208 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
In answer to our request, that our readers would furnish 
us with reports of the state of the fruit crops in their 
vicinities, we regret that hut two parties have hitherto 
responded to our request. We publish them thus pro- 
: mineutly to repeat our request, and to stimulate others to 
| send us such information, because every one will appre¬ 
ciate what valuable suggestions are afforded by Mr. 
Rivers. We need scarcely add that Mr. Rivers is the 
well-known and able nurseryman of Sawbridgeworth, in 
Hertfordshire. 
“Sawbridgeworth. —Soil: loam and clay,resting on sand. 
Surface undulating, in a valley yet many feet above water- 
level of the contiguous valley of the Start, a branch from 
the valley of the Lee; and deep vegetable soil resting on 
gravel and loam ; the latter on a hill, with a slope to the 
south-west. The temperature here, as regards frost, is 
exactly that of Chiswick, the thermometer registering the 
same. April 26th and 27th. Weather very dry, thermo¬ 
meter registered 25 or 7 degrees of frost; and again on 
May 14th, hoar frost equally sharp. 
“Pears. —On fine standard trees orpear stocks,from 15to 
25 years old, of Beurre Capiaumont, Williams' Bon Chretien, 
Beurre diet, Bunmore, and Marie Louise (this is the sixth 
season in which the latter sort has totally failed), are all, or 
nearly all, destroyed. Ne plus Menris and Comte de Lancy, 
on trees of the same description and age, have set their 
fruit well; Beurre Capiaumont, Marie Louise, and many- 
other kinds of young pyramids on quince stocks have set a 
very fine crop ; and yet I was almost induced to think that 
from the blossom-buds of trees on quince stocks commencing 
to swell and burst earlier in the season than those on pear 
stocks, they would be more susceptible of injury from spring 
frosts. They do not, however, come into blossom earlier, 
although they commence to sioell at the first burst of spring. 
Two thousand pyramids of the pear Louise Bonne of Jersey 
were in full bloom on the fatal 27th of April; they did not 
appear injured by the frost, and looked white and beautiful 
for several days after, the germs also were green and fresh ; 
but the hoar frost of May 14th seemed to finish them, for 
nearly all are gone. 
“Apples are a most abundant crop. I never saw them 
bloom so vigorously, or set their fruit so well. 
“ Gooseberry and Currants most abundant, and Cher¬ 
ries the same. 
“ Plums of English origin are abundant. These English 
seedlings are the Diamond, raised by a gardener of that 
name in Kent. It is a very large coarse plum, but most 
excellent for preserving. Chapman's Prince of Wales has 
this season withstood the frost well; the trees are full of 
fruit. In 1849 and 1850 every blossom was killed. The 
Early Prolific, a seedling raised here, and one of our earliest 
plums, seems to bid defiance to our sharpest spring frosts; 
for last year (May 3rd), when the trees were in full bloom, 
the thermometer registered 23, or 9 degrees of frost, and 
yet I had a plentiful crop. The Autumn Compote, another 
seedling raised here, failed in 1850, but this year the crop 
is good. .Green Gages, and most of the plums of French 
origin have failed. This seems to give hopes that fruits to 
a certain extent may be acclimatized, for some seedling 
pears raised here, which have blossomed this spring for the 
first time, and were in full bloom April 27th, have set an 
abundant crop. I must, however, mention an anomaly. 
The Pruna d'Agcn, or Date Plum; the plum which is used 
in France for prunes, of which such vast quantities are 
exported. Now this plum comes from the south of France, 
and yet last year, this and the Early Prolific were the only 
sorts that bore a crop; and again this season it has with¬ 
stood the frosts, and the trees are full of fruit. 
“ Peaches and Apricots against walls are here a failure, 
whether protected or not, the weather all March was so 
I damp and cold that all the blossoms dropped. The peach 
trees are also in a very bad state, the leaves curled, and 
| the aphis abundant. Some peach trees in my orchard 
houses are full of fruit, and in fine vigorous health. They 
had not a drop of water from November till the end of 
[July 3. 
February. Now I hope I have given Mr. Errington several 
themes to dilate upon.” 
The other report is from Balham, Surrey, and merely 
states ; — “ Wall-fruit, none. Cherries, Gooseberries, 
Currants, and Applies, capital crops; especially of 
apples.’’ 
It has often suggested itself to our attention that the 
greatest accommodation would he afforded to amateurs 
residing in distant parts of the United Kingdom, far 
from railway stations, and still further from first-rate 
florists and nurserymen, if these would supply cuttings, 
grafts, buds, &c., instead of rooted and potted plants. 
To obtain the latter, by rail, or other conveyance, often 
costs more than the plant itself, whereas cuttings might 
be transmitted by post for a penny or twopence. 
Plants might he cultivated especially to yield cuttings \ 
and buds; and no amateur would object to pay a good 
price for the convenience. Any nurseryman adopting 
this suggestion, and advertising his prices, &c., at the 
proper seasons, would be well remunerated. To show 
that we do not write hypothetically, or from an unsus¬ 
tained opinion, we will conclude with this extract 
from a letter received by us from a gentleman near 
Dublin:— 
“Judging from myself,there are many who would be glad 
to buy cuttings and slips from nurserymen living at a dis¬ 
tance, and where the readiest or only means of carriage 
would be through the post. Along with your last week’s 
publication I got some catalogues, in both of which there 
are things readily propagated by cuttings; and of which 
the postage of the smallest-rooted plant, with its packing, 
would be more than the plant itself, but of which three or 
four cuttings (under an ounce weight) would be sure to 
grow, at least, one specimen. I think any nurseryman who 
will begin the practice of offering cuttings of Geraniums, 
Fuchsias, Carnations, &c., &c., at a reasonable and sufficient 
abatement from the price of rooted plants of the same, will 
find speedily a very large accession of customers. There 
are many, like myself, who have time, inclination, and taste 
for the culture of flowers, but who must set a peremptory 
limit to expenditure on what is, after all, but a pleasure; 
who will be glad to make their L2 or -£5 extend over the 
greatest space and number possible; and to whom one plant 
raised by their own hands and care is more precious than 
two got in the nursery.” 
GARDENING GOSSIP. 
We have convinced ourselves this season that a 
vigorous application of water alone by the syringe, with 
very fine holes to the rose of it, will completely defeat 
the mischief of the Green-fly or Aphis on Roses. 
It was used three times a day to some climbers against a 1 
house, and a few standards, that were literally covered with | 
the Aphis before we discovered them, and in three days we 
had banished them. The third day they were clear, but i 
we syringed them notwithstanding. We believe this was 
labour thrown away, and we have no doubt they were pretty 
well cleared by the first three applications, and quite clear the 
second day. A neighbour of ours has found it just as 
efficacious, for his trees are as clear as possible. The | 
syringe is of great service because it is a mighty purifier; 
neither dust nor insects can stand against its repeated I 
attacks. 
Messrs. Rendle f Co., of Plymouth, have sent some i 
of their plants to Her Majesty, and the present, which 
