82 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jan nary 30, 
advanced. Recent Apple and Pear Conferences have doubtless 
done something towards quickening those concerned into a more 
systematic and sustained efiEort to meet to a greater extent 
the ever-growing demands for these fruits from British orchards 
and gardens. It has, however, been the conviction of many who 
took part in these Conferences that they were projected and 
carried out on not very good lines, inasmuch as that collections 
made up of every scrag of an Apple or Pear that would exist in a 
locality were invited, instead of selections of the best compara¬ 
tively few sorts that crop the most certain, and are worth storing 
or marketing when produced. The Conferences and the Blue 
Books concerning them were alike bewildering and embarrassing. 
A much more simple and effective method of instructing by such 
gatherings would have been to have invited growers to come forward 
with two, or at most three dozen of the sorts that were best all 
round for their districts, instead of a nondescript collection of 
mostly worthless varieties, for it is the opinion of those best able 
to judge that if the home demand is to be more fully met from 
our own orchards it must be done, not with collections, but with 
very limited selections, as at Chiswick last 3 "ear. We want growers 
more than pomologists, growers who will concentrate their energy 
and skiU on the peculiarities of the sorts which are best worth 
growing. It would be well if, in this respect, we took a leaf out of 
brother Jonathan’s book. He does not load our Atlantic liners 
and crowd our quays with all imaginable sorts, but with enormous 
quantities of a few varieties skilfully sorted and packed. 
All that has lately been said and done to swell our home Apple 
and Pear supply -will doubtless do much good. Nevertheless it will 
not be of much practical use to many who are so situated as regards 
soil, and especially climate, that to attempt to grow Apples, and 
especially Pears, with success is simply impossible. The great mass 
of consumers in such districts must always look to distant pro¬ 
ducers for their supplj'. It is a wonder that amidst all the “plans” 
fo»' improving Ireland and Irishmen little or nothing is said of fruit 
culture. I have a very vivid picture in mj" mind’s eye of the most 
splendid crops of Apples in the north of Ireland I ever saw. 
The hopeless and long continued struggle of many of us, against 
adverse circumstances, to produce, in many gardens especialljq 
Pears fit to be eaten—even when they can be had in any shape— 
speaks much more for the patience and perseverance of both owners 
of gardens and gardeners than for their wisdom. In common with 
many others, no doubt, I have practised in districts where it was 
comparatively easy to secure crops of these fruit in highly present¬ 
able samples, and found that in other districts such success was 
simply impossible. In the latter wall trees have been nailed, and 
pruned, and lifted, and root-pruned, &c., while their produce, over 
a series of years, would not disburse the nail and shred bill. No 
doubt it is natural, and to some extent laudable, to attempt the 
supply of our own tables out of our own gardens, but in very 
many places Apples, and especially Pears, cannot be produced 
fit for a good dessert when they do condescend to smile on our 
eiforts. 
Good luscious Pears in autumn and winter are always a welcome 
feature of the dessert, and well they deserve to be. Now that 
glass houses can be erected at such comparatively little cost, there 
is no reason why the very best Pears should not be grown even in 
Britain’s worst climates ; and in many cases it would be better 
to clothe walls devoted to them with Currants even, and put up 
a house for Pears. The wonder is that this has not been more 
frequently done. Peach houses go up in great numbers, and who 
will say a single word against the Peach ? This, however, can be 
said as between it and the Pear. The Peach cannot be stored and 
husbanded till the time that other fruits are scarce as Pears 
can, and the cultivation of the Peach involves twice the labour, 
if not more, than Pears require. 
The quantity of splendid Pears that can be taken annually from 
an orchard house, say 50 or 60 feet long, 24 feet wide, and of 
proportionate height, with a small amount of labour, would astonish 
many who are not conversant with the results of such an arrange¬ 
ment. It is imagined and said by some that orchard-house Pears 
are deficient in flavour because less exposed to the air. This may 
be, and doubtless is, the case in wrongly constructed houses ; but 
where the ridge and sides of a house can be extensively opened 
for ventilation the very reverse is the case, for the quality of the 
fruit is superior, and no finer looking nor finer flavoured Pears can 
be produced by any other means. In a properly constructed 
orchard house there is as much of a circulation of fresh air, often 
more, than in the open. 
Let well drained not over-deep borders of, for the staple, good 
sound loam be put into such houses, and the sides and roof clothed 
with single cordons on the Quince stock 2 feet apart, the body 
of the house stocked with pyramids or open bushes on the same 
stock, and all other things being equal I do not know how a more 
splendid or serviceable return can be had from a glass house. The 
single cordon is to be recommended, because in a limited space 
varieties sufficient to give a supply over a long season can be 
planted, and when one has to he substituted for another it can be 
done without causing large gaps. Both cordons and bushes can 
now be supplied by nurserymen in a bearing condition at reason¬ 
able prices, and so well do the Quince roots bear removing that 
in most instances fruit is produced the first season, so that long 
waiting is not necessary. The trees should be planted sufficiently 
deep to cover the union of the Pears with the Quinces. I do not 
recommend rich borders to begin with. Some bones should be- 
mixed with the turfy loam when the border is first made. When 
Pears on the Quince are in full bearing it is scarcely possible to 
over-feed them, and in a well-drained border they take large sup¬ 
plies of water. My experience of these trees leads me to say all I 
can against summer pinching, and I never touch the trees in the- 
way of pruning or pinching till I am well satisfied they will not 
break into growth again. The autumn pruning when in leaf and 
fruit is nearly all the pruning required. 
Pears are not nearly so troubled with insects as Peaches and 
Plums under glass. They are, in hot seasons, sometimes attacked’ 
with red spider, but the hose or engine soon clears them off. If 
the Pear scale should be found on any trees from the nursery 
petroleum and water soon make short work of that enemy. Whem 
a Pear happens to make its appearance outdoors in this region of 
rain, cloud, and late spring and early autumn frosts, the difference 
between it and its fellow under glass is scarcely describable. This 
refers as much to flavour as to appearance. Pears under glass 
come with a clear shining speckless rind. The trees crop regularly 
too if the imprudence of heavy crops is avoided. This is, how¬ 
ever, a sore temptation when none can be had outdoors, and a 
large family demand has to be met.—D. Thomson. 
EMIGRATION OF GARDENERS. 
(^Continued from page 60.) 
Before our friend proceeded to follow his own business— i.e.^ 
that of gardener, inquiries were made as to the prospects of the 
leading horticulturists in New York and Boston, with the result 
that accompanied similar applications in this country—viz., “ Glad 
to be of service, but too many applicants ; more hands than we 
know what to do with ; ” but one leading firm in New York on 
receipt of his testimonials (English) requested to be called upon^. 
or would write when anything suitable offered. Becoming im¬ 
patient a start was made on All Fool’s Day for Boston, the Maine- 
farmer seeing our friend off with “tearful eyes,” taking, as it 
proved, “ a last fond look,” for when our gardener wanted a friend 
the farmer had joined the majority. 
Boston (Massachusetts) was drawn blank, and the leading firm- 
in New York had no prospects, consequently work had to be sought 
elsewhere, and was secured in Long Island, thirty miles from Ne-vv 
York, on an Asparagus farm—i.e., the farmer had thirty-two acres 
of Asparagus, where a stay was made of two months, or during 
the Asparagus season, at 22 dols. per month and board. The 
Asparagus heads were tied up in bundles about 5^ inches in 
diameter at the bottom,, 4 inches at the top, and 64 inches in¬ 
length. Five hundred bundles were sent off daily on the average- 
the whole season, realising from the salesman in New York 
17 cents per bundle. Nine men were employed in cutting, &c., the 
crop being considered a paying one. 'The soil was very sandy,. 
New York manure was largely used, the blanching system of culture 
was practised, the soil being ploughed over the rows, which were- 
4 feet apart, and after cutting, the soil was ploughed off. Cutting 
Asparagus commenced on May Gth, and ceased July 4th. 
Passing into Pennsylvania our friend gained employment in 
haymaking. Wheat and Oat harvesting at 24 dols. per day with- 
board. Moving south, Delaware offered nothing better than hoeing 
Sweet Corn and gathering Tomatoes for canning at 14 dol. per day,, 
finding his own board, the labour being for the most part supplied by 
coloured men. Maryland was entered in the time of cutting Yellow- 
Corn. When it is dry it is pulled off in cobs, husked, and carted to the- 
barn. The corn stalks are carted when matured, and used as fodder 
for cows. Work of that kind was paid for at 75 cents per dajr 
with board, or 15 dols. without board, the labour being coloured ; 
in fact, the farm to which these remarks apply is owned by a 
coloured farmer, both himself and wife being at one time slaves on 
the same estate. This was in the neighbourhood of Texas, twelve 
miles from Baltimore. It was now October, and as winter must be 
passed a move was made to Baltimore. Gardening being at a dis¬ 
count, an engagement was entered into for three months oyster 
dredging at 17 dols. per month and board. This was found a very 
rough and hazardous mode of getting a living, but being midwinter 
an engagement was entered into with another master for another 
three months, or until the end of March. This work was remark- 
