October 1, 1885.'] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
299 
blooming plants than usual, notwithstanding the hot and dry weather 
that we have experienced, although we are more subject to this than those 
who grow them in the cooler climate of the north of England, and I can 
quite understand how it is that Mr. Horner has a smaller per-centage of 
them than Mr. Douglas. I believe neither method of cultivation or time 
of repotting makes any difference, but just simply the climate in which 
they are grown. It will, however, now be necessary to carefully examine 
the pots, and see that after these heavy rains we have had the frames 
have been watertight and no plants are waterlogged, or the drainage have 
been disturbed, for of all the enemies to the successful culture of the 
Auricula none is so fatal as excessive wet, especially if the drainage has 
been disturbed. As after the summer the surface soil of the pots will 
probably have become caked, it will be well to stir it up with a blunt 
stick, and examine carefully the collar of the plant for woolly aphis, for 
although we have perhaps overrated the injury that this pest does to our 
plants it will be as well to get rid of it there. I found that although at re¬ 
potting time there was hardly a trace of it on many plants, I have now 
got it on several of them ; and although its injurious effects to the roots 
have been denied, yet all seem to think its room better than its company 
about the neck of the plant. Those who may have a desire to commence 
their cultivation, or add to their collections, have now a better oppor¬ 
tunity of doing so, as I see that the collection of the late veteran 
grower, Mr. Alex. Meiklejohn, is in process of sale, and in it the crack 
sorts such as George Lightbody, Raiaham Hero, &c., are to be had for 
5s., and older sorts at greatly reduced prices. 
Carnations and Picotees. —Notwithstanding the dry season I find 
that layers of these have rooted well. The time has now arrived to pre¬ 
pare for wintering them. They may either be pitted singly in small 
pots or in pans, which is the most usual way—in 48’s. The compost for 
this purpose should be the simplest possible—good loam, with an ad¬ 
mixture of road grit or coarse gravel. To keep it open is the best, as 
the object is not so much to stimulate growth, but to keep them in a 
sound healthy condition during the winter months. Those who, like 
myself, grow them in beds will now be preparing to plant them out. It is 
easier to do so in the autumn than in the spring, and I have found that 
there are very few losses during the winter. I always keep a few in pots 
for the purpose of making up deficiencies. The beds should be 4 feet 
wide, and the plants placed at about a foot apart. When they are planted 
it is well to put a small stick to each, tying the plant loosely to it, so as 
to prevent its being loosened by the wind. For the same reasons they 
should be planted firmly in the soil. As I have before said, these instruc¬ 
tions are not intended so much for exhibitors as for those who desire the 
enjoyment of the flowers in their own gardens. For exhibition purposes 
to grow them in pots is almost a necessity. A good garden soil which 
has been well cultivated previously is admirably suited for them. 
Dahlias.— The first frost will destroy the beauty of the various 
sections into which the Dahlia is now divided ; but although the foliage 
is destroyed it will not be necessary to immediately lift the roots. How¬ 
ever, the operation cannot be much longer delayed. A dry day should 
be chosen for it, so as not to have too much earth adhering to the tubers. 
They should then be placed in an airy situation free from frost to dry for 
a time before storing. 
Gladioli.— These, too, are now losing their beauty, although they are 
not so susceptible of frost as the Dahlia, and need not be lifted yet ; 
indeed, it is better to defer that to the latter end of the month (October), 
but the beds should be carefully gone over, and when seed is not wanted 
the flowering stems should be cut off, for there is little doubt that the 
seeding process weakens the corms. Where any corms have gone wrong it 
is better to take them up at once. 
Pansies. —This has been a trying season, in the south of England at 
any rate, for these plants, the long drought having completely destroyed 
the plants, which no amount of watering seemed able to save. This no 
doubt is one of the reasons why the Pansy is not so popular as it used to 
be about London. I had last year a very pretty collection, but have 
been unable to save more than three or four kinds. Where they are 
grown in pots the plants will now be ready for potting off into thumbs, 
ani after remaining close for a few days until they are rooted may then 
be transferred to a frame facing south at present. Should, however, the 
weather be warm and sunny it may be as well to leave them in a north 
aspect for a little while longer. 
Pinks.— Rooted pipings from the propagating frames or beds may 
now be planned out into beds prepared for them. This is another of the 
old florists’ flowers which has fallen on bad times as far as the south of 
England is concerned. Mr. Turner, indeed, occasionally lets us see a 
stand, but otherwise it is almost unknown in the south ; in Scotland 
it is still cultivated with more or less of success. The beds should be 
prepared as for Picotees, but the plants do not require to be so far apart. 
—D., Deal. 
SOME THOUGHTS AND SUGGESTIONS ON 
FRUIT AND FRUIT-GROWING. 
[A Lecture delivered at Wrexham, Friday, September 11th, 1885, before the North 
Wales and Border Counties Pomological Society, by Mr. E. J. Baillie, F.L.S.] 
(Continued from page 867.) 
The different methods of cultivation have an important bearing, 
and it is both astonishing and amusing to find how doctors differ 
upon the points at issue. I read a most interesting account in one of 
the daily papers a few days ago of the surface system adopted with 
6uch success by Mr. Walter Kruse. He has carried on a very inter¬ 
esting and instructive experiment in fruit farming during the past 
four years in the county of Kent, and the results have been so 
satisfactory that the system adopted maybe considered, in the opinion 
of competent judges, to be worth the study of those interested in 
fruit-growing. Its peculiarity consists in this, that cultivation in all 
its forms is applied only to the surface of the ground. No digging 
is allowed. The garden hoe and the pruning knife are practically 
the only implements used on the farm. Not much work is found for 
the latter, as Mr. Walter Kruse, the originator of the system, and 
who at present stands alone in carrying it out, is of opinion that to 
get a large crop of fruit there must be plenty of wood for it to hang 
upon. The hoe, however, is freely employed to “ tickle the ground," 
aud the result seems to be that it “ laughs into a harvest.” The 
objection to digging is founded mainly on the injury which is 
commonly done to the roots of trees, especially at their extremities, 
where they are often torn and broken by the spade. As manure is 
only used as top-dressing, there is, of course, no necessity for digging 
in order to admit the fertilisers into the subsoil. The dressing is 
very rapidly absorbed, and consists to a great extent of phosphates 
in the form of bones crushed to quarter-inch size. The yearly ex¬ 
penditure for manure comes to from £10 to £13 per acre. By this 
superficial culture the roots are encouraged to keep near the surface, 
and take advantage of the upper and more nutritive soil ; while, by 
the undisturbed formation of fine fibrous growths, innumerable 
feeders to the sustenance and health of the trees are produced. It 
has long been an axiom of fruit-growing in Kent that the roots of 
Cherry trees must not be interferred with, and in many old orchards 
a broad circle of green turf may be seen surrounding them, designed 
for the protection of the roots ; but the curious and unintelligent 
part of the procedure is that the patch of grass only extends where 
the roots are thick and strong, and hardly liable to injury ; while 
further out, where they are tender, the spud or the plough is used 
unmercifully. Mr. Kruse makes a great point of carefully protecting 
all this delicate growth. An advantage claimed for this system of 
surface culture is that, the soil being never broken up for more than 
an inch or so, evaporation is comparatively slight, and in dry seasons 
the reserve of moisture in the soil does not become easily exhausted. 
Upon this question of cultivation there is an interesting pamphlet 
published by Pitman, of Paternoster Row, and issued by the Vege¬ 
tarian Society, Manchester, the work of Mr. E. A. Kynaston, who 
writes under the title of “ Head Gardener." This pamphlet is 
unique, and in every sense of the word original. Many practical 
growers will not accept his views ; hut whatever may be thought of 
the theories there advanced, his methods have, according to Mr. 
Kynaston’s statements, invariably resulted in securing fruit in 
abundance and of excellent quality. The secret of the system is 
careful feeding. Mr. Kynaston maintains that trees subjected to the 
treatment he recommends are endowed with a constitution which 
enables them fo resist the often disastrous late frosts which tell so 
seriously against trees not so strengthened. We have no time to 
pursue this question here. One remarkable fact I should like to 
mention with regard to Mr. Kynaston’s method is this, the trees are 
not checked by removal as is ordinarily the case, but almost invariably 
come into immediate bearing. I quote from a letter which I received 
in June, 1884, as follows :—“June 19th, 1884. Dear Mr. Baillie,—■ 
I forward you by parcels post a sample of fruit gathered from trees 
that were growing in Messrs. F. and A. Dickson & Sons’ nurseries at 
Chester as late as the middle of January last. Five Cherry trees 
were sent, and all are bearing well ; and other fruit trees that were 
forwarded towards the end of January have mostly set their fruits, 
many of them with the abundance of old-established trees. 
Many on reading this might say, ‘Ah! but you must have had fine 
weather.’ This, however, was not so, for the spring with us has 
been characterised by late frosts, cold nights generally, bitter east 
winds, and excessive drought. Now all this shows (1) what really 
good trees can be made to do when carefully planted and thoroughly 
cultivated ; (2) that it is a great mistake to suppose that weather 
alone is responsible for the destruction of our fruit crops." Mr. 
Kyuaston is an enthusiast in the matter of fruit cultivation, and his 
own little garden always gives evidence to the successful home 
application of his methods. It is at any rate evident that for the 
proper production of fruit we must have a careful cultivation, and 
I believe that were our fruit trees fed and tended carefully we should 
hear less of the climatic difficulties which terrify many and prevent 
a more rapid extension of the orchard of hardy fruits. 
There were one or two other aspects upon which I wished to 
touch— i.e., storage of fruit3, the decorative character of some kind3, 
shelter, and the planting of wastes such as hedgerows and railway 
embankments ; but I feel I must have reached the limits of your 
patience, and will only ask you to bear with me whilst I briefly refer 
to one of the most important elements in the matter we have dis¬ 
cussed this evening. I allude to the education of the people in 
relation to the dietetic value of fruits. At present they are regarded 
as luxuries, or as an addition to a meal that is essentially complete 
