138 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[September, 
enormous, the trees being always clustered 
with fruit all over. The Stirling Castle, which 
is also a certain bearer every year, is in use 
earlier, but is not often found in good con¬ 
dition after February. It is the practice with 
many persons to grow extensive collections of 
apples, many of which seldom bear, but for 
usefulness we prefer small selections of kinds 
which are certain bearers every year, and 
this Heiton House, which is a capital kitchen 
apple in its season, never fails. Trees which 
were loaded to breaking last year are the same 
this season.—M. T., Stirlingshire. 
PROTECTING SMALL FBUITS. 
HE culture of small fruits receives some 
considerable attention in this country 
(U.S.A.), not only as a matter of com¬ 
merce but in farm gardens. We have 
plantations covering a hundred acres devoted 
to strawberries. Other fruit-growers devote 
their entire farms to raspberries, grapes, &c. 
These fruit-growers are specialists, and their 
practice serves to illustrate the importance of 
fruit-growing. 
But the importance of fruit-growing in this 
country is not due to the fact that some few 
men make a specialty of the business; not 
at all. It is hard to find the farm that has not 
some variety of small fruit. It may be but a 
small plot of strawberries, or a half-dozen 
currant bushes, or a much more elaborate list 
of fruit, but all farm-houses have a kitchen 
garden, some portion of which is devoted to 
small fruits. I have strawberries, raspberries, 
gooseberries, currants, cherries, plums, and 
grapes. My varieties of grapes embrace 
Eumelan, Hartford Prolific, Champion, 
Rogers’ No. 9, Rogers’ No. 15, Salem, Dela¬ 
ware, Concord, and several other sorts. 
I will leave other information concerning 
my garden to future papers and describe an 
ingenious device I have adopted for protecting 
my grapes from poultry and birds. I refer 
to “bagging,” which is generally practised 
by small vinevardists. Small sacks cheaply 
made of strong manilla paper are drawn over 
the cluster of grapes and pinned firmly in 
position. Some considerable experience de¬ 
monstrates that fruit will ripen just as early, 
and colour as well, in bags as in the open air. 
And the precaution is a perfect protection 
against birds and fowls. 
I have found that it answers just as well 
to pin a newspaper broadside to tho grape 
trellis, provided both sides are protected in 
the same manner. Those who have never 
tried this method of protecting their grapes 
should do so.— Forrest K. Moreland, Maple 
Grove Farm , Ogclensburg, TJ.S.A. 
ORCHIDS IN THE DRAWING ROOM. 
E often hear objections made to the 
growing of Orchids, on account of 
the great heat which, it is alleged, 
has to be kept up in the houses 
required for their cultivation. Many ladies 
and gentlemen indeed do not care to go into 
these moist and heated structures, but there 
are many ways in which Orchids maybe seen and 
enjoyed without even entering the houses de¬ 
voted to their culture. As an instance of this, 
the arrangements adopted by 0. 0. Wrigley, 
Esq., of Bury, may be referred to. This 
gentleman has built a warm conservatory 
adjoining his drawing room, and he kindly 
showed me how he made use of this to ensure 
an accessible display of plants in bloom. A 
window in the drawing room looks directly 
into this conservatory, and thus the beautiful 
flowers are brought fully into view without 
any kind of trouble or inconvenience. The 
ladies have not to go to the plants, but the 
plants are brought to them, and being plunged 
in a bed of bright green Selaginella, and 
mixed with choice ferns, they have altogether 
a beautful effect. 
The display is not always produced by 
Orchids, but sometimes by one kind of flower 
and sometimes by another. Thus at one time 
the flowers may be Gloxinias, and at another 
time Odontoglots, but whatever they may be 
they are arranged on the green mossy bed of 
Selaginella, and being overhung with ferns 
produce a thoroughly charming and pleasing 
picture. The flowering plants can always be 
removed as soon as they show signs of deca¬ 
dence, and be replaced by others which are 
fresh and fair. There are many cool Orchids 
that can be treated in this way, and the fre¬ 
quent changes increase the interest of the 
group, by securing freshness and variety. 
