154 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ July, 
general, we shall not hear much of the late spring frost, but the abundance of 
the crops will be attributed to the lateness of the season, and so forth. 
Now, there is no use in blinking this matter, but the plain truth is, that bad 
crops are in general owing to bad management, or no management at all. I have 
so often repeated my experience in the Florist on this subject, that I do not 
intend to go over it at present. If fruit trees were properly managed they would 
not be allowed to bear heavy crops, which exhaust them, and render a season of 
rest necessary to store up matter for another crop. Trees that are only allowed 
a reasonable crop, very rarely miss bearing a crop. I would suggest to those 
interested in the matter to try the following experiment, namely, to remove the 
whole of the fruit off 6 or 8 trees of Pears, Plums, and Apples, and to leave 
the entire crop on 6 or 8 trees of the same kinds and age. What will be 
the result next year ? Why, the 6 or 8 trees that are allowed to carry their 
entire crop this season will have little or no fruit next season, but the 6 or 8 
trees from which the entire crop has been removed Avill have an abundant crop 
if the season be an ordinary one, and a fair crop even if the season be unfavour¬ 
able. I have more than once satisfied myself on this matter. I would advise all 
who wish to have any fruit next season to thin their crops well now, if they have 
not already done so. If they neglect this matter now, they need not expect to 
have good fruit crops next year.—M. Saul, Stoiirton. 
THE FAILURE OF THE PEACH CROP OF 1869. 
HREE parts out of four of the crop of 1869 were lost. How, or by what 
means ? Mr. Webster in an able article at page 33 has explained his 
view of the matter, and I must say I agree with him in the practice 
of giving the borders several good waterings in hot, dry weather. I am 
confident it is a good plan, and if manure-water is used so much the better. 
The few Peach trees here have every season since I have had charge of them 
borne very good crops until 1869, when there was about half a crop. There 
are four trees, and three of them bore 11^ doz. fruit; a Royal George had 6 doz., 
a Rate Admirable 2^ doz., a Barrington 3 doz., while a Wedburton Admirable 
had none. In the very hot weather of 1869 I gave them four or five good 
soakings with manure-water, about six large water-pots full to each of the three 
trees. We had two manure-water tanks emptied, and at the bottom I found 
some six or seven barrow-loads of thick black stuff ; of this I had one good load put 
to each peach tree, and to two apricots, forking up the soil first, spreading it all 
over the roots, and then covering it with some soil. The Walburton peach tree 
had none, and very little water, because it was making too much rank wood. So 
much for good watering. 
In every garden where there are fruit-tree blossoms to be set there should stand, 
in a nice snug corner, close to the wall, at least three strong hives of bees, which, 
together, should contain some 12,000 or 14,000 bees. These, travelling over the 
