NOVEMBER. 
333 
NOTES ON AUTUMN PLANTING. 
November is the busiest month in the year to the planter; it is 
then that all his unfinished schemes of last spring have to be matured, 
and whatever else has turned up during the summer put in execution. 
To the amateur about planting wall-lruit trees, we repeat, plant only 
in sound loam. Shallow borders, 18 inches deep, on a good drainage, 
will not disappoint you. Generally speaking, fruit tree borders are too 
deep and rich; you can easily add to a shallow border, elevate the 
trees a little, and merely tack them to the wall, deferring pruning till 
spring. Peaches, Apricots (these latter want as dry a soil, if not more 
so, than the Peach), and a few Plums, should have your best aspects. 
Plant Pears on east and west walls, in similar strong loam, no matter 
how strong, provided you can get 12 or 18 inches of good drainage 
below them, which is the great secret. Cherries are hardly worth a 
wall to the amateur. Plums are much more useful, and these, with a 
Morello Cherry or two, for a “ bonne bouche ” on a winter’s day, may 
occupy the north aspects. Plant Raspberries in your deepest land, 
well trenched and manured. Gooseberries and Currants in good rich 
land, and if dry and poor, you must not spare a good dressing, before 
planting, of rotten cow-dung. 
There are one or two Plums every one should grow, and they are 
Denyer’s Victoria and Coe’s Golden Drop ; both are hardy, bear freely 
and regularly, and are invaluable in our opinion. The much praised 
Jefferson is greatly inferior to Coe’s, which we find does well even on a 
north wall. In our almost daily rides in the country, we often wonder 
why it is that our farm-houses and their outbuildings, as well as 
cottages, are not more generally covered with fruit trees. What fine 
situations for such Pears as the finer Beurres, Marie Louise, Glou 
Morceau, or a Doyenne. We now and then see a Crassane or Jar¬ 
gonelle against a farm-house, but never did I see one of those new 
Pears now to be had in every country nursery, and yet many of my good 
neighbours. Farmer So-and-so, enjoy immensely a Beurre Bose or 
Marie Louise, when occasionally calling on me. Where the blame or 
neglect rests I know not. If the Squire’s gardener would take the 
matter up, buy 200 or 300 trees of approved sorts, and select the sites, 
the thing might be done, and the cost settled between the landlord 
and tenant at rent-day. Exactly, we have just thought of it. Where 
is the Bornological Society, who we thought was to take this business 
and orchard planting in earnest ? Surely, the young society which 
started with such a favourable field has lost its way, or “is sleeping 
and must needs be awakened,” for lately I have heard nothing of it. 
G. P. 
[We fear our correspondent has not informed himself of the pro¬ 
ceedings of the Bornological Society, or has been misinformed by others. 
He had better become a member, when he can judge for himself. 
Shall we propose him ? We are happy to say the Society is in full 
activity.] 
