January 1. 
COUNTRY GENTLUAIAN’S COMPANION. 
211 
It is .AS difficult, nay, more difficult, for a person un¬ 
acquainted with the practice, to boil a Yam properly, as it is 
to boil a Potato qiroperly. Tlie Yarn, wlieu properly boiled, 
resembles a ball of flour, the size of from a large cricket- 
ball to a moderate-sized man’s head. The skin is rough 
and blackish, but the outside, when properly boiled, is as 
white as possible. When improperly boiled, it is either 
watery, Avaxy, and sometimes “ slimy,” but the bad cooking 
is the cause, and, perhaps, bad treatment in the cultivation. 
—John Chinaman. 
ORCHARD-HOUSES. 
I am quite pleased that I have drawn out Mr. Ferguson 
in the matter of Orchard-houses, .and that he has been in¬ 
duced to give us some spirited sketches. I can, however, 
plainly see that Sir. Ferguson is not the poor gentleman’s 
gardener. He is a professional aristocrat. He lives at 
.Stowe the magniflcent, the forsaken, and he has, as the 
French say, assisted at its “ decline and fall.” His sketches 
of houses are qiretty—to look at; but Avilh hot-water pipes 
they Avould be too expensive for the humble beginner, Avho 
merely requires an Orchard-house to supply the place of 
brick Avails Avhich probably he has not. The forcing-house 
fltted Avith hot-Avater pipes for Peaches and Nectarines is 
quite au aristocratic affair. But let us look into the merits 
of Fig. 1. lA, 18d. It is recommended to have the trees 
trained, I suppose, to a trellis under the glass, so as to 
cover the inner side of the roof completely. Fine fruit may 
be groAvn in this Avay, undoubtedly; for it is the old-fashioned 
usual method of groAving Peaches. The neAV feature, as 
given by Mr, Ferguson, is to have the borders filled Avith 
“ Ferns, and Mosses, and Orchids,” to be kept quite 
moist always; thus to give a mild Cornish atmosphere, ex¬ 
cellent for growing Brocoli and Cabbages, but very deficient 
in ripening power. It is surprising that such advice could 
come from Stowe. Depend upon it it has never been tried, or 
Ave should not hear of Peaclies being sent to market in 
August; they might possibly “ripe or rot” in November. 
I can have nothing to object to in the training of trees to 
trellises under glass. Large crops may be produced, as 
witness the Peach-house of Mr. White, of Weathersfielcl, or 
the magnificent Orcbard-bouse, .000 feet long, at Basing 
Park, near Alton. The latter is, perhaps, the most perfect 
house for the groAvth of Peaclies, Nectarines, Plums, 
Cherries, and Pears, in Europe. (I liave not, hoAvever, seen 
those at Trentham.) The trees are all trained to semi¬ 
circular iron trellises, and admirably managed by IMr. Dun¬ 
can, the skilful gardener there. The objection to trees 
trained, as I’each-trees generally are, to trellises under 
glass, and over the head of the cultivator, is the skill and 
the disagreeable overhead labour required. Such trees must, 
also, have a skilful gardener to prune them, or they are 
soon spoiled. A Peach-bush may be pruned in the most 
unskilful manner, yet it will bear fruit, and doAvell; and, 
then, in making the liouse (such as Fig. 1) a promenade- 
house, to look at your trees and your fruit, the head must be 
constantly thrown back, and even then the fruit cannot be 
seen, as it is ahvays on the upper side of the trellis, Mr. 
Ferguson is A'ery ingenious, at sketching ; he must give us 
a sketch of a machine to keep the head in its proper position 
Avhile Avalking under his Peach-trees. 
NoAvlet us look into the merits of sketch No. 2. Tin's is to 
have Yines or Peach-trees trained under the roof; the bor¬ 
ders are to be filled Avith Verbenas ami Petunias, Cucum¬ 
bers and Calceolarias, and other lovers of moisture; the 
border over the central Avalk,—hoAv pretty!—is also to be full 
of flowers requiring plenty of Avater, so as to saturate the 
atmosphere thoroughly,—what a climate to give flavour to 
fruit! Why not have an Aquarium and grow Water Lilies ? 
and Avhy not import some of the edible frogs (liana escu- 
lenta), and fat them for Covent Carden ? I propose to call 
fig. 1, the Damp Orchard-house, and fig. .2 the ShoAver-bath 
Orchard-house. How agreeable Avould be a promenade un¬ 
der the central-bed just after the plants are watered. Still, 
it may be made useful in a family; for Ave are only to sup¬ 
pose a shoAver-bath prescribed as beneficial to the young 
ladies, and the gardener, every morning in June, the mo¬ 
ment he has Avatered his over head darlings, running into 
the house and saying, “please, the shoAver-bath is ready;” 
and the said young ladies in their bathing-dresses taking ■ 
their shoAver-bath Avhile promenading,—all the time looking 
at “ Fuchias and French Beans ” at their feet, and Peaches 
and pots over head;—verily, “ Is'nt the picture striking?” 
Seriously, the idea of groAA’ing Ferns, and Mosses, and Or- ; 
clnds, in Orchid-houses is perfectly ridiculous. In his | 
statements, Mr. Ferguson goes into the line of beauty; in 
his recommendations he must not be followed. Who that 
knoAvs fruit-tree culture Avould, for instance, have several 
sorts of Peaches on one tree to give a succession of fruit ? 
With Pear-trees trained to Avails it is practicable; Avith 
Peach-trees trained to a trellis under a glass roof it is most 
difficult, OAving to the great difference iu their habits, as re¬ 
gards vigour of groAvth, Let Mr. Ferguson try, Avhich he 
never has done, how the Bed Nutmeg, or Early York, or 
Petite Mignonue Peaches Avould succeed on the same tree 
AAUlh such sorts as the Boyitl George, or Dourdine. In spite 
of the greatest care in pruning, even by such a “ profes¬ 
sional” as Mr. Ferguson, the robust groAvers, such as the 
last-named varieties, Avill destroy those of more delicate 
groAvth. But, so strong is bis prejudice against the very 
nice and gratifying mode of groAving fruit-trees in pots, or 
tubs, that he seems inclined to recommend any other mode 
of culture, hoAvever absurd. An imitation from WordsAvorth 
may be put into his mouth, as folloAVs;— 
“ I do not like a potted tree. 
\ The re.Ason Avhy, I cannot see, — 
1 do not like a potted tree.” 
In looking over the article by Mr. Ferguson, I hav'e come ‘ 
to the conclusion that he is a “ fast man”— Avith his pen; 
and that I am dull and heavy-headed, for I cannot under¬ 
stand all that he Avidtes. I Avonder if he knoAVS the meaning 
of being “check-mated?” I do not, as employed by him. 
I Avonder, also, hoAV many of his Peaches exceed nine 
inches in circmnference ? I Avonder if a poor gentleman, 
fond of his garden and his Orchard-house, is ahvays thinking 
of “pounds, shillings, and pence,” and Ijoav they Avill “pay?” 
I here feel it my solemn duty to tell Mr. Ferguson that my 
Orchard-house idea did not come from Essex—the land of 
calves. He lived in that “ green and clammy” county for 
several years, and, I have heard, Avas, at that time, a great 
lover of those gentle creatures Avhen Avell bred, and much 
interested in the architecture of their jxins. I have never 
heard that houses were built for them, but IMr. Ferguson knoAvs 
best. It is, I think, some sixteen or eighteen years ago that 
I built four lean-to houses, Avith fixed glass roofs and brick 
Avails, with sliding shutters in them, back and front. These 
are still in existence; and I have never regretted having 
departed from the long-established method of building such 
houses, viz., Avith sliding lights and pulleys, Avhich I noAv 
Avell know are useless and extravagant beyond belief, costing 
cent, per cent, more to build than houses Avith fixed roofs, 
and leading to breakage Avithout end. 
I am quite sure I have a strong natural tendency to make 
fruit-culture cheap and easy, for I feed that I should like to 
see our most industrious cottagers able to grow and sell 
Peaches and Pears, and thus add to tlieir too ferv comforts: 
and I hope the day is not far distant Avhen Ave shall see the 
matter taken up in the rural distiicts, and, perhaps, schools 
formed, to teach those inclined to learn the culture of supe¬ 
rior fruits, and societies to grant small loans to aid them in 
commencing their culture. t)f one thing I am deeply con¬ 
vinced,— that the labourers in our rural districts require so7ne- 
thiuii done to raise thnn in the scale of snricly. 
This tendency of mine broke out Avben I told one of my 
labourers to make some boxes, costing aliout Js. eacli, Avith | 
inch boards, rather than employ an artist to make them j 
Avith moveable sides, castors, Ac., at fiOs. each, as recom- i 
mended by Mr. Fish, by the Avay : my fig-tree boxes have I 
bars at the bottom, so that the roots can strike through into 
the soil. Only think of mounting them on castors to keep 
them from contact Avith mother earth ! We need not Avonder 
that many gentlemen of moderate incomes are fearful of ! 
employing a regular gardener educated in our first-class 
gardens; for, although clever, good gardeners, they Avill not ^ 
attempt to do anything in experiments : Vineries must be 
built Avith massive brick Avails, and equally massive rafters, 
Avith sliding lights and pulleys, and sashes in front; all 
other gardening matters must also be done just as they have . 
