OCTOBER. 
219 
with us now—but at a time when the soil is well moistened by rain, and if a 
drought succeeds* they should be watered thus early if necessary, care being 
taken that should frost impend, some shelter from its effects had best be afforded 
them. During the time they are making their vigorous growth, if the weather 
is dry they should be freely watered, and some stimulus be administered just 
before and during blooming time, in the form of liquid manure or guano water. 
This is the outcome of the considerations drawn from my somewhat limited 
range of observation. I put it forward with diffidence, but yet with the hope 
that it may indicate to some slight extent a possible solution to the difficulty 
that for the past few seasons has sadly beset and sorely tired the growers of 
the Gladiolus about the metropolis. 
Quo. 
ORNAMENTAL KITCHEN HARDEN. 
(Continued from 'page 194.) 
In small kitchen gardens where it is necessary to combine use with orna¬ 
ment as much as possible, it will be found exceedingly interesting to form 
arches of both Pears and Apples. We have planted a whole kitchen garden 
with, first two Pears on each side of the walk opposite to one another, then 
two Apples, then two Hybrid Per¬ 
petual pillar Roses, and so on all 
round. This winter it is proposed to 
introduce some of the beautiful-leaved 
American Vines. But I should advise 
all parties commencing, where the 
garden is large, to make the arches 
wider at the bottom than we have 
done. Our walks are grass, 6 feet in 
width, and we have planted close up 
to the edge. Eight feet would be 
much better, as it gives a higher arch 
and better proportion, but for small gardens 6 feet would be sufficient. It 
also takes the bottom line of the plants back from the edge, which I find in the 
garden for arches for the summer plants an advantage, but still keeping to the 
10 feet in the space between each arch. It will be found that the Pears and 
Apples will simply require upright stakes, three to each, for a season or two. 
When the trees are planted they are headed down to within 18 inches of the 
ground, the object being to get them into the form of fig . 1, training the shoots 
up at 2 feet from the stem, this can only be done by making the eyes break near 
the bottom; they are then trained up the stakes until they reach the height of 
where the arch commences ; part of one season’s shoot being allowed to grow 
higher makes little difference, but if they are allowed to get strong before the 
shoots are trained to the bend, they are apt to break. The arches for these are 
best to be of wood, or something that can be removed. When the shoots reach 
a little over the top they are inarched, fig. 2, and after one season, when suffi¬ 
ciently united, the temporary arch is removed. They will continue to support 
themselves in future, unless it happens that they are heavily cropped when the 
wood is young. This happened in our case with a Washington and Victoria 
Plum, the weight of fruit completely breaking the arch down after being 
three seasons inarched; but Pears and Apples seldom bear so heavily on 
young wood. 
It is advisable to have the opposite trees of Pears and Apples of different 
Fig. 1. 
