February 6, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
361 
They are also very easily managed in this way, and 
grow luxuriantly with fairly good treatment, the most 
important point in their culture being the preparation 
of the baskets. Those constructed of wire are the best 
fitted for the purpose, especially if the meshes are 
ratherclose so that the soil cannot readily pass through. 
Place a layer of sphagnum or other moss in first, and a 
few pieces of charcoal or potsherds at the base, then 
over this place the soil, which should consist of turfy 
peat and light turfy loam, about two-thirds of the 
former to one of the latter, and sufficient sand to keep 
it open and sweet. Pack the turfy portions round the 
sides and fill up with the smaller portions, placing the 
Ferns in firmly, but not too deep, having some near 
the edge and others in the centre according to the size 
of the baskets, and the way it is wanted to be furnished. 
Afterwards it is a good plan as a finish to the appear¬ 
ance to dibble in some pieces of Selaginella between the 
meshes of the wire, and this will soon assist in clothing 
the surface. Ferns in baskets require special attention 
in supplying them with water, as from their exposed 
OUT-DOOR PEACHES. 
That these can be as well grown at the present time 
without glass protection as in days gone by, there can¬ 
not, I think, be much doubt. There are many, however, 
who are somewhat sceptical on this point and hold 
opinions of an opposite character, at the same time 
advocating the planting of Pear trees on south walls 
instead, maintaining that these will give much better 
results and prove far more satisfactory in other respects. 
Unquestionably the latter will grow very well and pro¬ 
duce very good crops of fruit on south walls, which 
from an £ s. d. point of view may possibly be more 
remunerative than Peaches, if of a very high order 
of merit; notwithstanding this fact, however, there are 
still many gardens where Peaches must be grown under 
the old system and are regarded almost as indispensible 
for dessert when they are in season ; in such cases, it 
would never do to allow an occasional failure to 
become a pretext for growing some other kind of fruit. 
Very many practical men, probably the great majority, 
which proved so disastrous to farmers and gardeners 
alike, but since thart time our crops, on the whole, may 
be classed in the rank of good average, the best of the 
series being that of last year, which gave us an almost 
continuous supply from the third week in July to the 
first week of November, beginning with Alexander and 
Early Beatrice, and ending with Sea Eagle and Salway. 
“Ah!” says the reader “good soil and excellent 
climate you must have,” to which the reply may be 
both affirmative and negative, the soil being of a highly 
calcareous character, and the climate all that one could 
desire during the summer months, but the situation is 
low and damp, and subject to late spring frosts. If my 
opinions were asked for respecting so many failures, in 
recent years, where success formerly prevailed, I should 
feel very much inclined to say it is probable that the 
same amount of care and attention is not bestowed on 
their cultivation as there used to be. Although Peach 
culture is so well understood, it may not be altogether 
without interest to refer briefly to a few details con¬ 
nected with our own system. In the first place we 
A good Basket Fern : Adiantem Williamsii. 
positions when suspended in a house they are liable to 
become dry more quickly than those in pots, and to 
suffer accordingly if neglected. In the summer they 
need daily attention, and must be watered thoroughly 
or it is of little use ; an occasional syringing also is 
beneficial. 
There are numbers of graceful Ferns that could be 
selected for this purpose, the genus Adiantum being 
particularly rich in species adapted for baskets. For 
small baskets A. caudatum is well suited, but for larger 
ones the beautiful A. Williamsii, gent out by Mr. B. S. 
Williams, of Holloway, A. concinnum latum, A. tene- 
rum, or A. affine are the best. The smaller Davallias, 
such as D. canariensis, D. elegans, and D. dissecta are 
all suitable, as also are some of the Aspleniums, A. 
viviparum and A. longissimum being capital for the 
purpose. To these might be added Pteris serrulata 
cristata and a few of the Nephrolepises, like Daval- 
lioides furcans. Even a good basket of Adiantum 
cuneatum or A. gracillimum is not to be despised ; but 
those Ferns of a drooping habit are generally the most 
satisfactory for such work. — D. C. 
have come to look upon oilt-door Peach cultivation in 
this country as being altogether a thing of the past 
and are much opposed to it; such opposition, however, 
I am afraid is, comparatively speaking, of recent origin, 
in fact, dating back only to the introduction of cheap 
glass structures and more prosperous times than existed 
formerly. It must not for a moment be understood 
that 1 have ought to say against fruit grown under 
glass, on the contrary, if the matter rested with my¬ 
self, all the Peach walls under my charge at the present 
time—upwards of 200 yards—would be covered with 
glass forthwith, but as such does not happen to be the 
case, the inevitable must be cheerfully submitted to 
and the best use be made of existing conditions and 
circumstances. I am only endeavouring to maintain 
and support the fact, that, wherever out-door Peaches 
were successfully grown fifty years ago, they can be at 
the present time, providing they receive the same 
amount of care and attention. In our own case, I may 
say without egotism, that we are favoured with a fair 
amount of success. One total failure is recorded against 
us in recent years, viz., that memorable one of 1879, 
make it a point never to neglect or cease to look after 
the welfare of the roots, for on these, so to speak, every¬ 
thing else mainly depends. It would never do in our 
case to allow them to penetrate the sub-soil, at least, to 
remain there for any lengthened period, experience 
having taught us that that dreaded disease, or call it 
what you will, the “Yellows,” is the natural accom¬ 
paniment ; it has therefore become a fundamental rule 
in our practice to resort to periodical lifting, every tree, 
young and old, being subjected to this operation every 
second or third year. 
By this means the roots are kept entirely under con¬ 
trol and within reasonable reach of the surface, so that 
they may receive the full benefit of top dressings and 
waterings of liquid manure when the fruit is swelling. 
Each tree when lifted receives two or three barrow¬ 
loads of fresh soil—turf if we can get it—together with 
half-a-dozen spade-fulls of wood ashes or burnt refuse. 
In some localities all this trouble is unnecessary, owing 
to the natural soil of the place being well adapted to 
the requirements of the trees, but even in such cases I 
would have recourse to lifting every third year, for the 
