230 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 8, 1888. 
against dipping plants in a mixture of it. In apply¬ 
ing it for that purpose the syringe should always he 
used. Whatever strength is used, it is most essential 
that it he thoroughly well mixed before applying it to 
the plant. I find a 60-sized potful of paraffin to a 
4-gallon can of water is sufficiently strong to kill mealy 
bug without injury to the plants, but precaution 
can bo taken with all hairy or tender-leaved plants to 
syringe them overhead with clear water about half 
an hour afterwards. In washing woodwork the addition 
of some paraffin will greatly assist in the removal of the 
dirt. The latest use I have heard its being put to is 
in washing dirty empty pots. In going through the 
gardens at Falkland Palace, Mr. Dewar told me he 
was using it with good results and a saving of time for 
that prarpose.— Alex. Wright. 
--- 
The Amateurs’ Garden, 
-- 
Primroses Aim Polyanthuses. 
The present mild autumn may remind amateurs that 
in favourable seasons and localities these favourite old- 
fashioned spring flowers really give us two harvests of 
bloom, one during March and April, and the other in 
autumn—say, October and November. The flowers, 
too, are equally as fresh, if not more so than the 
first that expand during the windy month of March, 
except the latter are in very sheltered places. Seedlings 
as a rule give the best supply of flowers in a mild 
autumn, as they are the more vigorous growers. Seeds 
if sown as soon as collected will flower the following 
spring. It cannot be done now, and have them in the 
spring of 1889 ; but if a mild autumn were to ensue a 
liberal harvest would in all likelihood then be obtained 
by seedlings raised in spring, transplanted into rich, 
moist soil in a frame or shady border, and either left 
there or again transplanted into the positions where 
they are desired to flower. Seeds of good strains, both 
of mixed Primroses and Polyanthuses, are to be 
obtained at a moderate price from those who make a 
specialty of these things, and a supply should be 
obtained for early spring sowing. 
Late Chrysanthemums. 
Even with the greatest of care in ventilation the flowers 
of Chrysanthemums are now very liable to become 
spotted and damp off prematurely. The long nights, 
absence of light, and the continuous dampness of the 
outside atmosphere must inevitably tell on the con¬ 
stitutions of the hardiest subjects, and it must be 
remembered that although Chrysanthemums are very 
hardy, yet the flowers are comparatively tender. The 
crowded state of the florets also tends to retain the 
damp and to spoil the bloom. Therefore, in houses 
that are kept almost or entirely without heat, the 
flowers are more liable to suffer. The amount of water 
required by the plants also tends to keep the atmosphere 
of the house in a saturated condition. The best remedy 
under the circumstances is to light a fire early in the 
day, so that when the flues or hot-water pipes get 
warmed up all the ventilators may be opened to 
increase the circulation of air and dispel the damp. 
Pruning of Fruit Trees on Walls. 
It is good evidence of a well-kept garden when the 
fruit trees are intelligently pruned and regularly 
trained—each tree according to a particular system, 
such as the fan shape, the espalier, the upright or the 
oblique cordon, as the case may be. Taking for in¬ 
stance the fan-shaped, which is the most suitable for 
large Apple trees on walls, all the branches, with the 
exception of the very lowest on each side of the main 
stem, should assume an ascending direction, and be 
laid in straight throughout their entire length. As 
they diverge from the tree, the spaces between them 
will become wider, so that it is necessary to allow a 
side branch or two to be given off from the leading one, 
in order to fully occupy the wall space. Beyond the 
requisite number, not a single shoot must be allowed 
to grow, otherwise injurious crowding, imperfectly- 
ripened wood, and an absence of fruit will be the 
result. Shorten back the leading shoots to where the 
wood is well ripened, and cut away all laterals to 
within a few buds from the base, so as to encourage the 
formation of fruiting spurs. If the trees are old, and 
the spurs reach a long way from the wall, it would be 
advisable to cut back the worst of them to a bud near 
their base, or some of them might be entirely removed 
where crowded ; but on no account cut them back 
wholesale, otherwise the chances of a good crop of fruit 
next season will be entirely destroyed. Do not allow 
branches to cross one another, nor to assume any other 
than the general direction of the leading ones. Another 
matter of importance is to see that no branches are 
being cut into by their fastenings ; and when using 
shreds, allow plenty of room for the future swelling of 
the branches. 
Pruning Climbers. 
It is usual to allow climbers on the walls of dwelling 
houses and villa residences to ramble at perfect freedom 
during the summer months, and few will attempt to 
deny the beauty of the Virginian Creeper, Ampelopsis 
Veitchii, or other free-growing subjects of a like nature, 
such as the fragrant Clematis flammula or Aristolochia 
sipho, frequently known as the Dutchman’s Pipe. 
The shade and coolness afforded by these subjects can 
now be dispensed with, and after nailing up shoots to 
cover any vacant space, the rest may be cut clean away. 
Daylight may also be partly shut out by the encroach¬ 
ment of Ivy upon windows. To obviate this the Ivy 
may be trimmed away round the edges of the windows, 
and the general pruning left till spring, when a fresh 
coat of leaves will soon hide the work of the shears. 
In the case of Clematis Jackmanni it may be advisable 
to leave it unpruned till the severity of the winter has 
passed, when it will be seen what shoots are dead and 
what alive. If, however, an early crop of summer 
flowers is not wanted the shoots may be cut down 
within 1 ft. of the ground. Magnolia grandiflora may 
he nailed or tied in rather thickly, using the knife as 
little as possible. 
--»Z<-- 
PEACH LORE.* 
The origin of the Peach, like the origin of species, is so 
far removed from all our means of arriving at the truth 
that it is not necessary to make it a subject of dis¬ 
cussion. It is sufficient to say that it is probable it 
was introduced into Europe from Asia about the time 
of the Emperor Augustus, and it was introduced into 
Greece by the Romans ; the name Persica indicates the 
country from which the Peach is derived. It is said 
by some French authors that a variety of the Peach 
was grown in Southern Gaul at a very early period. 
There is, however, nothing remarkable in this fact, as 
the Mediterranean was traversed by Syrian markers 
before Rome had attained to imperial power, and the 
seaport of Marseilles being a trading centre of great 
importance, there would be nothing strange in the fact 
of the introduction of Peaches from Syria into Gaul. 
AVe know, of course, that the relations of Syria and 
Persia had been very intimate from very ancient times, 
the Book of Esther showing that an important colony 
of Jews was established there. The transfer of the 
fruit in a dried form would account for its introduction 
into Palestine, and as the Peach varies almost more 
than any of our domestic fruits from seed, no doubt 
plenty of sorts came rapidly into general cultivation. 
To this day certain districts of Syria abound with 
Peaches and Nectarines. An old friend of my father 
sent him some years since some score or more of Peach 
trees which had been raised in the gardens near 
Aleppo. These were received with the native soil 
clinging to their roots ; all were seedlings, and bore 
fruit of different degrees of excellence, some being Nec¬ 
tarines of the Stanwick type, and some very good and 
sweet Peaches. A thirsty traveller would no doubt go 
into ecstasies about them, but when tested here in 
company with cultivated varieties, they were good, but 
of no particular excellence. The sweet kernel, which is 
a distinguishing characteristic, is, of course, of no con¬ 
sequence, as one would hardly crack a Peach stone with 
the teeth, and the labour of extracting the kernel with 
a hammer would not be repaid by the result. 
There seems to have been an uneasy feeling among 
some of the ancient doctors that the Peach is not a 
wholesome fruit. I can understand that this theory 
was founded on something like a hard fact, for some of 
the seedling Syrian Peaches and Nectarines were so 
bitter as to be uneatable, and the strong flavour of 
prussic acid suggested their unwholesomeness ; in fact, 
I should have been very sorry to have eaten one of 
these bitter fruits, a very slight taste being convincing. 
Assuming that Persia was the native home of the 
Peach, it seems to have spread both to the east and 
west with equal facility, for the Peach is so well estab¬ 
lished and so universal in China that its introduction 
through the Central Asian highways of commerce must 
have taken place at a very early period. 
The Peach seems to have attracted popular attention 
in a singular degree in China. Its history has been 
wreathed with legends more or less interesting, and as 
it can be cultivated without the assistance of walls the 
* From a paper read by Mr. T. Francis Rivers at the meeting 
of the Horticultural Club, October 9th. 
Peach orchards when in flower are wonderfully at¬ 
tractive, the trees being laden with pink and white 
blossoms, which are used for decoration in the houses 
of the wealthy and luxurious Chinese. It is not 
abundant enough here to be used as a decorative flower, 
but there is no doubt if it could be gathered from trees 
as children gather May, it would soon become popular. 
In the Leaves from my Chinese Scrap-book, by 
Frederick Henry Balfour, it is stated that three sorts 
of Peach trees are grown by Chinese gardeners—the 
dwarf, the shrub, and the full-sized trees. Of these the 
dwarf is the most highly prized for the beauty and 
perfume of its blossoms, which are remarkable for 
their size and colour, and are divided by Chinese 
florists into eighteen different species. Some of these 
are the varieties which electrified the gardening world 
when introduced by Robert Fortune. As they are not 
hardy enough to be grown in the open air they have 
not retained their original popularity. 
The shrub grows to the height of 4 ft. or 5 ft., is 
common in the Imperial Gardens, where it is planted 
on the margins of pools and acclivities of rockwork, 
which form a prominent feature in Chinese artificial 
landscapes. This is, of course, our flowering Peach. If 
our climate were not so cold in the spring there is no 
doubt that the Peach would be a popular ornamental- 
flowering tree, but a biting east wind does not conduce 
to any out-of-doors product; but I can quite understand 
the delicious effects given to the early spring in China 
by the abundant and delicate colouring of this pretty 
tree. One of the Chinese historians has described in 
glowing language the delight of seeing the villages 
connected by gigantic wreaths of Peach trees, dotting 
the plains as far as the eye can reach. 
The third sort is the full-sized tree, and is cultivated 
for the fruit, which I have always heard is handsome 
but poor in flavour. There is much diversity in the 
shapes and colours of these fruits, some being spherical, 
and one variety a curiously oblate spheroid, which we 
call the flat Peach of China, and which is of no value 
except as a curiosity. The Peach is said to have been 
established upwards of 2,000 years ago in China (this is a 
very moderate estimate of Chinese time), and was 
presented to the Emperor Wu-Ti of the Hau dynasty 
by foreign ambassadors. It was held in so much 
esteem that the fruit or plants formed part of the tribute 
paid to the Imperial Government by foreign nations. 
It is also one of the emblems of longevity and marriage: 
“When the Peach tree flowers, 
The bride with order rules.” 
Here, I think, where the Tarragon grows, the grey 
mare is the better horse. A Peach garden was the 
scene of one of the most celebrated events in Chinese 
history, where the oath of brotherhood was taken by 
the three heroes who played so important a part in the 
historical romance of “ The Three Kingdoms.” There 
are many interesting details connected with the Peach 
in Chinese literature, to w’hich it is not necessary to 
refer. The Chinese gardeners have an infallible recipe 
for the destruction of the insects which infest the Peach. 
This is a cold decoction -of pig’s head, poured on the 
trunk and into the roots, and they also say the best 
manure for the trees is snow. From China many of 
the Peach trees in Australia were derived. Residents, 
however, say that the Peaches are woolly and insipid, 
and always full of grubs. 
The Peach appears to have been known in England 
in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, as we read that 
King John died of a surfeit of Peaches and new wine at 
Swineshead Abbey. It is very probable it was known 
to King Alfred, as his tutor resided for some time at 
the Court of Charlemagne, who was a cultivator and 
admirer of the Peach. It is recorded by French 
historians that he ordered a list to be compiled of the 
varieties grown in his garden. In the seventeenth 
century the fruit appears to be very generally cultivated, 
as both Philip Miller and Batty Langley, early in the 
eighteenth century, give lists of some forty or fifty 
varieties, many of the sorts named being still familiar 
in English fruit gardens. 
No English historian will ever be able to point with 
pride to his native villages being wreathed with Peach 
orchards, but there seems little doubt that before many 
years have elapsed the railways will be lined with 
glasshouses, under whose sheltering protection more 
good Peaches will be grown than either Chinese or 
American orchards have ever produced. No fruit 
suffers so much from bad cultivation and over-pro¬ 
duction as the Peach. Excessive cropping means loss 
of flavour, and good cultivators need never fear 
competition. A bad Peach is only fit for pigs. The 
fruit has no economic value in the sense of the Apple 
and the Plum. As a preserve it is not equal to the 
