September 29, 1837. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
279 
furnishing hanging baskets ; in fact, nearly all in that section are well 
adapted for that purpose. 
In the flower garden neither the flowering or finc-foliaged plants 
were so good as usual, these presenting a very different appearance to 
what I have previously seen in these gardens. A large bed filled with 
Agave americana intermingled with scarlet Pelargoniums was quite a 
feature, and looked well from the first filling of the beds. The carpet 
beds were neatly done and kept in good order, as they should be, or not 
attempted. Pilea muscosa, or the Artillery Plant, is here used as a 
green-foliaged carpeting plant, and quite surpasses for effect any other 
kind tried. It is easily propagated, and when planted of very neat 
habit, the colour being a pleasing pale green. Considerable numbers 
of flowering plants are also grown in the kitchen garden, one of the 
most effective of these for front rows being the miniature Asters 
planted thickly. 
The forcing, fruit, and plant houses are situated on the opposite side 
of the road, and on the whole may be said to be a useful lot of glass. 
There are several small span-roofed houses, one being principally occu¬ 
pied with a healthy lot of Camellias planted out, the end being wholly 
covered with the useful and ever-flowering Solanum jasminoides. In 
another house Abutilons are planted out and trained in different ways, 
these again yielding a continuous supply of flowers. A back wall 
clothed with Ferns, including the pretty Lygodiumscandensand the free 
spreading Nephrolepis exaltata, may be said to be both ornamental and 
useful, this being the means of supplying abundance of greenery for 
vases and other purposes. The borders near the pathways in the fernery 
are covered with rockwork, among this being planted a quantity of 
Adiantums and other Ferns—a method of obviating an eyesore which is 
well worthy of more general imitation. It is almost impossible to grow 
too many Ferns anywhere, and these banks and walls clothed with them 
save the pot plants surprising!v. Panicum variegatum is also pretty and 
effectively intermingled with the planted out Ferns, and is also found 
very serviceable for cutting from. StephanoMs floribunda, Dipladenia 
boliviense, and Allamanda Hendersoni are the principal roof plants in 
the stoves, and all are doing well. Gardenias planted out in a narrow 
well raised border are in good health and clean. A compost consisting 
of nearly all peat best suits them. Tydeas in variety, grown in small 
pots, flowered most abundantly for several months ; this class of plants 
ought to be more frequently seen. Eucharn amazonica in quantity, and 
a good number of the beautiful Pancratium fragrans are doing well, 
and I noticed some capital plants of Dendrobium nobile in baskets, 
Tuberous and other Begonias are well grown, and there is also a good 
assortment of Crotons, Dracaenas, Palms, and other plants for the dinner 
table. 
Since Mr. J. Lloyd has had charge of these gardens a most marked 
improvement has been effected in the fruit-growing department. Lifting 
and root-pruning coupled with the gradual formation of new borders 
was never attended with better or more- rapid paying results. The 
natural subsoil is a heavy retentive clay, and directly the roots of fruit 
trees reach this the effect is soon apparent. Peach trees have the 
“ yellows,” and do not perfect good fruit, while the Grapes do not ripen 
their wood satisfactorily, and shanking is the order of the day. Mr. 
Lloyd went boldly in for renovation in every case while the leaves were 
yet fresh and green, or before September was past. In the case of the 
house of Muscat Grapes, the whole of the roots worth preserving were 
carefully separated from the bad soil and actually fastened to the roof 
trellis, while the bottom of the border was drained and the old heavy 
compost replaced with new. Every precaution was taken to keep the 
roots as well as the foliage shaded from sunshine, and they were also 
frequently moistened with a syringe. The roots were carefully relaid 
into the fresh compost, the latter being kept well moistened, while the 
foliage was shaded and very frequently syringed. This treatment 
preserved the folia. e for some time, or while it assisted to form a few 
fresh root fibres, and the wood ripened off well. The following season 
the Vines were gently forced, and all perfected comparatively heavy 
crops of Grapes of surprisingly good quality. How good they were may 
be gathered from the fact that three bunches were exhibited at the 
Taunton Show early in August, and in spite of stroug competition easily 
secured the first prize. The other houses containing Alicante, Mrs. 
Pince, Gros Colman, Lady Downe’s, Foster’s Seedling, and Black Ham¬ 
burgh, have all undergone a renovating process, though not in all cases 
so severe as that accorded the Muscat of Alexandria, and in every 
instance the practice has answered well. All the sorts named are still 
doing well, but in one or two instances it is thought the roots have left 
the borders (all inside) and found their way into less congenial soil. 
These will be wholly or partially lifted this season. It is a practice to 
be commended to many other gardeners in charge of unhealthy Vines, 
but this kind of work must be done quickly and well, and those respon¬ 
sible are warned not to overcrop the Vines, especially for a season or 
two following wholly o» partial lifting. 
The Peach houses, in common with the vineries, are roomy, well- 
arranged houses, and plenty «f good fruits are gathered from the fine trees 
there to be seen. The favourite sorts of Peaches are Koyal George, 
Noblesse, and notably the Alexandra Noblesse, and Walburton Admir¬ 
able. The old Elruge Nectarine is still much liked, but fresh sorts are 
being gradually introduced. A Peach case designed and constructed by 
Mr. Lloyd promises to be a very profitable structure. Useful plants of 
Melons in various stages were growing in the houses, the favourite sort 
being High Cross Hybrid. Strawberries in pots are established early 
without much trouble. The runners are taken off the old plants as soon 
as they can be procured and dibbled into shallow boxes of good soil. 
Set in a cold pit and lightly shaded they soon become strong and well 
rooted, being eventually transferred direct to the fruiting pots. 
The kitchen garden is principally situated on a steep hill, and as may 
be imagined is very difficult to manage during a dry season. All things’ 
considered it was well stocked with vegetables, which only wanted rain, 
in several cases to start them into more vigorous growth.—W. I. 
FACTS ABOUT FRUIT. 
Whiting in an evening contemporary, Mr. Sampson Morgan has 
the following jottings respecting fruit, fresh and preserved :— 
Although our climate and soil are suitable for the production of 
choice fruit in abundance, yet it is nevertheless a fact that we grow only 
enough for about a three-months supply, and for the rest are dependent 
upon the consignments from abroad. True, we cannot raise such tropical 
truits as the Pine Apple and the Banana in the open air, but we can pro¬ 
duce such nutritious and medicinal fruits as Apples, Pears, Tomatoes, 
Plums, and Nuts in profusion, and to such an extent as would enable 
us to be almost independent of foreign fruit of any kind. In spite of 
what we raise, it is a fact that in one year the value of the total imports 
ran up to considerably more than £7,000,000, which may be divided as 
follows:—Apples, £717,031; Oranges and Lemons, £1,481,010; fruit 
(raw), £1,421,747; fruit (dried and preserved), £558,777 ; Nuts, 
£447,205; Currants, £1,458,183; Figs, £187,903; Plums and Prunes, 
£94,742 ; Baisins, £960,220. Considering the consumption of fruits, 
both foreign and home grown, in connection with an increased annual 
production, it is pretty evident that we are becoming, as a nation, a 
fruit-eating people. With regard to Apples, although we have the finest 
climate in the universe for the production of the “ king of fruits,” as 
regards quality and quantity combined, yet it is a fact that from the 
States we import Apples to "the value of £500,000; from Belgium and 
other continental countries to the value of £1,000,000 ; and from Canada 
to the value of £91,000. 
Fruit as Food. —The increase indicated above is a good sign, for 
more reasons than one. Fruit must, by all thinking men who believe, 
in the diet cure, be accepted, without any qualification, as being the 
proper food for man. The influence of fruit upon the system is not 
only marked, but untold. In fact, by its use we are enabled to mitigate 
or cure almost all the ills that flesh is heir to. The list of fruits—home 
grown alone—is endless. We may, as the seasons come round, go in fon 
the Strawberry cure, the Grape cure, the Tomato cure, the Currant, 
Raspberry, and Cherry cure, the Apple, Pear, Melon, and Plum cure, 
and, independent of Nuts, yet not exhaust the list of luscious fruits 
grown. As to how fruit should be eaten, it were best for each one to 
decide for himself. Some reason that the skin of all fruits should be 
rejected, while others argue that most fruits should be eaten whole. Foa 
myself I reject most, if not all skins, w ith the exception of such fruits 
as the Currant and the Plum. A good rule may be found in the follow¬ 
ing plan :— 
Do not eat your Peaches’ and Apples’ skin ;. all the skins are inso¬ 
luble. Do not subject your stomach to the irritation of Grape and Cherry 
stones, or to Orange or Lemon seeds. Discard your Grape skins ; do not 
eat Orange peels. The fleshy part of any of our fruits, when at a proper 
stage of development, can be eaten with great benefit. Plums do not 
digest as well as Grapes. The same is true of Cherries. Peaches con¬ 
tain a large proportion of soluble constituents, and are usually readily 
accepted by weak stomachs. Roasted Apples are slightly laxative, and 
are very acceptable. Pears are more digestible than Apples, and are a 
delicate and agreeable fruit. Gooseberries are wholesome, but should 
be cooked if eaten in any quantity. Raspberries and Blackberries are 
excellent, and should be eaten freely. Strawberries are probably the 
most heartily welcomed of our small fruits, and the least disturbing of 
any. Fruit has its best effect when eaten with brown wholemeal bread, 
not as dessert, but food. Sound, ripe fruit, in good condition, is very 
beneficial. The danger only arises when we partake of unripe, bruised, 
or unwholesome fruit. For instance, sour Apples, hard unripe Green 
Gages and Plums are positively dangerous eaten raw. “ Nothing,” says 
one doctor, “ can do so much to make people independent of the pro¬ 
fession as the daily use of fruit.” 
Fruit for Winter. —With regard to preserved fruits for winter 
use, from a dietetic point of view, we find that we are not able at pre¬ 
sent to put upon our tables soft fruits, such as Currants, Green Gages, 
and Plums, in fresh condition, with the exception of those that are put 
up in bottles, and which must be admitted to be a failure in their pre¬ 
sent form. We want to be in a position to have fruit that has simply, 
been stewed down, and which contains only a small amount of sugar, if 
any. The fact is our jams and jellies contain too much sweetening 
matter to be wholesome, especially if eaten regularly or in large 
quantities. 
The perfect preserve of the future for winter use will consist of fruit 
which is simply stewed down with as little sweetening ingredient as 
possible, and which, when turned out for use, has the appearance and 
flavour of the unsweetened fresh fruit. For such a preserve as this 
there would of necessity be an enormous demand, and whoever satisfies 
this demand will earn the gratitude of those who from one year’s end to 
the other partake of fruit as food. Of course hard fruits, such as Apples, 
Pears, and Nuts, may be so utilised as to be in good condition almost 
from season to season ; but with regard to soft fruit things are different. 
If we require them in winter, or after the season is over, they must be 
preserved, and until they are properly preserved in a healthful manner, 
it were best to confine ourselves to the use of hard fruits alone. If we 
