188 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 10,1887. 
outdoor Peaches and Nectarines has fallen off very considerably, and if 
the truth must be told there is every probability of a still further 
decline in the same direction, unless it is made an employer’s question, 
and the latter insist upon having outdoor fruit. Various are the reasons 
assigned for this falling off ; but, strange to say, the one most frequently 
put forth — viz., that of climate—is the weakest, and will not bear close 
inquiry ; at least, such is my own opinion, and I believe that any argu¬ 
ment advanced in support of the deterioration of climate, or of any 
marked difference in the state of the weather now from that experienced 
in the days of our grandfathers, could be easily controverted by indis¬ 
putable facts. 
Having stated this much, I will give my opinion as to the true cause 
o£ so many failures in gardens where in former days there used to be 
success, and let me here parenthetically remark that I do not believe 
the present generation of gardeners are less capable men than their 
predecessors. The real cause of the great majority of failures at the 
present time I believe to be mainly due to one circumstance—viz., the 
same amount of care and attention is not bestowed on their cultivation 
as formerly, and this again in itself is due to the fact of a greatly 
extended cultivation under glass. The principal cause of this 
state of things is obvious, even to only casual observers of times and 
events. Glass is much cheaper now than formerly, and in addition 
to this we have a vastly increased wealth in the country. Notwith¬ 
standing this fact, however, I consider it a great mistake to neglect the 
outdoor cultivation of Peaches and Nectarines in those districts where 
they have been once known to succeed, for it cannot be denied that 
with fruit from the open air the season for good Peaches is considerably 
prolonged. 
With glass-covered walls and copings a good crop of fruit is certain, 
and as a matter of course there are less worry, labour, and anxiety attend¬ 
ing that system of culture compared with outdoor-grown fruit. There 
are still many gardens where walls of good trees may be met with, and 
also a few old-fashioned places that have not kept pace with the times 
in regard to glass structures, but where outdoor Peaches and Nectarines 
are important. In such cases as these the plea of deterioration of 
climate would be of no avail. Either the fruit must be successfully 
grown, or the man must go elsewhere, and would be considered incom¬ 
petent. 
Unquestionably there are some localities where at the present time 
these fruits cannot he grown as they could be in former days ; as, for 
instance, many districts of Lancashire, where the atmosphere is so 
heavily charged with noxious vapours as to render success impossible ; 
but in all other cases where they have been known to do well in days 
gone by I maintain they may be grown now, provided the right treat¬ 
ment is adopted. In the gardens here there are upwards of 200 yards 
of uncovered walls devoted to their culture, ard if the matter rested 
entirely with myself a goodly portion would be covered with glass forth¬ 
with ; but as such does not happen to be the case the best use must be 
made of existing circumstances and conditions, and the inevitable cheer¬ 
fully submitted to. Without in any way wishing to be thought guilty 
of egotism, I think I may say we are favoured with a fair amount of 
success, our season for gathering ripe fruit usually extending from July 
to the first week in November, beginning with Alexander and Early 
Beatrice, and ending with Sea Eagle and Salwey. Although Peach 
culture is so well understood, broadly speaking, it may not- be alto¬ 
gether without interest to refer briefly to a few details connected with 
the system as carried out here. 
In the first place we make it a point never to neglect or cease to 
look after the welfare of the roots, for on these, so to speak, everything 
else mainly depends. It would never do in our case to allow them to 
penetrate into the subsoil—at least, to remain there for any lengthened 
period, experience having taught us that that dreaded disease, or call 
it what you will, the “ Yellows,” is the natural accompaniment ; it has, 
therefore, become a fundamental rule in our practice to resort to 
periodical lifting, every tree young and old being subjected to this 
operation every second or third year. By this means the roots are kept 
entirely under control and within reasonable reach of the surface, so 
that they may receive the full benefit of annual top-dressings and 
waterings of liquid manure when the fruit is swelling. Each tree when 
lifted receives two or three barrowloads of fresh soil—turf when we can 
get it—together with half a dozen spadefuls of wood ashes or burnt re¬ 
fuse. In some localities all this trouble is unnecessary owing to the 
natural soil of the place being well adapted to the requirements of the 
trees, but even in such cases I would have recourse to lifting every third 
year for the purpose of keeping the roots near the surface, a circum¬ 
stance that cannot well be over-estimated. This work should be done in 
the autumn months, the sooner the better after the trees have shed their 
leaves, and if they are in a condition anything approaching to a state of 
good health no apprehension need be entertained regarding a good crop 
of fruit the succeeding summer, providing other necessary details arc 
duly attended to. We now come to the elementary part of the subject 
— i.e., pruning, training, and nailing or tying, and on which no 
lengthened comment is perhaps here needed. 
One great object should be to adopt such a course of treatment 
during the summer months as will necessitate very little winter pruning, 
and this desired state of things can only be brought about by practising 
the disbudding and pinching back of young shoots in no half-hearted 
way, so as to leave little to be done at this time of year beyond the nail¬ 
ing or tying-in of successional shoots and such others as may be required 
for the extension and framework of the tree. One of our aversions 
in training is the overcrowding of young wood, and thus it is that we 
allow a sufficient space for the full development of foliage between the 
shoots. When in flower protection is afforded by Russian and home-made 
straw mats, stout poles being fixed in front of the walls to prevent 
damage being done to the trees in rough windy weather. 
I would here remark that a better but more expensive system of pro¬ 
tection will be found in rollers and blinds made of frigi domo. To 
obtain a good “ set ” of young fruit much care and sound judgment 
should be exercised in the matter of protecting the flowers, especially 
during inclement or unpropitious weather. Occasionally there may be 
a day when bitterly cold hail and snow storms prevail. When such 
happens to be the case the trees are much better off with the mats or 
blinds down than they would be if exposed to the weather, bearing in 
mind that partial darkness for a time is far better than icicles and a 
crop of frozen stigmas. When the young fruits have commenced 
swelling fairly, or say when they are about the size of marbles, their 
number is considerably reduced by taking off the smaller and those 
which are ill-placed, leaving only such a number as we think sufficient 
for a crop, according to the state of each tree, no allowance being made 
for falling off when stoning ; nor do we think it necessary, as such a 
thing rarely happens except in cases of overcropping or dryness at the 
roots. 
Close attention through April, May, and June is very necessary in 
the matter of disbudding, pinching out abnormal and blistered leaves, 
and of keeping down insect pests. If the latter are not kept in abey¬ 
ance a great amount of injury may be done in an incredibly short space 
of time. As a remedy and preventive the trees should be syringed over 
with some insecticide just before the first flowers begin to open, and 
once a week after the fruit is set, the practice being carried out for 
some time. For this purpose we find nothing better than concentrated 
tobacco juice mixed in proportion of one pint to four gallons of water ; 
but no hard-and-fast line can be laid down on this point, as the article 
itself varies so much in quality. The last, but by no means the least, 
important point to be alluded to is that of mulching and watering 
during hot summer weather. At no time should this matter be over¬ 
looked or forgotten, as the Peach tree is very sensitive of any approach 
to dryness at the roots.—J. Horsefield, Beytesbury, Wilts. 
Your correspondent “E. B.”-is wise in bringing this important 
subject to the front again, especially as the trees now are needing atten¬ 
tion in tying and nailing. Some people run away with the idea that 
Peaches cannot be successfully grown in the open. “ E. B.” draws 
attention to the fact that other pursuits has directed the gardener’s time 
and attention. I may supplement his statement and give another fact, 
that there has been hundreds of Peach houses built these last few years, 
and that is another cause why less notice has been directed to outside 
Peach growing. No doubt it is very well if we have enough to supply 
the requirements of the family. One place I lived as foreman we had 
about 300 Peach trees under glass, where we could keep a supply from 
the first week in May till the end of October. Well, these favourable 
conditions do not happen to all of us. If we have no Peach house, what 
are we to do .then ? We must try to grow them on the open walls, which 
I assert can be done, and done well, if only careful attention and judi¬ 
cious management be exercised. The one great evil is neglecting the 
trees through the early spring, when they get “dirty.” I had some 
marvellous crops last year, and had a supply from the third week in 
August till the 17th of November. I gathered twenty dozen from 
several trees, and as many as 100 fruits from one Nectarine tree 
(Victoria). I could go into details of management if it would be of any 
value to any of your readers who up to date have hitherto failed.— 
W. A. Cook, Holme Wood House. 
[Any details our correspondent can favour us with will be most 
acceptable.] 
RANGEMORE GARDENS. 
Often as I have visited these celebrated gardens 1 have never seen 
them looking so well as at present. The most notable feature is, perhaps, 
one range of houses about 80 yards long completely full of flowers; con¬ 
sisting of a fine house of Cattleyas, Coelogynes, and Cypripediums. Most 
of the Cattleyas are C. Trianae and a few C. I’ercivaliana. A very fine 
show of about 400 blooms of the former, among them some very fine 
varieties. The Coelogynes are in pans, about 2 feet across and masses of 
bloom, truly noble specimens. The next house contains the East Indian 
Orchids. This was gay with numerous varieties of Dendrobiums, Vandas, 
and Phakenopsis. The next house in order is full of Camellias, with 
plants between 12 and 14 feet high in splendid health and loaded with 
blooms. Adjoining this is the Azalea house, filled with fine specimens 
so covered with bloom that scarcely a leaf is visible. Opening out of 
this house is the last of the range, a house filled with Cyclamen and 
Cinerarias. The Cyclamens are among the best I have ever seen, rich in 
colour, health, and vigour. Some of the plants in 6-incli pots have 
100 blooms, standing up some inches al>ove the leaves and with stems 
almost rivalling the Hyacinth. The Cinerarias are very fine. I measured 
some of the blooms, which were 3] inches across. 1 noticed in another 
house nearly 1000 Souvenir dc la Malmaison Carnations in 8-inch pots 
coming on for the London season. All the forcing houses show in 
various stages what will be, I have no doubt, good crops of fruit. I 
cannot help remarking what fine Grapes are still left in the fruit room. 
I counted over 100 bunches of Muscats in fine condition. This, I think, 
is exceptional for the time of year, the last of February.—F., Grcndon 
Gardens. 
