October 10. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
31 
UNFRUITFUL JARGONELLE PEAR-TREES. 
“I have a large standard Jargonelle Pear-tree in my 
garden, which has not produced a single Pear for the last 
two seasons. It stands in rather a dampish soil, and has 
the sun all day long. I may mention, also, that there are 
never more than three or four bunohes of blossom on it. 
“ Last year, rather later than this, I had a gardener, who 
said it was 1 bark bound,' which he attended to, but advised 
me not to prune the wood away. He promised that I should 
have a capital crop this year, but not a single Pear did I get. 
“ Having frequently entertained serious intentions of 
cutting the tree down, but as it is highly ornamental, being 
very full of leaves, and appears healthy, I would, as a matter 
of course, prefer letting it stand, provided anything can be 
done to make it fruitful.—A Northumbrian.” 
[Your Jargonelle soil is too wet. Why not drain? Tie 
down plenty of young shoots every year, and give the tree 
a surface-dressing when the water is carried off. The 
dressing, turfy soil and manure, eight inches in thickness, to 
encourage surface fibres.] 
APPLES, PEARS, AND PLUMS UNFRUITFUL.— 
PIT FOR VINES. 
“ I write to you respecting some fruit-trees,—these are 
Apples, Pears, and Plums, all standards, planted on strong 
clay ground, and been set about fifteen years, but they do 
not come to a proper state of bearing. Certainly, they have 
a little fruit on them, but of no consequence, but they 
always show a great quantity of blossom that never comes 
to a state of perfection. Under these circumstances, I wish 
to know your opinion what will be the best to do to improve 
this failure amongst my trees. 
“ Likewise, I have got a pit forced with liot-water, 
and the dimensions of the pit is—length twenty-three 
feet; breadth eleven feet four inches; height of back- 
wall five-and-a-half feet; height of front-wall three feet 
three inches; height of the ridging seven feet; front span- 
light nine feet; back span-light three feet two inches. 
“Now, I wish to fruit Pines in this pit, but it has been 
used for growing Melons this sometime back. The pipes 
go along the centre, the one above the other. The top pipe 
is one foot two inches below the surface of the pit, with 
flooring above the pipes. Now, I have not height enough 
from the flooring to the glass for my plants. Would you be 
kind enough to let me know whether the house will do, and 
by what means I can get my plants deep enough ?—II. W." 
[“ Strong clay soil,” you say; perhaps too strong—too 
retentive of moisture; perhaps the trees planted deep. 
These are sad mishaps, common to thousands, and which 
a little sound, practical knowledge at the planting-time 
would have averted. If you have stagnant water, drain 
thoroughly, as the first step, and directly. Any growing 
rampant may have their tap roots cut, and all would be 
benefited by digging a circular trench around them, about 
five feet from the bole, and filling it up again with a free 
and open compost. Do all you can to encourage surface 
fibres. As you have been a “ regular reader” of ours, .just 
look back on our articles on top-dressing or mulching. Pines. 
The form of your roof is not very material, only they must 
have room to grow, and then the oloser to the glass the 
better. As for the piping, it is plain that you have not 
room for the Pines overhead, by the present levels. The 
top pipe only one foot two inches below the roof! and then 
flooring over the pipes! ! Why, your Pines will require 
quite a yard from the collar of the root to the points of the 
leaves. It is plain that either the pipes must descend, or 
the roof ascend. You cannot temporise here. You must be 
all over in earnest, or give up your Pines. Since advising 
thus, we have again looked over your case. You have over¬ 
laid it with unnecessary detail. Pray write again ; say how 
far it is from the roof overlieud to the upper pipe ; this is 
the chief thing ; also, what is the upper outline of your pit; 
a span, with north light, we presume.] 
TREATMENT OF YOUNG VINES AND ESPALIER 
PEAR-TREES. 
“I have planted some young Vines this autumn (Aug. 
26th), for a Vinery; the wood is ripening; should I cut 
them back, or would coiling the stem down in the border, 
leaving only two buds above ground, be a plan that would 
give a stronger growth next year ? 
“ Some months ago, I hinted to my gardener, ‘ a pro¬ 
fessional, first-rate, go-a-head man,’ that the spray in the 
espalier Pear-trees was getting rather plentiful; he replied, 
that he ‘ wanted rather more root-action ’ in the trees. The 
trees are now (Sept. 1) covered with a crop of luxuriant spray, 
from a foot to eighteen inches long, and no fruit. Wlmt 
should be done ?—L.” 
[Do not meddle with your Vine wood. If growing freely, 
after you read this, just pinch every terminal point. Pear- 
trees, Sept. 1, should not be crowded with spray. The only 
reason for departing from the maxim, would be where trees 
have been hitherto weakly, or overborne. Ripening of the 
wood must never be lost sight of, even in a trained Pear- 
tree. As it is, pray let a little sunlight upon the embryo 
buds, though it be but for a week or two.] 
MILTON’S MULBERRY-TREE. 
“ Does the Mulberry-tree planted by Milton, in Christ 
Church Garden, Cambridge, when he was a student there, 
still exist ? And in what condition is it now ?—G.” 
[Milton’s Mulberry-tree still flourishes (Sept.) in Christ’s 
College, Cambridge. About six years ago, the trunk, reduced 
by decay to a mere shell, was completely covered by a mound 
of earth, with the best effect. The old tree is now in luxuriant 
foliage, with abundant promise of fruit. —S. C.] 
GREENHOUSE FLOWERS AT CHRISTMAS. 
“ What are the best flowers I can get so forward as to 
make a handsome show in the greenhouse at Christmas ?— 
W. J., near Winchester." 
[All sorts of bulbs, such as Hyacinths, Narcissus, and 
Tulips, potted directly, and when pots are full, forced a little. 
Chinese Primroses, well managed; the double varieties at the 
warmest end. Cinerarias, put into flowering-pots, say six 
inches in diameter now. Camellias, with buds set early. 
Azaleas, if forced a little. Tea and Chinese Roses, with a 
little heat. Epacris, and winter-flowering Heaths, that had 
been pruned early in spring. Salvia splendent, and Tropceolum 
Lohbiannm, Triomphe de Gaud, and many other things often 
mentioned in these pages,—such as Daphnes; hardy shrubs, 
as Lilacs, Dcutzia, Weigelea, Ac., forced. Geraniums, cut aud 
topped in summer. Ayerulums, which are ever-bloomers. 
Mignonette, sown in August, and Violets, managed as often 
described, Ac.] 
HEATING A CONSERVATORY. 
“Being about to erect a conservatory adjoining the dwell 
ing-house, the length twenty-five feet, and width eighteen 
feet, and ten feet high to the wall plate, span-roofed; it will 
stand lengthways, north and south, the south end to be in a 
line with the front of the house ; both ends and the east 
side will be glass to the ground. We cannot have the 
boiler nearer than thirty-five feet from the conservatory, as 
we have no means of building a shed close to it. Will two 
four-inch pipes be sufficient to heat it ? They are to go all 
round the house, in a walk three feet six inches wide; the pipes 
to be in the centre of the walk, in a chamber thirteen inches 
wide, with an open grating all over the pipes. The main 
pipe will be conveyed to the conservatory through a brick 
chamber under ground. What is the best sort of boiler for 
such a place? We have found, about this neighbourhood, 
for heating small places, a common iron furnace, such as is 
used by laundresses, covered with a sheet of iron, answer 
very well. Both pipes going into the top of the boiler, the 
flow-pipe just entering the top of the boiler, and the 
return-pipe reaching to four inches of the bottom.—A Four 
Years’ Subscriber.” 
[1. The heat will be sufficient, managed exactly as you 
describe. 
2. There is more in the setting of the boiler, which a 
good bricklayer knows all about, than in the kinds. Some¬ 
thing saddle-shaped and conical we should prefer. No 
doubt, the sort you describe will answer admirably, and be 
cheaper than one got from a boiler-maker, but so con¬ 
structed, you must manage to have the top of your boiler 
not a great deal lower than your pipes, or the pressure may 
