COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
ur 
Novejibeu 27 . 
that, by a judicious treatment, the trees might be pre¬ 
vented making any wood, except fruit spurs, which were 
also expected to produce as good, if not better, fruit than 
that grown in the usual way. This agreeable scheme 
had much in it to interest the suburban gardeners, and 
others of small holdings, as they were told how much 
larger numbers of trees might be grown on a limited 
space than by the old plan, and a corresponding increase 
in the quantity and quality of the fruit grown. This 
plan, like many others, fell to the ground ; although, in its 
expiring moments its friends wei-e more loud than before 
in praising its merits ; but we hear of very few, if any, 
“Orchards in Miniature” now; and though stunted 
trees may be frequently found, they are only successors 
to others which existed long before the so-called 
‘ Orchards ” were thought of. 
In like manner, an Orchard-house is only a new 
name for a glass structure ; fruit - trees of the stone 
fruits having existed long ago, potted and treated in 
much the same way; but the much greater certainty 
there was in a crop when the tree had a much greater 
scope for its roots, led to these fruits being planted 
out and trained in some manner. Potted trees being 
only regarded as a curiosity, I very much doubt whether 
they will ever be remunerative, as the comparative 
few who have succeeded in making them so, leads to 
strong doubts of the general utility of the plan, and the 
silence of the most that have adopted it speaks much 
against it. 
However, as an object of curiosity, I would advise 
tlie amateur, who has a cool house in which he can ac¬ 
commodate a tree or two, to try these on a small scale, 
before he puts up a house expressly for them; but if he 
determines on having such a structure, better let it be 
made so as to be readily convertible into something 
else; and do not let him be led away too much by the 
so-called economical mode of building such houses. Let 
him remember what has been said of “cheap furniture,” 
and many other cheap articles ; and when he is erecting 
a house, let a certain amount of stability be considered 
as well as other features ; and in the end, he will reap 
the advantages, all other things considered. A cheap 
temporary house is more becoming the proprietor of 
many such, because he is likely to have a man handy 
at all times to repair them ; but the amateur, who has 
but a very limited area of glass structures, will find the 
vexatious repairs to a “ cheaply” constructed house 
very often a serious affair, independent of the annoy¬ 
ance experienced, by now and then a sad disaster in 
consequence of inadequate fastenings and other defects 
in “ cheap” houses. 
Much more might be said on this subject; but I have 
said enough to put the unwary on their guard against 
expecting too much from this novel mode of producing 
fruit. Like glass walls, these “ economical ” toys will 
be found very expensive in the beginning even, and, I 
fear, unsatisfactory in the end. Far be it from me to 
discourage enterprise; but the pursuit of new paths 
ought not to be urged on those of limited means, and 
“ Orchard-houses” have not yet been proved as remune- 
nerative to the general mass of cultivators; and time 
will determine whether the number of such houses is 
not greater in 1855 than they will be in 1865. 
Of course, if the house assumes another aspect (as the 
Polmaise heating did by resolving itself into an old- 
fashioned ffue) it may go on ; and in preparing a house 
for fruit-growing in pots, it would be well to consider 
the likelihood of such a contingency, as it being adapted 
to grow them better when planted out in the open 
borders; and the heating contrivances and other inter¬ 
nal features ought to be so arranged as to offer no impe¬ 
diments to that object, which may have to be carried 
into effect sooner than the sanguine pot-cultivator may j 
imagine. Some of the trees which had assumed a I 
somewhat gooseberry-headed appearance have after¬ 
wards had to accommodate themselves to the flattened 
surface of a wall, with, however, this consolation, that 
they were allowed abundance of room to grow in, and 
probably might become good members of the fruit¬ 
bearing community in their altered circumstances. 
J. Robson. 
[We have inserted this in accordance with our un¬ 
varying rule—“Let both sides be heard.” Of one 
thing we are quite sure, Mr. Robson assumes, what is 
not the case, that the friends of Orchard-houses maintain 
that these structures will yield as large a crop as more 
expensive Peacheri^s, Piggeries, and Vineries. Now, if 
he had read, just before writing, what Mr. Rivers said at 
page 92 ; what Mr. Fish saw at Berkhampstead, page 
36 ; and if he had seen what Mr. Gordon has effected at 
Chiswick, he would probably not have written quite so 
positively. —Ed. C. G.] 
ALLOTMENT FARMING.— December. 
Flower-garden. —The same attention to cleanliness, as 
recommended last month, should be continued here, to 
rake up and sweep all leaves from the grass-plot, and to 
dig the beds and borders, taking care not to disturb the 
bulbous-rooted or other xDlants. As every plant abstracts 
something from the soil, it is necessary to renew some of 
the exhausted soil of the liower-beds, which is done by 
taking away some of the second spit, putting what was the 
top into the bottom, and adding fresh to the top. 
The proper management of Plants in Rooms is a 
subject attended with some difficulty, every genus requiring 
some variation, both in soil, water, and general treatment. 
If the room is dark and close where the plants are placed, 
but few will thrive in it; but if it is light and airy, with the 
windows in a south aspect to receive the sun, plants will do 
nearly as well as in a greenhouse. But if they are observed 
to suffer, the effects may be generally traced either to want 
of light and air, injudicious watering, dust or filthiness 
collected on the leaves, or being potted in unsuitable soil. 
The most essential point to be considered, is the want of 
proper light and air, for a deficiency of either will cause the 
plants to grow S23indly and sickly. Deprive either trees, 
plants, or vegetables of light, and the best-flavoured fruits 
become insfliid; plants of the richest colours assume an 
ashy whiteness, and the. most acrid vegetable grows taste¬ 
less; then, all neai’ly agree in the qualities of their juices. 
If we deprive a plant of light, we deprive it of the power of 
fixing carbon; it is on the direct influence of solar light 
that its fixation of that most useful element depends. De¬ 
prived of light, it will not only cease to fix carbon, but it 
will continue to excrete it, and the result will be a weak and 
watery specimen of mis-management lingering to its death, 
under such unfavourable circumstances. 
Plants in rooms very frequently suffer from injudicious 
watering at this season of the year. The two common 
practice is, to give water to such an excess that the soil 
becomes sodden, and the roots consequently perish. At this 
time but a small supply of water is required by the soil, 
because the stems lose but little by perspiration, and, con¬ 
sequently, the roots demand but little food; nevertheless, 
some moisture is required by plants to be i-eplenished with 
food against the renewal of active vegetation in the spring; 
therefore, the best plan is to allow the soil in the pot to have 
the appearance of di-yness before a supply of water is given, 
which should then be sufficient to wet the whole ball of soil 
in the pot. The dust collected on the leaves may be removed, 
as recommended last month, and all insects destroyed, by 
placing the plants under a hand-glass, or anything that is 
convenient, and carefully burning some tobacco until they 
become enveloped in the smoke. The part ivhich the soil 
acts in vegetation is a subject of importance, as it is upon 
the knowledge that we possess of the properties of soils 
that modern experiments have suggested great improve¬ 
ments in the cultivation of trees, plants, and vegetables. 
But for our purpose, at present, it is only necessary to state 
that all plants whose branches are fragile «r slender, and 
