JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 25, 1863. ] 
Stephen William Silver, F.R.G.S. Secretaries — George James 
Symons, F.R.S.; John William Tripe, M.D., F.R.C.P.Ed. Foreign 
Secretary—Robert Henry Scott, M.A., F.R.S., F.G.S. Council— 
Hon. Ralph Abercromby, William Morris Beaufort, F.R.A.S., F.R.G.S.; 
John Sanford Dyason, F.R.G.S.; Henry Storks Eaton, M.A. ; William 
Ellis, F.R.A.S. ; Joseph Henry Gilbert, Ph.D., F.R.S., F.C.S. ; Charles 
Harding, Robert John Lecky, F.R.A.S. ; Capt. John Pearse Maclear, 
R.N. ; Edward Mawley, F.R.H.S. ; George M&thews Whipple, B.Sc., 
F.R.A.S.; Charles Theodore Williams, M.A., M.D., F.R.C.P. 
ORCHIDS AT FERN SIDE, BICKLEY PARK, KENT. 
Cleanliness is here considered of the greatest importance in 
Orchid-growing. At this time of year the houses are thoroughly 
washed, so as to admit all the light possible, and the w r alls are 
whitewashed. We employ pure water, and consider it best for 
cleaning the plants. They are occasionally fumigated with tobacco, 
and if this is done with care it will not injure them. If scale 
becomes troublesome we use a little Bridgeford’s antiseptic liquid, 
which will soon clear off all scale or any other insects. 
The following Orchids are now in flower :— 
EAST INDIAN HOUSE. 
Bollea coelestis 
Calanthe Veitchi 
nivalis 
vestita lutea oculata 
vestita rubra oculata 
Cypripedium pardinmn 
Parrisianum 
Warneri 
Dendrobium Ainswortlii 
Cambrid geanum 
Findleyanum 
keterocarpum 
CATTLE 
Cattleya exoniensis 
Ccelogyne barbata 
corymbosa 
crista ta 
Comparettia rosea 
Dendrobium Farmer! 
nobile 
Dendrobium Wardianum 
crassinode 
c. Barberianum 
Cymbidium Mastersi 
Odontoglossum Boezli 
B. album 
Pescatorea Klabochiana 
Lekmanni 
Plialfenopsis grandiflora 
Spathoglottis Lobbi 
Vanda Catkcarti 
HOUSE. 
Ladia an ceps 
a. Barkeriana 
Odontoglossum Londesborougkianum 
vexillarium roseum 
Oncidium ckeiropkorum 
Pilumna nobile 
"Varna cyanea 
COOL HOUSE. 
Barkeria elegans 
cyclotella 
Liudleyana 
Skinneri 
Cypripedium insigne, several 
i. Maulei 
Boxalli 
Masdevallia amabilis 
tovarensis, several 
Jlesospinidium sanguineum 
vulcanicum 
Lrelia autunmalis atrorubens 
autumualis 
albida rosea 
-Edwabd Wilson. 
Laalia albida 
Odontoglossum Alexandra 
constrictum 
Pescatorei 
Uro-Skinneri 
Bossi majus 
bictonensis 
Oncidium serratum 
superbiens 
Houlletia guttata 
Sopkronitis grandiflora 
g. violacea 
purpurea 
^Mm 
jti 
A 
B 
WORK.foiuhe WEEK.' 
Mo 
^T7V g/uOr 
[j By the most skilful Cultivators in the several Departments .] 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Pruning. —Old trees with huge spurs, apparently barren, are a 
source of trouble and anxiety to inexperienced fruit-growers. In 
every case our advice is to do nothing rashly ; many precious years 
are required for the full development of spurs, and not one of 
them should be removed lightly. It is true enough that the 
tissue of such old spurs is so much contracted and hardened that 
sap-action is somewhat sluggish ; but that, instead of being an evil 
is often advantageous in its well-known tendency to induce the 
formation of fruit buds. Carefully examine them, thin crowded 
growths, then turn to the roots ; sever any of them that have gone 
down into the subsoil, replace exhausted soil either with rich 
loam from the surface of a meadow or with soil that will grow 
good vegetables, and the old trees will probably soon surpass 
younger ones in quantity if not quality of fruit. Old Plum trees 
so treated yield abundant crops of excellent fruit. We may also 
79 
mention two very old espalier Apples with only the top branches 
remaining with spurs fully a yard long, which are kept as curious 
relics of bygone days, that in every favourable season are laden 
with fruit that is really useful. 
In thinning crowded spurs upon young trees, if possible prune 
to a fruit bud rather than cut close to the base of the interloper if 
the condition of the tree renders it desirable ; but if crowded spurs 
are thick set with fruit buds, then the entire removal of some of 
them is necessary, or the fruit will be crowded and small. And 
remember that it is better to thin the wood than the fruit, for 
then light and air freely circulates among the foliage, the tree is 
more easily kept in a healthy condition, and the due proportion 
of blossom, fruit, and foliage is maintained. 
Planting. —This has been much retarded by wet weather, and 
must now be finished as soon as possible. Never plant a tree that 
is weakly or having the slightest trace of disease. Shorten any 
long bare roots, remove all bruised portions with a clean cut, and 
prune the branches before planting. The greatest possible care 
must be given to every detail of planting, no matter whether it is 
in an old or new garden. 
There is often much slovenly practice in filling vacancies in old 
orchards ; the soil being disturbed as little as possible, the roots 
crowded into a small hole, the soil thrown in and trampled hastily 
upon them, and very little more done. Even if the soil is good 
it should be broken up for at least a yard around the site of the 
tree, the roots spread carefully out in it, covered and mulched just 
as though it were a new orchard, and if it is in grass tree-guards 
at once put to keep off cattle. A free robust growth the first 
season always rewards such judicious care, just as a feeble sluggish 
growth betokens the want of it. 
Training Filberts. —No trees require more careful training than 
Filberts and Nuts, yet how seldom do they have it! We have 
some trees now in full bearing that were planted twelve years 
ago. They are 30 feet in circumference, yet the tops of the 
branches are only 4 feet from the ground. Each tree has four or 
five main branches, spreading outwards in the form of a shallow 
basin : this form was imparted to them during the first four years 
by fastening them downwards and outwards to pegs driven in the 
soil 2 to 3 feet from the stem. 
Pyramidal Fruit Trees. —These also require great care at first 
while the branches are young and pliant. Pruning to an outer 
bud must be supplemented by training, drawing each tier of 
branches outwards from the stem as may be necessary ; erect 
compact-growing sorts requiring more care than others of spread¬ 
ing habit. Tarred string of the soft twisted sort answers best 
for this purpose ; it lasts a year, and the annual renewal prevents 
that harm to the fast-swelling growth which is so common when 
wire is used. 
Shelter. —This is of much importance in hardy fruit culture. If 
possible choose a warm southern slope for your trees, or a nook 
from which wind from the north and east is practically excluded. 
Failing such natural advantages do all you can by planting a 
thick belt of fast-growing trees on the cold sides, in order to save 
the blossom from the fatal effects of cold winds. 
FRUIT-FORCING. 
Vines. —Proceed with tying and stopping young growths 
until there is sufficient formed to give an even spread of foliage 
over every part of the trellis. Select the most compact bunches 
for the crop, fertilising all shy-setting kinds with pollen from 
Hamburghs as soon as they come into flower. Thin Hamburghs 
and other free-stoning kinds as soon as the berries commence 
swelling after setting. If the inside borders in early houses have 
not been watered since they were started they should have 
a good supply at a temperature of 80° to 85° as soon as the thin¬ 
ning has been brought to a close. In the fermenting material, if 
any have been employed on outside borders, a temperature of 
80° must be maintained by frequent turnings and additions of 
fresh material. That employed inside the house may be continued 
during the swelling of the Grapes, but care must be taken to 
employ well-sweetened materials only, or it is likely the ammonia 
vapour will injuriously affect the foliage. 
Syringe succession houses two or three times a day, and turn 
the fermenting materials frequently for the purpose of liberating 
moisture and ammonia. Disbud as soon as the best bunches are 
distinguishable, and discontinue the syringing when they become 
prominent, but keep up atmospheric moisture by damping the 
path and walls until flowering commences, when a circulation of 
dry air with a little more heat will facilitate the setting. 
Fruiting Vines in pots must be well attended to, thinning 
early, and being careful not to overcrop, supplying them with 
liquid manure a few degrees warmer than the house, and add a 
little fresh top-dressing as the roots appear on the surface. 
