81 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
from the Society’s Garden, and then four collections of 
stove and greenhouse plants in eight-inch pots, for the 
grand competition of the day, and a Derby-day it was, 
sure enough, also a triumphant day forD. Beaton ; for 
in remarking on these four collections, the Doctor 
quoted my very words from The Cottage Gardener, 
in favour of that useful, moderate, and modest way of 
growing plants for private use. What, therefore, was 
the use of spending our money to introduce a vicious 
and vulgar taste for huge specimens, for the last twenty 
years P Depend upon it, all the goodness that is in this 
'world, whether it be in a man, woman, beast, or plant, 
will go into a small compass. 
The Messrs. Fraser took the first prize triumphantly; 
Mr. Tegg was second ; Mr. Cutbush, of Barnet, third; 
and an extra prize to Mr. Rhodes. The four collections 
were uniformly good, and not a great deal to say be¬ 
tween any one of them and the rest. Messrs. Fraser 
had a plant of j Erica Devoniana, the most exquisite 
thing I ever saw r . I think it is one of Mr. Story’s 
seedlings; at all events, it is of the aristata breed. 
Also, Chorozema varium, Boronia. serrulata, Lepto- 
spermum bullatum clothed in white, a large Azalea, 
Glory of Sunning hill, and Pimelea, spectabilis. 
Mr. Tegg had Boronia serrulata, Aphelexis humilis, 
Allamanda neriifolia, Eriostemon neriifolium (not cus- 
pidatum, as labelled), Erica Cavendishii, and Pimelea 
! spectabilis. 
Mr. Cutbush had Erica favoides elegans, Dillwynia 
parvifolia, fine ; a large Azalea and Polygala T)alma- 
tiana, an Eriostemon, and Pimelea Nieppergiana, a 
pure white. 
Mr. Rhodes had the most complete Franciscea 
eximia which has yet been exhibited; the leaves were 
perfect, and the bloom abundant. Boronia pinnata, 
a difficult subject; Eriostemon, Aphelexis, Erica 
Cavendishii, and a fine Epaeris grandifora. 
There were two dishes of the fruit of the Loquat of 
China, from Malta, shown by Andrew Duncan, Esq., 
76, Cornhill. They were the best of the kind I ever 
i tasted. This would make shade, shelter, and dessert, 
for Melbourne, and most papts of Australia; the seeds 
might be sown here in a close tin case, as they take a 
i long time to vegetate. A fine dish of well-coloured 
I May Duke Cherries, from Mr. Sliuter, gardener to 
the Earl of Wilton, Eaton Park; and a dish of Beurre 
Ranee Pears, from Mr. Hill, Keele Hall; also, a 
hardy Bamboo, and a collection of Epimediums, from 
Mr. Bateman. The Bamboo was different from any 
! we had seen. D. Beaton. 
THE PEACH, NECTARINE, AND APRICOT. 
We have passed through a rather severe ordeal of 
late. On the 12th of April a thermometer down to 
22°. The Apricots, Peaches, and Nectarines were in 
| full blossom, and, indeed, going out, and must have 
suffered severely in some parts. Where the canvass 
was rather ragged, and where totally unprotected, 
the fruit has suffered here; but on looking over them 
this morning, I find a good set of Apricots, and as 
! for Peaches and Nectarines, it is almost impossible 
to thrust a pin between them, so thickly set are they. 
Peaches and Nectarines are in magnificent consti¬ 
tution this spring, both in-doors and out. They are 
what I call perfect; their culture can go little further. 
I am not, however, assured that this is a justifiable 
exultation, and the Scottish poet’s witty remark, as to 
“ the best laid plans of men and mice, &c.,” comes to 
mind. But who can help exulting over the gracious 
appearances of a returning summer, albeit there are 
| plenty of breakers ahead ? 
j Mr. Robson thinks that salt is necessary to the 
GENTLEMAN, May 11, 1858 
Peach, in consequence of seeing Mr. Jenning’s fine 
Peaches at Knowsley Hall. I have seen Mr. J.’s j 
Peaches repeatedly during the last score years, and I 
must say that I have never in my life seen such huge 
trees so well sustained, and carrying such fine and 
regular crops. He who can thus manage such huge 
trees on w alls, perhaps sixteen feet in height, for so 
many years, and without any nakedness or barrenness, 
must have some plan or practice of more significance 
than salt. My opinion is, that Mr. J. grows fine 
Peaches in spite of the salt. I do, therefore, think 
that the inference can scarcely be borne out; certainly 
the dashing of salt spray, to which these Liverpool 
gardens are sometimes liable, could be very readily 
dispensed with. Having taken thus much liberty with 
an opinion, I offer mine, and that, too, but an opinion. 
We all know that the Red Spider is the great enemy 
of the Peach in summer, and that not one garden in a 
dozen utterly escapes it. A humid atmosphere is 
unfavourable to the spread of these pests, and surely 1 
it requires no pains to prove, that the air of Lancashire 
is by far more humid, on the whole, than that of Kent, 
or Surrey, or Buckinghamshire, or, indeed, some other 
j counties. Indeed, the agriculture of Lancashire goes 
to prove this, as also our county—Cheshire. But as I 
may be wrong in my inferences, I will say no more, ! 
merely trusting to Mr. R.’s liberality and courtesy j 
for the suggestions here offered. The time is now 
arrived for disbudding, and let me advise that every j 
attention be paid to this process. I 
As before advised, it should not be done severely at 
once ; such severity gives the trees a most unneces- j 
sary check. Three successive disbuddings are the j 
best: the first, when the shoots are a couple of inches 
in length; a second and more particular one, in a fort¬ 
night or so afterwards; and a final one, about Mid¬ 
summer. The pinching of robbers, or gross shoots, j 
must be carefully attended to. Although my present 
remarks are only intended for a reminder, let me again , 
direct attention to what is commonly termed mulching, 
and particularly recommend that where it is requisite 
for Peaches, Nectarines, and other tender trees, it be 
not applied until the winter-starved soil is repaid its 
wonted necessary amount of warmth from the atmos¬ 
phere. I shall apply three inches in thickness over all 
the roots of Peaches and Nectarines here, on account 
of the heavy crops they will probably have to carry ; 
but nobody can persuade me to apply it until the 
middle of May, or even later. 
One point I must refer to, which is not commonly 
taken into consideration; is it not possible to pro¬ 
mote the early ripening of Peaches, Nectarines, and 
Apricots, by a judicious use of that very covering, 
which had been used both to retard blossoms and to 
protect them from the late spring frosts ? This, I am 
assured, can be done ; and, where there is a suc¬ 
cession required, it is w r orth the while of many persons 
to endeavour to effect this. It consists in retaining 
the covering until nearly Midsummer, and in drawl¬ 
ing it down over the trees on every sunny day, whilst 
the sun shines hot on the wall; say about four o’clock 
in the afternoon, not later. This will be found to 
retain much w 7 all-lieat through the night, by arresting 
that rapid radiation from the wall and foliage of the 
trees, wffiich takes place so frequently through those 
astonishing discrepancies between day and night 
temperatures wdiich occur so frequently during May 
and part of June. Some Peaches and Nectarines are 
exceedingly liable to produce suckers from the root; 
these are very prejudicial, and every pains should 
be made to extirpate them. IIow T they are occasioned, 
is a thing which has not been much considered ; but one 
cause, I am assured, is the injury sometimes inflicted on 
the stronger roots through the medium of the spade. 
