ 



U \ hls .°*n purpose. rapid radiation o ^ CQVCred during thc wmter monlhs 



from $ a,n >" Lu x" refers to a "famous nurseryman who tears bushels ot roots border 1S • , s t0 ' protect the roots from heavy and cold wintry 



T 10 m s pot nearli ~- n.. _i ;^ n A~;^*\^ all with some maicM* / f .,„ r . f i u v f iw* 1W » n r wooden shutters, straw. 



ent the too 



warm, dry 



ho s<^ K 0t peach trees annually, and the result is the admiration of all 

 growth 1 work '" This we can quite understand. Trees restricted in 



HrOWth h Mill V^UJIV uiiuviwhuiu. x x 



secure a hi t0 be restricted in the number of their roots, in order to 

 treatm J.* . lance between the two. A special object requires special 



more ways than one of 



plants n t ' ' elIl & ent us e of manures to that of wasting food and the 



u tntive organs, to accomplish their aims. By repressing, or 



heft 



treatmi>„f " diance between the two. A specia 



arriving It ^SSW but there are S^erMy 

 favour tfcl • , d . esired resu1 *- In dealing with 



T«£- 



rains, and this migr 



Sec This covering ^ 



autumn rains 1^?^!",,^ 0 f' March, woedd be found to facilitate the 

 applied about the De^^ ts 6 wou|d ^ ^ ^ ^ and 



rising of sap. *" , „ i_._ rn i chnots rln^lv stormed. It would 



advantage 



