JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Janoarf 21, 135>SS. 
no 
old, which have apparently become irretrievably barren. No 
fairer sight have I seen in fruit culture than forne old Apple 
espaliers on each side of the central path of a farmer’s garden at an 
old farmhouse in Suffolk. The path leading from the entrance 
gate t j ihe front door of the farmhouse was arched over by the 
branches all heavily laden with fruit. It was some years ago that 
I saw this charming arcade, and the sight and the lesson it conveyed 
will never be forgotten. 'I’he old trees had probably been hacked 
about for many years ; the freedom of growth which I saw was 
unlikely to have been an outcome of reasoning, of scientific 
acumen, of set plan or purpose of any sort. The trees had most 
likely been left to chance, which for once had proved the best 
thing possible for them. 
Another very important part of winter pruning is that of quite 
young trees. Whatever may be the form to be imparted, what¬ 
ever may be the stock on which they are grafted, do not be too 
eager for fruit. The man whose boast it is that his trees bore so 
many dozens of fruit the first season is proclaiming his mistake. 
Of all things I should like in his interest, or, better still, in the 
common interest, to prevent a recurrence of such folly. When we 
plant a fruit tree we have first of all to strive for a vigorous 
development of stem, branch, and spur. Strong, firm, well- 
ripened wood is what we require and must have ; only get this, 
and the fruitful habit is easily induced if it fails ts come 
naturally. 
Now, let me ask any readers of the Journal who may have 
jrlanted fruit trees last season to examine them closely, and see 
what sort of condition they are now in. They came from the 
nursery well furnished with robust, healthy growth ; have they 
made growth of similar vigour since they were planted, or do they 
now present a comparatively starved and stunted appearance ? If 
the latter, something is wrong ; what it is one can only suggest, as 
it is impossible to be positive without actual inspection. If the 
trees were not pruned when planted, the first year is usually lost ; 
if they have been sull'ered to bear fruit, they are now probably so 
much weakened that any fresh growth has an attenuated apprar- 
ance. Cordons may have a number of lateral growth 2 or ?> inches 
long, each shoot tipped with a blossom bud. Such shoots must be 
shortened, and nothing should induce one to leave them for the 
chance of fruit. Spur formation must begin at once; fruit the 
first two years is altogether a secondary consideration. 
A few weeks ago I was reijuested to inspect a garden wherein 
the fruit trees had become practically barren. The situation was 
admirable—a sunny southern slope in a southern county ; the soil 
was shallow, upon a substratum of sand. Peach and Nectarine 
trees on one wall, though starved, were sufficiently healthy to 
justify my advice to shorten all main branches to within aiaout 
d feet at the base, to prune out any weakly growth remsining after 
that had been done, and to give the roots quite 2 feet in depth of 
fresh, sweet, rich loam, removing as much of the shallow exhausted 
soil as possible without damage to the roots ; then with a surface 
dressing of manure and liberal watering during growth next 
season free robust growth is i)ractically a certainty. I had to 
condemn another wall of trees outright, and recommended a 
selection of choice cordon Pears as a suitable substitute for worn 
out Apricots and h’igs. The best Pears are entirely worthy of wall 
space as cordons. They soon reach the limit of stem extension, 
form Hj)ur8 quickly, and come early into fruit bearing, the fruit 
being of superior flavour to that from trees growing in the open. 
Very interesting is this work of winter pruning if it is done in 
the right way with judgment and care. Each kind of fruit refjuires 
special treatment, each tree being pruned according to its condition. 
Peaches and Nectaiines, for example, often require pruning more 
freely than usual, simply because they have so much weakly 
growth. To have really fine full-sized fruit there must be robust 
growth well set with tri[)lo buds. Slender growth with its single 
blossom bu Is cannot jield fine fruit. If the trees have much 
small wood off with it ; be content with a moderate quantity of 
fruit this season, keep the soil well stored with fertility throughout 
the period of growth, and there will bo plenty of stout wood from 
which a full crop may be had next year.— Edward Lucuuitntsr. 
ALLOTMENT GARDENS. 
In the Journal of the 7th inst. wore a few words in reference 
to the Kenilworth Allotment Association and their allotment 
gardens, and as th ; subject of “ Allotments” is now a prominent 
one, and the present time is suitable for a few more words on the 
subject, I bog to trouble you with them. 
'I’here can be no doubt that when properly worked out large 
gardens attached to cottages at a low rental are an immense boon 
to the agricultural labourer, and in some districts it i.s a groat 
pleasure to see the well-built cottages and largo gardens, such as 
one meets with in the village of Stoneleigh, close to Stoneleigh 
Abbey, and the adjacent villages on the estate of Lord Leigh, 
near Kenilworth. Both Lord and Lady Leigh encourage good 
cultivation of the gardens, and cleanliness and comfort in the 
cottages, and it is very pleasing to know that in other places land- 
owners now pay very much more attention to the comfort of the 
agricultural and garden labourers than they formerly did. 
At Alderrninster, a few miles from Stratford-on-Avon, and not 
far from Kenilworth, there are excellent houses, more like small 
villas, with large gardens to them, which are let to the labourers 
at Is. per week. At least it was so when your correspondent, the 
llev. J. A. Williams, lived there, and he e.stabli3hed an excellent 
parochial exhibition of garden produce. 
But Kenilworth itself is outside the area where Lord and Lady 
Leigh so beneficially work for the good of their own people ; and 
although many cottagers and working men have large gardens, 
which, as a rule, are well cropped and kept, the demand for fine 
fresh Strawberries in the neighbouring towns is so great, and the 
Kenilworth Strawberries have such a reputation, that even the 
cottagers grow for sale, the favourite variety Vjeing Sir Joseph 
Paxton, and President is also somewhat generally grown. The 
district is rather early, and some gardens better situated than 
others, but Strawberries are well grown, and fetch good prices in 
Birmingham, Leamington, Warwick, and in Kenilworth itself, now 
so popular with the large contingent of visitors from America and 
elsewhere, who come to see the grand old Castle ruins. Many of 
the working men still wanted more ground for a more extended 
supply of vegetables and fruit for their household use, hence the 
demand for more allotment gardens, as stated in my brief note to 
the Journal of the 7th inst., and I wish to point out one or two 
features of the Kenilworth Horticultural Society in connection 
with the cottagers’ exhibits. 
Prizes are offered for the best cropped and cultivated gardens 
in Stoneleigh and the adjacent villages, the internal condition of 
the cottage being also taken into consideration ; and, as one of 
the judges each year appointed to visit the gardens and cottages, 
I can honestly testify to the excellent cultivation and cropping of 
the gardens, and the comfortable and cleanly appearance inside 
the cottages. Prizes are also offered for the cottage gardens of 
Kenilworth, and separate prizes also for the cultivation and 
cropping of the new allotments. The judging of all the gardens 
and allotments takes place three to four days before the day of exhi¬ 
bition, and as all entries of proposed exhibits have to be made five 
or six days before the day of the show, a copy of all these entries 
is handed to the judges, who check them off, and any entries of 
exhibits are struck out if not found in a presentable state for the 
exhibition. In judging the gardens and allotments, points are 
previously decided upon as to produce, and to cultivation also. The 
same judges officiate on the day of exhiVjition, and this insures 
honest exhibitors, and prevents any begging, buying, or stealing, as 
ia sometimes resorted to by some exhibitors. It goes without say¬ 
ing that every horticultural society in the kingdom should do its 
utmost to prevent this, but it is a difficult matter to deal with ; 
but when known and proved to have been done, the dishonest 
exhibitor should be expelled or excluded from any further exhi¬ 
bition. 
froing back to the allotment question, it is a great misfortune 
that in some cases the labourer has been tempted to believe in so 
much greater prosperity from it than can arise unless their spare 
produce can be readily collected and taken into paying market 
localities. ’J’here lies a great difficulty at present, and in the past 
season where in some districts of the Midlands—in Warwickshire, 
Btaffordshire, and Worcestershire certainly—many hundreds of 
bushels of Victoria and Red and White Magnum Bonum and 
other sorts of Plums and Bamsons growing in the outlying dis¬ 
tricts were scarcely worth gathering, as there was little or no sale 
for them. If there had been an organisation at work for collect¬ 
ing these things and conveying them to depdts near to railways, 
when they could have been packed and sent on by rail to towns 
and markets, the cottagers would then receive direct benefit, and 
learn what best to do year after year. Larger crops could bo 
grown of produce for which there is a demand, such as Raspberries 
(always wanted). Black Currants, Strawberries, Plums, Damsons, 
good Apples and Pears, good Onions, any quantity of good fresh 
Peas, so very difficult to get in large towns, manufacturing centres 
especially, and other things, including honey, new-laid eggs, out- 
door-grown Mushrooms, and other things. 
No life is a much harder one than that of the agricultural 
labourer, with a small wage, a large family frequently, and long 
hours of work. Still a good deal of garden work can be done by 
the wife and family, and a few pounds made through the year from 
the sale of garden produce not wanted by themselves would form a 
nest egg for helping through the winter when the labourer is out 
of work. MucIj can be done to benefit this class by giving them 
