234 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 19, 1885. 
instead of having to pay heavy rents, soon be bankrupt. This they know 
very well, or they would not expend so much in labour. 
Your correspondent does not strengthen his case by committing me to 
a principle admitting of no qualification—namely, in being “ confident 
that fruit trees need a deep root run.” I do not complain at all of an 
opponent making a mistake of that kind, because I always regard it as a 
confession that the basis of his argument is a little shaky. I have saii 
plainly enough that many fruit trees in the deep rich soil of gardens— 
trees that are subjected to excessive pruning to “ keep them dwarf,” have 
too much root-power. I think, perhaps, most gardeners know that; but 
1 am also convinced that the best fruit that comes to the markets in tons, 
not to speak of the magnificent specimens that win prizes at exhibitions, 
is not the produce of trees growing in soil that is only a foot deep, or 
simply prepared with the plough. It is in a large measure due to the 
want of thought in choosing land for orchards, then in its niggardly and 
faulty preparation, that enable cultivators to send fruit 4000 miles to 
market and 6ell it at a higher price than is realised by the ordinary bulk 
of home-grown produce. Tbe Apples, for instance, from trees grown in 
the deep alluvial soil of American orchards are in every way superior to 
those grown in poor soil in this country, but not better than the pro¬ 
duce of trees in generous soil in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Somerset, Hants, 
Berks, and other counties. That I am told on the authority of a large 
fruit salesman is a fact, and it may well be pondered over by the advo¬ 
cates of fruit culture on the starvation system. 
Perhaps I can finish what I have to say at present in another para¬ 
graph or two, in which I am vain enough to think that I can adduce 
authority worthy of respect as to the wisdom of having a depth of nearer 
2 feet than one foot of good soil for the cultivation of fruit. I must 
first, however, remark that Mr. Iggulden has admitted that Vines do not 
need a deeper border than fruit trees generally, and that for the former a 
foot is sufficient if od ordinary subsoil. Observe, I do not contradict 
your correspondent on this matter, but simply mention it, and now turn 
for a moment to two or three practical men, not fruit-fanciers with fads, 
nor regardless-of-expense individuals. 
First I call on Mr. Bunyard, who is no advocate for heavily manuring 
ground for fruit trees, but he advocates land-preparation as follows in his 
pithy work “ Fruit Farming for Profit:—“ In order to save expense fruits 
are frequently planted in holes, which of course is the only plan on grass, 
but the cultivator would be amply repaid by having all land intended for 
plantation either steam-cultivated or trenched.” That is clear enough. 
Now I turn to Mr. Whitehead’s pamphlet, “ Fruit Growing in Kent,” 
which Mr. Bunyard refers to so approvingly. Mr. Whitehead, in referring 
to the formation of orchards intended for grass, says, “ It is found in 
prac ice to be best to plant the trees on well trenched land,” and goes on 
to say that he has “ planted Lord Suffield Apple trees on gra c s and culti¬ 
vated land at the same time, both being manured in the same way ; those 
on the cultivated land grew away from those on grass in a remarkable 
degree, and bore fruit the second year, while the others did not bear for 
three or four years.” In case these authorities are not good enough, I 
will venture to quote one whom Mr. Iggulden seems to believe in—namely, 
himself. Not long ago, in referring to preparing borders for Peach trees, 
your correspondent excavated to a depth of about 30 inches, and provided 
2 feet of soil, about a foot of the best of the old placed at the bottom and 
18 inches of fresh above it. I daresay he remembers doing that. And 
again, in an excellent article against large fruit borders, he stated “No 
mistake can be made in a border for Peaches 6 feet wide and 30 inches 
deep, with 9 inches for drainage ; and for Grapes about 3 feet wide and 
in other respects similar.” He can fairly plead that was right under the 
circumstances ; but his denunciation of trenching practically ignored cir¬ 
cumstances; it was to all intents and purposes a sweeping condemnation 
of a practice which, rightly conducted, is one of the most profitable 
operations in gardening. I shall believe the old masters, the successful 
gardeners that have been referred to, were right, and that if they had 
adhered ti shallow culture they would never have become famous. 
Now to Grapes again. I am glad to find that Mr. Mclndoe has such 
a high opinion of Madresfield Court. Produced in its best condition, I 
consider it excels all black Grapes for autumn use. But the point was 
his iasistance of a different standard for judging the Gros Maroc, which 
amounted to this—if not late it is good for nothing. I have had it very 
good after all the Madresfield Court grown in the same house were 
shrivelled, and when the Black Hamburghs have lost their colour; and, 
by what I have seen, I have a strong impression that it will prove a better 
black Grape for Christmas use than either of those varieties. That was 
rather a trite observation of a gentleman who knew all his guests had 
was no ^ 80 cer ta>n about their tastes. Appearance counts for a 
good deal nowadays, hence the popularity of Gros Colman, which is only 
met with occasionally of high quality, or, say, equal to Gros Maroc. 
I agree with Mr. D. Thomson and “Non-Believer,” that Black Ham¬ 
burgh can be had in excellent condition for at least a month after Sep¬ 
tember, as I have cut hundreds of bunches with which no fault was found 
right through October. I have had them good in November, and often 
kept them till Christmas, but they had then usually lost much of their 
colour and briskness. I further once saw a wonderfully fine lot of 
bunches in January, which were sold, I think, for 4s. 6d. a pound. But 
if you want this Grape to keep so very late—at least, keep its colour—it 
must not be ripened in July, or August either, except, perhaps, in duller 
and wetter localities than I have f ntuuately had to work in. I think 
that is enough about Grapes at present. 
I am glad to find Mr. Bardney and I do not differ on the question of 
potting Boses in October and flowering them late in the following spring. 
Perhaps he will not quite so readily admit that they may be potted in 
November and produce fine flowers in the following April; but they will 
do so, and the plants may be eventually planted out, potted in the 
autumn, gently forced again, and so on. That is tbe easiest plan of 
obtaining Boses a month before they flower outside, and for such a pur¬ 
pose, which is the object of many, I should never think of keeping the 
plants in pots for a year in preparation ; but for flowering in March or 
earlier the case is different. I may add, my note was not so much, 
critical as supplementary, and intended to meet the circumstances of 
lesser men than your able correspondent. 
I sometimes think “D., Deal," is a melancholy man, sometimes the 
reverse ; in fact, after reading him for years I hardly know what to 
think. He does not, however, disguise his troubles, and when I see one 
of his articles I generally look out to see what is the matter. Still, I 
have gained many a serviceable hint from him, and the last is on cutting 
the corms of Gladioli. I have had to grow these flowers for years, not 
for my own pleasure, but for somebody else who was determined to have 
them, and would not give them up. We bought and bought, and lost 
and lost, till the case seemed h rpeless. At last I commenced saving and 
sowing the “spawn.” The sorts got mixed no doubt, but that saved 
labelling, and I ever afterwards had as many spikes as were wanted, 
and numbers to spare. The small cormlets were sown thinly in drills 
a foot apart, just, as your correspondent say*, like sowing “Onion 
seed,” and there they remained until there was a good sprinkling of 
flowers, when the whole were taken up in the autumn and in due time 
planted. I had no more trouble after adopting that system in maintaining 
a supply of spikes. As to top-dressing in heavy soils, such as Mr. Dobree’s, 
it would scarcely be needed, but iu light and dry soils I have found it very 
advantageous. 
Mr. H. S. Easty has noticed, in my opinion, the chief merit of the 
very much debated vegetable Chou de Burghley—namely its lateness in 
“coming in when greenstuff is getting scarce.” That is exactly what it 
will do if not raised too soon. It is a mistake to sow in March as if 
raising Savoys for autumn use, as the plants then get too large and are 
often coarse; but sown in May they are handy for planting either 
between or after early Potatoes or other crops, are dwarf, compact, and 
firm—valuable after Brussels Sprouts are over, and bridging the unplea¬ 
sant blank that often occurs between winter Greens and spring Cabbages. 
That is what I think about Chou de Burghley, and it is good into the 
bargain. 
Bother the trenching; it has taken up so much of my time and 
paper that I cannot dwell on some other topics of the time as I had 
intended. I meant to have said something about Orchids, amongst which 
Mr. Castle appears to have been spending such a happy time. He seems 
to know a good deal about these remarkable plants, but I doubt very 
much if he ha3 killed so many of them as I have. My experience with them 
commenced just thirty-five years ago. At teat time the very name of Orchid 
suggested a Pine stove temperature and any amount of steam. The result 
was that Phalse copses grew like weeds—or rather like Mr. Philbrick’s ; 
Dendrobiums did not flower, and Odontoglossums, Onicidiums, Cattleyas, 
&c., “ went off ” wholesale. There was not much to help us in the garden¬ 
ing papers then, for the sufficient reason that the conductors and writers 
were in a fog about Orchids, and the plants followed suit. But the time 
came—how times change !—when we could grow Orchids in frames in the 
summer unheated except by the sun, and winter them in houses with a 
temperature of 50° or less. Hence the spread of these interesting plants 
with their quaintly beautiful flowers. Small pots, sweet soil, temperate 
heat and regular, pure air with genial moisture, not parching droughts, are 
what Orchids like ; and any intelligent cultivator who can provide tho e 
simple requirements can grow them, even perhaps as well as those repre¬ 
sented in that magnificent house at Yeitch’s, which ought to be seen by— 
A Thinker. 
LYCASTE SKINNERI. 
For many years this fine old Orchid has most deservedly been a great 
favourite in gardens, and its popularity appears to be fast extending. 
The flowers are showy and extremely durable, the latter a recommenda¬ 
tion which plant-growers can fully appreciate, and its culture being now 
well understood, it is not surprising that Lycaste Bkinneri has taken so 
high a place. In recent years, too, numbers of varieties have been 
obtained, the flowers most diversely tinted, from the richest crimson 
through all gradations to the pure white alba, which has realised such 
high prices and still commands from 10 to 20 guineas for a speci¬ 
men of moderate size. In some the sepals and petals are white or of a 
very delicate pink hue, while the lip is intense crimson—a most pleasing 
contrast. The flowers also are now so large, of such wax-like substance, 
and so beautifully formed, that there is little room left for further 
advancement. 
One of the best grown specimens for the size which we have ever seen 
