September 9, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
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Show of early Chrysanthemums and Dahlias at Westminster Aquarium. 
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PEAR CULTURE AT CARDIFF CASTLE. 
ALL and pyramidal-trained Pear trees grow 
vigorously here and produce heavy crops of 
fruit in good seasons. Professional gardeners 
and other visitors are generally struck with 
the size, shape, and healthy appearance of the 
trees; indeed so much so that I have been 
asked on several occasions by readers of this 
Journal to write a short paper on the method 
I adopt in pruning and training. In the first 
place I should say that the soil (a rich, deep, calcareous 
loam) and climate suit their growth admirably, and if the 
trees escape the frost and cold easterly winds so prevalent 
during the time they are in flower they are sure to bear a 
good crop of fruit. The kitchen and fruit gardens are laid 
out with broad gravel walks up the centre and round the 
wall borders. The ground is divided into squares by other 
walks crossing these at right angles, and the borders on each 
side of the walks are planted with pyramidal-trained Apple 
and Pear trees. 
In planting I have kept the varieties as much by them¬ 
selves as possible for the sake of uniformity of growth and 
convenience in gathering and storing the fruit. I prefer 
what are termed maidens—that is, plants of one year’s growth 
from the bud, to trained trees which have been cut and 
haggled with the knife in the nursery perhaps for several 
years. Maidens, to begin with, are much cheaper than 
trained trees, and if properly managed will in the majority 
of cases make the best specimens. I also prefer a free stock 
to the Quince. My experience is that trees worked on the 
Pear stock grow stronger and last longer in good health than 
those worked on the Quince. The Quince stock, I have no 
doubt, may answer well in some thin heavy soils and in 
small gardens where ground is restricted, as the habit of the 
stock dwarfs the growth of the tree ; but as regards pre¬ 
cocity in fruiting, I think there is but little difference between 
the two stocks. If the most luxuriant trees on the free 
stock are carefully lifted when young, and the roots properly 
manipulated in the way of pruning, they will come into 
fruiting as soon as those worked on the Quince. Most of 
the trees growing here were planted maidens some ten or 
eleven years ago. Those worked on the Pear stock and 
trained in pyramidal form have attained a height of 24 feet, 
and many of them are as much as 10 and 11 feet in diameter 
at the base, and furnished with fruiting branches to the 
ground, whilst those worked on the Quince stock and planted 
at the same time are not more than from 6 to 8 feet in height 
and from 4 to 5 feet in diameter at the ground. 
The majority of the trees are planted by the sides of the 
walks at the distance of 13 feet apart and 6 feet from the 
Pox edging. Some of them are worked on the Pear stock 
and some on the Quince. The borders of the first cross walk 
in the lower kitchen garden are planted with seven Pitmaston 
Duchess and five Glou Morcaau on one side, and five 
Easter Beurre, five Williams’ Bon Chretien, and two Beurre 
No. 324.—Vol. XIII., Third Series. 
Clairgeau on the other. The Pitmaston Duchess and Glou 
Morceau are worked on the Pear stock, and Williams’ Bon 
Chretien, Easter Beurre, and Beurre Clairgeau on the Quince. 
The trees are all good, but the Pitmaston Duchess and 
Glou Morceau are the best. They are 20 feet high, and 
much stronger and better furnished with fruiting branches 
than the trees on the opposite side which are worked on the 
Qnince. Easter Beurre and Williams’ Bon Chretien are 
from 8 to 10 feet high. They are thin in branches, and the 
trees are a little loose in habit. Beurre Clairgeau is 14 feet 
high, compact and columnar in growth. Pitmaston Duchets 
is erect, strong, and symmetrical. Glou Morceau forms a 
graceful weeping pyramid. Nearly all the varieties are so 
heavily laden with fruit this year that they have to be propped 
up to prevent the branches being broken, but the finest and 
largest fruits are on the trees worked on the free stock. 
The sides of the next cross walk are planted with tLe 
same number of trees. Some are worked on the Quince 
stock and some on the Pear. The varieties consist of Louise 
Bonne of Jersey, Marie Louise d'Uccle, Durondeau, Williams’ 
Bon Chretien and others, and the results here are the same 
as in the former case. The trees on the free stock are much 
stronger in growth, and the fruit larger and better in quality 
than those on the Quince. 
The walls enclosing this garden are 12 feet high and faced 
in the inside with bricks. The trees are planted at the dis¬ 
tance of 21 feet apart, and trained in fan shape. The whole 
of the east and west walls and a portion of the south wall 
are planted with Pear trees. There are nine trees on the 
south aspect, eleven on the west, and ten on the east. The 
varieties on the south wall are Jargonelle, Beurre d’Amanlis, 
Chaumontel, Beurre Superfin, Broom Park, and Marie 
Louise. On the west—Ne Plus Meuris, Winter Nelis, Gansel’s 
Bergamot, Marie Louise, Fondante d’Automne, and Chau¬ 
montel ; and on the east—Louise Bonne of Jersey, Jargo¬ 
nelle, and Marie Louise. The north wall is partly covered 
with Pear trees ; some are trained in fan shape, and some in 
single cordons. The early sorts ripen their fruit fairly well, 
but the late varieties do not ripen satisfactorily. The wall 
was formerly covered with Morello and other Cherry trees, 
but they did not succeed well, and I had them taken out and 
planted Pear trees in their place. This was done partly to 
cover the wall, and partly to train trees to plant elsewhere. 
The upper garden lies some 400 yards to the north of this. 
The whole of the south wall and part of the east and west 
walls are covered with Pear trees. Besides these a great 
many pyramidal-trained trees are planted in the borders on 
each side of the walks and in some of the open quarters. 
The trees grow remarkably well here. Those trained on the 
south wall have not failed to produce crops of excellent 
fruit for some years past, and this year both they and the 
pyramidal trees are loaded to the ground. The south wall is 
14 feet high. It is wired from top to bottom at the distance 
of 9 inches apart, and the trees which cover it are planted at 
24 feet apart, and trained in fan shape. The varieties con¬ 
sist of Duchesse d’Angouleme, Pitmaston Duchess, Beurre 
d’Amanlis, Williams’ Bon Chretien, Easter Beurre, Beurre 
Clairgeau, Beurre Bose, Beurre Superfin, Glou Morceau, 
Marie Louise, Ne Plus Meuris, Bergamotte Esperen, 
Beurre Diel, and General Todtleben. The east and weet 
walls are furnished with somewhat similar varieties. 
Conspicuous amongst the fruit trees in the open quarters 
is a row of very fine pyramidal Pear trees 24 feet high. 
They are planted in the centre of the garden, in a border by 
themselves, with a broad gravel walk on each side. The 
trees are 13 feet apart, and the points of the branches meet 
each other at the base. The row consists of nine Pitmaston 
Duchess and eleven Beurre Superfin, winch are covered 
with large fruit from base to apex. The other trees border¬ 
ing the walks, and those in the open quarters of the garden, 
are fruiting equally well this year ; but I may safely say the 
best trained trees, both wall and pyramid, are those which were 
No. 1980 —Vol. LX XV., Old Series 
