THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN QDIDE. 
1S3 
occur, for the consequences if only neglected for a day will be 
most serious ; and I know, too, that with most orchard-house trees 
in pots it is almost impossible to give too much w'ater (within 
reasonable limits), if the pots are well and perfectly drained, from 
the time the bloom is set until they are showing symptoms of ripen- 
ing. My impression is, that many of the failures of wdiich wo hear 
arise from a deficiency of water and of solid nourishment, to main- 
tain the trees in a healthy state. My course of proceeding is, early 
in the month of April to mulch the trees with a thickness of three 
inches of the fattest half-rotten dung I can find from the linings of 
my early cucumber beds. This serves them until the fruit is stoned, 
and then I give tliem moderately strong doses of liquid manure 
three or four times a week. It may be all very well for some prac- 
titioners to cry down the plan of alternate doses of manure-water, 
but it will not do for me, because I know from careful observations 
that my trees, or anything else under my care, have never suffered 
from it. I therefore recommend to all orchard-house cultivators to 
water first with clear water, and in a few minutes after apply the 
liquid manure, and then the tree, or wdiatever it may be, will be the 
more benefited by it. This is always assuming that tlie plant is 
moderately dry at the commencement. There are no definite rules 
to be laid down as regards watering, as it depends entirely upon the 
state of the weather. In wet, dull, cloudy weather they will only 
want it every other day ; but in bright sunny weather, from the 1st 
of April until the last day' of September, they must have it every 
day, and that not earlier than five o'clock in the afternoon, and then 
sufficient must be given to moisten the whole ball of earth. 
"With respect to the quantity of water required by trees in pots 
and those planted out in the open border, I am firmly convinced 
that trees planted out do not require so much by one-third as those 
in pots, and, what is still more important, they do not suffer half so 
much if, through any unforeseen circumstance, they should be 
neglected for a day or two. Now, that is a great deal in favour of 
planted-out trees, to say nothing of the drawbacks of a scarcity of 
water, which sometimes unavoidably occurs in the best arranged 
gardens, and which would be fatal to potted trees. 
Then, as to the value of potted trees as against those planted out, 
I am prepared to assert that one quarter of a large house, which is 
devoted to planted-out trees, will yield more fruit (except cherries) 
than the whole of the other part devoted to pot-trees. 
As to the plunging of potted trees, there is a diversity of 
opinion ; but those who have had experience with both plunged and 
unplunged trees must acknowledge we obtain the earliest fruit from 
the unplunged trees, as the warm air of the house acts with greater 
force upon the roots ; but, as a set-off against this, plunged trees, 
either wholly or partially, do not require so much water as those stand- 
ing on the surface in pots ; so that we see both systems have their 
advantages, and the latter is an important one where water is scarce, 
and where the labour power is scarce also. To extend the fruiting 
season over as long a period as possible, it is desirable to adopt both 
methods with an equal portion of the different kinds of trees grown. 
Juno. 
