November 10, 1687. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
413 
numerous exhibits before this Committee, novelties being more numerous 
than at any previous meeting this season. Certificates were awarded for 
several varieties of considerable merit, and Mr. G. Stevens obtained another 
silver medal for a stand of new varieties, Mr. It. Owen of Maidenhead 
securing a bronze medal for a similar stand, in which the blooms were not 
so large. Mr. Elliott of Jersey sent a large collection of seedlings raised 
this year. They were most varied in character, and the Committee thought 
\r interesting, desiring to see the best of them again another season. 
Mr. Addison, Maud Villas, Patchmore Road, Thornton Heath, exhibited 
blooms of Dr. Besancele sent out by Bonamy three or fou r years ago, and 
which has reappeared under the name of Le Reveil from Delaux this year. 
Certificates were awarded to the following:— 
, Suntll (M. Russell, Henfield).—A sulphur coloured sport from 
the Anenome Madame Goderau, considered very promising. 
_ Lord Eversky (Stevens).—A neat incurved, white sport from Princess 
lech certificated last year at Reading. 
Thorpe Junior (Sboesmith and Pearson).—A large Anemone of rich 
golden colour, a handsome bloom of gool size with broad guard florets and 
a high centre. 
Gorgeous.—{ J.f. Kendall).—A golden yellew Japanese of the Thunberg 
style, with long twisting florets. 
Sarah 0/oeti (Owen).—A sport from the Japanese Madame J. Laing, 
golden, with slight bronze tint. Very promising. 
t> ■^■“hrf’urze (refleXed), E. Molyneux, Charles Dickens (Veitch), Mrs. 
Besie (Carttr), an< ^ a ^ e ' v °t'hers were honoured that have been previously 
* CROYDON.— November 9th. 
iNCREAsme entries and a desire to cater for public patronage by the 
attraction of a band this year, induced the Croydon Horticultural Society to 
seek more commodious premises for its annual Exhibition of Chrysan¬ 
themums than it has had in former years, tte large Public Hall in George 
street being requisitioned. Unfortunately, though the Exhibition, as such, 
was a success, the quality of the blooms being excellent, exceedingly 
unfavourable weather militated against a satisfactory attendance. The 
principal awards are appended :— 
The chief class for incurved (twenty-four blooms) in the open classes 
produced a surprise in the defeat of the Surrey champion, Mr. C. Gibson, 
gardener to J. Wormald, Esq., Morden Park, Mitcham, who could only 
secure second place to Mr. J. Wyatt, gardener to J. Perry, Esq., Braden- 
hurst, Caterham Valley. The latter had a stand of fresh good sized blooms 
excellent examples of Jeanne d’Arc, Jardin des Plantes, and Lord Wolseley 
being the most conspicuous. Mr. Gibson’s best bloems were, it was evident, 
elsewhere, those in competition, though large, being somewhat rough and 
irregular. The back row flowers were good, notably Alfred Salter, Jeanne 
w an’ an< * ^ m P ress °f India. Mr. King, gardener to Philip Crowley, Esq., 
W addon, was third, two others competing. In the corresponding class for 
Japanese the last named was more successful, taking first place from Messrs. 
VVyatt and Gibson. Val d’Andorre, Triomphe de la Rue des Chalets, and 
fl 611 t® vant being perhaps his best blooms. There was but one entry with 
rettexed flowers, Mr. Gibson,'’to whom the first prize was awarded for a meri- 
torious stand. Mr. J. R. Box, North End, Croydon, had the best group, Mr. 
" • Gurd, George Street, Croydon, taking second place. The latter had the 
xdiyersified arrangement, the form-r the best blooms. Mr. King won 
with foliage plants ; Mr. H. Alderman, gardener, Morden Hall, second ; and 
Mr. Kodbourn, gardener to Baroness Heath, Coombe House, third. 
Competition with cut blooms was not very brisk in the classes reserved 
lor gardeners and amateurs practising within a radius of four miles of the 
G^pydon Town Hall. Mr. E. Stew, gardener to E. Parritt, Esq., Lower 
Addiscombe Road, was the solitary exhibitor of twenty-four incurved, and 
the premier award. With the same number of Japanese Messrs. 
K. Ridger, gardener to Lady Ashburton, Addiscombe, and R. Haynes, 
gardener to Miss Freeman, South Norwood Hill, had tho field to themselves, 
and were placed first and Becond in the order given, nothing in the stands 
calling for special comment. Mr. Rodbourn had a remarkably even stand of 
twelve incurved. Prince Alfred, Lord Wolseley, and Jeanne d’Arc being 
re P resen ted amongst others. First prize was awarded. Messrs. Wei- 
stead, gardenef to Mrs. J. Lodge, Branley Hill, and J. Lover, gardener to M. 
Hodgson, Esq., Shirley Cottage, were second and third. Mr. Steer won with 
gvelve Japanese, Messrs. Rodbourn and Lane, gardener to Mr. Alderman 
Burrow, J.P., Park Hill, securing the remaining awards. Prizes in other 
Classes for incurved and Japanese were won by Messrs. Tilbury, gardener to 
t e f?’ LP-, South Norwood ; Staines, gardener to J. Newton, Esq., 
J.P., Park Hill; W. Jupp, gardener to C. Johnson, Esq., The Waldrons; 
Gyorj gardener to G. Parsons, Esq., Selhurst Road ; C. S. Bowman, London 
Road; and HaZell, gardener to J. R. Frewer,Esq., Lower Addiscombe Road, 
besides others already named. There was only one entry for twelve 
Anemone-flowered and twelve Anemone Pompons respectively, Mr. Rod¬ 
bourn being awarded the first prize in the first, and Mr. Dobson, gardener 
to Miss Stenning, Addiscombe Road, in the second. Both were good stands 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Planting Fruit Trees. —Much depends upon the proper prepara¬ 
tion of the ground for young fruit trees, these being of a too valuable 
nature, and oqcupy one site too long to be planted in a haphazard 
fashion. We do not advocate preparing the holes before the trees are 
received, for the simple reason that newly moved soil is liable to become 
badly saturated during a few hours of rainfall, in which state it is 
totally unfit to receive the roots of fruit tree?. It is a wiser course to 
lay the trees in by their “ heels ” directly they are received, properly 
planting them as fast as the holes are ready. The drainage ought first 
to be seen to. Most kitchen gardens are sufficiently well drained, an 
addition to the number of drains in such cases being calculated to do 
more harm than good. A deep drain, or say about 3 feet below the 
surface, taken along the front of a wall border, or close to the walk, 
will do good service, especially when the subsoil is of a retentive nature. 
On no account would we take a drain immediately under trees, this 
cairying oil moisture.tliat is much needed at times. A single deep drain 
is capable of drawing off all superfluous moisture a distance of 10 feet 
on either side. Nor do we discover any advantages attending the intro¬ 
duction of a quantity of rough stones in the bottom of a hole formed 
for the roots of a fruit tree. They seem to encourage rather than 
check deep root action, and are very much in the way when lifting 
and root-pruning becomes necessary in order to induce fruitfulness, 
or the formation of sounder better fruit. In all cases carefully 
avoid low and also deep planting. If the soil is broken up two spits 
deep, and Which is advisable where the subsoil is a fertile or fairly free- 
working nature, this will sink considerably and the tree with it. In the 
case ot clayey subsoils we would either remove these as much as 
possible, substituting the best loamy soil procurable, or only lightly fork 
it up in order to assist the drainage. Do nothing to encourage the roots 
to ramble into such stuff, but rather make the surface soil more 
attractive, and, above all, plant high. Holes a little larger than the 
spread of roots arc unsuitable, especially iD the case of retentive soils. 
Let the holes be at least 4 feet in diameter, quite the largest trees needing 
them still larger. Remember it is not merely for one year but for many 
years that the site will be occupied, and the better the roots are treated 
the more likely that good crops will be secured. Each tree ought to 
. have its roots examined prior to planting, it being advisable to cut away 
all bruised or cut portions, and all the "broken points cleanly cut over. 
A clean cut always heals more rapidly than a bruise or break of any 
kind. Many of the trees received from the nurseries have their roots all 
matted together, this being the result of faulty planting. They should 
be spread out flatly and thinly into the fresh soil, or much as they start 
from the Underground portion of the stem, a little of the best soil or 
some fine compost being rather firmly disposed about them. When 
finished off the topmost roots ought to be no more than 4 inches from 
the surface, while the “ collar ” of the tree, or that portion nearest the 
roots, should in most cases be at least 6 inches above the ordinary level. 
This allows for sinking, and if eventually they remain above the level 
so much the better for the tree and its owner. Exposed trees to be 
staked up at once. Apricots against walls on heavy soil ought always 
to be planted high, and Peaches and Nectarines also thrive well when 
well raised. It should also be added that all fruit trees are benefited by 
a liberal addition of turfy loam, crushed bones, and burnt garden refuse 
to the ordinary soil; but it is the wall trees that usually stand most in 
need of it, owing to the same sites being so long occupied, perhaps for a 
century, with fruit trees, many of which have been dead and burnt 
before the present owners of the garden were in possession. 
Distances at which to PLANT.-^-Fan-shaped Peaches and Nec¬ 
tarines for walls may be about 15 feet apart, 20 feet not being too much 
where they succeed well. High walls can be better or more quickly 
furnished by planting both dwarf and half-standard trees alternately, in 
which case the dwarfs may be disposed 20 feet apart, and the half¬ 
standards or “ riders ” midway between them. Apricots grow to a 
larger size than Peaches, at least in gardens where they thrive, and these 
may well be planted a distance of from 15 feet to 20 feet apart, and 
24 feet apart, if half-standards are mixed with the dwarfs. If they 
do not last long plant them about 8 feet apart and train to a single stem 
—a system to be described more fully later on. Espalier or horizontally 
trained Pears, either on walls or along the. garden walks, if on the Pear 
stock to be 15 to 20 feet apart, but if on the dwarfing or Quince stock a 
distance of 10 feet to 12 feet apart is ample. Pyramidal Pears on the 
Pear stock and encouraged to extend to their full size to be about 12 feet 
apart, but if restricted both at the top and roots 8 feet apart is sufficient 
space. On the Quince stock and not root pruned they may be planted 
6 feet apart, and root-pruned 4 feet apart. Double oblique and upright 
cordons 2 feet apart and single cordons somewhat closer. The five- 
branched vertical cordons, one of the best methods of training Pears, 
ought to be disposed not less than 5 feet apart. Standard Apple trees, 
these always being best on the natural or Crab stock, may be planted 
24 feet apart each way, or rather more if fruit bushes are to share the 
quarters with them. Horizontally trained Apples on the Crab stock to 
be 15 feet apart, and on the Paradise or dwarfing stock 12 feet apart. 
Single horizontally trained cordons to be 12 feet apart, anti the double 
horizontals about the same distance. Pyramidal and bush-trained 
Apples on the Crab stock to be from 10 feet to 15 feet apart, and on the 
Paradise stock 3 feet to 4 feet apart. Fan-shaped Plums on walls ought 
to be from 15 feet to 20 feet apart, pyramids being 8 feet, and standards 
24 feet apart, Cherries being given about the same distances. Black Cur¬ 
rants, Red Currants, and Gooseberries maybe disposed either among 
standard fruit trees or in a quarter by themselves. They ought to be 
4 feet apart from row to row, the same distance dividing them in the 
rows. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earliest Houses. —To have fruit ripe 
in April houses that are planted with Alexander and Waterloo Peaches 
may be closed about the middle of this [month, fire heat not being ap¬ 
plied until the beginning of December. Desirable, however, as are those 
varieties for forcing to afford very early dishes of ripe fruit, it must be 
