41 0 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 30. 
Messrs. J. Weeks and Co., King’s Road, Chelsea, 
inform us, September 17th, that their Victoria regia, in 
the open heated pond, had just commenced flowering. 
The following is a list of the Horticultural and 
Poultry Shows of which we are at present aware. We 
shall be obliged by any of our readers sending its ad¬ 
ditions to the list, and giving the address of the Se¬ 
cretaries. 
HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 
Burt St. Edmunds, Nov. 20 (Chrysanthemums). (Sec. 
G. P. Clay, Esq.) 
Caledonian (Inverleith Row), Edinburgh, Dec. 2. 
Hampshire, Nov. 18 (Winchester). (Sec. Rev. F. Wick¬ 
ham, Winchester.) 
London Floricultural (Exeter Hall, Strand), Oct. 12+, 
Nov. 9+, 23, Dec. 14+. 
North London, Nov. 23, Chrysanthemum. 
South London (Royal), Oct. 14+,Nov. lit, Dec.9+, 16. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Birmingham and Midland Counties, 14th, loth, 10th, 
and 17th December. 
Bristol Agricultural, December 7th, 8th, and 9th. 
(Sec. James Marmont.) 
Cornwall (Penzance), about a week after the Birming¬ 
ham. (Secs. Rev. W. W. Wingfield, Gulval Vicarage, 
and E. H. Rodd, Esq.) 
Dorchester, Nov. 18th. (Sec., Mr. G. J. Andrews, Dor¬ 
chester.) 
t For seedlings only. 
SELECTION OF FRUIT TREES. 
We spoke a while hack about early autumn planting 
of fruit trees, and we now beg to offer a little farther 
advice on this subject. “ First come, first served,” is a 
trite maxim, and very true in this case, or applied to 
those who have to purchase at the nurseries. The very 
best plan is to prepare the holes or stations betimes, 
some time in September; and, indeed, to have every¬ 
thing ready for the tree to be placed in the hole ; then, 
about the second week in October, to proceed to the 
nursery, and not only select, but bring away, the trees. 
This is sometimes awkward on account of distance, hut 
in most cases it may be carried out. We have, before 
now, known some unlucky rogue shift the nursery mark 
to an inferior tree, in order to secure to himself the 
advantages that belong of right to the first comer. 
The principles of choice are few and simple, being 
comprised under such heads as follows :— 
1st. Healthy wood. 
2nd. Eligibility of form. 
3rd. General condition of the tree. 
As to the first, most persons would have guessed it; 
but it must be understood that by health we do not mean 
excessive luxuriance. There is a sort of medium con¬ 
dition in trees which is by far preferable. However, 
much depends on the kind of tree ; that which would be 
a matter of recommendation in a standard Apple tree 
for an orchard, would, in the eyes of a knowing tree- 
man, be just the reverse in a Peach or Nectarine. But 
in all cases, exceptiug those of the ordinary orchard, 
a tree of moderate character, possessing stout wood, 
with compact joints, is the best. Where there is one 
rampant leading shoot, it must be remembered, that 
such has been reared at the expense of the vigour of the 
surrounding parts; it is, in fact, aiming to attain the 
degree of liberty assigned it by nature, when'surrounded 
by the natural conditions. When, however, a tree is to be 
selected for orchard purposes, as a Pear, or an Apple, it 
is, of course, indispensible to choose a tree of this I 
character, and if not already trained, to take means to 
induce the character requisite. Trees, also, for the 
pyramidal mode of training, require a good stem, and 
those which are termed half-standards or riders. 
By our third heading we have to consider “ eligibility 
of form;” and by this is meant more the character of 
the head or branches, than that of the stem ; that is to 
say, its adaptation to a given purpose. Such purpose 
may be a trained tree for a wall or fence, for a table 
trellis, an arcade, a saddle trellis, a dwarf standavd, &c., 
&c.; but whatever the design may be, an eye should 
be kept in the selection to the ultimate character 
required. If a trained tree for the wall or fence, folks 
generally select one that has been two years under 
training; and this, indeed, is the thing we would re¬ 
commend to all who feel desirous of enjoying their fruit 
betimes. “ Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; " and 
to few things does this maxim better apply than to the 
expectant cultivator, who, of course, thinks it no small 
affair to build expensive walls, or other boundary fences, 
to make due provision for the roots, and to purchase 
trees at some cost, in order to carry out liis designs. 
Now, in selecting a two years-trained Peach, Necta¬ 
rine, or Apricot, the attention should be first directed to 
the balance of strength; all other matters being right, 
that tree should he selected which has the greatest 
equality in the branches, in point of strength ; especially 
one that has stronger shoots at the lower than the upper 
portions. A mere rustic, employed on a farm, or in a 
garden, knows full well that with a hedge, intended as a 
permanent barrier against trespass, a provision must be 
made betimes for the stability of the lower portions ; 
and just so with the tree. If well-placed and well- 
formed lower limbs be not found within the first three 
years of its training, it is almost vain to look for them 
afterwards: nothing but the management of a master- 
hand in training affairs can bring tilings to the desired 
issue. Above all things, we do abhor a young trained 
tree with weak side-shoots and a gouty over-fed centre— 
a great coarse shoot, which carries evident marks of 
having fattened at the expense of its poorer neighbours. 
There are those who, for mere economy’s sake, or for 
the sake of training from the first on certain principles, 
choose to plant a “ Maiden,” that is to say, one only a 
year old from the bud or graft. Now there is no harm 
in this; only it requires more patience to await the 
produce. When such are chosen, the choice should fall 
on one that lias no gum or blemish whatever; neither 
any decay visible in the extreme points of the shoots, 
and, as we like them, one that shows a tendency to 
root upwards. 
It ought to he here observed, that when the tree to be 
selected is of greater age, it is well to select it on the 
score of strength, as well as symmetry ; for, be it under¬ 
stood, that the older a tree is, the less objection should 
there he to luxuriance; indeed, in almost any fruit-tree 
more than five years old from the bud or graft, the 
stronger the shoots the better; providing they are 
tolerably equal in point of strength. 
The purchaser should always see to the removal of his 
own trees, for many a mishap may occur in the removal 
of fruit-trees—those termed the stone-fruits especially 
It sometimes happens, that the men employed to re¬ 
move the trees in nurseries are either clumsy or 
careless, and it is well to have an eye to their proceed¬ 
ings, for the stems may be galled, or the roots sadly 
mauled by inconsiderate workmen. In removal, great 
care should be taken to avoid galling the roots with the 
spade: ordinary workmen think it sufficient if they 
avoid cutting them, hut there is by far more injury done 
by bruises than by excision. 
The next thing is to provide that the roots never 
become dry, for a moment, from the time they leave the 
ground until the tree is planted. This is easily managed 
