244 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 31, 1893. 
~ It ia indeed fortunate for “Nous Verrons” that Mr. Iggulden added as 
a rider to his original article when remarking on the lifting of young trees 
in full flower, “ Or even when they have shoots on them 6 inches long ; ” 
but I must inform him that as this did not occur in the original article 
on which my observations were founded, nor in “Nous Verrons’” 
critique, “ the objection of moving trees so late as May,” could not 
have been his motive in criticising the article in question, and yet he 
says now “ that this has been his principal objection.” Now, “ Nous 
Verrons,” do be a little consistent. 
I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he really did interpret 
the sentence on root-lifting in the sense that he makes out, “ that he 
took it to mean that Mr, Iggulden really recommended the trees to be 
operated on with the fruit on them,” although I should have given him 
credit for thinking differently. But according to his observations at 
page 195 “his principal objection throughout has been to condemn 
moving trees so late as May.” Mr. Iggulden really recommended in his 
original article, root-pruning or root-lifting, whatever you may like to 
call it, the trees to be operated on in the autumn ; the other comments 
referring to exceptional cases. 
The advisability of lifting Peach trees with shoots on them G inches 
long 1 should dispute myself, so I must decline lifting a tree at this 
stage, even for experimental purposes ; but at the flowering stage there 
certainly would not be extra work entailed, the root action would only 
be just commencing. Science certainly has made rapid strides with 
“ Nous Verrons.” He can cut “ all ” the roots off a Fuchsia, and it will 
grow just as well without them as with them ; and yet he rises up and 
condemns the advisability of lifting a Peach tree at the flowering stage, 
when root action is commencing, and with its full complement of roots 
to start with. I wonder how many hundreds of Peach trees are planted 
in Peach houses at the season of the year when growth is commencing, 
and yet they make satisfactory growth. The best time to move 
deciduous trees is either when the leaves are falling or root action just 
commencing. In either case they become established quicker than 
when dormant. If circumstances arose for me to plant young Peach 
trees at the flowering stage, I should pick all the flowers off, and I 
should certainly be woefully disappointed if the trees did not make a 
successful growth ; in fact, gross mismanagement would only prevent 
it from being otherwise. 
“ Nous Verrons’ ” latter comment on root-lifting is very conflicting 
with what he stated at page 144. At this latter page he condemns it as 
useless if the trees are in “ full bearing order.” It is there advised “ to 
crop to regulate the roots and growth,” or, in fact, if the trees are 
capable of setting and forming fruit the operation would be useless. I 
say that the views as expounded by “ Nous Verrons ” are entirely at 
variance with science and good gardening. Does he think that root¬ 
lifting is only needed or adopted to merely check grossness or over- 
luxuriance ? If he does, I do not. Koot-lifting, not root-pruning, I 
look upon as a necessity on our cold soil, and also look upon it as a 
needful part in the routine of culture with Peaches on open walls. 
Under this system active feeders are encouraged, which in their turn 
supply aliment to the trees, and so assist them in perfecting the fruits, 
so that they may become large in size, of good colour, and finish 
satisfactorily in every respect.— A. Young. 
THINNING, DISBUDDING and CLEANSING PEACHES. 
Thinning the fruits of Peaches and Nectarines where too thickly set 
will need attention, removing those that are badly placed first, and per¬ 
forming this often-neglected operation gradually. Disbudding, also, should 
be commenced early and followed up at short intervals until no more 
shoots are left than are necessary for bearing another season, attracting 
the sap to the fruit, and for furnishing young and extending trees. 
Syringe thoroughly in the morning and afternoon, except when the trees 
are in blossom or the days are dull, when damping will be sufficient. 
Trees in blossom require a gentle warmth in dull and cold weather to 
permit a circulation of air, and to promote the steady advance of the 
flowers, a temperature of 50° to 55° in the daytime, with ventilation, 
insuring a good set in most cases. The inside borders must not be 
neglected in the supply of water, and as the surface is often moist 
through syringing examine them occasionally, and when any is needed 
afford it in sufficient quantity to moisten the soil down to the drainage. 
Aphides are often troublesome, and must be destroyed by fumigation 
with tobacco, which, however, should be done carefully, having the 
foliage dry, and not giving too much. Tobacco water is effectual, and 
various insecticides answer also if the instructions are followed carefully. 
Brown aphides are more difficult to deal with than green fly, as they 
throw off solutions intended for their destruction ; but the narcotic 
properties of tobacco water overcome the pests. This can be applied 
with a brush, or rub the affected parts gently with the fingers dipped 
frequently in the liquid. A few minutes spent in this way at first 
attacks often saves a whole house. Syringing the trees with a pint of 
strong tobacco juice to 3 gallons of water acts as a preventive and 
remedy. Soapy solutions are potent for the prevention and destruction 
of red spider, and are also useful against mildew; but for aphides a 
decoction of quassia chips is by some preferred to tobacco water. To 
kill black and brown aphides a stronger solution is required than for 
green fly—say, 4 ozs. of quassia chips steeped overnight in a gallon of 
rain water, then boiled a quarter of an hour, adding to it as it cools 
4 ozs. of softsoap, straining, and applying it to the infested shoots 
and leaves with a brush, or dipping them in the mixture rub gently with 
the fingers. The material is sooner applied with a syringe, and better 
with a spraying nozzle than through a rose; but we find it best to go 
over, the trees in the manner indicated, and having dressed the worst 
parts spray the trees thoroughly, syringing the following day with clear 
water. If repeated twice or thrice the black and brown aphides are 
easily got rid of ; but it is not necessary nor desirable to use the 
mixture so strong for green aphides and red spider, as it is safer and 
quite efficacious at half strength, having 2 gallons of water instead of 
one.—G. A. 
Mh. W. J. Grant. 
Those of our many readers in the Rose world who are acquainted 
with this gentleman will be glad to hear that he is recovering from the 
severe accident he met with on the 3rd December last. He is now able 
to get out of doors for a short time every day when the weather is fine, 
and is looking forward to resuming his duties as Commissioner of 
Agriculture and Horticulture in the county of Monmouth. Mr. Grant’s 
recovery was not at one time anticipated, and speaks most highly of the 
great skill of Mr. R. Brewer, a celebrated surgeon in Newport, and his 
nurses, especially nurse Darricott of the Newport Hospital. He has also 
received the greatest kindness from the County Council. 
Roses and the Frost. 
Referring to “ W. R. Raillem’s ” notes in last week’s issue (whose 
pars, by the way, are most interesting to Rose amateurs), I quite agree 
with him as to the damage occasioned by the severity of the past and 
previous winters. After the winter of 1890-1, I vowed I would earth 
up my H.P.’s in future ; hut, alas 1 the wintry season came on so 
suddenly that I had barely time to put a few shovelfuls of earth on the 
crowns of my dwarf Teas, and the poor H.P.’s, with their ill-matured 
wood, had to take their chance. 
Well, I believe that the damage was not very great until the severe 
wind frost of a month ago ; at that time the H.P.’s were starting into 
growth, but the killing frost which occurred a month ago took all the 
life out of ’em. 
Pruning on Saturday last, it was not a question of how many buds 
to leave, all shoots had to be cut right down into the earth. I fear the 
consequence will be, as I noticed last year, th?t the “ breaks” from the 
older wood will not be very strong or floriferous. 
My dwarf Teas, I find, with only slight earthing-up, are green 
enough where covered. I levelled the beds last week and took away 
the other protecting material, and I hope that I shall not find the pith 
discoloured far down. By the way, I notice that the tops of Madame 
Cusin are, as usual, much blackened. This Rose seems to be very, very 
tender.— Edward Nichols. 
ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
At the last meeting of this Society, Dr. C. Theodore Williams, the 
President, delivered an interesting and suggestive address on the 
“ Value of Meteorological Instruments in the Selection of Health 
Resorts.” He drew attention to thermometers, maximum and minimum, 
as the foundation stone on which medical climatology rests, and 
instanced effects of extreme cold or heat on the human organism. The 
direct rays of the sun are of the greatest importance, and in health 
resorts should be utilised to the full; in fact, only climates where 
during the winter months even a delicate person can lie or sit for 
several hours a day basking in the sunshine are to be recommended 
for most complaints, and the various forms of sunshine recorders are 
used to aid the medical adviser in choice of such health stations. After 
referring to the value of rain-gauges, hygrometers, and barometers. Dr. 
Williams stated that many health resorts owe their reputation almost 
solely to their shelter from cold winds ; for instance, the advantage in 
climate which Hy^res and Mentone enjoy over Marseilles is chiefly due 
to their being more sheltered from the Mistral, or north-west wind, the 
scourge of the lower valley of the Rhone from Valence to Avignon. He 
went on to describe the climate of the Riviera, illustrating it by lantern 
slides from recent photographs, including views of Hy^res, Costabella, 
Cannes, Nice, Mentone, San Remo, &c. ; and he showed the three principal 
causes of the warm winter of this region to be (1) the southern latitude ; 
(2) the protection from cold winds by mountain ranges ; and (3) the 
equalising and warming influence of the Mediterranean Sea, which, 
being practically tideless, is always equally potent, not varying with 
hour and season. Dr. Williams mentioned the weak points of the South 
of France climate with its blustering mistral, its occasional cold bise, its 
moist scirocco wind, but summed up the Riviera winter climate as being 
as a whole clear, bright, and dry, with fog and mist practically 
unknown, with a winter temperature of 8° to 10° higher than England, 
though subject to considerable nocturnal radiation, with about half the 
