JaEuary 1, KJa ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
8 
very useful in the great dearth of most other fruit for culinary 
purposes. 
My two walls facing west and running parallel wich each other 
are planted with the following varieties of Peach and Nectarine 
trees—Peaches : Dr. Hogg, Alexandra Noblesse, Royal George, 
-J^oblesse, Yiolette Hative, Late Admirable, and Walburton 
Admirable. Nectarines : Lord Napier, Elruge, and Yiolette 
Hdtive. These all bore excellent level crops, quite average eight 
dozen each tree, the late varieties of Peaches being especially 
fine and well coloured, and lasting well into the middle of 
-October. 
A slight sketch of my modus ojoerandi might give a hint to an 
amateur reader or two. Owing to my high and dry situation no 
protection is required from frost except what is supplied by a 
fl-inch heavy coping, from which hang old sea nets. Constant 
attention, however, is required from the early start in growth the 
•trees make to prevent a check to the sap, and to keep under the 
attacks of the aphides and other insect pests, which would soon 
spoil all chance of a crop. This I do by periodical leaf-picking 
and shoot-rubbing, foreright and others where crowded or needless, 
thus giving plenty of light and air to the surface of the tree, as 
well as free access to spraying daily with sofc tepid water, gradu¬ 
ally earlier as the season advances. I find it very advantageous 
also to pick off every abnormally large and gross leaf, whether 
affected by the “ curl ” or not, as these leaves, I believe, are nearly 
always _ unhealthy and susceptible to becoming diseased. Once 
•every nine days or fortnight I spray with Stoit’s insecticide, which 
I find invaluable in preventing and killing aphides and other insect 
pests, besides giving a surprising hue of health to the trees them¬ 
selves. I may here mention in passing that I found this insecticide 
when sprayed over Roses most successful in destroying mildew, 
from which my Roses suffer much ; very rarely my fruit trees. 
Eut while I have been inviting attention to these minor details as 
being necessary to successful fruit culture, especially with the 
Teach and Nectarine during a growing state, I must repeat in con¬ 
clusion, as I began by saying, if possible and practicable let each 
gardener have a sewage tank, and if he makes as good use of it as 
1 have done he will be able to congratulate himself of having 
o'btained the same successful results in first class fruits and vege¬ 
tables as I have done.— The Herefordshire Incumbent. 
POTTING. 
Generally, during the early months of the year this subject 
ie brought forward as the most suitable period when potting opera¬ 
tions should be peif jrmed. This may be perfectly right as regards 
some plants, or where an annual system of repotting only is 
^jractised. It has occurred to me, however, that if more atten¬ 
tion in private gardening establishments was paid to repotting 
plants when they need more root room greater success would be 
^attained. 
It is not an uncommon practice to discontinue potting early in 
autumn until the months of February and March, after which the 
whole stock of what may be termed permanent plants is over¬ 
hauled. The impression is that the plants will pass the winter 
better in pots that are fairly well filled with roots than when they 
have a quantity of unoccupied soil. This certainly sounds reason¬ 
able, and at one time was not only regarded as sound doctrine, but 
was persisted in until experience taught us that no greater mistake 
•could possibly be made. The principle laid down, and so long 
accepted as being sound, will scarcely bear an intelligent scrutiny. 
When a plant has filled its pot with roots, say in October, it can 
scarcely be expected to be in the same satisfactory condition five 
months hence. By the time the pot is full of roots the plant has 
extracted the main supplies of food, or that has been washed out 
by frequent applications of water, and the consequence is that the 
plant gradually suffers. This may be contested on the ground 
that artificial manures can be applied that contain all essential 
elements to sustain the plant, in the same pot, in health and 
vigour. This is true, and much more might be done in keeping 
plants in good condition by applying artificial manures to the 
surface of the soil periodically. These certainly are useful, but 
they are not always at command, and when used on a large scale 
they soon become a prominent feature in the expenditure for the 
year. It may be as well to say that artificial manures are not 
regarded unfavourably. On the contrary, rightly applied they are 
very beneficial, and much safer than liquids from the farmyard or 
Btable. I am convinced that by the free use of the latter more 
harm than good frequently results, as it is most difficult to gauge 
the actual strength. There is a time when a pinch of suitable 
material applied to the surface is beneficial, and acts like magic 
tpon the plants. But feeding plants over a period of five or six 
months to savo potting cannot be advocated. In some cases it 
becomes necessary to feed plants for some months when they are 
specially grown for a certain object, and must be confined to a 
certain sized pot until they have done the duty for which they have 
been produced. 
These remarks have reference to plants that it is intended to grow 
large, and even supposing that plants confined during the period 
indicated can by “ feeding ” be kept in perfect health, there is 
another objection which is the most weighty of all. A plant con¬ 
fined for months in a pot may to all appearance be healthy, but 
being cramped at its roots the wood becomes firm, and the plant 
seriously checked. When potted it does not start into the same 
vigorous growth afterwards as would have been the case had it been 
repotted several months earlier. If we take two stove Dracajnas 
at the present time that were raised from root portions of the 
stem during the early part of June that have been repotted to 
this stage as they have needed root room. Suppose they have a 
fair quantity of active roots through the soil, in fact ready for 
potting, the one is placed in a 6-inch pot, and the other confined 
until March. The one in the 6-inch will need potting again by 
that time, and in May one will be as large again as the other. It 
is just possible, however carefully the confined one has been fed, 
it may never grow freely afterwards. The comparison need not 
be confined to Draca3nas, the same marked difference is observable 
with Crotons, and all who aspire to grow these plants well cannot 
hope to attain much success by cramping their roots. From 
the first they must be repotted as soon as a fair quantity of roots 
are through the soil in which they are growing. To the inex¬ 
perienced the plants will for a time present the appearance of being 
overpotted even until they are given their final shift. The free 
growth and bold foliage that plants make under this system is 
astounding even to those in the habit of practising it. The 
rapidity with which plants grow that are rooted and repotted as 
they need it should render obsolete those starved specimens that 
we too frequently see destitute of foliage at the base. If we look 
for one moment at a totally different class of plants, we find exactly 
the same results. Take two tiny Ferns in thumo pots, allow the 
one to be confined in its first pot too long, and it is a struggling 
example in a 4-inch pot, while the other is a large spreading plant 
in a 6-inch pot. If there is one secret in plant growing more pro¬ 
nounced than any other it is in pushing them on as rapidly as 
possible. This is principally accomplished by repotting on the 
plants when they need it, provided watering is done carefully, the 
temperature and other atmospheiic conditions are rendered 
suitable. 
Though stove plants have been given as examples the system 
advocated is by no means confined to them. It is the same with 
Roses in pots. Cyclamen and greenhouse plants generally. 
The exhibitor who figures in the front rank with Chrysanthemun s 
is not the individual who allows his plants in their early stages to 
be checked bv confinement at their roots. They are carefully 
watched, and shifted into larger pots directly they need it. The 
principle so strongly enforced a few years ago of confining these 
plants in small pots to ripen their wood has long since been ex¬ 
ploded. The person who reverts to this principle of culture will 
find that he has but a poor chance by the side of those who give 
their plants more liberal treatment. While this principle of potting 
is recognised as essential in the culture of the Chrysanthemum we 
find even in the same garden the opposite treatment accorded to a 
host of plants. How is this ? 
We frequently find plants retained year after year in the same 
pots by an annual reduction of their roots ; yet many plants can 
be grown so rapidly that it is much better to strike cuttings 
frequently, and grow the plants quickly. By constantly striking 
and repotting there need be no excuse for sickly bare-stemmed plants, 
even when quantities are used for room and other forms of decora¬ 
tion, that is certain to seriously injure them. When plants are con¬ 
stantly in demand for these purposes it is better to employ them 
until they are no longer suitable, and then convey them to the 
rubbish heap. If needed for stock the case is different, and they 
must be retained. Fresh plants raised from cuttings or by seed 
always grow with vigour, and eventually make, under good culture, 
presentable specimens. This is not all. Young plants generally 
can be grown free from insects, while those that are in feeble health 
are a certain prey to them, and give constant trouble in sponging 
and other methods of cleaning. 
The practice of taking out the roots of plants with a pointed 
stick before they are repotted cannot be too strongly condemned. 
If the object is to grow the plants they should never be in a con¬ 
dition to need the liberation of their roots. When potting has 
been neglected until the roots are coiled firmly together it is better 
to pot them than severely root-prune them. Many plants might as 
well be conveyed to the rubbish heap as subjected to such extreme 
measures.—W m. Barunev. 
