OCTOBER. 
297 
retentive heavy nature. Strong soils should not have much 
manure put in them, burnt clay and lime rubbish will much im¬ 
prove them. 
In planting, keep the tree’s roots as near the surface as possible, 
so as to have the soil about the tree elevated a little above the 
general level of the surrounding border ; it should not, however, 
be like a mound, but merely a few inches. Don’t manure your 
fruit borders, is frequently the advice given to enquirers ; under 
certain circumstances the advice is very good, such as in the new 
made borders of rich turf, strong soils, low situations, &c.; but to 
follow such advice on light sandy soils, or porous gravelly subsoils 
and high localities, would be wrong, and would lead to notliing 
but disappointment. Under these circumstances good rotten 
manure, I will not say may be used to advantage, but should be 
used liberally for fruit trees of every kind, and especially for 
Peach trees. It will be objected that this practice will encourage 
the trees to make stronger shoots than will get properly ripened; 
this is not the case. Where the soil is light and resting on a 
porous bed, and the situation a high one, over-strong shoots will 
only be produced in exceptional seasons, and then only under bad 
management. I have here for several years planted fruit trees of 
all sorts in borders made of fresh turfs, both with and without 
manure, and the result is, the trees planted with manure have in 
all cases grown better, borne better, and are in every respect 
better. Cherries, Plums, and Pears, have all done well with it. 
Peach and Nectarine trees planted with plenty of manure not only 
grow and bear better than those planted without manure, but they 
also always look better ; they seldom sutfer much, even the driest 
season, from the red spiders, whilst the others almost invariably 
suffer to some extent. I also find it of the greatest advantage to 
keep the soil about the roots on a level with the surrounding earth, 
and in many cases a little below—the trees here never suffer from 
too much moisture at the roots, but sometimes they suffer from 
want of it. I have seen such good results from a liberal appli¬ 
cation of manure to Peach trees, that I intend using it more freely 
than heretofore. 
The satisfactory results stated at page 176, by the Rev. W. F. 
Radclyffe, were obtained by the use of new stiff loam and black 
dung. Whilst strongly recommending the use of manure on light 
soils for fruit trees, we would be very cautious in using it on stiff 
heavy soils. 
Stourton, Yorhshire. M. Saul. 
HOMES OF THE FLORIST, No. I. 
Rushton Vicarage, near Blandford. 
What reader of the Florist is there that does not know Rushton? 
what lover of the Rose is there that has not been profited and 
amused by the mixture of sterling common sense, quaint humour, 
and downright enthusiasm that have marked the articles written 
