MAY. 
133 
season by placing some loose half-rotten leaves in near contact with the 
sunny side of some pots heavily laden with Peaches; this, I fancy, 
with surface mulching, checked in some considerable degree the amount 
of evaporation at the hottest period of the season, when the fruit was 
approaching maturity, and tended materially to enhance the saccharine 
qualities of the fruit. There is danger also in under watering, at the 
critical period to which I refer. 
“ But there are so many modes of adapting houses to fruit-tree 
culture, all more or less eligible.” In this view I entirely coincide, 
considering that wherever a late vinery exists there are the means for 
obtaining an early crop of fruit from trees in pots. Here there are 
three such houses from which we are now gathering ripe fruit. The 
Vines are excluded by temporary means, which will be removed as 
soon as the buds are fully swelled, and the Grapes in two of these 
structures are invariably ripened without the aid of any heat whatever. 
The third house is planted with Vines of a more tender nature, and will 
have the advantage of artificial heat, derivable alike from the hot-water 
pipes and a Pine bed which runs the whole length of the house ; and, 
to use a common gardener’s phrase, this house will be “ in cut ” before 
the other two to which no artificial heat will be applied. Nor do we 
grow any “ inferior sorts of Grapes.” On the contrary, we have some 
varieties “ remarkable for the excellence of their quality,” which are 
cultivated exclusively in these cool houses. I know no labour at once 
so distracting, ill-directed, or unprofitable, as that which is engaged 
in cultivating “ inferior sorts of Grapes,” in the hope that they 
“ perhaps may do with good management.” 
In concluding this rather long article, which, however, has 
grown upon me as I proceeded, I can only plead in extenuation the 
all-important subject of which it treats—the cultivation of fruit-trees 
under glass. It is indeed a “ delightful ” occupation, much enhanced 
to me by the pleasure I feel in seeing a gentleman of wealth and 
station day by day taking an equal interest in all these matters with 
myself. 
S, N, 
A FEW WORDS ABOUT BEDDING PLANTS. 
Since last referring to this subject many novelties have been intro¬ 
duced and tested; and as the bedding-out season is fast approaching, 
we deem it advisable to detail our experience of them for the benefit of 
others. 
Of scarlet Geraniums one of the very best is Attraction, a dwarf and 
very free-blooming variety, with large trusses. Indispensable is most 
desirable for edging, or where a very dwarf variety is wanted, as it is 
an exceedingly dwarf grower and profuse bloomer. Lady Downes is a 
beautiful variety, of a soft rosy carmine colour, and a very free bloomer 
of dwarf habit. We need scarcely add that scarlet Geraniums for beds, 
to be truly attractive, should be autumn-struck plants, and not young, 
vigorous, spring-struck plants. Of the pink or rose coloured varieties 
