THE COTTAGE GARDENER 
A PHIL 21. 
36 
proposed, and report at tlie next Monthly Council on their 
capabilities for the purposes of the Society. 
A Correspondent writing to us from Newera Ellia, in 
the mountains of Ceylon, says:— 
“ I enclose a few seeds of a species of Ruins; found in 
the mountains of Ceylon, 6,000 feet above the level of the 
sea. The leaf is something like a Mulberry, and the fruit 
as large as the largest marble. I think in your hands it 
may be forced to twice the size, and prove a novelty. The 
plant is hardy, and the canes strong. 
“ We have twenty-two species of orchids at Newera Ellia, 
about half-a-dozen terrestial, the others epipliitic. I have 
been much pleased with reading your Essays on Orchids, in 
The Cottage Gardener. The following are our Orchids :— 
Terrestial .— Calanthe (two varieties, white and lilac), Saty- 
rium Nepaulensis, Cypripedium, Spiranthes, Ansectochilis, 
Lyperus, Phajus (very large species). Epiphitic. —1. Den- 
drobium aureum pallidum. 2. White variety. 3. White. 
4. Dendrobium formosum. Saccolabiura, pink variety ; 
lilac variety ; white variety. Cymbidium, and Coelogyne. The 
Satyrium is strongly scented, and Denbrobium aureum 
pallidum the most beautiful; the Saccolabium, pink, very 
lovely.” 
The amount of eggs imported into this country con¬ 
tinues enormous; the number during the month ending 
on the 5th of March being 6,090,725. 
There was a grand exhibition of flowers and plants 
held at Paris, on the 15th of March, for prizes offered 
by the Seine Horticultural Society. We shall only notice 
one or two features as grounds of comparison for our 
English readers. The best Camellias were Archduchess 
Augusta,’ Duchess of Northumberland, Madonii, Alba 
Carozettii, Marquis of Exeter, and Yaltaveredo. Not 
only will it be seen that our English varieties were pre¬ 
eminent, but we were glad to observe English growers 
among the exhibitors, for Messrs. Standish and Noble 
sent an Azalea Bealii, which one of the French critics 
characterised as “ maguifique.” The Hoses exhibited 
were Hybrids, Bourbons, and Tea-scented. Among 
them were La Reine, Vicomtesse Decazes, Souvenir de 
Malmaison, Duchesse de Montpensier, Baronne Hallez 
de Charapede, Souvenir d’un ami, and Louise Thenard ; 
but the prize for the best rose was awarded to M. 
Fontaine’s Triomphe clu comte de Montigo. 
j We have great pleasure in acquiescing in Mr. Beaton’s 
i request to allow him to express his gratitude to all 
i those who have promised him their votes in favour of 
| Amelia Parfitt, for election into the Wanstead Orphan 
j Asylum. He adds, that:— u All subscribers have the 
| privilege now to give as many votes for re-elections as 
j they are entitled to give to new candidates for admission.” 
The names of candidates for re-election, like that of 
Amelia Parfitt, are to be printed in red ink in the next 
polling papers, and all those who would assist him, were 
their votes not already engaged, may do so now, provided 
their votes have not been promised for any infant now 
1 in the Asylum, by giving him their red votes, or writing 
them after the name Amelia Parfitt in the polling 
paper." 
PLANTING AN ORCHARD OR FRUIT GARDEN. 
( Continued from page 20.) 
We may now suppose our plot complete as to the 
character of the soil, whether for a Fruit and Vegetable- 
garden, within walls or fencing, or for the mere Orchard, 
with, it may be, only a hedge around it. The walks, 
all but those which we will term marginal walks, have 
been considered, the walls built, copings provided, the 
soil trenched, the staple or texture of the soil improved, 
and water of a permanent character provided. The 
next questions will be—how to prepare for the recep¬ 
tion of fruit-trees; and what situations to reserve for 
them ? And here the subject assumes two distinct 
characters: the one, howto plant the Kitchen and Vege¬ 
table-garden, with walls or fences; the other, how to 
dispose of the trees in a mere Orchard. 
It was stated at page 498, of our last volume, that five 
feet was the minimum degree of width for the chief 
walks, and this not alone because that width is abso¬ 
lutely necessary for walking in, but because what is 
termed “ breathing-room” is necessary, or open spaces 
favourable, to a free circulation of air in hot weather: 
a liberal width of walk thus performs a double duty. 
Now, it is a time-honoured practice to establish what 
I must term marginal borders , that is to say, borders on 
the opposite side of each walk to the wall-border. I 
see no reason whatever to depart from this practice, 
which has everything to recommend it. In the first 
place, it tends to throw open airy quarters for vege¬ 
tables ; the two are hereby as much detached as they 
can be. In the second place, a much readier access to 
the fruits is obtained by those who feel an interest in 
their names, habits, culture, &c.; and, added to this, 
the injury from birds is better avoided,—every one who 
paces the walks is an assistant in preventing their de¬ 
predations ; lastly, root-culture—a thing of so much 
importance, as will be subsequently shown—is unfet¬ 
tered by the proximity of vegetable culture. Another, 
and important fact must here be pointed to: if the 
walks are prepared as will be advised, the roots of the 
fruit-trees will find a safe asylum beneath them of much 
importance to aged fruit-trees and those of great bearing 
properties. All these points surely make out a case in 
favour of the marginal border. Such being admitted, 
I must deal with the subject of width both in'the mar¬ 
ginal and wall-borders. With regard to the latter, there 
are three ways of viewing the question, viz., as one of 
proportion; as adapted for a liberal supply of early 
vegetables; and, lastly,—which is the primary object,— 
as sufficient for the well-being of the trees. Few care 
about proportion, and, indeed, it should by no means 
be allowed to fetter the subject; yet, I think it will be 
found that a border about one-fourth wider than the 
wall is high will look better than one much wider or 
narrower. 
As to vegetable-cropping, I neither dare advocate nor 
condemn it. In principle it is assuredly wrong, unless 
in very clever hands; and yet, it must be admitted, that 
a warm border is an exceedingly convenient place for 
dainty vegetables; and most gardeners, myself amongst 
the rest, are driven to this practice. I may, however, 
observe, that for my own part, I can contrive to crop 
my borders with little or no injury to the trees, and I 
shall accordingly show, in the proper place, what my 
practice has been in that respect. 
As to the width essential to fruit-tree culture alone, it 
is much more moderate than people commonly imagine, 
especially if the trees are cultivated on a dwarfing 
system. As a rule seems requisite for the inexperienced, 
I would urge that five feet in width be considered the 
minimum point; this would, if the soil be good, furnish 
an eight feet wall, and that an extra foot of border be 
added for every foot in height of wall beyond this, 
