March 9, 1882. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
195 
such treatment the Amaryllis has doubtless a bright future before 
it yet.” 
- At the ordinary meeting of the Meteorological So¬ 
ciety, to be held at 25, Great George Street, Westminster, on 
the 15th inst., at 7 P.M., there will be an exhibition of anemo¬ 
meters and of such new instruments as have been invented and 
first constructed since the last Exhibition. During the evening 
the President, Mr. J. K. Laughton, M.A., F.R.A.S., will give an 
historical sketch of the different classes of anemometers, and will 
also describe such forms as are exhibited. 
- Gardening Appointments. —Mr. Benjamin Strange, late 
gardener at The Abbey, Banwell, has been appointed gardener to 
R. C, Lopes, Esq., Sandridge Park, Melksham, Wilts. Mr. Frisby, 
who has been for many years head gardener to Henry Chaplin, 
Esq., M.P., Blankney, Lincolnshire, has retired on a substantial 
pension, and has been succeeded by Mr. William Davis, formerly 
at Trentham. 
- Mr. Iggulden writes—“ Mr. Bailey, Fairlawn, Frome, 
annually buys a few of the newest sorts of Potatoes, but of recent 
introductions he is most favourably impressed with Suttons’ 
Reading Hero. In his garden it proves heavy-cropping, disease- 
resisting, and last, but not least in Mr. Bailey’s estimation, it is of 
excellent table quality. As these are qualities most of us like to 
meet with in a Potato, Mr. Bailey’s impartial opinion deserves 
publicity. The same gentleman is a good authority on Straw¬ 
berry and Raspberry Culture. He invariably secures heavy 
crops of fine fruit of the former from plantations formed with 
plants that have been fruited in pots. His gardener is not allowed 
to break up the surface of either the Strawberry or Raspberry 
quarters ; but annually he mulches heavily with good unexhausted 
stable manure, of which, fortunately, there is abundance. Others 
especially who, like Mr. Bailey, have a comparatively light soil to 
deal with, should follow this example, and profitable crops will 
invariably result.” 
- The schedule of the Royal Horticultural Society’s 
Implement Exhibition has been issued, accompanied with a 
plan of the space which will be devoted to it. The Show will be 
held from May 23rd to July 5th, thus including the chief events 
of the season—namely, the Great Summer Show, the Evening 
Fete, the Pelargonium Society’s Show, and the National Rose 
Society’s Exhibition. Silver and bronze medals will be awarded 
for the best articles exhibited in the following classes. Not less 
than one medal will be awarded where there are more than two 
exhibitors in a class, and not less than two medals if there be 
more than four. Class 1, Modes of Heating a Small Conservatory 
attached to a Dwelling ; 2, Boilers Heating 500 feet of 4-inch 
Piping with or without Brickwork ; 3, Hot-water Piping, Modes 
of Fixing and Fitting the Same, Yalves ; 4, Plant House, Vinery, 
or Orchard House, Span-roofed or Otherwise, not exceeding 50 feet 
in length ; 5, Moveable Plant Pits or Frames ; G, Improvements 
in Glazing, Ventilation ; 7, Decorations for Conservatories, Orna¬ 
mental Flooring, Flower Stands, Vases ; 8, Hand Mowers ; 9, 
Horse-mowing Machines, to Cut not less than 30 inches. Note.— 
All Lawn Mowers entered for competition to be tried in the 
Gardens. Class 10, Wirework ; 11, Garden Pottery, Edging Tiles ; 
12, Garden Seats, Chairs ; 13, Garden Engines, Syringes ; 14, 
Garden Tenting, Shading Materials ; 15, Complete Set of Lawn 
Tennis Apparatus ; 16, Miscellaneous Subjects not Included in 
any of the Classes ; 17, Garden Cutlery ; 18, Garden Tools, 
Spades, Rakes, Hoes, Barrows ; 19, Meteorological Instruments ; 
20, Plant Guards and Supports, Flower Stakes, Labels. Certifi¬ 
cates of merit will be awarded to any special novelty approved 
of by the Judges that may be entered and brought under their 
notice ; and one or more gold medals will be awarded by the 
Council for the most meritorious general displays. An important 
and instructive Exhibition may be confidently expected, which 
will add greatly to the attractions of the Society’s Kensington 
Gardens during the approaching season. 
PLANT LABELS. 
Mr. Wolley Dod on page 173 has exactly described the plant 
label we are in search of. 1 think with him that a year’s trial 
will be required before the label can be accepted as successful. 
So far the trials with Messrs. Wolstenholme’s boxwood labels 
which I have had steeped in paraffin (see page 136) continue to 
resist damp in the cool Orchid houses. My friends have paraffined 
me some more boxwood and some 1-foct deal labels. Probably 
one reason why deal resists damp to some extent is that the resin 
contained in it partly plays the part of the paraffin. Pitch pine 
should make the best of this class of label, but I believe it is 
rather hard to cut. Deal labels are perhaps the best to start with, 
but there is something very taking in the appearance of those made 
of box and holly. So far the paraffined labels promise well. I hope 
label makers will carry on the necessary experiments for perfect¬ 
ing them. It may be necessary for full saturation that the process 
could be carried in a vessel from which air, or most of it, has 
been excluded.— George F. Wilson. 
THE RENOVATION OF OLD FRUIT TREES. 
When old fruit trees reach the stage of barrenness prompt 
measures should be resorted to for their renovation or destruction. 
Not lightly nor hastily should we decide what to do with them ; 
for although planting for our heirs has become an obsolete term, 
yet bringing young trees into full bearing requires so many years 
of our lives, that all that is possible should be done for an old- 
established tree before it is replaced by a young one. It is 
reasonable to assume that before applying a remedy for barren¬ 
ness its cause should be thoroughly understood, but I have ample 
reason for saying that it is a matter concerning which there is 
much ignorance—much hesitation. 
Take, for example, an old espalier Pear tree with huge spurs 
projecting a foot or more from the branches, thickly studded with 
knotty protuberances, having numerous short abrupt angles and 
curves, and with hard and rugged bark, the annual wood growth 
stunted and weak, and bearing no fruit year after year. What 
shall we do with it? Its stem and branches bear no sign of 
actual decay outwardly, and if we sever a branch the wood has 
a clean white healthy appearance that is a striking contrast to 
its unwholesome-looking bark. The fault is clearly in the spurs 
where a sluggish action of the sap, induced by the many obstacles 
that have gradually arisen from a long course of hard pruning, 
leads to the familiar condition of inert barrenness. It has been 
advised, as a remedy, to gradually reduce the spurs, cutting oii 
about 2 inches of the tips yearly, so that by confining the sap 
nearer to the base of the spur a new crop of fruit buds may be 
induced to grow there, and the old exhausted spur-wood even¬ 
tually be removed. I must confess that my attempts at the 
renewal of such spurs in Pear trees have not been so successful as 
to warrant me in recommending the plan. I have rather found it 
answer best to cut off every branch to within a few inches of the 
main stem and graft them. The grafts invariably grow with much 
vigour, and become fruitful branches so quickly, that by the t mo 
the gradual reduction of old spurs can be safely effected they are 
bearing fruit abundantly. The grafting is of course done at this 
season of the year, and is as beneficial for Apples as for Pears. 
In the treatment of old Plum trees I have found the process of 
spur-renovation described as for Pears to answer admirably with 
the addition of the occasional removal at once of any very old 
decrepit spurs. If the roots of a Plum tree are healthy the tree 
will frequently bear excellent fruit, even with its branches in a 
state of decay—not small or poor-flavoured fruit, but excellent 
in every respect. I have before told about some very old Green 
Gage trees with huge hollow stems which used to produce 
magnificent fruit, and I may also mention an Orleans tree in a 
very similar condition that was equally remarkable for the size 
and abundance of its fruit. It by no means follows, however, 
that the branches of a Plum tree are not to be cut. I have at 
various times cut off all the branches of unsightly trees to induce 
a new branch-growth, and have no decided failure to record. 
Peaches and Nectarines bear hard puning with impunity better 
than almost any other fruit trees. They may truly be said to be 
constantly renewing their youth. Depend upon it a full and 
timely use of the pruning knife has a very important influence 
upon the health and vigour of old as well as young Peach trees. 
There should be no half measures with weak growth ; sweep it 
entirely away, and if the entire growth be weak and sluggish cut 
