2 
THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[January, 
THE PAST SEASON. 
® HE year just closed lias been a peculiar and anxious one both to gardeners 
and farmers, but, on the wliole, it has proved to be a favourable one to 
f tlie former, tbougli it has not been equally satisfactory to the latter. A 
brief retrospect may not be amiss. Tire year commenced with a severe 
frost, wbicli lasted a considerable time ; indeed, the weather continued cold 
through January, February, and March, with very little sunshine—conditions 
which were very much against forcing, and which retarded vegetation out-doors 
very much, causing fruit-trees to be unusually late in coming into flower. Though 
the weather continued dry and cold during April and May, most kinds of fruits 
set well, owing to the absence of very severe frosts ; the only exceptions in this 
neighbourhood were Apricots and Strawberries, the crops of which were light. 
All other kinds of fruit were abundant. Pears, Plums, and Apples turned out to 
be much flner crops than was anticipated. Plums, though very late in ripening, 
were unusually flne, which is the more remarkable, as the trees in general 
suffered very much in 1874 from aphides. The cold north-easterly winds, 
which prevailed the greater part of April, May, and June caused vegetation 
to be very backward, and young crops looked starved and sickly. The flne 
weather that set in about the latter part of August, after the rains of July— 
which in some places caused such destructive floods—and continued through¬ 
out September, made a wonderful change in the vegetable and fruit crops. 
Flower-gardens, too, which only reached a very moderate degree of perfection 
in the early part of the season, rapidly improved, and owing to the con¬ 
tinuance of the fine weather, remained in great beauty late into the season, both 
foliage and flowering plants looking exceedingly bright and gay. The rain of 
July proved the destruction of the Potato crop, and did serious injury to the 
grain crops. Most crops, both of vegetables and fruits, were late in coming to 
maturity. Vegetables, though late and unpromising in the early part of the season, 
proved about average crops in size and quality; and Fruits, which promised to be 
small, proved remarkably fine in size and quality. The Flower Shows that were 
held in this neighbourhood during the early part of August were greatly defi¬ 
cient in Cut Flowers, Hardy Fruits, and Vegetables, but those held in September 
were remarkable for the quantity and quality of the Cut Flowers, Vegetables, and 
Fruits that were exhibited. On the whole, the past year was a favourable one for 
Gardeners, and such as we may be truly thankful for. Let us hope that the 
year we are now entering on may prove equally satisfactory.—M. Saul, Stourton, 
ORCHAED-HOUSE TREES PLANTED OUT. 
EOM wide observation and experience, I am fully persuaded that there is 
much labour lost, besides expense of pots, in fruiting trees by the pot- 
system in Orchard-houses. When they are planted out, they require 
about one-sixth part of the labour in watering, while the trees are more 
easily kept healthy, and fine fruit of high flavour are secured. The planting-out 
system has everything in its favour. When any of the trees are inclined to grow 
too gross, and extra cropping does not prevent it, they may be easily lifted, turned 
round to equalise the growth, replanted, and firmly ramming the soil round the 
roots, as if one were potting the trees. And as the structures can be erected, 
portable, without extra cost, they can be used for other purposes during the 
