170 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
Nov. 15th, 1884. 
mm 
Hardy Fruit Cultivation: Selection of 
Trees. —Having chosen the most favourable position, 
aspect, and soil for the orchard, and I would again 
urge the necessity of not allowing any trivial or 
erroneous reasons to interfere in making this selec¬ 
tion, because if well arranged and judiciously planted, 
the orchard will eventually prove to be one of the 
most profitable investments that can be made either by 
the farmer, the gardener, or the cottager, and I cannot 
avoid remarking here, that there are also enormous 
tracts of uncultivated railway embankments, although 
the Railway Companies have recently done much 
towards their improvement by cheap letting to their 
employes and others, still there are thousands of 
waste acres, which would, from the varied nature of 
the soils of which they are constituted, and the 
particularly favourable sunny banks which they 
expose, be especially suitable to the growth of many 
kinds of fruit-trees. These slopes it may be argued, 
do not afford sufficient protection against robbers to 
admit of fruit being grown safely, but it would require 
on the part of the proprietors, but simple restrictive 
laws to make them as safe as our home orchards 
or allotment gardens. The greatest temptation to 
pilferers arises when scarcity prevails, while abund¬ 
ance and cheapness have an opposite tendency. I 
have often looked at the sunny slopes in my 
neighbourhood, and wondered how many tons of 
Strawberries they would annually produce with the 
most trivial preparatory outlay, or after expense in 
cultivation. Having selected the best site, the next 
most important question is zoliat to plant ? 
THE APPLE is, perhaps, all things considered, 
the most profitable fruit to cultivate in this climate, 
simply because it is more hardy than most other 
kinds, and there is a large and ever increasing demand 
for its fruit. In 1883, in addition to the quantity 
grown in this country, there were 2,251,925 bushels 
of Apples imported, the estimated value of which was 
£553,448. If instead of importing this amount, the 
additional quantity could be home-grown, there would 
be a decided gain, and no doubt a much larger quan¬ 
tity would then be required, as they could be produced 
and sold at a much lower rate than imported fruit. 
If it be the intention to grow market fruit only, or 
for home use, or for either purpose, it will be found 
more convenient and advantageous to select a few 
good, free-bearing, popular varieties, that will ripen 
at different periods, for which there is always a fair 
demand, rather than choose too many sorts. The 
latter is an error often committed in planting new 
orchards, with the result, that many of them after¬ 
wards prove comparatively valueless. 
It is undoubtedly true that fancies and fashions 
change in respect to fruit, as in other things—the 
variety for which there is a great demand at the 
present time, may scarcely be required a few years 
hence, still there are a few sorts which are so superior, 
as to hold their j>osition against all new introductions, 
and these I would recommend to be planted in greater 
proportion, especially those which bear a local fame, 
as this often arises from the fact that the soil or 
situation is especially suited to those varieties. It is 
also very desirable to plant a much larger proportion 
of those varieties which ripen from November through 
the winter and spring months, rather than the earlier 
kinds. In the lists given, there are only such varie¬ 
ties mentioned as have proved free-bearing and excel¬ 
lent in quality. 
As these remarks are intended chiefly for those 
readers of The Gardening World who have hitherto 
scarcely attempted fruit cultivation, amongst whom, 
I venture to hope, the special attention of the pro¬ 
vincial farmers will be attracted, because they not 
only have abundant facilities for establishing orchards 
which, if well-planted and cultivated, the produce 
would yield a handsome profit if sold in the provin¬ 
cial towns, even at half the prices now attained for 
foreign fruit. If grown in large quantities, they would 
realize even greater profit if disposed of in London 
and other large cities. As the vegetable farms around 
London are no longer able to supply the vast, yearly 
increasing demand for vegetables, at reasonable prices, 
it is found necessary to cultivate them largely in the 
distant provinces where land, labour, and other 
expenses, except carriage, are not nearly so heavy, 
and even the extra cost for carriage is far out-weighed 
by the other advantages. As with vegetables, so with 
fruit. If the proprietors of land, and more especially 
the farmers who occupy suitable farms for fruit¬ 
growing, instead of being satisfied to see the thousands 
of acres, as they now exist, of good land cumbered 
with wretched and comparatively worthless Cider. 
Apples, would turn then' attention seriously to the 
skilful cultivation of choice fruits, they would be 
taking a step in the right and safe direction. 
List of Dessert Apples. 
Irish Peach . . Season : 
Devonshire Quarenden ,, 
Summer Golden Pippin ,, 
King of the Pippins 
Cox’s Orange Pippin 
Braddick’s Nonpariel 
Claygate Pearmain 
Court-Pendu Plat 
Margil 
Northern Spy . 
Adam’s Pearmain 
Stunner Pippin. 
August. 
September. 
October. 
November. 
December to February. 
December to April. 
December to March. 
December to April. 
November to April. 
December to May. 
February. 
February to June. 
List o 
Lord Suffield 
Stirling Castle 
Beauty of Kent 
Betty Geeson 
Wellington 
Blenheim Orang 
Warner’s King 
Kentish Fillbasket 
Tower of Glammis 
Winter Hawthomden 
Alfriston . 
Brabant Bellefleur 
Kitchen Apples. 
Season: August. 
,, September. 
,, October. 
,, November. 
,, December. 
,, November to January. 
,, November to January. 
,, November to January. 
,, November to February. 
,, December. 
,, November to April. 
,, November to April. 
Scribo. 
Keeping- Grapes. —Up to the present time it has 
been a remarkably favourable season for the ripening 
and keeping of late Grapes, which ought now to be in 
good order for hanging, as, instead of being watery 
and immature, the sun has done much of late in 
finishing the berries and turning the crude juices into 
saccharine matter. Hamburglis, however, having 
such thin skins, cannot be expected to keep much 
longer, as, under the best of management, they rarely 
remain sound till Christmas, and as they perish so 
quickly when they do begin to go, especially if the 
weather sets in wet, they should be used before any 
others, but, so long as they are on the Vines, 
every effort should be made to regulate the air 
of the house they are in and have the atmosphere 
dry and buoyant, without which damp is sure to 
condense on the berries and cause them to rot. It is 
just the same with the other kinds, although, at 
present, they are affected in a less degree, and, there¬ 
fore, gentle fires should be kept burning that the 
water in the pipes may be maintained just warm, but 
at the same time the ventilators must be slightly open 
that any moisture arising may be driven out, or 
mischief will accrue from the heat by making the 
internal air more stuffy and close. Where there are 
only a few Grapes hanging in a vinery it is much 
better to cut and bottle them, as they may be kept 
longer and in far better condition in a room, as there 
the changes and fluctuations of temperature are not so 
rapid and great as they are under a glass roof, where 
the sun sends the thermometer up 10 tlegs. or 15 degs. 
in a few minutes, and damp finds its way in with the 
air. The cooler the room is where the Grapes are 
kept the better, and, if any heat is applied, it should 
only be what is absolutely necessary to expel damp or 
prevent it getting in, as heat soon causes shrivelling 
and a gradual drying up of the berries. The bottles 
to put the end of the wood in should be suspended by 
the neck at a sharp angle to throw the bunches clear, 
and the water they are filled with have a few pieces 
of charcoal to keep it sweet and pure.— Alpha. 
It is the intention of the South-Eastern and the 
Chatham and Dover Railway Companies to withdraw 
their special hop tariff, and to substitute a lower 
scale of charges for the carriage of hops from Kent 
and Sussex to London. The reduction will amount 
to about 9 d. per pocket. 
Seasonable Work in the Plant-houses.— 
There is, in almost all establishments, an extra 
demand for cut flowers at Christmas, and it therefore 
requires a little forethought and management to 
secure a sufficient supply to meet the demand. 
Owing to the warm sunny weather which we have 
had this autumn the Chrysanthemums will be nearly 
over. With us such late sorts as Princess Teck and 
Ethel, although kept in the coldest position available, 
are fast coming into flower, and it is doubtful if the 
best flowers will keep. If we get damp, foggy weather, 
it will be necessary to give just sufficient fire-heat to 
dry the atmosphere occasionally, as the flowers go 
off very quickly if the damp settles on them. 
Primulas, both the double and single varieties, will 
be benefited by giving them a] little liquid manure 
occasionally as they begin to come into flower, and 
the double varieties require careful watching to 
prevent damping. Cyclamens are also liable to 
damp, and should be looked through regularly, and 
at the same time a sprinkling of Clay’s fertilizer might 
be applied with advantage. Christmas Roses (Helle- 
borus niger), although they will hardly require any 
extra warmth to have them in flower at the proper 
time, yet it would be advisable to have some in pots 
or boxes so as to have them at hand in case of severe 
weather setting in. Zonal Pelargoniums, if required 
to flower successfully in winter, must be grown in a 
higher temperature than is generally given them, 
but it is essential that they should have plenty of 
air as well as heat. Azaleas, Fielder’s White, or the 
old white variety, may be had in flower at Christmas 
without much forcing, especially if the plants have 
been forced in previous years. Riehardia rethiopica is 
another useful plant to have in flower during the 
festive season, and plants that made their growth 
early should be selected and put into heat. They 
may be watered liberally with manure water. 
New Sweet Peas. —Thanks to Mr. Henry Eckford 
and others, we have recently had presented to us 
some beautiful new forms of Sweet Pea. It was at 
first thought by some that they were not sufficiently 
distinct from existing varieties, but late experience 
proves that they are in the main real novelties, and 
valuable additions to our list of fragrant annual 
Peas. Last year Messrs. Hurst & Son, of Hounds- 
ditch, sent out a charming variety named Princess 
Beatrice, the colour of a rich and beautiful carmine 
Rose, shaded with lighter and darker tints, beautiful 
in every respect, and quite distinct. One of Mr. 
Eckford’s varieties, Bronze Prince, a very fine form 
of the black Sweet Pea, was also distributed last 
year. This autumn Mr. William Bull, of King’s 
Road, Chelsea, is sending out the following beautiful 
kinds also raised by Mr. Eckford, viz., Grand 
Blue, a splendid variety, the intense deep purplish- 
blue standard being in charming contrast with 
the pale blue centre and wings ; Miss Ethel, a pretty 
and charming variety, has a standard of a delicate 
shade of pink, slightly flushed with c arminethe wings 
delicate blush, very pretty indeed; and Queen of the 
Isles, very distinct and handsome, the large and stout 
standard being bright scarlet flushed and mottled 
with white, the wings flaked and margined with rosy- 
purple. A number of amateurs who grow Sweet Peas 
do not succeed nearly so well with them as they 
might. They sow them too thickly, and in too poor a 
soil. A gardener who grows Sweet Peas for cutting 
sows the seed in rich holding soil, and never too 
thickly, though quite thickly enough, the result being 
that the plants grow strongly and flower finely and 
continuously. But there are many who sow in poor 
ground, the result being a poor growth and poverty of 
bloom, and then they say that the strain is not a good 
one. Thick sowing means a starved growth, for there 
is not room for the plants to develop. If any amateur 
gardener will adopt the practice of sowing seeds 
thinly, say a foot apart, he will be astonished how 
freely the plants will branch, they will throw out a 
great number of shoots, and all will produce flowers. 
