September 17, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
243 
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Sale of Bulbs at Protheioe’s Booms, Cheapside. 
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Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity. 
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Sale of Bulbs at Stevens’ Rooms, Covent Garden. 
RENOVATING OLD FRUIT TREES. 
E interesting “ Notes on Fruit and Fruit Trees ” 
by “A Kentish Gardener,” at page 198, 
reminded me that there must be thousands of 
fruit trees which are in an unfruitful condition, 
and which would be benefited by a timely and 
judicious manipulation of root and branch. 
Unfruitfulness and debility are brought about 
through various causes, which are generally 
under the control of a gardener. In many 
gardens there are numerous Apple and Pear trees in the 
same condition in having too many fruit buds as those 
described by “A Kentish Gardener.” Young gardeners 
may think that I am not writing very seriously when I say 
this, but it only applies to those trees which make little or 
no wood growth; and in nine cases out of ten very few 
fruits set on those trees, although they may have flowered 
profusely, and climatic influences were in their favour. 
The cause of this is a want of vigour; and the best way to 
improve them is to thin the spurs and fruit buds where 
too thickly placed, also removing the surface soil from the 
roots, baring them as much as possible, substituting for the 
soil a thorough dressing of equal parts of farmyard manure, 
wood ashes, and good loam, with a moderate addition of old 
lime rubbish. This we have found by experience imparts 
vigour to such trees, and so causes them to perfect good crops 
of fruit. 
Old trees, either bush-trained, pyramids, or those trained 
to walls, which have hitherto perfected fair crops of fruit, but 
are now becoming less satisfactory, may have fresh life 
imparted to them by being subjected to the same process. 
Old Pear trees horizontally trained to walls are often seen with 
very old spurs attached to them ; and although a good number 
of fruits may be secured, they are invariably small and much 
deformed. The means generally resorted to to bring these 
old trees into a fruitful condition beyond giving a good 
dressing to the roots, is to reduce the number of spurs a few 
at a time, sawing or cutting them off about an inch from the 
main stem. When fresh shoots are produced they are 
managed so as to form fruiting spurs. One of the best 
methods for bringing these old trees into a fruitful condition 
is to remove every alternate branch, and train fresh shoots 
15 inches apart in an oblique direction from the spurs of the 
remaining branches; or if the spurs have been cut back, 
train in the young shoots. These young shoots become 
studded with fruit buds, and eventually form healthy fruiting 
spurs. We have known very old trees produce large crops 
of fruit when treated in the above manner. 
Old cordon-trained trees of Apples or Pears may be kept 
in good health for years if the roots receive proper attention, 
and are not overcropped or otherwise ill-managed. To keep 
them in continuous good health they should receive a dress¬ 
ing annually, removing as much of the surface soil as 
poBaible. If the trees ever show signs of exhaustion a trench 
should be dug 3 or 4 feet from the wall, and the old soil 
worked carefully from the roots without disturbing those 
No. 273. —Vol. XI., Third Series 
within 18 inches of the stem more than can be helped. 
Before the soil is returned it should receive the addition of 
some good loam, wood ashes, and old mortar rubbish. If 
good loam is not at command turf-parings may be added. 
The best time to carry out the above instructions is immedi¬ 
ately after the fall of the leaf. 
Well-managed orchards of standard trees on grass are 
very profitable, but too often they are sadly neglected. It is 
true that orchard standards do not require much pruning, 
but they should not be allowed to grow into a tangled mass, 
the centre of the tree being well thinned to admit light and 
air to the branches. Unless the trees are well protected and 
the lower branches out of reach horses or cows should not 
be allowed in the orchard, but sheep could be admitted, as 
they would enrich the ground and keep the grass down. 
A good dressing of farmyard manure given annually just 
after the fruit is gathered will prove very beneficial.—A. Young. 
ROSES AT SHEFFIED. 
Those readers whose knowledge of Sheffield is confined to 
the glimpse obtained in passing through the town by rail will 
doubtless smile at the prospect of the queen of flowers reigning 
in the neighbourhood of such an uncongenial atmosphere of 
noxious gases and smoke Rose-growing in and around Sheffield 
has often been deprecated, nevertheless hundreds of good Roses 
that would not disgrace the exhibition table are yearly grown, 
and the rosarians of Sheffield are as deeply interested in Rose 
culture as their brethren who are in most favoured districts. A 
brief description of the collection of Roses at Highbury, the 
residence of D. Gilmour, junr., Esq., of Sandvgate, may be both 
interesting and instructive. It is situated in the western suburbs 
of Sheffield and about four miles from the centre of the town, 
and live miles from the forest of tall chimney shafts that indicate 
the manufacturing part of the town and fill the atmosphere with 
dense clouds of heavy smoke, from which falls an unceasing 
shower of sooty particles, or “ blacks ” as they are frequently 
called." 
The collection contains more than 3000 plants, and is the 
largest in the district belonging to an amateur; 2000 plants are 
devoted to the growth of blooms suitable for exhibition purposes. 
The beds, many of which are on the lawn, are wide enough for 
two rows of plants, and contain from twelve to thirty in each 
bed. One variety only is planted in a bed; the effect of the 
masses of different shades and colours produced by this arrange¬ 
ment being very striking. Borders about 4 feet wide, in which the 
Roses are planted in rows, occupy other portions of the ground. 
The plants this season, with a few exceptions, have produced a 
large number of fine blooms, and being full of vigour will continue 
to furnish a supply of good flowers until cut down by frost 
or spoiled by rough weather. Some good varieties that do well 
in many localities are not suitable for this district; those that do 
not succeed are, after a fair trial, discarded for some more suit¬ 
able variety. The Duke of Edinburgh is an example, being 
subject to mildew no matter what care and attention is bestowed 
upon it; another is the Comtesse de Serenye, which produces 
lari?e trusses of fine firm buds, but they do not open properly, 
and this variety will doubtless after this season be discarded. 
Star of Waltham is also inferior when grown here. Baroness de 
Rothschild, Senateur Vaisse, Eisher Holmes, Charles Lefebvre, 
Marie Baumann, Fran ois Michelon, Sir Garnet Wolseley, 
Duchess of Bedford, Charles Darwin, Horace Yernet, and 
Etienne Levet are amongst the varieties that have done the best 
this season. A. K. Williams have also done well, but has not 
yet been tested as to hardiness sufficiently to be at piresent 
recommended for similar districts; but probably the best Rose 
this season is Madame Alphonse Lavallee, which has done very 
well, the blooms being good with strong petals, very enduring 
in a cut state—an excellent recommendation when required for 
exhibition purposes. La France is extensively grown, and its 
rich satiny rose-coloured blooms have been gathered in hundreds. 
A row of about 200 plants bordering the path in the shrubbery 
were planted four years ago by Mr. Gilmour, and have produced 
each season an abundance of fine flowers, and on the occasion of 
a recent visit were still in full bloom. This variety is, however, 
likely to give way to some extent to Baroness Rothschild, which 
produces blooms more adapted for exhibition purposes. Several 
standard trees of Gloire de Dijon also occupy a position in the 
shrubbery, and they bloom freely each year, although they are 
never manured and to a certain extent left to shift for themselves. 
No. 1929.— Vol. LXXIII., Old Series. 
