Kovember 10, 180?. ] 
journal of horticulture and cottage gardener. 
411 
E CONOMY has been the orier of the day in many private 
gardens of late years, and to all appearances it is likely to 
be for some time to come. Extravagance I have never been an 
advocate for, and think that it behoves gardeners not only to 
avoid this, but also to be as economical as they can in all their 
arrangements where the pockets of their employers are concerned. 
There is, however, such a thing as false economy. What at 
first sight may appear a saving frequently turns out to be quite 
the reverse in the long run, and in no instance is the truth of 
this assertion more forcibly exemplified than in the matter of 
planting fruit trees. Because the existing trees appear to be 
in fairly good health, no great blanks being noticeable either in 
the case of trees under glass, against open walls, or in gardens 
and orchards, the owner jumps at the conclusion that no planting 
of young trees will be necessary for some time to come, and 
gives orders accordingly. In many gardens after the trees have 
attained a certain size and age they -rapidly decline in vigour 
and productiveness ; at all events, the quality of the fruit 
produced is very second rate, while in some instances the collapse 
is even more rapid, large limbs dying off: wholesale. If, for the 
sake of a present saving of a few shillings or pounds, we delay 
planting young trees till the old ones are nearly or quite worthless, 
we soon have unsightly blanks staring us in the face, and the 
mis-use of so much valuable house, wall, and garden space is only 
too evident in the fruit room when the autumn comes round, to 
say nothing of various shortcomings earlier in the season. 
Another phase of false economy is, as a rule, confined to the 
owners of small gardens, those who employ experienced gardeners 
being usually and rightly guided by the opinions of the latter. 
I refer to the common practice of purchasing cheap trees. I have 
seen whole rows of fruit trees, named or otherwise, eagerly bought 
at auction sales simply because they “went cheap.” When 
nurseries are managed by men verging on bankruptcy transplanting 
is rarely carried out, and not a few of those cheap trees have not 
been moved for years. They crowd each other with branches and 
overrun each other at the roots ; consequently, when they come to 
be lifted they move very badly, and are years before they recover 
their vigour, if ever they do. In numbers of cases the names are 
lost, or, if they are preserved, the varieties are almost certain to 
be comparatively worthless, being those for which few or no 
orders are ever received. Thousands of this class of trees, and 
also many really well-grown trees of varieties for which the 
nurserymen cannot find any other means of getting rid of, annually 
find their way to provincial market towns, and are sold by auction 
on market days. They find purchasers at what appear to be 
ridiculously low figures, but I hold such trees to be dear at a 
gift. Only last winter I saw grand pyramid Apple and Pear 
trees sold in a market place for less than Is. each, which, if the 
varieties had been good, would have been cheap at 3s. each. 
Please bear in mind that I am not a nursery salesman, or in 
the least interested in their prosperity, beyond wishing that all 
who do business in an honest manner may meet with the success 
they deserve. If anyone can prove there is any economy in 
buying trees after they have been knocking about with their 
previously damaged roots exposed for several days in succession 
to cold frosty winds, then I am no judge in the matter. 
No. 646.—Vol. XXV., Third Seribs. 
In one garden that comes under my notice frequently a large 
number of cheap standard Apple trees, presumably of superior 
varieties, proved to be nothing more than cider fruit. All have 
been regrafted, and are now doing well ; but what a waste of time 
and space took place before they commenced to pay their way. 
Better by far have bought a number of Crab stocks outright, and 
grafted these. My advice, therefore, to intending planters is 
never to be misled either by appearances or the descriptions given 
of trees and varieties that are vended by perfect strangers. There 
are trustworthy nurserymen within easy distance of most localities, 
while those who advertise will not, as a rule, risk their reputation 
by supplying what they know to be worthless. 
True economy, then, consists not only in keeping a garden well- 
stocked with fruit trees, but also in paying a fair price for a good- 
article. It may be asked, What is a good article ? I think the 
answer to this is not far to seek. As I have already pointed out, it. 
is not the largest and most perfectly formed trees that are always 
the most desirable for planting. What is wanted are medium-sized 
to small trees of the most approved varieties. Of late years there 
has been such a great demand for the latter that it is next to 
impossible to obtain large trees of them, whereas the shy bearers 
and inferior varieties are on hand far longer than their growers 
care to see them. Those who want trees should decide beforehand 
what they intend to plant, or else seek the advice of some competent 
person, and, if the orders are placed early, buyers are fully justified 
in insisting that they have what they want. In some instances 
the selections might safely be left to the nurseryman receiving the 
order, but according to my experience “substituted” trees are not 
a success, and of late years I have insisted upon having exactly 
what I ordered. 
It is also a wrong notion to plant many varieties of any one 
kind of fruit. From a pomologist’s point of view unlimited 
collections are very interesting and instructive, but they are far 
from being economical. For instance, sixty trees of as many 
varieties of either Apples or Pears, are not half so profitable 
and satisfactory in other ways as a dozen varieties well selected, 
five trees of each, would be, and the same rule holds good 
with other kinds of fruit. It is the limited collections that best 
please the owners of private gardens, and are decidedly the most 
profitable for market growers. It may be somewhat against the 
grain to have to plant small trees of the most sought after 
varieties, but it will be found that healthy young plants, if not 
the first to arrive at a free-bearing state, eventually develop into 
the best or most profitable trees.—M. H. 
AZALEA MOLLIS. 
This Azalea i3 recognised in all botanical works as A. sinensis, 
but gardeners generally know it by its more popular title of 
A. mollis. Though the species A. sinensis has been introduced in 
this country since 1823, it is only during recent years that we have 
heard so much about the hybrids, for the hybridist has been busy 
here. If he has not secured the brilliant colours that are seen in 
the Indian types, he has at least produced such delicate tints that 
are quite unknown to the other classes. In this respect the Azaleas 
resemble the Tea Roses. The Belgian growers have introduced 
many of the best varieties, but it is a cogent fact that thousands of 
seedlings are raised annually in this country. I think that they 
are more serviceable to a gardener than the varieties of A. indica, 
though they do not equal them in all respects. For instance, we 
do not possess a really pure white variety yet, though this is only 
a question of time, for there is plenty of material to work upon. 
The fact that the plants are perfectly hardy is sufficient to recom¬ 
mend them anj-where ; but when we consider how useful they are 
for conservatory decoration in early spring, their claims are doubly 
enhanced. 
If we first consider the Azaleas as being hardy, we shall soon 
No. 2302. —Vol. LXXXVII., Old Series. 
