November 1, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
397 
tiacum, and tigrinum at once in good well worked soil, and do not 
disturb them for several years. Freesias, Xxias, and Sparaxis are 
suitable for pot culture only.—C ultivator. 
PEACH CULTURE. 
In your issue of the 11th inst. you publish a paper by that 
■authority, Mr. T. F. Rivers, on the Peach, and all who are engaged 
in Peach culture will esteem the valuable information given, but 
iti two sentences I received the impression that the author cast a 
douche of cold water on the practice of growing Peaches on the 
open wall. 
I admit that where capital can be spent for houses it will prove 
the most satisfactory. The paper was addressed more to the trade 
than to private gardens I presume, in its spirit at least, but 
knowing that many are influenced who may not have sufficient 
practical knowledge, I would like to say a word in favour of the 
Peach on the open wall. 
Here we have more than 350 feet length of wall, 12 to 14 feet 
high, covered with Peach trees, and there is no intention of reducing 
their number. Even in this exceptionally cold season the trees have 
■produced a full crop of useful, but not large, well coloured fruits of 
good flavour, which have been in constant demand at the table up to 
this 23rd of October, when the last of the mid-season varieties were 
gathered. Dr. Hogg is a fine variety with dark green leaves, 
vigorous, free-bearing, with dark coloured fruits. Royal George 
is one of the best in every respect; Bellegarde, rather earlier than 
the above but not so fruitful. Stirling Castle is the largest named, 
but not so fruitful as the two first. One tree, more than fifty ye$rs 
old, has produced about 200 fruits and did the same last year. 
The earliest varieties are not grown here, as the fruit would be 
ripe before wanted. The latest varieties will not ripen this year, 
and never do thoroughly, but we grow some of them, as I find 
Peaches can be grown with more certainty here than almost any 
other wall fruit, except Apricots, which seldom fail. Sea Eagle is 
a great bearer in a young state, but should be in a house to finish 
it; also Prince of Wales, but it is only second rate in flavour. 
A portion of the border has been cropped ten months in the 
year for ten years up to 2j feet from the wall, and yet gives good 
crops with heavy manuring. The largest portion of the border is 
covered with grass within a foot of the wall and 6 feet from it, 
but we could produce finer fruits if neither crops nor grass were on 
the borders 8 feet from the wall. I am convinced that large 
borders are not necessary for growing Peaches. We have a dry 
bottom on sand and gravel, altitude 180 to 200 feet three miles 
from the North Sea ; mildew is unknown on the Peach trees ; 
large quantities of liquid manure from the midden and guano and 
soot are applied. Half the wall is protected in the spring with 
double fishing net when the trees begin to bloom, and kept on to 
the 20th of May, and for greater security against frost a flued 
portion is covered with frigi domo in the shape of curtains, and 
withdrawn by day ; but in ordinary seasons the net protection is 
equal to the latter. Under the above we do not experience blister 
in the leaves in spring. 
A considerable amount of labour is necessary to keep the trees in 
a healthy condition, especially in the spring, before the fruit is 
fairly set, so that water can be freely applied. This is a critical 
time where many trees are ruined. I have often found that the 
longest is the best way in dealing with that pest the green fly, by 
washing the young shoots with tobacco liquor or other insecticide 
with the hand. Cold water must be applied during the summer 
frequently to keep down insects, and the trees and wall should have 
a thorough washing with strong insecticide after the leaves have 
fallen. Rivers’ Orange and Pine Apple Nectarines colour beauti¬ 
fully, but Elruge is not sufficiently fruitful. Lord Napier is on 
trial.— George Harris, Alnwick Castle Gardens. 
NOTES FROM A HERTS GARDEN. 
Nothing except the uncleared, blackened, or dried remnants 
remain of summer vegetables. Peas, Dwarf and Runner Beans, with 
Vegetable Marrows, all tender plants succumbed to the early October 
frosts. There is not, however, as last year, scarcity of winter edibles. 
Michaelmas Cauliflower—viz., Walcheren and Veitch’s Autumn Giant, 
are particularly good, and Snow’s Winter Broccoli is just beginning to 
“ button.” Gilbert's Universal Savoy, which has the quality of spring 
Cabbage and the flavour of Savoy with a “ smack ” of Cauliflower 
thrown in, is superb for table or any purpose, and Drumhead Savoy is 
valued for size and quality. We have as usual a good batch of Cabbage 
sprouts. The spring or early summer-cut plants allowed to remain 
branch and form little Cabbages for late summer and autumn use, 
besides a quantity of Coleworts. I like to retain some of Ellam’s Early 
Dwarf and Hill’s Incomparable of the late autumn or early spring 
planting for this purpose, as they form heads better the larger sorts. 
There is, of course, a large breadth of Brussels Sprouts, Exhibition for 
early use and Paragon, both of Veitch’s strain, the first having large 
heads and the other small, so that quantity and quality tastes are met. 
Then there are Spinach and roots, which last of all sorts are plentiful 
and good. Of Celery Sandringham and Early Rose are fine, the former 
short and thick, the latter twice as long and large—an excellent sort, 
an early form of Major Clarke’s Solid Red with all its good properties, 
a shy “ bolter indeed, we have not found one out of some hundred 
plants of a sowing made early in February, but most unaccountably 
some of Sandringham have gone astray. Generalities, however, have 
nothing of special interest, therefore I will particularise. 
Vegetable Marrows. —Young small Marrows, about the size of 
a tennis-ball, under rather than over, are in daily request, a dozen or 
more at a time, which I have not found any other variety meet so well 
as Pen-y-byd. This year we have a plant, a natural hybrid perhaps, 
between it and Moore’s Cream, sturdier and hardier, the female Pen- 
y-byd, with fruits quite as numerous, swelling to double the size in half 
the time, the male Moore’s Cream. Short-jointed Long White resisted 
the cold and wet well, and when put to straits we substituted it for the 
small sorts, with the result that it took immensely. Custard did not 
fruit, and Moore’s Cream was most unsatisfactory. 
Tomatoes. —Last year, and in most years previously, we had so 
many fruits from unheated houses and outdoors that we resolved not 
to waste a heated house over them after June, as we had a supply fully 
ten months out of the twelve, and much as Tomatoes and Cucumbers at 
dead winter are talked and written about we never had a house of either 
that paid a fraction of the “ candle.” Now we are content to insert 
cuttings in 4-inch pots in September, strike in heat, and keep close to 
the glass in a house with a temperature of 55° to 65°, with advance of 
10° to 15° from sun heat. We shift the plants into 10-inch pots in 
December or early January, crocked, a little rough compost is placed 
over them, and then the plants, one in each pot, placing soil around, 
rough stuff, with a sprinkling of soot to take off the sickly colour 
Tomato plants are apt to assume in winter. They are stood at the 
sides of a small span-roof about 18 inches apart, and are starved— i.e., 
the atmosphere is kept rather dry, water given only to prevent flagging, 
and not top-dressed until the first trusses flower. Then soil is 
added with a little more soot and some manure, and they are no 
further trouble. Of course, the plants have all laterals removed, the 
leaflets shortened back, as we want fruit not leaves, and give water as 
required. We have ripe fruit in April. They fruit until those from seed 
sown early in the year and treated similarly take up the running and 
continue it until the others planted out in unheated houses come in, 
when we clear out and plant with late Melons. The plants in cool 
houses have grown strongly and fruited insignificantly. They are a 
failure. Happily we had outdoor plants. We grow Hackwood Park, 
Acme, Excelsior, and Surpasse. A notable feature of these plants was 
their extreme vigour. I never saw such stems, leaves, and trusses, the 
latter resembled ropes of Onions— i.e., those that set fruit. The difficulty 
was the cold dull weather that prevailed in June, July, and August 
The leaves were remarkably fleshy, and as the plants were not allowed 
to produce laterals they pushed viviparous plants from the upper 
surface at the joints of the foliage, several on a leaf. 
Ridge Cucumbers failed to fruit, though we specially threw some 
Oak and Beech leaves into a ridge quite 20 yards long, 6 yards wide, 
and 2 yards high for their particular benefit. 
Beans. —Broad Beans did well; Early Mazagan, as usual, stood 
best, and came in soonest. The small Beans always meet acceptance, 
whatever may be said of this Bean in other respects. There was unusual 
luxuriance in the Longpod and Windsor section, and they corned well 
Yeitch’s Improved Longpod proved a long way ahead of those in the 
Longpod section, it being remarkably prolific, and quite as early as the 
Early Longpod. Improved Windsor is large and fine, none better of its 
class. 
Dwarf or French Beans make a sorry growth. It looked in June as 
if there were to be no pods, but they came after all by mid-July. Ne 
Plus Ultra cropped famously; it is the sort both for indoors and outdoors 
where but one kind is wanted, indeed it has no equal for productiveness 
and quality. It is also early. As variety tells for something, begro 
Mammoth Longpodded may be named as excellent, also Canadian 
Wonder, both being very prolific and good for general crop. 
Of Runner Beans we only had Scarlet Champion, as the giants and 
Mammoths must, if they are used at all, be sent in small, for cooks have 
