September 4,1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
197 
placing a row of 2-inch land drain pipes across the middle of the 
■station beneath the gravel, and connecting them with the nearest 
■drain or outfall. 
Land for plantations, belts, and clumps of forest trees should 
■all be trenched two-spit deep, and the subsoil beneath the lower 
spit well broken up with a strong full-sized digging spud or fork. 
Although this work is done by the perch, it answers best to lend 
the workmen tools, upon condition that they are to replace any 
that are broken through carelessness. A gang of men got together, 
often hastily, for such work, is certain to have many old tools 
with which it is quite impossible to do good work, and it is clearly 
in the master’s interest to supply strong useful tools, and to see 
that good work is done with them. The depth must be guaged fre¬ 
quently, and a sharp eye kept upon the bottom spit men, who can 
easily scamp much work if not looked after very closely. See that 
they send their tools well into the subsoil, and insist upon having 
'good work for good pay. 
For fruit plantations precisely the same process of trenching is 
necessary, and in addition work in plenty of old well-decayed farm¬ 
yard manure, or decayed dung from the stable, cowyard, or pigstye, 
it matters not which. To grow fine fruit and plenty of it we must 
have robust growth. The fruit trees which I planted in Sussex 
some twenty years ago, to which Mr. Wright calls attention on page 
352, had plenty of such manure in the soil, and also had plenty of 
sewage regularly in summer. At the outset I saw that the natural 
soil was very low in fertility ; timber, underwood, and pasture all 
showed this clearly. Thorough drainage and the free use of manure, 
coal ashes, and lime, soon wrought a radical change, the best evi¬ 
dence of which was afforded in the fruit trees which Mr. Wright 
saw in the fourth year from the planting, each clothing between 
100 and 200 square feet of wall space, and bearing full crops of 
fruit ; in the Raspberry canes 10 and 12 feet in height, and in the 
■extraordinary vigour of other tree, shrub, and plant growth. 
Always since that time the inseparable trio—drainage, fertility, 
and mechanical division—have formed the basis of my practice in 
garden, farm, and forest soil, and it is assuredly a safe basis 
which never fails one. Last autumn I made a plantation of Duchess 
of Oldenburg Apple in the Essex clay, which was trenched and 
well dressed with plenty of manure taken from an old mixen. 
Nothing can be more satisfactory than the growth of the trees this 
.summer. Two or three years of such robust growth is quite 
certain to lead to a yield of really fine fruit, and there is no more 
saleable fruit than this handsome and most prolific Apple. Only 
take care to purchase trees on the Paradise stock, and three or four 
years old, then with soil well prepared, and careful planting, success 
is pretty well assured. 
Planting is a matter of the first importance, and I must leave 
that for my next paper on this important subject. My 
especial desire was to sound a note of warning to planters to be 
ready. I have done so, and strongly advise prompt action, in order 
that all may be in readiness for planting either in October or early 
in November.— Edward Luckhurst, Warrens , Harold Wood, 
Romford. 
GROWING AND SELLING FRUIT. 
(Continued from page 115.') 
Choice of Varieties. —This will be treated of under the 
separate headings of each kind of fruit, and a few words on the 
subject in general are all that are required here. In the first place, 
only two or three varieties of each kind should be planted if profit 
\s to be the object in view. Secondly, it is impossible to give a list 
of varieties that will suit every case, especially of Apples and Straw¬ 
berries, because local circumstances as to soil and atmosphere 
greatly affect these two fruits. If any doubt is felt on this point 
the best plan is to consult a professional gardener or fruit grower 
who has been for some time in the district, and who will be able to 
give advice from his own experience as to what varieties are best 
suited for the purpose required in the locality. It should always 
be kept in mind that size, colour, and firm texture are all that are 
required by market salesmen. 
Local Societies for Encouraging Fruit Growing.— These 
are a great aid to the cottager and others who are not able to employ 
professional assistance, also of benefit to the professional men 
who join them, and may easily be started by a few persons in any 
parish. All that is necessary is that a few who are interested in the 
matter should agree to meet together in the parish reading room or 
club room, and compare notes and experience, taking one or two 
subjects once a fortnight, and bringing specimens of whatever is 
under consideration for the time being, or anything specially 
worthy of notice. I have had considerable experience of similar 
meetings, and can testify to their utility when properly managed. 
A few simple rules are required to secure order at the meetings and 
start the society on a firm basis, appoint officials, &c. ; also a small 
contribution from each member (about 6d. quarterly would 
probably suffice) to pay the few small charges that necessarily 
arise. By forming societies like this growers could soon find out f 
the best markets in the kingdom ; also any unprincipled dealers 
could be reported for mutual benefit and protection, and if all the 
societies were registered at a central office much good might be 
done in many ways to develop and encourage the home fruit trade. 
Kinds of Fruit Best Adapted for Profitable Fruit 
Culture. —These are Apples, Strawberries, Black Currants, Goose¬ 
berries, Raspberries, Red Currants, Cob Nuts, Cherries, Plums, and 
Damsons, and are mentioned here in their proper order when profit 
is the chief consideration. Besides the above, which are for grow¬ 
ing in the open fields, the walls of houses and outbuildings will 
bring in good returns if covered with Peaches, Apricots, Pears, or 
Morelio Cherries. 
The Apple. 
The Apple is placed first on the list because in the majority 
of instances it is the most profitable fruit the cottager and those 
with small plantations can grow. It has one great advantage oyer 
almost all other fruits—viz, it will keep in marketable condition 
for several weeks, while most others have to be disposed of as soon 
as gathered. It is not estimated highly by many people as a 
“ profitable fruit,” because they are only acquainted with inferior 
varieties or grow too many sorts, and therefore do not get enough 
to sell profitably. 
Soil. —The Apple will grow in almost every kind of soil with 
care and attention, but thrives best in a good deep loam that is 
not too retentive of moisture, and, on the other hand, is not liable 
to become very dry in summer. Stony ground will grow good 
Apples also if deep and moderately moist at the bottom. Soils 
which contain a large quantity of iron are not good. Scony ground 
will require more manure than a good deep loam does, but, on the 
other hand, has some advantages which do not always accompany 
a richer soil. For instance, in dull and wet seasons the wood will 
ripen much better in poor stony soils than in richer ones, and thus 
a good crop will be more likely to follow. Apples should not be 
planted in ground that contains much water until drains have been 
laid to remedy this defect. Stagnant water in the soil is fatal to 
success in the culture of this fruit, being one of the causes of the 
disease called canker, it also prevents the wood ripening properly 
in the autumn. Soils that contain much chalk are not recommended 
for Apples. 
Situation. —North of London Apples should not be planted in 
low and damp positions, as the spring frosts are always far more 
severe in such places. It is best to plant in high and airy situations, 
and plant trees for shelter as before advised. In districts south of 
London this is not quite so important. 
Planting. —This should be completed as early as possible in the 
autumn after the trees have commenced shedding their leaves. Stan¬ 
dard trees on stems 5 or 6 feet high are the most profitable in the end, 
and may be bought from 18s. to 24s. per dozen, or cheaper in large 
quantities. They may also be raised at home by sowing the pips 
of the wild Crab, and budding or grafting the young plants w T hen 
they are about three years old with good sorts ; but as this takes 
such a long time before the trees arrive at a bearing size, it is not 
recommended in fruit growing for profit. Standard Apples should 
be planted 30 feet apart each way (it is often recommended to 
plant closer than this, but it should be remembered the trees require 
abundance of air and light when they reach their full size), and 
will then cost about £8 per acre for planting and staking, exclusive 
of fencing, draining, &c., which are not always necessary. The 
spaces between may be cropped with Strawberries, bush fruits, 
vegetables, or a combination of these, until the Apple trees reach 
their full size. Strong growing healthy young trees should be 
selected for planting with straight and stout stems and clean 
healthy looking bark ; in about eight years after planting they will 
bear from 1 to 2 bushels per tree, and thus give 70 bushels per 
acre, worth about £15. After this the crop will increase rapidly 
until the trees reach their full size, when in good seasons from 
400 to 500 bushels per acre may be gathered, worth £70 to £00 
gross. A word of caution is here necessary. The grower must 
not expect a full return every year, or he will be greatly dis¬ 
appointed ; indeed a full crop is very seldom brought to maturity. 
If the situation is considered too open for standard trees on 
account of the wind blowing off thefiuit or from any other cause 
for instance, if the soil is too shallow to support large standard trees 
— this may best be judged by the growth of timber trees near. In 
such cases dwarf trees may be planted, and will pay well, although 
it is not possible to get such large crops from these as from standard 
trees. They may be planted 12 feet apart in the rows, and 16 
feet between the rows, and should always be obtained on the Crab 
