September 20, 1894, 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
265 
dull and cloudy, which made me fear that I might not see any 
of the Water Lilies in flower ; but I was not only fortunate 
enough to see the large flowered variety of Nymphaea odorata in 
bloom, but also the newer N. Leydekeri rosea, with which I was 
enchanted. It is a charming rose-coloured flower of the greatest 
beauty. The little pool in which it grew formed a delightful 
picture with its margin of grass and stones, its placid water, and 
the sun shining on the floating leaves and bright flower of this 
Water Lily. I understand we are indebted for this to Mons. Latour 
Marliac, who has raised many other new kinds. These Water 
Lilies can be grown in tubs, but little pools such as these are 
easily constructed, and look so natural that the flowers seem quite 
at home. The problem we have now to propose for solution is 
this : Can these delightful flowers be grown where there is not a 
constant flow of water? In my garden the pump is quite 
convenient for an experiment of this kind, and I mean to try if by 
its aid a few Water Lilies cannot be grown. There are now many 
varieties, and such a tiny plant as N. pygmaea, which I also saw, 
could be grown in an extremely small space. 
Tropaeolum speciosum is now attracting so much attention that 
one cannot refrain from writing a few lines on this most 
beautiful climber, which grows so well in this district. Very 
effective is it with its scarlet flowers and elegant leaves. There 
is no great mystery about growing it, the one thing needful being a 
cool exposure and moisture. The best time to plant is in the spring 
shortly after it has commenced to grow. The soil should be made 
firm and hard before planting, and after the roots have been 
placed in the ground the earth above should be well trodden down. 
Never mind if some of the roots show no growth, as they will 
probably send up shoots later. The first season comparatively 
little growth will be made, but when established the plants will 
grow rapidly. Some charming effects are produced by this fire-like 
flower, which is seen to perfection against a dark background. 1 
think I shall never forget T. speciosum as I saw it a few years ago 
in a manse garden a few miles away, where it had made itself at 
home, and was rambling over some Yew trees in the most charm¬ 
ing manner imaginable.—S. Arnott, Dumfries., N.B. 
LIFTING PEACH TREES. 
However well borders for Peach and Nectarine trees may be 
made and drained they will not last in a perfectly healthy condi¬ 
tion for an indefinite period. The soil in time becomes worn out 
and too close to admit of the free access of air, in fact is often 
sealed against its admission by being in a saturated condition. 
Old borders will become sour if left alone, ill health and partial 
failure of the trees being the inevitable results. Either the blossom 
buds fall, or the fruit at the critical period of stoning, or if the 
fruit passes through this trying stage it never attains perfection, 
being small and flavourless. 
The longer trees are left in borders of this description the 
worse they are ; the few roots they possess soon become bare, dark 
in colour, and almost destitute of fibre. Trees are often found in 
this deplorable condition, and cultivators seem loath to commence 
their renovation by lifting. It is surprising what can be done in 
one season towards bringing unsatisfactory trees into a fair way 
for recovery. Probably no trees answer so quickly or recover 
more rapidly by the aid of a little fresh soil or good treatment 
than Peaches. At any rate, if not too far gone they can be so far 
recruit*^ d to yield fairly good, if not first-class, fruit until young 
trees can be established. It is wonderful the vitality old Peach 
trees possess, and how freely they yield fruits, sometimes in such 
numbers as to necessitate care in removing the surplus sufficiently 
early to allow newly lifted trees to be master of what fruit is 
allowed to remain on them. It must be borne in mind that a few 
really good fruits are to be preferred to a greater number of poor 
flavourless ones. 
No time should now be lost in operating on trees in early and 
second early houses that are in an unsatisfactory condition at their 
roots. It is often impossible to renew the whole of a series of 
borders at one time, nor is this necessary, for much can be done the 
first season with less soil than would be required to renew 
thoroughly one border. A heap of turfy loam should be roughly 
chopped up, and to every seven cartloads one of old lime rubbish 
must be thoroughly incorporated. This is necessary even if the 
loam is light, that is for the majority of soils. Failing this, how¬ 
ever, about half a bushel of lime reduced to powder may be mixed 
into each load of the soil, and if the latter is light the same 
amount of clay as lime rubbish may be added. For this purpose 
the clay must be dried and broken small, as this greatly facilitates 
the incorporation. Wood ashes are not to be despised, and where 
they can be had or preserved for the purpose a bushel to each 
cartload of loam will prove highly beneficial. 
Simultaneously with the preparation of the soil the drains 
should be examined, and if these are not clear provision must be 
made for putting in fresh ones. We have found more than once 
that, though the drains were perfectly clear, a saturated condition 
of the border has arisen through the soil becoming too close over 
the surface of the broken material used for drainage. Very often 
if loam is used in rather wet condition, and the orthodox system of 
turning a sod grass side down is practised, water does not pass 
through with sufficient freedom for the well-being of the trees. 
If the occupants of the border have been left to their own 
resources for years, a trench should be cut 5 or more feet from the 
stem according to the size of the trees. The soil should be care¬ 
fully worked out to within a few inches or a foot all round the 
stem, and the bottom of the border be well picked up from amongst 
the drainage. Some of the old soil may be placed again in the 
bottom, mixed with old building refuse, to insure it being open and 
porous. If the operator has abundance of soil on hand the old 
compost may be dispensed with altogether. The roots should be 
cleanly cut back to where they have fibres on them. Each layer of 
roots should be carefully laid amongst the fresh soil with their 
points pointing slightly to the surface, so that when the soil is 
pressed firm the roots will be horizontal. When planting is finished 
the top layer or tier of roots should not be more than 4 inches 
below the surface of the soil. 
Directly the tree is planted it should be freely syringed two, 
three, or more times daily to preserve the foliage fresh and 
healthy as long as possible. No water will be needed at the 
roots if care is taken to have the soil used in an intermediate 
state for moisture. It is in soil of this nature that the 
cut portion of the roots callus quickly and new fibres are 
freely emitted. The trees must be shaded from bright sun¬ 
shine, and the surface of the border covered with littery 
manure to prevent evaporation, and thus the necessity for watering. 
The house should be kept closed for ten days or a fortnight to 
induce the trees to partially establish themselves. If the foliage 
can be preserved, and this only needs care, roots will be freely pro¬ 
duced before the foliage falls, plump up their buds considerably, 
which invariably “ stick on,” and thus be in a capital condition for 
a start the following season. 
The remaining portion of the border can be greatly improved 
by thorough trenching and the liberal addition of slacked lime. 
Wood ashes and old lime rubbish will do if lime cannot be had ; but 
the former is decidedly the better, and will quickly change the 
character of the soil. Care is necessary to break up the base so 
that when water is needed it will pass freely away. By these 
means the soil will soon become aerated and sweetened and be 
quite safe for the roots of the trees to penetrate again. I have 
known trees lifted, laid outside until the borders have been 
well broken up, limed, and open porous material incorporated, 
replanted, that have then carried a fairly good crop of fruit the 
next season. 
In cases like this the object is to thoroughly sweeten the soil 
and expose it to as much air as possible. Where no fresh turf is 
used the trees must be liberally fed during the growing season from 
the surface. If turf can be had annually or periodically it is a 
good plan to dig round the trees, remove roots that are straying 
from home, and lay the fibry portions in a little fresh compost. 
Two or three good barrowfuls is ample for each tree when the 
digging round them is not deferred too long. 
Timely attention and a little fresh material will not only keep 
trees in a healthy condition, but will insure large, well-flavoured 
fruits. Trees that are dug round annually or every second year do 
not give much trouble from bud-casting ; it checks the luxuriance 
of the trees, and prevents this. Those that can extend themselves 
freely, once they have attained age, do not as a rule, if well cropped, 
often fgrow too strong, but those limited to space frequently 
need attention in this respect. Young, vigorous trees that have 
been encouraged to grow and extend rapidly should not be 
allowed to pass the third year without digging round them, as if 
they are not root-pruned they attain undue strength, and often 
fail to fruit freely. Nor is this all, for they are making strong 
useless roots, which if stopped in time would branch freely and 
make abundance of those fine feeders all good cultivators desire to 
see. We have had to dig round young trees annually when planted 
in good material to keep them in due bounds, and it is surprising 
what masses of fibre they have made. 
The early lifting of such trees as need attention is a great 
advantage in more ways than one. It proves beneficial to the 
trees, and they scarcely feel it the following season ; besides, the 
houses are at liberty when cold weather renders the housing of 
various plants necessary.—W m. Bardney. 
