196 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 4, 1890. 
crowded lazy-bed method of culture that appears to be adopted. 
Growing the p’ants on raised beds may be the very best system 
to pursue in some soils and situations, but if they are planted so 
closely as to grow into a dense mass of interlacing stems, and a 
crowd of leaves struggling with each other for light and perishing 
in the contest, the advantages which the ridges might other¬ 
wise possess vanish, and disease runs riot through the spoiled 
plantations. 
A change of methods in the direction indicated—the thinner 
planting of stronger upright-growing varieties in low-lying positions 
where the rainfall is great, keeping the land clean, and not covered 
with growths as with a blanket, is the most likely course of proce¬ 
dure for, if not preventing the disease, minimising its virulence ; 
but a most serious matter is the impoverished soil. Early 
varieties, which often escape the disease when late sorts fail, 
have been recommended, but these require the best of soil 
for yielding substantial crops. In very poor land the return 
they give is next to nothing. There is no doubt of what 
much land in Ireland needs for restoring its lost Potato-growing 
fertility—potash, phosphates, lime, and perhaps the cheapest 
manner in which they can be conveyed is in the form of super¬ 
phosphate of lime and kainit. How they are to be got to the 
starving land it is not in my province to suggest. Many persons 
appear to be anxious to do something for Ireland, as I am ; but the 
best I can give is this small contribution. — J. Weight. 
THE GUILDHALL (LONDON) FRUIT SHOW. 
When Sir Jame3 Whitehead, Bart., was Lord Mayor of 
London last year he on more than one occasion directed prominent 
attention to the subject of fruit culture, and the presentation of 
fruit according to ancient custom by the Fruiterers’ Company at 
the Mansion House, he desired should consist entirely of home 
grown produce. Sir James was chosen Master of the Company 
for the present year, and with the object of promoting the “ex¬ 
tended and improved culture of useful fruit in the homesteads and 
cottage gardens of the kingdom ” an Exhibition, as has been 
previously indicated, is to be held in the Guildhall on the 6th, 7th 
and 8th of October. The Executive Committee appointed to carry 
out the project are Sir James Whitehead, Bart. (Chairman), with 
Dr. Fotherby and Messrs. H. R. Williams, R. S. Mason, A. H. 
Smee, T. F. Rivers, J. Cheal, G. Bunyard and J. Wright. The 
schedule that has been prepared by them is now before us. 
In order that northern growers may not be handicapped the 
country has been divided into three zones by drawing a line from 
east to west, thus separating them from the south, and from about 
the centre of that main boundary line a second line was drawn to 
the south coast, thus forming two other zones. The counties 
in each are enumerated in the schedule, and prizes are offered 
in each zone. For cottagers the total number is seventy-two, 
varying in amount from 30s. to 10s. for three dishes of Apples and 
Pears respectively, and 15s. to 10s. for single dishes. For farmers 
there are forty-five prizes, ranging from 40s. to 20s. for six dishes, 
and 20s. to 10s. for three dishes of the same kinds of fruit. For 
gardeners and amateurs there are sixty-three prizes, the amounts 
being substantially the same as in the farmers’ section for hardy 
fruit. 
Prizes are also offered to amateurs and gardeners in the United 
Kingdom for Grapes and Tomatoes. The prizes for six bunches 
of black and six of white Grapes respectively are—firsts, the Com¬ 
pany’s silver medal and £3 ; seconds, £3 ; and thirds, £2. A class 
is also provided for fifty dishes of hardy fruit, thirty Apples and 
twenty Pears, for which the gold medal, silver-gilt and silver medal 
of the Company are offered, and will be worth winning as the first 
of the kind provided for distribution. 
Prizes are offered for jams and preserves. A class is also pro¬ 
vided for nurserymen in the respective zones for tables of fruit. 
For these no money prizes are given, but the framed certificates of 
the Fruiterers’ Company will be granted for meritorious exhibits— 
the first that have been prepared for the purpose, and will no doubt 
be appreciated by their possessors. 
We are desired to request gardeners and other interested in 
fruit culture to make this Exhibition known amongst cottagers, 
farmers, and friends in their districts, and to write for schedules, 
that can be usefully distributed. These will be most readily 
supplied by O. C. T. Eagleton, Esq., 40, Chancery Lane, London, 
w .c. 
There is such a general scarcity of fruit this year that we 
suspect there will be room for all that are sent ; but, as a rule, the 
lighter the crops the finer the specimens, and very good examples 
should, therefore, be forthcoming. 
TREE PLANTING. 
To the popular belief that winter is the time for tree planting,, 
the failure of many a planting scheme, the loss of thousands of 
young trees, and the slow growth of the survivors is probably 
owing. No doubt careless slovenly work has caused some losses,, 
but it is deficient practical knowledge that renders so much of the- 
results of this important work unsatisfactory. A man may have 
the greatest fondness for trees, may make it one of the chief 
objects of life to improve his estate by judicious planting and 
thinning, and yet be ignorant of the cultural points upon which- 
success so entirely depends. Failures are most vexatious where- 
success is known to be possible. Here is a case in point. It 
became necessary to remove a considerable number of young fruit 
trees from a kitchen garden, and it was decided to turn them to- 
account for making two orchards, or plantations rather, one in a 
deep rich loam, the other in a light gravelly soil. The trees were- 
fine healthy young pyramids from 5 to 7 feet in height, very- 
robust, and in every way suitable for the required purpose ; they 
were transplanted, but for five years subsequently they made no 
appreciable growth. There they remained year after year alive,, 
but making no progress and bearing no fruit. Whether the roots 
were much lacerated or reduced, or were much exposed to air and 
frost during the transplanting, I am unable to say, for I am only 
able to speak positively to the facts of planting results which 
during the time mentioned came under my own observation. 
Certain it is that there must have been some lamentable bungling- 
to have so seriously arrested the growth of healthy trees in a 
generous soil where timber trees and Conifers were all growing 
with remarkable vigour. 
I mention this instance of failure by way of warning, and now 
proceed to show what is necessary to be done in preparing for 
planting, in planting, and in the subsequent care of the trees. 
Every tree established in the soil that is to be transplanted this 
autumn should now, at once, have its leading roots severed by a 
spade at distances of 18 inches to 3 feet from the stem, according 
to its size. This will induce such a free putting forth of rootlets, 
every one of which is a feeder or absorber of food from the soil for 
the tree, that when the tree is transplanted in October or early in 
November it is certain to become quickly established in the soil 
and to grow freely and strongly next year if only the planting and 
subsequent management is correct. 
The most delicate and sensitive parts of the roots are the 
extremities ; it is there that the rootlets or feeders are. These 
rootlets are thickset with minute hair-like filaments, and it is these 
filaments precisely through which the tree obtains food and mois¬ 
ture from the soil. When the rising temperature of spring causes 
the buds to swell, sap is drawn from the adjacent tissue, its place is 
supplied by other stored sap from cells around and below it, and so 
onwards down to the roots, which should be in a condition to afford 
a full supply then and onwards continuously throughout the season 
of growth. The roots of healthy trees well established in the soil 
always do this, and the trees sustain no check, but those of newly 
planted trees often fail to respond to this call of Nature, simply 
because they cannot. Either from late or careless planting they 
have no rootlets, and till these feeders are formed there is a cessa¬ 
tion of leaf and branch growth, and the tree sustains a serious 
check just when it ought to be in the full flush and pride of spring 
growth. 
This spring-halt is common to all badly planted trees. I have 
seen it in Grape Vines placed in costly glass houses, and planted in 
borders prepared for them with elaborate care, in fruit and forest 
trees of all sorts, in bush fruit and shrubs also, and it is just because 
I have so seen it that I am writing this article at the present 
time to beg all who have planting tq do in the coming season to- 
be on the alert now, and to have everything in readiness for early 
autumn planting. If you have to transplant trees or shrubs whose 
roots have not been disturbed for three or four or more years secure 
plenty of feeders in the way I have shown, and you will have taken 
the first and most important step towards final success. If you 
have stations to prepare for tree or shrub get them all done in 
September before heavy autumnal rain sets in. Seventy-two 
cubic feet of sound fertile soil is necessary for every fruit or forest 
tree planted in a prepared station ; or, in other words, the station 
soil should be 6 feet square and 2 feet deep, with at least 6 inches 
of gravel or broken stones beneath it, and if the subsoil is at all of 
a close retentive nature be very sure to make due provision for 
keeping it quite free from any accumulation of stagnant water by 
