i9a 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, July 5, 1859. 
NOTES ON APPLES AND PEARS. 
{Continuedfrom page 136.) 
From the Apple orchards I must now journey hack through 
the Filbert, Yew, and Pear gardens towards the little village of 
TVinsley, nearly in the centre of which is situated the residence 
of the owner of this small estate. Although but very little 
above half a mile distant, yet it is at an elevation of more than 
five hundred feet above the level of the river Avon. It is not to 
the residence that I must draw your attention—although it is 
one of the most ancient houses iu tho village, and one where 
many of the good old English customs are still adhered to — 
hut to a peep into the fruit-room, which is in a building that is 
adjoining. Before this I must notice a few of the many objects 
which stand so prominently in the way as we pass. 
There are several small gardens that are wholly devoted to 
Tear trees. These have all been planted within the last six 
years, and many of them within the last three. There are 
frequently to he found several of tho same kind planted 
together; then in another part of the garden there are other 
trees of the same kind, where the soil is different, to prove from 
which the fruit is best, the results of which will be found some 
day amongst that venerable gentleman’s private papers. 
In the autumn of 1857, as soon as the leaf began to drop, 
tho whole of them were root-pruned, which was the second time 
to a good number of them ; and upwards of an hundred of them 
were taken up and shifted to another garden without feeling 
the effects of their moving the least. They were copiously 
supplied with water when planted, and at intervals during the 
summer. The whole of these had their branches, when first 
planted, tied down in a pendulous mode; but, finding this 
system of training a perfect vampire on time, it was abolished. 
Now take a glance at the lot together. They are a host of good 
pyramidal-shaped trees, planted in rows sixteen by twenty feet 
apart. If the root pruning is not properly attended to in all 
trees attempted to be grown as pyramids, the branches had 
much better bo allowed to take their own course : if they ate 
not, the result will be— 
“ Cutting:, cutting all the time, 
■Without any effect at last.” 
Once in two years I find quite often enough to perform this 
task, unless there is an over-luxuriant growth in the wood, 
which is very seldom the case when they are taken to in proper 
time—that is, when they are first planted. 
From the orchards to the smaller gardens there are private 
walks with different kinds of pyramidal and pillar-shaped ever¬ 
greens planted on both sides of the walks ; and from the small 
gardens to the house, which form very pleasing objects to the 
eye, there is a tremendous zigzag kind of hill to climb. As the 
hill is ascended towards the.house, the view becomes more 
extended; in fact, the views that are commanded from different 
points in these walks are such, that when once seen they are 
never forgotten. One of these walks terminates at a point 
where one of the principal entrances is to the house. On each 
side of this Walk there is a row of the newest and rarest kinds 
of Pears trained as pyramids; and at the end of this walk is the 
fruit-room, which is in a building, as I before said, that is 
adjoining the house. 
The ground floor of this building is used for domestic pur¬ 
poses. The large room is about thirty feet in length by eighteen 
in width, with a large window at the south western! of the south 
side of the room : also at the north-east end of tho north side of 
the room is another, with thick woollen curtains to keep the 
frost out in winter, which are drawn on iron rods. Both windows 
are left open for some time when the fruit is first gathered; 
and at intervals they arc opened for a few hours all through the 
winter months—that is, when the fruits feel clammy or damp. 
Shelves are placed all round the room, supported at the front 
on pillars extending about three feet from the wall. Particular 
attention is here paid to the gathering of the fruits; also to the 
arranging of them after. The proper time to gather any of the 
kinds depends on the earliness or lateness of the season. Many 
opinions have been passed on the best time to gather these 
fruits ; but the best criterion that I could find to go by is, to cut 
one of the fruits : if the pips are full grown and turned brown 
the fruits are fit to gather. 
There will be no difficulty, then, in getting them in at the 
right time, if the date they were gathered the year before were 
referred to, and then what kind of season we had to follow it. 
Every kind as it is stored away here is named, and the date of 
the month it was gathered added. Tho kinds are arranged or 
divided into three classes, firsts, seconds, and thirds, which is 
I done when they are gathered. If they were not, they have to 
| pass through a person’s hands many times, which is a great 
| detriment to their keeping qualities. 
The firsts are those that are without blemish—good in every 
I point. The seconds are those that are disfigured with warts, 
cracks, or other deformities. The thirds are all the small ones, 
which range about one size. All that are bruised are used for 
cider. Many might think this useless trouble, but it is not a 
whit more than it is to store them all away together; and after- 
wai'ds it saves many hours in looking them over, and saves them 
from numberless bruises also. All are put on old newspapers. 
In Very damp or frosty weather they are covered over with the 
newspapers; but in bright open weather the paper coverings 
are taken otf. it is very seldom there are many shrivelled ones 
amougst them. On the 1st of April many of the firsts were in 
as firm and perfect a state as when gathered. I have not the 
least doubt but that many of them are the same now. 
J. Ashman. 
THE IVY. 
The poetic feeling which hangs over certain plants tends, in a 
great measure, to enhance their value. The Laurel is invested with 
a certain dignity, from the fact of conquerors of old being crowned 
with Laurel on occasions of public triumphs. Although we are 
told tho plant so used was not the “ Laurel” of the present day, 
but an Alaternus, yet the name Laurel carries with it a more 
commanding sound, and it is allowed to have the credit of being 
the plant employed in so ennobling a purpose. Amongst ourselves 
there are many plants whose beauty or utility invests them with 
an interest not granted to others of their class. The Oak is 
certaiuly not the loftiest nor yet the most bulky tree wo have; 
but it is “an Oak,” and, what is more, “a British Oak.” The 
Hawthorn, or May-blossom, is also every one’s favourite ; and, 
descending lower, the hedge-side Primrose merits and receives its 
due meed of praise and attention. Another member of the vege¬ 
table kingdom (it would be wrong to call it a tree) is also pretty 
generally admired, and very widely distributed— The Ivy— which 
is, perhaps, after all, the finest and most useful evergreen creeper 
we have. Many of our most venerable monuments of antiquity 
would be but mouldering heaps of ruins, if not kept clasped 
together by its everlasting embrace ; but, however firmly it may 
adhere to the relict of a former dwelling, it clings with equal 
tenacity (or often more so) to the living tree of the present one; 
and so tightly does it wind itself around the tree, that in course 
of time it destroys the tree it clings to, even bo that tree ever so 
healthy and vigorous when it commences to envelope it. An 
Oak or other deciduous tree will endure it longer than a Fir tree ; 
but the same result is sure to follow—a stunted sickly growth, 
ending in the death of the tree. 
That Ivy will kill a tree, I have the most ample proof here 
(Linton). Some large Spruce and Silver Firs in the pleasure- 
ground becoming covered with Ivy, were allowed to remain so. 
The Ivy quickly made its way to the top, and latterly it branched 
out in the stubby character common to it; the branches of the 
trees dying off as the Ivy advanced, though not without that 
struggle for life which all vegetable nature makes on such occasions. 
In other words, the trees were several years in dying ; but eventu¬ 
ally they did succumb, the Ivy in the mean time gradually 
forming itself into one of the most beautiful cones of that dense 
vivid green which Ivy alone can give. A uniformly tapering 
spire of this kind upwards of seventy feet high was a pretty 
object, and elicited general admiration. But, alas for such 
beauty ! the dead trunk of tho Fir tree was unable to bear the 
ponderous load it bad carried when in life and health, and the 
result was, a high wind broke one of our most ornamental 
pyramids completely in two about fifteen feet from the ground, 
the tree being at that place about fifteen inches in diameter ; but 
decay had set in, and an unusual high wind brought it down. 
Another fine tree having upwards of eighty cubic feet of timber 
was cut down, after being all but killed by this insidious parasite. 
This was fast assuming that fine conical shape so becoming in the 
tree; and I much fear one tree we have, which has lately grown 
into a fine, uniform, conical shape, will also give way to fhe 
weakening influence of decay. "While such objects do stand, 
there is nothing can exceed their beauty. 
Ivy, like everything else, has its favourite abode,—usually a dry 
stony soil partaking more or less of limestone. On such a soil 
it will usurp dominion over every thing it comes in contact w ith. 
Healthy, vigorous trees have often fallen a prey to it, when not 
