May 2, 1839. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
355 
was the mistake—the water passing under the bricks to the wail. The 
channel under the new coping prevents this, by falling “ clear,” for it 
cannot pass the groove, and the top of the wall remains dry. The case 
is worth mentioning, as showing the importance of attention to small 
details in the prosecution of work that is to be done well. 
The district is famous for fruit, especially, perhaps, Pears, and huge 
trees stand about in fields as ordinary timber trees do in most other 
counties. The old Pears bear enormously, and the farmers take care 
of the fruit for perry. We found thousands of gallons stored in a barn, 
of different ages and qualities. A good deal of tasting appeared neces¬ 
sary, but Mr. Horton was nothing loth, but rather proud of his brands 
—clear, brisk, and delicately flavoured. He is one of the Impney tenants, 
and his perry harvest, which last year was 5200 gallons, seemed to be 
prized as much as his corn. It is surprising how free the growth is 
when the ancient trees are cut down and grafted. They are adepts 
at grafting are the perry farmers, and would laugh at a gardener if he 
told them the trees were worn out and not worth grafting, pointing 
probably to some done a year or two ago with growths 10 feet long 
studded with fruit buds. The soil is unquestionably good, or the large 
old trees could not be made young again with such facility. 
ARCHDEACON LEA’S FRUIT GARDENS. 
About a mile from Impney, crossing the fields, we arrive at 
St. Peter’s, which appears to be a suburb of Droitwich. The Ven. 
Archdeacon was the vicar of the parish for many years, and being 
anxious to acquire information that should be of service in improving 
the condition of industrious and thrifty men, he planted a fruit garden 
of three acres in 1864 with seventy varieties of Pears, fifty of Apples, 
and forty of Plums, besides a great number of Gooseberries, Currants, 
and Strawberries. In 1879 he published a very interesting manual 
detailing his experience. The Archdeacon has since relinquished his 
charge as vicar, and built himself a commodious house in his experi¬ 
mental garden, where fruit trees in various forms have long been in full 
bearing. 
It is no small treat to pass through this garden with its owner, for 
he knows every tree, even when in a dormant state, and has clear ideas 
of the relative value of the different varieties. For the first seven years 
he grew vegetables between the trees, and during that time derived a 
profit of £40 on the undertaking, besides what was consumed in the 
house. At the end of fourteen years the profit was nearly £200, pigs, 
poultry, and eggs being included ; but including produce supplied to 
the house the profits were estimated at £40 a year. In 1874 he planted a 
second garden with a few selected varieties, and eventually let it to a 
tenant for seven years at the moderate rent of, I think, £5 per acre, 
but the man so neglected it, and allowed couch to overtop the fruit 
bushes, that the Archdeacon had to take it into his own hands again in 1885. 
Now came the work of restoration, and laborious and costly it proved, 
but perseverance is bringing its reward. The first year after the 
cleansing commenced the fruit sold, in round figures, for £30, but the 
expenses were £89 ; loss £59. The second year the sales realised £84, 
expenses £70. The third year the proceeds were £71, expenses £77 ; 
but the fourth year the proceeds were £162, expenses £73. This gives 
an average gain of about £9 10s., with clean land and healthy trees and 
bushes. With this experience nothing can show more clearly the 
disastrous results of neglect and slovenliness and the potency of cleanli¬ 
ness and good management in fruit production. 
The Archdeacon points out the great fall in the price of fruit since 
he commenced its culture, and he now says that no man can say with 
certainty that it will pay to plant and grow fruit in the future. He 
means, of course, no man of his own unique experience, if such there 
be, and makes it clear that profit can only be expected from the best 
culture of the best varieties in the most favourable positions. His own 
favourite varieties, not necessarily for profit but for quality, are the 
Decaisne Plum, Doyenne du Comice Pear, and for late use Boston 
Russet Apple. His ideal for helping worthy men is sufficient grass 
land for three cows, and the same quantity of land for vegetables and 
fruit; then, with pigs, poultry, and eggs, an industrious man might 
make a living, and gradually rise in the world. In that way the con¬ 
dition of the industrial community might be improved, and the strength 
of the nation materially increased. The Yen. Archdeacon has done 
excellent work in furtherance of an admirable object, and deserves 
thanks for his laudable endeavours to increase the contentment and 
well-being of the industrial population. Time and space permit of no 
more being said than the expression of my obligations for the courtesy 
of which I was the recipient by the owner of these instructive gardens, 
and to Mr. Parker also for his guidance and pleasant reception on my 
second visit to Droitwich and Impney.—W. 
DAFFODILS. 
Daffodils are now rendering many gardens and nurseries gay, and 
where seen in huge beds some hundreds of feet long their characters are 
much more clearly displayed than in a few roots or clumps in a border. 
Mr. Walker’s Daffodil farms at Whitton and Ham afford capital ex¬ 
amples of this, especially at Whitton, where the choice varieties are 
grown, and their beauty is heightened by contrast with the earlier 
Tulips, which are commencing to furnish some brilliant patches of 
colour. Large beds, too, of Paaonies are by no means unattractive with 
their vigorous coppery-coloured growths. The Trumpet Daffodils, parti¬ 
cularly the deep golden-coloured varieties, look best in these large beds, 
but a beautiful contrast is afforded by the pure and fragrant forms of 
N. poeticus. Seen under a bright sun, a Daffodil farm is a beautiful 
floral spectacle, but leaden-co’oured clouds and heavy rain such as have 
prevailed on several occasions lately detract greatly from their charms. 
It is somewhat difficult to choose a time when such establishments can 
be seen at their best, as while the flowers are in demand they are cut in 
large numbers every day, and despatched to market with as little delay 
as possible. In fact some varieties—those most valued for cutting—are 
scarcely allowed to expand fully, as they would not last so well and 
come out of their boxes and packages so fresh the next morning if they 
were not gathered until fu ly open. 
Few are aware how large a trade is now transacted in Daffodils 
during the spring months, for apart from those who make a specialty of 
these plants for cutting or sale of bulbs, there are scores of market 
gardens around the metropolis where Daffodils are now planted very 
extensively under the fruit trees, and between the lines of Gooseberry 
or Currant bushes. The supplies from these all help to fill the market 
stalls, and yet late in the morning they seem to have nearly all dis¬ 
appeared. Few, however, of the market gardeners grow the choicer 
varieties. N. poeticus is of course seen everywhere, but for the finer 
forms of N. incomparabilis and the various groups of hybrids we must 
go to the specialists. 
It is often said that many of the varieties of Daffodils are too nearly 
alike, and this to a great extent is true ; but it is surprising how much 
more readily the peculiar characters and minute differences are detected 
when the flowers of hundreds of bulbs of each variety can be compared. 
It is with these, as with many other plants, a more intimate acquaintance 
with them enables one to distinguish points that are otherwise un¬ 
noticed : and it is surprising also how rapidly a liking for Daffodils 
increases in the same wav. The majority easily grown and cheap, 
flowering too when we are just awakening to the attractions of spring, 
and turning to our gardens again for a renewal of past pleasures, it is 
easily understood why Diffolils have advanced so rapidly in public 
favour of recent years.— Amateur. 
THE NATIONAL SOCIETY’S SCHEDULE. 
The Schedule of the National Chrysanthemum Society's Shows and 
arrangements for 1889 is just to hand, and is eveD more bulky than last 
year’s issue. It forms quite a little volume of seventy-eight pages, and 
contains a variety of information concerning the Society and its work 
which will be interesting to others besides its own members. Some of 
the principal features besides the exhibition schedules are the lists of 
officers, general and floral Committees, Fellows and members. The new 
rules of the Society are given in full, with the report and finance for the 
year 1888, a list of affiliated societies and the names of their secretaries 
and representatives, regulations for the various committees and exhi- 
bions, and the winners of the Society’s medals for 1883. 
The exhibitions to be held in the present year are as follows :—Early 
Chrysanthemums, Dahlias, Gladioli, &c., September 11th and 12th, at 
the Royal Aquarium, Westminster. The classes remain nearly the same 
as last year, but more provision has been made for varieties of the 
Madame C. Desgrange type. There have also been some alterations in 
the Dahlia classes. The midseason Show will be held on November 12th 
and 13th, at Westminster. Several alterations have been made in the 
classes in this exhibition, the prizes in the principal being increased. In 
the case of the Society competition class, second and third prizes of £6 
and £4 respectively have been added to the trophy, and £10, which con¬ 
stitute the first prize. In all sixty-six prizes are provided for plants, cut 
blooms, groups, fruit and vegetables, a department being also provided 
for horticultural sundries. 
The Society’s provincial Show will be held in conjunction with the 
Hull and East Riding Society’s Exhibition, in the Artillery Barracks, 
Hull, November 21st and 22nd, when eighteen open classes will be pro¬ 
vided, the prizes being liberal and including a number of silver cups 
besides substantial awards in cash. The fifteen-guinea challenge vase, 
with £15 as the first prize, £10 as the second, and £5 as the third, are 
offered for forty-eight blooms, twenty-four incurved and twenty-four 
Japanese, not less than eighteen varieties each. The Mayor of Hull, 
J. Sherburn, Esq., contributes a five-guinea silver cup in class 2, with 
£6 as the first prize, for twenty-four blooms, twelve each of incurved 
and Japanese, in not less than nine varieties. The Sheriff of Hull, 
Arthur Wilson, Esq., gives a five-guinea cup and £5 for twenty-four 
Japanese blooms, not less than eighteen varieties. E.C. Jukes, Esq., also 
offers a five-guinea cup and £2 for twelve blooms large Anemones, not 
less than nine varieties. Messrs. E. P. Dixon & Sons, Hu 1, also offer a 
silver cup of the same value in another class. 
The midwinter Metropolitan Exhibition will be held at Westminster, 
January 8th and 9th, 1890, and a conference will take place on the first 
of the days. The Floral Committee will meet on September 11th, 
October 9ih and 23rd, November 12th and 26th, December 11th, and 
January 8tb, on the show days, at 12.30 P.H., and on the other days at 
