486 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December i 185?) 
planted young. Some were planted, but the old were retained and 
nourished. I was somewhat astonished to see the change they had 
undergone since the previous year, thick deep green leaves in place 
of the pale and thin ; stout short jointed, well-fed wood in place 
of the weak ; large fruit in place of the small, clean and rosy in 
place of the speckled and sickly hued. This rapid renovation had 
been effected by liquid manure given strong and plentifully in the 
winter. 
“ I had exactly similar experience in years gone by, and in the 
same village. Whether the vicar came to hear of this I know not, 
or whether he remembered something he had read on the subject, 
or whether it was a question of wasting the sewage or not, and so 
he ventured to try it on the old trees, not minding much if he 
killed them, I am not able to say, but the fact remains he did pour 
the strong stuff into the ground when it was naturally wet in 
winter and the trees leafless, then when the spring came and the 
summer advanced the sturdy shoots and thick dark leaves, the bold 
buds, and good fruit told plainly that the food in solution given in 
winter when the trees were resting was not lost, but retained and 
appropriated. In no other way could the enfeebled trees have been 
improved so quickly, decidedly, and cheaply. 
“ It is nearly thirty years since some cesspools on the premises 
of a gentleman could only be emptied in the winter. The contents 
were applied to old trees in an orchard, completely saturating the 
ground, and there was no mistaking the effect of the application. 
It was then used in the garden, being given to trees of various 
kinds near the walls and in the open that appeared to need extra 
support, also to Gooseberries, Currants, Strawberry beds, and 
Raspberry plantations, with the most satisfactory results ; indeed, 
for seven years they had no manure beyond the sewage, and this 
was only given in winter. The owner of the trees and bushes, 
and all else who knew them, were satisfied that they became much 
more healthy and grew far better crops of fruit after being thus 
treated than they had ever done before, and canker wounds healed 
freely in some apparently worn out Apple trees that were in¬ 
vigorated in the manner described. To be effectual the application 
must be thorough, surface driblings being of little use.” 
It may be thought, and is thought by some cultivators, that 
liquid manure applied in winter passes through the soil into the 
drains. This is not so when the soil is moist and not too sandy 
for fruit trees. The liquid is not lost, but filtered, that which is 
least wanted, then (almost pure water), passing away, that which 
is most wanted—the virtues of the liquid—being retained for the 
support of the trees. This anyone can prove by experimenting 
with a large flower potful of moderately firm moist soil. 
In order to aid the penetration of the liquid quite down to 
the roots of trees holes made with a crowbar are useful, particularly 
on sloping ground, filling them over and over again. These 
food receptacles should not be close to the stem only, for the most 
active feeding roots are at a distance from it about equal to the 
spread of the branches. The deeper and wider and more numer¬ 
ous these conduits are the better, especially when they are after¬ 
wards filled, as they should be, with a rich compost rammed firmly. 
A mixture of loam, wood ashes, and leaf mould in equal parts, well 
incorporating with each bushel 3 or 4 lbs. of superphosphate of 
lime, used in the manner suggested will soon be taken possession of 
by a mass of fibrous roots, and the trees will be improved accord- 
i n gly* I have seen some striking results follow that practice in the 
renovation of both fruit and ornamental trees on grass. 
(To be continued.) 
AURICULAS. 
One peculiarity of Auriculas is that they are interesting all the 
year round. At present they should be in the quarters where they 
are to flower next April. Growers who have only frames should 
see that they are thoroughly watertight, for a drip in the heart of 
a plant is fatal. During heavy rains the sashes should be kept 
close, enough ventilation being provided for by openings in the 
sides, or by having the frame raised some inches from the ground. 
In Scotland most of the growers have now houses specially erected 
for their Auriculas, and thus the plants can be under their observa¬ 
tion during even the storms of winter. This is undoubtedly the 
best way of keeping the plants safe, for with frames much damage 
may be done before it can be discovered, as for many weeks some¬ 
times they cannot be opened. Even with a house and all proper 
attention it is found that some plants will go wrong, and occa¬ 
sionally a loss has to be borne. The door of the Auricula house 
should be of wire netting, as close in the mesh as to exclude birds, 
and the upper half should be made to hold a glass sash, removeable 
at pleasure, which during winter protects the plants from draughts 
and driving rains. The plants require little water from this 
time to the commencement of growth about the beginning of 
February, but they must never be allowed to become dust dry. A 
practised eye knows by the look of the soil where water is needed'. 
The plants have gone to rest, and the chief attention. they require- 
is keeping them clear of green fly and yellow leaves. In a col L 
lection of any size, yellow leaves will be found every day, and they 
should at once be removed. Where the plants can be carefully 
observed, as in a house, every one is a study. Some will soon* 
assume the appearance of a close cone like a pencil point ; others 
maintain more or less expansion in their foliage all the time they 
are at rest, and some stems appear longer than others, owing to the- 
thickness of the base of the leaf, which leaves a larger space empty 
when it is taken off. 
Every Auricula grower knows that there are some plants that 
will not grow or bloom satisfactorily with him, whatever they may 
do with others. In my own experience I have never been able to 
make anything of Douglas’s Conservative. Every season it has 
broken up into a number of small plants, and I have never had a> 
plant of any size to show its real merits. The best plant and the 
best bloom of it I saw with Mr. B. Simonite at Sheffield the year 
it came out. The experience of some of the Scotch growers is- 
the same as mine. There must be something inherently delicate- 
in Campbell’s Duke of Argyle, judging from its scarcity. This 
season I had a fine plant and a good bloom, but shortly after being 
repotted the stem above and below the soil decayed simultaneously, 
to my great grief, as there is little chance of replacing it. Simonite’s 
Mrs. Douglas is another which breaks up with me. It is a desirable- 
variety owing to its colour, which makes it conspicuous in a 
collection. Kay’s Alexander Meiklejohn, as good a grey-edge as- 
we have, is not a satisfactory grower. The leaves do not expand 
properly, and I have seldom seen it without a stunted look, and 
with the foliage “ nirly,” as the Scotch phrase it. With me it is- 
not a ready breeder. It is the opinion of my Auricula-growing 
friends that Reid’S' Acme is losing strength, and is not so robust a 
grower as it used to be. I did not observe any difference in my 
plants last year, but now that my attention has been called to the 
matter I will watch Acme in future. On the other hand, it is 
pleasing to see at the proper season the robust and sturdy growth 
of Lightbody’s Sir John Moore, Woodhead’s Mrs. Dodwell and’ 
George Rudd, Campbell’s Lord of Lome, Turner’s Colonel Champ-- 
neys, Downing’s Catherine, Horner’s Heroine, and others. My 
excuse for mentioning these things is that points in the experience 
of others are always interesting and useful. — John Morris^ 
Dundee. 
PEARS ON WALLS. 
I give a select list of varieties of Pears, as grown at Ken- 
ward. I will speak of the south wall first: “Winter Nelis, Pit- 
maston Duchess, Williams’ Bon Chretien, Marie Louise, Glou 
Moreau, Doyenne Boussoch, Beurre Ranee, Brown Beurre, Beurre- 
Diel, Beurre Superfin, Chaumontel. On west walls : Gansel’s 
Bergamot, Jargonelle, Marie Louise, Pitmaston Duchess, Williams’ 
Bon Chretien, Van Mons Leon Leclerc, Beurre Superfin, Winter 
Nelis. On east walls : Flemish Beauty, Madame Treyve, Doyenne- 
Boussoch, Catillac, Bellissime d’Hiver, Uvedale’s St. Germain, 
Williams’ Bon Chretien. On north walls: Swan’s Egg, Marie 
Louise, Uvedale’s St. Germain, Jargonelle. 
The west wall I consider the best for Pears, but Glou Mor^eau 
does very well on the south wall, also Marie Louise, Chaumontel, 
Beurre Ranee, Doyenne Boussoch, and Doyenne du Comice. Many 
more could be added. Winter Nelis does best with us on the 
south wall, double grafted upon Brown Beurre, or properly speak¬ 
ing, budded. I find Pitmaston Duchess does not set a sufficient 
number of fruits for a half crop. I am about to double work this 
upon Winter Nelis, and Winter Nelis upon Pitmaston Duchess. 
The natural so l at Kenward is good for Pears, when the roots 
are prevented passing into the subsoil, which is more or less 
clay. In planting I use tiles, to prevent the roots getting into the 
subsoil, placing the tiles at the bottom of the hole made for 
planting, one tile overlapping the other, as on a building. This 
I find prevents coarse roots, and further, the roots are under the 
entire management of the cultivator. I have found all the fruit 
trees planted in this way free from strong breastwood in summer, 
and the wood ripens much better in autumn. All our fruit trees 
except Apples are planted upon clay tiles, and have been for many 
years, whether against walls or in the open quarters, and I have no 
cause to alter my system of planting upon tiles. Of course if very 
dry weather occurs the fruit trees are watered occasionally, according 
to the crop upon the trees. We have many other varieties of 
Pears in the open quarters, as pyramids and bush trees. Remarks 
upon these I must reserve for a future paper. 
I need not say much about insects, but one or two may be men¬ 
tioned. The slug worm is a small, black, slimy caterpillar, that 
occasionally does considerable mischief to the foliage of the Pear 
