570 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 23, 1890. 
de-ar. The subj ect might be entertained about Christmas time and now 
I want an excuse to wish our Editors a Happy New Year, and to let 
them know that I am still in the land of the living, I will propose to do 
so—as of a dream. 
December 16th.—“It is nearly Christmastime, and you have not 
done what you proposed.” Oh, ah!—well it is a longish dream, but 
sometimes if one dreams but an instant one’s whole life appea’s shown 
over again. At any rate, the Black Currant jam “ dog-in-the-blanket ” 
that Alice made for dinner to-day was palpable, and as I have got a day 
•or two’s respite from those plaguey parish valuation lists I will at once 
relate a trifle about our late comical enterprises. I was not successful 
in an entreaty to bring up my wife’s jams to the Fruiterers’ Guildhall 
‘Show along with a collection of my seedling Potatoes—these latter not 
necessarily for competition, but as giving an opportunity to a large 
gathering of the public as showing special suitability for culture, and 
quality, at the present day. I saw we could not show in rule, according 
to the schedule, so I tried to win over the Secretary in this way : “ I feel 
myself in a great measure a city man, having bent the printers’ backs 
there periodically since 1S52 on practical horticultural subjects, and 
beginning in connection with the old Cottage Gardener; plus I was 
apprenticed to the watchmaking in Knightsbridge, when the site of 
Belgrave Square was a receptacle for the ddbris of London, and I have 
eaten Cherries frcm the trees on the site where I afterwards sat as a 
member of the Boyal Horticultural Society’s Fruit Committee.” I fear 
I bothered Mr. Eagleton ; but he let me down in an agreeable manner 
by “ regretting that Potatoes were not within the scope of the Fruiterers’ 
Exhibition’ (the Pomme de Terre ?), “ and he feared he must confine 
me to exhibits as specified in the schedule.” Thus the glory of the 
world passeth away ! Not quite ; for the Royal Horticultural Society 
was now making a departure, and had made up its mind for a jam show. 
Now our universal friend must be appealed to, because the schedule 
laid it down that “ all jams, fruit, and jellies should be in clear glass 
jars, quart and pint bottles,” which was simply kicking the ground from 
under us country people, who had their preserves already made, and 
stored away in any convenient teacups (handleless), or glasses and jars, 
as they promiscuously “come to hand” in country cottages. Mr. 
Barron's answer was just what we expected, “ We shall be very pleaded 
to receive Mrs. Fenn’s interesting contribution in the style that Mrs. 
Fenn will present it; kindly let us know as to space desired both by 
yourself and your wife.” Thus the Royal Horticultural Society had the 
first initiative after all in presenting to the public a complete selection 
of Apples, jams, &c., from a cottage homestead, and, as expressed by a 
label, to be appropriate for a small holder to grow— pins, in showing 
the utilisation of surplus fruits into jams, jellies, syrups, and beverages 
as human food. 
You have got it in your archives in Fleet Street, in print, how I 
planted my first orchard, about 1836, at Stanton Lacey, near Ludlow. 
In 1852 and onwards I have mentioned many anecdotes of Mr. Thos. 
Andrew Knight, of Downton Castle, almost the next parish to Stanton 
Lacey, Bromfield intervening. Mr. Knight would hob-nob with anyone 
fond of horticulture. When in London he usually stayed with his 
daughter, Mrs. Walpole, in Upper Wimpole Street, and on my first visit 
to the R H.S. Chiswick fetes I rode on Mr. Walpole’s carriage, which 
conveyed Mr. Knight thither as President in 1835, or it may have been 
1S36. Mr. Knight had a great objection to sleeping upstairs in London. 
Tlis bedroom was the back dining-room on the first floor. 
When I read of your visits to Downton and its neighbourhood, I 
have wished that I could have been with you : we would have gone and 
seen the rectory orchard, by the banks of the river Corve ; the planta¬ 
tions and trees in the churchyard, nearly all of which I had a hand in 
planting, and which 1 should expect are now at their best as timber 
And again, when you are visiting Nowton in Suffolk you would little 
suppose how I was at the planting of many of those trees you have so 
often, to my great pleasure, told us recently about. Why, I remember 
a greater part of the site of those trees as a common. My relatives 
lived as tenants under Mr. Oakes, and I was born at Rushbrook, the 
hall of which you must have seen upon the hill ; and your old pages 
will tell how, as a child, I planted a young Ash tree against the cottage 
wall where 1 was born, and how it was kept sacred there till there arose 
the danger of its pulling the house down. I mention these things as a 
dream, but also as an assurance to your readers that I am not a novice 
in what I am about to advise them, at least that is those of cottage folk, 
to plan:. Why I had for the matter of that planted my first garden 
and orchard, and was partaking of the jams and fruits thereof, when 
Mr. Gladstone was a good^Conservative. But his airing of his jam 
theory has given the subject a thousandfold more impulse than a simple 
individual like myself could do, even by example, and precept, and 
writing, “ how to do ” these things nearly all my life. 
This (my.present home) is the third place I have, so to say, made 
and planted, and seen grow up. Everything here is in full practical 
working that is now so thoroughly being thrashed as to what “ ought ” 
to be done. I have seen, too, nearly the whole of the horticultural 
world grow up from boys into manhood, and many—too many of them 
—are gone over to the majority, and now, when I attend the horti¬ 
cultural meetings, I am scarcely known, at least so it seems to me. 
Ferhaps it is a dream. 
The Berks County Council had ordered a restamping of the weights 
and machines, So on the 10th of October we lifted the case containing 
our exhibits into my cart with the above, and drove direct to the South- 
Western Station at Reading, ordering my man to the county inspector 
with his portion. Then with anxiety about the missus’s jams, by 
keeping a sharp eye on the porter to see that the case was kept “this 
side up,” I arrived in London during one of the densest fogs the metro¬ 
polis could inflict. I self piloted through the fog the next morning, 
and “Big Ben” boomed the hour of seven as I arrived at the Drill 
Hall, but to find the trestles and tables just arrived from Chiswick. It 
would be “ quite an hour ” before my staging space could be occupied, 
and quite that period I surmised before the coffee shops transacted 
business. Drill Hall, not inviting ; in the streets, a suffocating fog ; 
pleasant ; but breakfast most desirable ; voyage of discovery for the 
same. “ Soldier’s Home ” I read on a new building ; “ Cup of Tea half¬ 
penny, Slice of Bread and Butter, half-penny,” with other reasonable 
prices. Enter:—I found chairs on the tops of tables, and men, old 
soldiers apparently (with buckets of water washing the floor), who 
civilly inclined to make way. Pray do not disturb yourselves, I merely 
want a cup of tea ; and making up to the counter I inquired of the 
bar occupant, who was polishing some resplendent urns, “ Is it too soon 
for a cup of tea 1 ” “ We have none ready, sir, but I can make you a 
pot of tea. Anything to eat with it ? ” Oh, yes thanks, some bread and 
butter, and would a slice of bacon be too inconvenient ? ” “I can cook 
you a rasher, but you will have to wait ten minutes,” and he looked 
apologetically at the wet floor. I instinctively said, “The outlook in 
the street is far worse, and here comes the morning’s papers for me to 
take a first peep.” For civility and a know what to do I commend the 
Soldier’s Home to all waifs and strays from the country in a thick 
London fog in the early morning. So to the Drill Hall, where my 
superfices were ready by the time that 1 was for staging, and I gained 
the compliment of being “ the first ready.” But scant reports were 
eiven me and I seemed wounded in the house of my friends.— Robt. 
Fexx. 
(To he continued.) 
ip WORI^foiitkeWEEK.. \ 
z3| 
' "elc"' / 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Pixes. —Preparations for producing ripe fruit during the months of 
May and June must not be further delayed. Black Jamaica, Smooth¬ 
leaved Cayenne, and Charlotte Rothschild, which failed to show fruit 
during October and November, will not now throw up in time to ripen 
at the period in question, therefore attention must be directed to those 
that attain perfection in less time, such as the Queen, Enville, and Pro¬ 
vidence. Choose at once those plants which have an enlarged base, with 
a tendency to open at the centre, signs of the fruit beiDg shortly visible, 
placing them in a light house or pit, affording a brisk bottom heat of 
85° to 90°, a top heat of 60° to 65° at night, 70° to 75° by day, and 10° 
more when the external conditions are favourable. A genial atmosphere 
should be maintained, but not be produced by steam resulting from 
syringing the hot water pipes, as syringing the plants once or twice a 
week is ample, and then very lightly, on fine afternoons damping the 
house. See that the soil is in proper condition as to moisture, using 
tepid water with a dash of guano or some approved fertiliser in it, 
applying it copiously about every ten days. 
Peaches axd Nectarixes. —Earliest IlouSe .—Less moisture is 
needed at this time of year than in spring, when the days are longer and 
more sunny. Cease, therefore, syringing the trees when the flowers 
show the anthers ; but a moist atmosphere tends to weaken them, and 
should be guarded against by a little ventilation constantly, avoiding 
syringing the trees after the flowers show colour. A moderate moisture, 
however, must be maintained by damping the floor on bright mornings 
and early in the afternoon of fine days. The temperature may be 
maintained at 55° by day and 50° at night, but in sharp weather 50° by 
day and 40° to 45° at night is safer than the higher temperature. In 
fact, low but safe night temperatures invigorate, and are advantageous 
rather than otherwise. Inside borders must be kept moist, affording if 
necessary a thorough supply of water at a temperature slightly in 
advance of that of the house. Avoid, however, making the soil sodden 
by needless waterings, and particularly by driblets that make the soil 
soapy whilst below it is dry. 
Second Early House .—Anything required in the way of repairs, &c., 
must be attended to at once, and the trees must have their final dressing, 
if one be necessary, and be tied to the trellis. The house must then be 
closed, merely employing fire heat to exclude frost. This will accelerate 
the activity of the sap and the gentle advance of the buds, so that fire 
heat can be safely used at the beginning of the new year in houses that 
are to afford ripe fruit at the close of May or early in June. Besides, 
when the trees are brought on too rapidly they are apt to cast their 
buds, especially those of the early large flowered varieties. Alexander, 
Amsden’s June, and Waterloo differ very little, and have large flowers, 
so also have Hale’s Early, Early Grosse Mignonne, Early Alfred, and 
Early York, with Early Beatrice and Early Rivers. Varieties with large 
flowers do not bear forcing nearly so well as those with small flowers, 
which is due to premature development of the buds, but there are 
