51 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ January 15, 1885. 
from collections, in a place allotted by the Committee, and shall be adju¬ 
dicated upon by the judges only, save that the judges may, at their discretion, 
obtain the assistance of other persons in making their decisions. 
5, No person shall be allowed to compete as an amateur who publishes 
a list of plants for sale, or who advertises them in any form whatever, with 
the exception of seedlings of his own raising. 
The Treasurer was instructed to apply to Mr. E. S. Dodwell for a state¬ 
ment of the accounts of the two Societies, and for a remittance of the balance 
of cash in his hands belonging to the respective Societies. 
PACKING CUT FLOWERS. 
There has been considerable correspondence at various times respect* 
ing different modes of packing cut flowers, and it may interest your 
readers to know the plan I have lately adopted for Chrysanthemum blooms. 
Boxes made specially for the purpose answer very well for anyone con¬ 
stantly using them, but amateurs and those who only occasionally send 
away cut flowers require something which is on the spot and which need 
not be returned. My plan is as follows :—I take a common hat box, 
which is probably to be found in every household, place a piece of oil 
silk or gutta-percha tissue (the latter is cheapest) in the bottom, then one 
layer of flowers with a little damp moss among the stems, after which 
with a packing needle thread string through the box from side to side, 
and end to end, close above the flowers ; three strands each way will be 
sufficient. This will form a network on which to place a second piece of 
gutta-percha tissue, then a second layer of flowers, and the operation 
can be repeated until the box is full, or, if the box is too large, it can be 
cut down to the required size. This shape of box is preferable to one of 
larger diameter, as the latter is apt to allow the flowers to slip into a heap 
at one end. 
By the above mode of packing, Chrysanthemum blooms have arrived 
at their journey’s end after twenty-four hours’ confinement, as fresh, to use 
the words of a recipient, “ as if they had just been cut from the plants.” 
The gutta-percha can, of course, be used repeatedly.—R. Falconer 
Jameson. 
GARDENING IN AMERICA. 
Many of yourreaders will remember Mr. J.W. Lawrence, for over twenty 
years the head gardener at Farnham Castle, Surrey, where at that time there 
was a fine collection of Orchids. He emigrated with his family to Ship- 
pensburg, Pa., in America, a few years since, and in a letter from him written 
on Christmas Day last, he gives some information which may interest some 
of your readers. He writes :—“With us, last winter was long and severe, 
and spring and early summer came together—late, wet, and cool, 
but we had no rain after the middle of July, and the days hotter and 
hotter right into October, and the ground dry for about 3 to 4 feet down. 
Peaches were not so plentiful as usual, and fetched from 1J to 2J- dols. a 
bushel. Apples were plentiful from 30 to 50 cents, per bushel. The cider 
mills were going day and night. Our Strawberries and Raspberries were 
good and sold well, but I do not like them so well as the English ones, 
but they bear enormously. The English sorts do no good here, and 
English varieties of Gooseberries are attacked with mildew. I have quite 
failed this year with Celery, for the weather kept so hot that it never 
got a start. What is now sold in town is obtained from Michigan, and 
sells at from 8 to 12 cents, per head. We are much pleased with the 
Lima Bean, a runner variety which we shell green and sell it at about 
12 cents, per quart. It is also used in a ripe state for soups, but you 
could not grow it in England, as it will not succeed at Paris. Just row 
we are bound up pretty tight in ice and snow, with the mercury within 
3° of zero the other day. Nothing now to be seen on wheels, but sleigh 
bells jingling day and night keep us lively. The plough will not enter 
the ground again until the beginning of April in time for Oats.—W. D. W. 
History of the Pine Apple. —Fur this, the material is not 
abundant, or, I should ratber say, good material, for the most 
voluminous writers upon this subject have evidently regarded 
their imagination as a fountain of facts. There are, however, 
a few well-authentica f ed facts in regard to its history. First, 
Columbus found it growing wild on tie island of Guadaloupe in 1493. 
Second, Baron Von Humboldt found it in the valley of the Orinoco and 
elsewhere in the uninhabited wilds of South America. Third, at an early 
period it was found naturalised in Africa, Asia, and the East Indies. 
This has led some to question its American origin. But the first fact 
named settles that beyond dispute, for whatever may be said of the pas¬ 
sage of the ancestors of our aboriginal tribes across Behring Straits, or 
the Icelandic discoveries upon north-eastern borders, it is very certain 
that no voyager from any country where the Pine Apple could be grown 
ever set foot upon the shores of either the American continent or Elands 
previous to the days of Columbus. It is equally certain that it has been 
widely distributed by the hand of man, and that, too, at an early period. 
It is said to have been found naturalised in Java as early as 1599. It 
was carried to Europe soon after its discovery in America by Columbu®, 
and thence to regions beyond. But it is probable that it was carried to 
China from Peru by way of the Pacific, and thence distributed to sur¬ 
rounding regions. It is also probable that India derived its first supply 
from the European stock through Portuguese soon after its introduction 
into Europe, and thence extended to adjacent countries. Wherever in¬ 
troduced, it at once was conceded a high rank among the fruits of earth, 
because of its large size, it3 delightful aroma, and the abundance of its 
juice of a most exquisite flavour.— Rev. Jas. H. White (in Florida 
Dispatch), 
«XP 
WORK. F0I l THE WEEK.. O, 
swrvml I 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Pruning. —If we were to subject the skill in pruning of any prac¬ 
titioner to a severe test we should certainly take his work now among 
Peaches and Nectarines—now particularly, and throughout the year gene¬ 
rally, for no fruit trees make so great a demand upon one’s skill and judg¬ 
ment as these do. In the winter pruning that is now being done vigour, 
health, and fruitfulness must be kept c’early in view, strictly in the order 
given, and not reversed, as is so frequently the case. “ Fruit before all 
things,” if rightly understood, often—very often—means small fruit, 
debility, disease. It is of vital importance that the pruner should clearly 
understand the elastic nature cf the Peach and Nectarine, such knowledge 
being the key to his work, guiding his hands aright, imparting due balance 
to it, so that the happy mean between under and over-pruning is kept. 
Before writing this note we had just pruned two large fan-trained Peach 
trees growing side by side against a south wall. Our treatment of these 
trees shall serve as an illustration to make clear our teaching. The first 
tree is a Grosse Mignonne, a fine old tree, which has been in full bearing 
for many years, and is still sound and healthy, but most of the growth of 
lust year, though firm and well ripened, was small, with single fruit buds 
and hardly any triplets—an unmistakeable indication;of debility. Many 
of the main branches were therefore cut back to 2 or 3 feet from the 
base, and only fairly strong fruiting wood retained. In consequence of 
this hard pruning this year the crop of fruit will be reduced by fully two- 
thirds of the ordinary quantity; but the tree will make growth of extra¬ 
ordinary vigour, all traces of debility will vanish, and when growth ceases 
in autumn the new main branches will have almost r ached the limits of 
space assigned to this tree. Our knowledge of the healthy condition of 
the roots and soundness of the border enables us to predict results with 
confidence, in proof of which we have only to turn to the next tree. This 
is an Early Beatrice, the fruit of which is never really good when grown 
under glass ; but in the open air it is delicious, and so early that, although 
we have three trees of it, the fruit is so much in request that we ventured 
upon overcropping, with the inevitable result of slender growth, and in 
this paiticular tree such severe debility that t*o years ago the whole of 
the branches were cut back to about 2 feet from the stem. The tree li3S 
now qui'e regained its full size, with growth that is absolutely magnificent 
both in the main branches and laterals. 
Training— Whether tied upon a Irellis or fastened to the wall with 
shreds and nails, the branches must be evenly distributed, all crowding 
avoided, and no more string or shreds used than is unavoidable. Fasten 
each branch and shoot securely in position, but take especial care to allow 
room for swelling growth and for a free unchecked flow of sap. This 
advice has special reference to Peaches and Nectarines. Other wall trees 
must be looked carefully over, decayed or overgrown fastenings removed 
and replaced with others, and all other necessary training done now as 
soon as possible. Espaliers and pyramids require looking over, too, for 
the renewal of stakes and fastenings. Bushes require careful training for 
the first few years to impart a symmetrical cup shape to them. Care 
bestowed upon imparting correct outlines to young fruit trees is highly 
commendable. It is true enough that a misshapen tree may be perfectly 
healthy and fruitful, but it can never afford the pleasure to one that 
another trained to perfect symmetry invariably does. See, too, ihat stakes 
and fastenings of newly planted trees are secure, for if the roots become 
loosened in the soil by the swaying of the tree the growth next summer 
will be the reverse of satisfactory. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines.— Earliest House.— The trees are now in 
flrwer, and artificial impregnation must have daily attention. The camel- 
hair brush should be passed over the blossoms with ripe pollen about noon 
each day, and a steady circulation of air secured by opening the ventila¬ 
tors in front of the pipes, which should be sufficiently warmed to raise the 
temperature to 65°, with 5° to 10° more from sun heat. Discontinue 
syringing the trees until the blooming is past, but maintain a genial con¬ 
dition of the atmosphere by damping walks, &c., in the morning and after¬ 
noon of fine days. If fermenting materials have been introduced a 
portion of them should be turned over every morning. Allow the night 
temperature to range from 50° to 55° on mild nights, but on cold nights it 
may fall to 45°, as it is better to run no risk of failure by adhering to any 
fixed rules should we have any return to severe weather, which of late 
has not been favourable to forcing operations ; but any time now lost may 
be made up after the con pletion of the stoning process. Look well to the 
condition of outside boruers, guarding against sudden chills by keeping 
the roots well covered up with some dry non-conducting material; a foot 
thickness of Oak leaves with shutters over answer well, as they form a 
genial medium for the surface roots, and their gradual removal as the sun 
gains powers in May may be carried out without injury to the crop. 
Second House. —Still continue the syringing of the trees morning and 
afternoon until the blossoms are expanding and the anthers showing, when 
it may be well discontinued ; but the floors, paths, borders, &c., should be 
damped. The night temperature may be kept at 45° to 50° on mild nights, 
falling 5° when the weather is severe. Turn on the heat early in the day 
so as to raise the temperature to 50° by 8 A.M., at which admit a little 
