June 11, 1S91. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
461 
E arly in the present year I had the opportunity of spending a 
few days in Paris, and amongst the horticultural excursions 
which fully occupied the comparatively short time at my disposal, 
•one of the most enjoyable was that undertaken, in very pleasant 
•companionship, to the Peach gardens at Montreuil. Frequently had 
I heard and read of the pomological wonders to be there seen; 
frequently had I wished for the chance to personally inspect them, 
und most eagerly I accepted the kind offer cf a resident friend to 
guide me thither and to procure introductions to the chief cultivators. 
Montreuil is some nine or ten mdes to the westward of Paris, a 
moderate size suburban town, easily reached by ’bus from Paris, or 
by tram to Vincennes, which is only a short walk from the town, 
.and as we had to call for instructions upon M. E. A. Carriere, the 
veteran editor of the Revue Ilorticole, on the way, the latter route 
was the more convenient. M. Carriere at once entered into the 
-object of our visit, most readily communicated some interesting 
particulars, and favoured us with cordial introductions to the 
leading Peach growers in the district. But for the very evident 
fact that he was only too slowly recovering from a prolonged 
illness he would have willingly accompanied us on the journey, but 
this pleasui’e we had to forego. As one of the oldest and most 
p'-actical horticultural writers in France, M. Carriere has gained a 
•great imputation, and is highly respected; his indisposition has 
consequently been regarded with much concern, and I am pleased 
to learn that, having subsequent to my visit passed some time in 
the South, he has returned in greatly improved health. Quitting 
■our genial friend, a few minutes’ walk brought us to the first of 
the Peach gardens, and several others were passed on the way to 
the establishment of M, Gustave Chevalier fils, and as they are all 
of a similar character, the latter being thoroughly representative 
in every respect, a description of that will suffice to indicate the 
features of an important industry. 
First, it may be remarked that Montreuil itself is notable for 
the elevated and hilly character of the district, on a limestone 
formation which in several places comes very close to the 
surface with only a few inches of soil above it. This of course 
provides the great essential in stone fruit culture, an abundance of 
calcareous matter, but in other respects it is not particularly 
favourable, being in many cases cold, heavy, and difficult to work. 
Then again it does not appear that there is anything specially 
favourable in the climate except in one important respect, and that 
is a clearer atmosphere than is usual in Britain, the greater sun 
force ripening the wood thoroughly and enabling the trees to better 
resist winters quite as severe as on this side of the Channel. One 
thing is certain—a considerable amount of labour has been ex¬ 
pended in the development of the Peach-growing business at 
Montreuil, with close attention to all the details of culture; and 
though some instances of indolence and ignorance occur with the 
attendant failures, these form an extremely small minority, and it 
is seldom where numbers of cultivators are engaged upon the same 
speciality in the same district that the results are so uniformly 
satisfactory. 
The hillsides have a peculiar appearance, as they are crossed 
and reciossed with substantial limestone or Cob walls, enclosing 
tracts of land varying in size from a fe^v rods to an acre or more, 
but the enclosures are generally small, as a much greater wall 
No. 572.— Yol. XXII., Third Series. 
space is thus obtained upon the same area of ground, an important 
matter where land is so valuable. The tops of the walls are 
generally covered with sloping tiles or boards, which project about 
(3 inches beyond the surface, thus affording some slight protection 
to the trees trained thereon. I was informed that there are nearly 
300 occupiers or owners of these small Peach farms, and that 
altogether 400 arpents, each composed of 3300 metres, a total of 
something like 330 acres, are almost exclusively devoted to Peaches 
in the district. What this represents will be gathered from the 
following statements supplied by M. Chevalier. It is estimated 
that about four million Peaches are every year gathered and de¬ 
spatched from these farms, the quantity varying slightly, according 
to the season. The price obtained for these in the Parisian markets 
is said to average 100 francs per 1000 fruits, or about one penny 
each, a total in English money exceeding £16,000. The smaller 
growers combine Peach culture with other forms of market garden¬ 
ing, but the larger cultivators devote themselves to the Peaches 
entirely, with the exception of Vines grown for their leaves in the 
spaces between the walls. 
Turning to the trees themselves it may be said that generally 
these are remarkably healthy, well furnished with bearing wood, 
evenly and carefully trained, closely pruned, and seem to be 
comparatively free from the enemies and maladies from which the 
Peach too often suffers out of doors in England. The walls are 
about 8 feet high, but some exceed this. The surface is whitened, 
and the trees are either secured to wires or nailed to the surface, 
which is usually a thick covering of cement over the stone. There 
are many trees from twenty to fifty years old, and I was shown 
one stem which was known to have been planted in 1810, and has 
never been removed since, though repeatedly regrafted, and it has 
now as well furnished a head of branches as the best young tree 
could have. The regrafting or budding is followed out consistently 
without lifting the old stems, and it is seldom that a tree becomes 
sufficiently bad to have to be destroyed. The stems are cut 
in, grafting or budding is performed, and the tree is speedily 
rejuvenated. In this way, also, all the new and promising varieties 
are tested in comparison with the older ones, and increased or 
rejected according to the results secured. One interesting fact 
is worthy of note here, and that is the practice of placing on 
one tree several varieties ripening at different times, so as to 
concentrate the strength of the tree upon successive fruits. I 
saw some trees with from four to eight varieties upon them for 
this purpose. Another point strictly observed, too, is placing the 
weaker varieties in the centre of the tree where the current of 
sap is strongest, thus equalising the product as far as possible. 
It is stated that at least 100 varieties are in cultivation at Mon¬ 
treuil, and it does not appear that any special preference is given to 
certain varieties, though Sea Eagle is said to sell well as the fruits 
come very large. Another variety. Admirable Jaune, the Yellow 
Admirable of the “ Fruit Manual,” is liked for the same reason, and 
M. Chevalier has gathered a fruit of this variety weighing over 1 lb., 
which was sold as a curiosity at one of the leading Parisian restau- 
lauts for eight francs. Belle Bauce is a favourite at Montreuff, 
and is one of the Grosse Mignonne type, and is said to come of fine 
flavour in France. Dr. Hogg has the following interesting note 
concerning it in the “ Fruit Manual “ Although this is an old 
French Peach and is mentioned in the Chartreux Catalogue of 1775, 
it was not till long after the beginning of this century that it was 
introduced to this country. It was raised by M. Joseph Bauce, a 
Peach grower at Montreuil, and was chiefly brought into notice by 
M. Christophe Hervy, who cultivated it with special care in the 
garden of the Chartreux at Paris. It is also mentioned by Roger 
Schabol in 1774.” We thus have evidence of its being grown at 
Montreuil for considerably over 100 years, and it is still included 
in a select list of the best with another large fruited variety. Belle 
Imptyiale. The Salwey, though often condemned here, is a favourite 
in France, also the Princess of Wales ; Bellegarde, there known as 
Xo. 2228.—VoL, LXXXIY., Old Series. 
