380 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 2, 1895, 
uiaally large quantities literally running to waste during the winter 
on some farms, or else give a liberal dressing of farmyard manure, while 
the American method of folding and fattening sheep in orchards is tried 
by the more enlightened farmers and growers. Already an improvement 
has been effected in many instances in the quality of the fruit produced, 
but the unfortunate part of the case is that more than half the trees 
operated on are of comparatively worthless varieties. 
Fine old trees of Blenheim Pippin, Warner’s King, Reinette de 
Canada, Wellington, Norfolk Beefing, Colonel Vaughan, Beauty of Kent, 
Cox’s Pomona, and a few other valuable varieties are well worthy of 
every attention, and the first-named in particular should never be cut 
down before it is seen what can be done towards restoring the trees to a 
more healthy, profitable state. Now that good samples of superior 
varieties are fast becoming more plentiful there will be no demand for 
rubbishy or worthless Apples, and the trees that produce these are not 
worth retaining, unless for the purpose of cider making. Re-grafting 
with superior varieties is one good way out of the difficulty, especially if 
the roots also be attended to, grubbing up and replacing with young trees 
being another, 
Judging from the number of young trees to be seen in old orchards 
this form of renovation has been adopted by a majority of owners, 
though in many cases with very indifferent results. Farmers are too 
fond of buying what they want in the open market, taking their purchases 
home with them. This may answer well enough when they obtain their 
trees from a reliable local nurseryman, though even in this case a few 
hours’ exposure to cold drying winds have done great harm to the roots. 
More often than not the trees are brought from a distance and sold by 
auction. They are large, are sold cheaply, and are dear at any price. 
It does not occur to the purchasers that these trees or bushes are mostly 
of varieties for which there is little or no demand, and are cleared out 
cheaply from large nurseries accordingly. Sometimes speculative 
individuals buy up long rows at clearance sales of nursery stock trees, 
probably not having been transplanted for several years, and these tall 
trees are dragged out of the ground and hawked about the country. In 
any case no reliance can be placed on the nomenclature, and long 
exposure of the roots gives a check from which the trees recover but 
slowly if at all. 
At least one-half of those wretched, stunted young trees to be seen in 
old orchards are varieties that no experienced fruit grower would 
recommend or plant, though the cause of their unhappy plight may have 
yet to be given. Where the mistake is made in so many instances is the 
preparation of the site. These trees are not planted exactly where 
the old ones stood, but if they are in the same orchard and are given no 
fresh soil they might just as well occupy the old sites. How can the 
ground generally, in an old orchard, be otherwise than completely 
impoverished of all the elements required to build up and sustain 
young trees ? 
If my advice is taken only well proven varieties of fruit will in the 
future be ordered, a fair price being given to a reliable nurseryman for 
the trees. Select sites as near as possible midway between the old 
stations, taking out a cartload of the old, reserving the turfy top spit, and 
bringing in a similar quantity of fresh soil for each tree. Then all young 
orchard trees must be properly staked, or crooked stems will become the 
order of the day. They ought also to have their stems effectively railed 
or bushed round as a protection against calves, sheep, hares, and rabbits. 
Full grown cattle, horses, and colts I would keep out of an orchard.— 
W, Iggmlden. 
MARKET PLANTS AND FLOWERS. 
{^Continued from page 366.) 
Peepaeing Plants foe Maeket. 
It cannot be too forcibly ex pressed that the grower who takes the greatest 
care to make what plants he may choose to send into market as attractive 
as possible, to command the taste of the buyers, is in a fair way to 
success. His plants must be showy, healthy, neatly grown, and tolerably 
hardy, which last feature should not be lost sight of. If the growers 
would only but give some of their plants a week in a cool house prior to 
sending t’nem to market, the florists who supply the public would 
not have so many complaints to answer about the undurability of what 
they now supply. 
Plants in pots are generally sold by the dozen, though some growers 
are not above selling single specimens. Spring plants, such as Hyacinths, 
are made more effective if planted three bulbs in a 48-pot, a mixture 
of colours, or all whites. Tulips, five bulbs ; Van Sion Narcissus, four 
bulbs ; Lilies of the Valley, twelve to fifteen crowns, as they do not 
all grow with the same vigour. These are first grown in boxes or beds 
where a proper temperature can be maintained, and as each become 
ready are transplanted into pots or boxes and prepared for market. 
It may be remarked that some growers of spring bulbs, as soon as the 
plants are ready for decorative purposes, send them to market in small 
shallow boxes, each holding about four dozen, which not only 
saves weight and pot room, but they are also more handy for the 
florist for furnishing purposes, such as making up baskets and other 
floral devices with Palms and Ferns. Tulips are made up in the same 
way, six dozen in each box ; smaller boxes with two dozen. 
The spring flowers such as the foregoing are extremely pretty and 
most pleasing, adapting themselves to what may be termed indifferent 
treatment. They all seem to possess abundance of nutriment stored up 
to carry them on successfully, whereas the plants that come afterwards 
have to be more carefully handled by the florist in making up the 
different objects of floral beauty. 
Those who wish to grow Hyacinths for market must procure the best 
kinds and as early as possible. The first supply should be planted by the 
end of Sep‘ember, so as to meet Christmas demands, and onwards to 
Ma'ch, which generally brings a brisk demand for all spring flowers, 
and a greater variety of plants begin to find ready sale ; such as 
Genistas, a most useful and popular plant for window decoration; 
Spiraeas, Mignonette, Lilies of the Valley, Primulas, Cinerarias, 
Cyclamens, Azaleas, Deutzias, Marguerites, and all ornamental plants, 
such as Ferns in pots, from thumbs up to 32’s, and Palms of all sizes, 
also hardy shrubs, such as green and golden Euonymus, Aucubas, 
Rhododendrons, all newly potted and made to look fresh and green. 
Palm growers are most careful to have their produce properly 
cleaned and staked if need be. Indiarubbers, Aspidistras, Crotons, and 
Dracaenas must all be in a shining condition, and flower pots washed, tor 
nothing adds to the beauty of the plant more than a clean flower pot. 
A good trade is also done in the finer climoing plants for con¬ 
servatories, such as the showy Clematis, which some growers produce as 
early as March nearly in flower. The beautiful white Mrs. Bateman, 
lilac Lady Londesborough and Albert Victor, are made all the more 
showy and attractive by being placed six plants in a small box, thus 
forming quite a picture. We may soon expect to see a great novelty, no 
less than a scarlet Clematis, which is said to have all the free 
blooming qualities of Jackmanni, with flowers of greater substance. 
Climbing plants for covering walls, balconies, and verandahs, such 
as the common Virginian Creeper, also Veitchi, one of the very best; 
Clematis Jackmanni, very popular ; the common Irish Ivy, also small¬ 
leaved varieties, are extensively sold, all neatly staked or tied-up 
compactly. 
The Flowee Root Season. 
March may be said to be the commencement of the root period, and 
according to the character of the weather so the season may be late or 
early. 
Amongst the various flower roots which find the readiest sale Pansies 
are without doubt the most popular, but they must be good, large, solid 
flowers, with blooms fairly expanded, and sent to market in small 
boxes containing two dozen plants. Violas are treated in the same 
way, and also find ready sale. Red and white Daisies are in good 
demand ; Polyanthus, Wallflowers, dark and yellow Sweet Williams, 
Canterbury Bells, Forget-me-nots, Antirrhinums, Creeping Jenny with¬ 
out limit all find purchasers through the months of March, April, May, 
and part of June, then the sales begin to flag, and the root season 
soon comes to an end. 
The Bedding Season. 
With the bedding season commences the busiest market period of the 
whole year. No one need wonder where all the plants go to. Let them 
but take a walk through the streets and squares, fashionable or un¬ 
fashionable quarters of the metropolis, in the month of June, and see 
the windows and balconies and “hanging gardens ” replete with double 
pink Ivy Geranium, Marguerites, Fuchsias, Mignonette, Musk, Lotelia, 
Creeping Jenny, Pelargoniums, and others without end. Even business 
premises have now begun to take the flowers in band, and above the 
entrances and windows the flowers now surmount and give to such 
places quite a gala appearance. And the bedding out of suburban 
gardens is a question of millions. 
Of such plants as Pyrethrum (Golden Feather) pricked into 
shallow boxes, six or seven dozen in each box. Lobelia ditto, and Coleus, 
Petunias, Verbenas, Calceolarias, Echeverias, Amaranthus, Perilla, single 
Dahlias, Fuchsias, Musk; in fact, all plants that are used for bedding 
purposes, are chiefly grown in handy shallow boxes. The cultivator 
who goes in for the above should aim at evenness of quality and full 
boxes, and have a good supply to meet the market from the beginning 
of April right away to the middle of June, and he will have no cause to 
complain. 
The bedding season, running conjointly with the season for the 
furnishing of the multitudinous windows and balconies throughout the 
metropolis, is the grower’s harvest, and he must be prepared with good 
forward stuff, “ showy ” is the word. Whether it be boxes of common 
red or white Daisies, or Zonals, Fuchsias, Heliotropes, and others, let 
them be showy and shapely, they will command the market.—A. M. 
(To be continued.) 
EXAMINATION IN HORTICULTURE. 
I HAVE read the remarks of “ W. D., Turnford," page 361, on the 
above subject, and noticed how careful he was to evade the main point 
in question. Why did he omit the last few words of the paragraph 
commended by Mr. Kemp, page 333, when his advice to young gardeners 
is to think for themselves and they will see that theory alone is perfectly 
useless ? Then why give a certificate for a thing which of itself is 
perfectly useless ? 
I hope twenty-five years’ experience has taught me not to condemn 
the theory of gardening. Nay, I commend it, for what gardener is 
perfect without it ? I thoroughly agree with the remark, that combined 
with sound practice it is a boon, and I am pleased to say that the 
practical man knows how to appreciate it. 
Through fear of trespassing farther on your space I will only add 
that I still adhere to what I have written on page 290.^ To my mind a 
certificate gained under present conditions is misleading as a test of 
a man’s abilities as a gardener, and leave reade s of th*. Journal of 
Horticulture to judge for themselves.—H. 0. H. 
