176 
THE FLORIST. 
who has brushe.l by a meal tub; Lee’s Bright ^euus is as distinct 
sometimes as any of the outsiders, but has the misfortune to have a 
Polyphemus eye, in which a truant humble bee could conveniently 
hide himself from the chastisement due to his intrusion into the 
Auricula box. For exhibition purposes it would be a mistake to culti¬ 
vate more than at most half-a-dozen varieties, and, in fact, if I really 
wanted to win, I should confine the number to the three first named. 
Surely this is a reproach to all seedling raisers. What \vould a box be 
without its mealed-leaved plants and white edges? All the other 
sections have been improved surprisingly; Leigh’s Colonel Taylor s 
exhibition days are numbered, though its purity will secure for it an 
honoured place, and its difficulty of multiplication a high price. But 
it will not stand against the circular flowers of more recent times. The 
Privateers and Ringleaders are no longer the models of the greys; nor 
will the Hannibals and Squire Mundys (which are the same flower; 
and is it not an odd coincidence that Admiral Mundy was cruising 
about in the Hannibal all the time?) hold their ground against the 
Pizarros and North Stars now coming into the market. Let us hope 
the whites will not be far behind their brethren, and that some worthy 
compeers of Smiling Beauty may soon be forthcoming. 
George Jeans. 
PEACHES COVERED WITH A SHEET, 
From March 11th to Mat 10th. 
From April 8th to May 9th we had trying weather, the ice being some 
mornings half an inch thick. I hear, from bad wood and other causes, 
Peaches out of doors are annihilated; those covered with wheat straws 
in Rushton, and fir boughs in Rawston, are both failures. The following 
is the result of sheet covering on my three trees, which are close to the 
rivulet;—Top Peach, 175 taken off, 168 left on; middle tree, 176 
taken off, 198 left on; lower tree, 183 taken off, 144 left on; total 
510. They are nicely sprinkled over the trees, the \vood is abundant, 
leaves thoroughly clean, and though the trees are from 24 to 50 years 
of age, they are vigorous from head to foot; they are 9 feet high, 54 
feet in breadth. It will naturally be asked how can they be vigorous 
from head to foot ? These are the keys. Eight years ago I cut them 
down as far as I dare. 1 cut all their downward roots off (some as 
thick as my arm), and all their radial roots in a circle of SO inches 
from the stumps. I removed the earth around them, and filled in with 
new stiff loam and black dung. Since then they have become good 
fruitful trees, and the two lower trees are the best I ever saw, either 
under glass or outside of it. I neither disbud nor pinch, but leave all 
the wood on till a week before gathering, and then I only cut off the 
forward wood. After cropping, I lay in a double quantity, and leave it 
till spring, and then remove what I don’t want. One reason why I 
don’t disbud is this; I feed very high, and the wood would become too 
gross; if spurs are formed, I leave them on. I like the article of 
