September 15, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
35 
thirty, and thirty-six fruits. A layer of paper shavings 
is placed between each tier, and one top and bottom. 
When the fruit is extra large and kept late in the 
season, cases to contain a single layer of twelve and 
fifteen are used. If packed in half sieves, the better 
sorts should be placed in layers with a little packing 
between. 
Carriage. 
With regard to the cost of carriage little can be said 
here except that the rates, as we all know, are very 
unsatisfactory, little or no inducement being held out 
by the great carriers for the development of produce on 
a small scale. Special rates may sometimes be secured 
for regular consignments over 28 lbs., but even then 
there is often a difficulty in keeping the railway 
company to their contract. All goods by passenger 
trains should reach the markets by 7 p.m., so as to be 
ready for the next morning’s trade, as* if not they are 
seldom delivered till after the market is over, and 
therefore lose in value. 
-- 
THE SEASON AND THE CROPS. 
The present summer will long be remembered by 
many, and characterised by them as the most 
unpropitious within their experience in its influence on 
their fruit crops. We can well believe that many in 
less favoured districts than our own will hardly lend 
an ear to anything that can be advanced as to its 
redeeming features, which we think it quite possible to 
prove. For instance, look at the large trees and shrubs 
—how they are luxuriating in the abundant supply of 
moisture in the earth and atmosphere, and of which for 
a succession of seasons they have had a very short 
supply. The soil for a length of time has not had 
sufficient rain to penetrate down to the roots of very 
many trees and shrubs ; in naturally dry soils many of 
them have had a struggle for life in an almost dust-dry 
medium. 
For several years we have noticed Oaks, Beeches, 
and Chestnuts very much crippled from this cause, aud 
had it continued in operation a few seasons longer, 
combined with the depredations of insect pests, 
the consequences to many large trees would have been 
serious. The dry summers of late years have been 
favourable to the propagation of roller caterpillars, 
which have partially and in some cases wholly denuded 
the fruit trees of our orchards, and the Oaks and other 
trees in our parks, of foliage, rendering them unsightly 
and unproductive. W e hope that the drenching rains 
of this summer will do niuch to check the spread of 
these pests by washing them out of their haunts, and that 
the losses of this season will be recouped in the next, 
owing to the increased fruitfulness of our trees, from 
the comparative absence of these pests. 
We hear from some localities of a falling off in the 
vegetable supply this summer, owing to the long- 
continued cold and wet weather. This report comes 
from clayey districts, and applies to private gardens 
we presume, as is frequently'the case. The space at 
command in those places from whence the bad reports 
came, is generally much enclosed and shaded by fruit 
and other trees. Those who have charge of kitchen 
gardens so circumstanced are much to be pitied, and 
we can well believe that by reason of the Peas not 
filling properly, and other crops not progressing as 
they should, they have had more than enough to con¬ 
tend with. Our friends so situated have perchance 
had the best of it during the past dry season, when on 
our shallow dry soils our crops of Peas and Beans have 
been cleared off in rapid succession, and plantations of 
Cabbage were so dried up that to burn them as they 
stood on the ground would not have been a very 
difficult feat to accomplish. All root crops were 
deficient in size. Now, for once, we have a season that 
has suited most of our kitchen garden crops admirably, 
with the exception of Potatos and Tomatos. The first 
of these, were it not for the disease, would have been 
good in quality and quantity. 
^ e find that the cottagers, most of whose gardens 
are much confined, are the greatest sufferers, and many 
of them will persist in growing Early Eose. Where 
this has been the case they have lost almost the whole 
of their crop. Beauty of Hebron is badly affected, the 
sort most free from disease at present being Champion. 
Tomatos, from the long continuance of wet weather, 
have set badly, making very slow progress, and have at 
least three distinct diseases to battle with, two affecting 
the fruit and one the foliage. Last season we gathered 
over 1,200 lbs. from a smaller number of plants than 
we have planted this year, and we shall have to content 
ourselves as best we can with less than a third of that 
weight this time. Peas were rather late in filling, but 
from the first gathering onwards till now the supply 
has been first-rate—in fact, exceptionally good. 
We prepared for a dry season and mulched heavily, 
a provision which has helped to keep the weeds in 
check, and has made the task of gathering in wet 
weather a more cleanly one than it would otherwise 
have been, the men going in and out among the rows 
without soiling their boots. We have noticed several 
growths bearing double flowers of the character com¬ 
mented on by you in your report of Peas at the Koyal 
Horticultural Society’s Gardens, Chiswick. Our earlier 
crops of Broad Beans flowered the second time, and we 
hope very soon to gather some nice young beans from 
them. This, with us, is a very unusual occurrence. 
Parsnips, Beet, Carrots, and Onions are all good, and the 
rows of Scarlet Eunners are simply grand. You made 
some remarks respecting the setting of these at p. 4, 
contrasting the difference in their doing it during the 
last dry season, when insects were abundant and could 
work freely among the flowers ; and this we have found 
despite the insects in dry seasons, that they do not set 
w’ell if very dry at the root, and that when this has 
been the case, a copious watering at once corrected the 
evil. 
Small fruits were most plentiful, and the season for 
Strawberries was for us a very prolonged one, as they 
ripened so slowly. Apples are a very irregular crop, 
some few trees being loaded, while most have next to 
none on them ; some of the trees which are most 
exposed are bearing best. Pears are a more even crop. 
Peaches are moderate ; and we gathered Early Beatrice 
outside on a west wall three weeks ago. The older 
and later kinds are a long way behind, and if they are 
to ripen at all, the weather must take a very decided 
turn in their favour before long.— W. B. G. 
-- 
•Notes from 
The Gardeners’ Conference at Dunkeld.— 
To the brief particulars, given in our last, of the 
conference held in Dunkeld Gardens on the 31st ult., 
we may now add that among the company present were 
Messrs. M. Dunn, Dalkeith Palace Gardens, chairman 
of committee ; J. Alexander and W. Welsh, of Messrs. 
Dicksons & Co., Edinburgh ; A. Mackenzie, of Messrs. 
Thomas Methven & Sons, Edinburgh ; A. Milne, 
Edinburgh ; D. P. Laird, Edinburgh ; E. B. Laird, 
Dundee ; W. S. Bissett, Moncreiffe House ; W. Smith, 
Oxenford Castle ; E. Lindsay, Curator, Eoyal Botanic 
Gardens, Edinburgh ; W. M’Kelvie, Broxmouth Park ; 
A. Crombie, Edinburgh ; W. Temple, Carron House ; 
J. W. Machattie, Newbattle Abbey ; D. Murray, 
Culzeon Castle ; J. Laurie, Murthly Castle ; E. 
Grossart, Edinburgh ; T. Boyd, Falkirk; W. E. 
Dixon, Edinburgh ; G. Goodfellow, Kinfauns Castle ; 
G. Croucher, Oclitertyre; J. Davidson, Edinburgh ; 
E. Gossip, Inverness ; D. Mathison, Meikleour ; A. 
M’Kinnon, Scone Palace ; and W. Henderson, 
Balbirnie, Fife. 
Having regard to the reputation of the gardens, the 
party no doubt expected—the season notwithstanding 
—to see fruit-growing carried on in a skilled and 
successful way ; but they were scarcely prepared for 
the crops brought under their notice. Very few 
indeed of the party could have realised that, in the 
face of the past trying season, fruit could have been 
cultivated to such perfection in the open, and on all 
hands comment was made upon the energy no less 
than the skill which, combined with the personal 
interest of the Dowager-Duchess of Athole, had 
enabled Mr. Fairgrieve to bring about such a state of 
things. As the party went along, Mr. Fairgrieve 
pointed out the salient characteristics of the different 
varieties encountered, and paved the way for running 
commentary by different gentlemen present upon the 
general subject of fruit cultivation, in respect to aspect, 
selection of sorts, and suitability and treatment of 
borders. The Apricots and Peaches were especially 
admired. From one Large Early tree an Apricot 
weighing about a quarter of a pound was taken ; while 
another tree, also of the Large Early variety, showed 
such quantity and quality of fruit as to elicit from a 
member of the company the remark that such another 
tree was probably not to be found within 200 miles of 
the spot. The best Peachtree in the garden was of the 
Eoyal George variety ; it measured 30 ft. from tip to 
tip, and bore 170 fruits. A tree of Hale’s Early variety 
of Peach Mr. Fairgrieve declared to be better coloured 
than any Peach grown indoors could possibly be. 
Some very fine Plum trees were pointed out; but here, 
as elsewhere, the 28° of frost experienced on the 17th 
March had in various instances operated most injuri¬ 
ously. Among Nectarines, attention was particularly 
directed to splendid examples of the Pine Apple and 
Lord Napier varieties ; whilst among the Cherries, the 
Morello, Kentish, and Late Duke sorts were most 
favourably mentioned. After having inspected the 
various objects of interest in the gardens, the company 
proceeded to view the grounds, and, in passing round 
to visit the conservatory, had an opportunity 
of examining the two historic Larches, which are 
believed to have been the first introduced into 
Scotland, a century and a half ago. 
After partaking of luncheon, Mr. Dunn, of Dalkeith, 
described the circumstances that had led up to the con¬ 
ference, and expressed the gratification which all present 
must feel at the success which had attended it. In 
these days, he said, the culture of fruit and the profits 
derivable from it formed a very interesting topic of 
public conversation, and a very interesting branch of 
the rural economy of the country. They had seen a 
good deal of bad times lately, and it was quite likely 
that farmers would in the future devote more attention 
to gardens and gardening, to fruit and fruit culture, 
than they had ever done in the past. He did not say 
he should like to see all farmers growing, but he should 
like to see a larger number taking it up than had yet 
done so, for a greater variety of fruit might be culti¬ 
vated with advantage in this country. From what he 
had seen that day, he felt there was a much brighter 
future before fruit growing throughout the country ; 
and he did not see what was to prevent those present 
from learning valuable lessons from what had just been 
brought under their notice, especially when they 
kept in view the character of the season which Mi'. 
Fairgrieve’s exhibits had had to encounter. 
Mr. Machattie, Newbattle Abbey, originated a brief 
discussion on the Apricot by asking from Mr. Fairgrievo 
certain information as to his method. Mr. Temple, 
Carron House, commented upon the freedom from 
disease which characterised Mr. Fairgrieve’s trees, and 
he also asked for information. Mr. Fairgrieve said he 
was sometimes inclined to think that Apricots could be 
well enough grown on any ordinary soil if attention 
were paid to drainage, to the thinning of the wood, 
and to the protection of the trees. He explained that 
regularly every night he protected his trees from the 
frost, and that if the weather were distinctly unfavour¬ 
able he sometimes allowed the protection to remain on 
the trees throughout the whole day. 
Mr. M'Kelvie, Broxmouth Park, started a discussion 
on Peach culture ; while Mr. Laurie, Murthly Castle, 
addressed himself briefly to the growing of Nectarines. 
Mr. Boyd, Falkirk, thought the great secret of Mr. 
Fairgrieve’s success lay in the measures he took for 
protecting his trees. Mr. Fairgrieve said that, in his 
opinion, the best thing to do in the growing of Peaches 
was to give them a soil in which no Peaches or Nec¬ 
tarines, or any kindred crops, had ever had their roots 
before. He believed also in keeping the roots very 
near the surface. 
Mr. A. Milne, Edinburgh, in speaking upon Plum 
culture, said that, in view of all they read about the 
great quantities of foreign fruit annually imported into 
this country, it occurred to him that they might very 
well enlarge their home produce. In order to do thar, 
they required greater skill in culture and greater 
economy in production. He hoped one of the results 
of the present conference would be to stimulate growers 
in this direction. Mr. Bissett, Moncreiffe, directed 
attention to how much depended upon aspects in fruit 
culture, and referred to the advantageous situation of 
the Dunkeld gardens in this respect. 
Mr. Temple, Carron House, in taking up the subject 
of Cherry-growiug, likewise pointed out liow well the 
Dunkeld gardens were circumstanced in regard to being 
sheltered from east and north winds. Mr. Machattie 
asked for information as to Cherries being grown as 
standards. Mr. Davidson, Edinburgh, touched on the 
same question, and advocated greater attention being 
paid to the Morello variety by market gardeners. Mr. 
Fairgrieve said he had been thinking for the last six 
years of this question of standards, but he had felt that 
the enormous number of blackbirds in the locality con¬ 
stituted a difficulty. Mr. A. Mackenzie, Edinburgh, 
spoke of the company’s indebtedness to Mr. Fairgrieve, 
and expressed the opinion that the necessity and ad¬ 
vantages of such conferences had been made clear. He 
thought that similar conferences might with profit be 
held in every county in Scotland, and suggested that a 
society, to be specially established, or one of their 
already existing organisations, might carry on this sort 
of work successfully. Mr. E. li Laird rather con¬ 
curred with Mr. Mackenzie in thinking that the work 
that day inaugurated should continue to be carried on 
by some organisation. He never in his life had seen 
such a gathering as that. Mr. Milne formally proposed 
a vote of thanks to Mr. Fairgrieve, and it was enthusi¬ 
astically responded to. Mr. Fairgrieve returned thanks, 
and in his turn proposed that the thanks of the meeting 
be awarded to the chairman, and this also was warmly 
agreed to. 
Scotland. 
