230 
THE FEOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
“ The unprejudiced fruit-cultivator will quickly find out the great advantage 
of my mode of Apple and Pear cultivation. 
“ In the usual old-fashioned mode, standard Apple trees are planted in 
orchards at 20 feet apart, or 108 trees to the acre. If the soil be good, and 
the trees properly planted, and the planter a healthy middle-aged man, he may 
hope, at the end of his threescore and ten, to see his trees commencing to bear, 
and may die with the reflection that he has left a valuable orchard as a legacy 
to his children, but has not had much enjoyment of it during his life. Now, 
although, like most fathers, I have a strong wish to benefit my children, I hold 
the idea that one ought also to think of one’s own gratification; and so I plant 
trees, and recommend the planting of them, that will give me some satisfaction, 
yet leave a ‘ remnant ’ for my children. 
“ A French pomologist, who paid me a visit last year, said—‘ Ah ! now I 
find an Englishman planting for himself as well as for his children and went 
on to say that he was struck by seeing in England so many standard trees in 
market gardens, the planters of which could have derived but small benefit 
from them; and the apparent ignorance of fruit gardening as a lucrative 
occupation. This he, in fact, imputed to our climate, which, Frenchman-like, 
he thought totally unfit for fruit culture in the open air, yet felt much surprised 
to see here the produce of a well-cultivated English fruit garden, in a climate 
not nearly so favourable as the valley of the Thames. 
“ I have only to add that, besides my plantation of Cox’s Orange Pippin, I 
have another of upwards of 400 trees, which has now been in existence 
upwards of ten years, so that I am not theorising, but deducing facts from a 
sound basis.” 
ON FIBROUS MATTER. 
It is not generally known that there are many other kinds of plants which 
contain good fibres beside Hemp and Flax. Lately I have paid some attention to 
this interesting subject, and have been somewhat surprised to find fibres so useful 
in some lowly plants that are passed by without notice. I possess fibres varying 
in texture from those of the common Nettle to those of the florist’s Gladiolus, and 
also from the weak Bog Rush to the stately Hollyhock. I have sent specimens of 
fibres from these, and also some from other kinds of plants with this paper. But 
as they cannot be represented here, I shall briefly notice some of them. I con¬ 
sider the fibres of the outcast Nettle next to those of Flax, and those of the 
Hollyhock to Hemp. I should notice, however, that all fibres vary much both 
in quantity and quality, according to the age and health of the plants. This is 
well exemplified in the abundance of fibres in the stems of Sea-kale leaf and those 
of Horseradish; when young they are of a silky texture, but grow wiry with age. 
Fibres seem to be the chief stay or support of leaves of some kinds of plants, 
such as the Iris and Gladiolus, even the sturdy leaves of the Pine Apple, which 
contain as much fibrous substance as the New Zealand Flax plant. In order to 
obtain fibres the process of the Flax-dressers should be had recourse to—that is, 
the stems or leaves should be steeped in water for about two or three weeks, or at 
least until the outer bark peels off easily. The amateur, however, may hasten the 
process by half boiling or steeping the leaves in hot water, then beating or rub¬ 
bing off the bark, and washing the fibres in water to clean off the glutinous 
matter. When dry a little rubbing and combing with the hands will loosen the 
texture of the fibres, which may be bleached with a little chloride of lime. I have 
already spoken of the common Nettle, and may venture to state that an acre of it 
may produce as large a quantity of fibres as the same quantity of cultivated Flax. 
It hardly needs to be observed that the stinging plant requires no cultivation, and 
is always a sure crop even with the sluggard. 
J. WlGHTON. 
