250 
THE GARDENING- WORLD, 
Dec. 20th, 1884. 
Pear Culture at Templeville.—How to get the 
most produce from the least possible space is a pro¬ 
blem that has exercised and doubtless will continue to 
exercise the brains of many an ardent aspirant to 
success and fame, in this age of keen competition, 
in all matters connected with horticulture. A good 
example of success in this direction and one which is 
well worthy of being recorded, may be seen at Ternple- 
ville, the residence and property of Mr. G. T. Unthank, 
situated just outside the boundary of the old city of 
Limerick. Pears and Pear-culture are the hobby of 
the owner, but let it not be thought the only one; 
Apples and Strawberries come next in estimation, 
while Gooseberries, Currants, Ac., receive a fair 
amount of attention. Cherries and Plums are not 
to be depended on, and have been entirely given up. 
Not to mislead anyone who may perhaps think I am 
writing up some nobleman’s or other large garden, I 
may say that the owner would be most correctly 
described as an enthusiastic amateur, one who sends 
his produce to the market, and who is his own head- 
gardener. 
While a young man, Mr. Unthank had opportunities 
of travelling, that are unfortunately not possessed by 
gardeners as a rule ; the meagre wages paid to young 
men not allowing them to spend much in travelling 
expenses. Being naturally of a shrewd and intelli¬ 
gent disposition, and anxious to benefit by every 
possible circumstance, while spending some time in 
France and the Channel Islands, he could not but 
notice the different methods of culture to those 
he had been accustomed to see at home, and 
which he in due time profitably turned to account. 
On returning home the needed impetus was given, on 
comparing the vast difference between the Pears 
growng in his own garden and those grown in 
France, now nearly forty years since. 
The walls were at that time covered with Pear- 
trees of the kinds most generally grown at the time, 
but the produce of some of them were so inferior 
both as regards quality and quantity that it was so 
far from a pleasure or profitable pastime to attend 
them, that Mr. Unthank commenced experiments by 
trying pyramids. This, as regards furnishing him with 
Pears, proved a failure, but showed unmistakably 
that if fruit was to be had, some other plan must be 
tried. To the walls he at once saw plainly he must 
look if he was going to have Pears in prime condition. 
Well, nothing daunted, he determined to set the 
initiative, and try the oblique cordon system, and 
forthwith purchased some of the leading kinds then 
grown by the late Mr. Rivers, on -whom he always 
relied for trustworthy information respecting the 
quality of new Pears and their supposed hardiness, &c. 
By continually buying what seemed to be a sterling 
variety, and discarding those that experience had 
proved were the least adapted for his purpose, or 
that were unsuitable to this climate, and re-grafting 
the old horizontal-trained trees with approved kinds, 
he has been enabled to furnish the walls with such 
varieties as the greatest epicure would be sure to 
appreciate. 
The owner is each year rewarded by the results 
of his untiring energy. Perhaps the shape 
of some of the trees are not quite up to many a 
gardener’s idea of symmetry; many of them have 
at some time or other been pyramids, and some of 
them standards; the produce obtained from them, 
however, more than compensates for a little irregu¬ 
larity of training. I have never seen better examples 
of productiveness and quality in any garden it has 
been my pleasure to visit. I do not say this in 
disparagement of any one, far from it, as it will no 
doubt strike the thoughts of many an intelligent 
professional, that seeing that the owner can do what 
he likes, and too often does, though in the majority 
of cases not for his own good, the garden comes 
under different management. 
Let it not be supposed that the walls have at any 
time been bared. The old horizontal trees referred 
to previously were cut in a few branches each season; 
some of them are worked with several different sorts, 
while others are worked with only one variety. The 
oblique cordon is, however, pre-eminently the favourite 
method of training, and for new or untried kinds 
rightly so, as a great quantity can be tried in a 
comparatively little space. Many of the trees at 
Templeville are not more than 18 ins. or 20 ins. apart. 
Some would object to this system on ■ account 
of first cost, but considering the disappointments 
experienced through some varieties not succeeding in 
different localities, it has much to recommend it, and 
particularly where space is limited. Besides, in some 
seasons any known variety may fail to yield a crop, or 
even a part of one. Then, by having a greater 
selection the failure is in a measure obviated. The 
little room taken up by this system or by the 
branching vertical cordons, which is another method 
that has much to commend it to small growers, 
enables the cultivator to grow a much greater variety 
of sorts, and consequently enables him to meet with 
more certainty his own or his employer’s demands. 
Before enumerating the varieties found to give the 
best results it is only right to say that Mr. Unthank’s 
fruit is eagerly sought after, a circumstance which goes 
far to prove the successful character of his enterprise 
in this direction. Indeed a gentleman, sometime 
resident in Guernsey, told him that even in that 
favoured clime he had not tasted Pears equal to those 
he had obtained from Templeville, a testimonial of 
which Mr. Unthank is still not a little proud. 
The aspect of this garden is what sailors would 
term south-south-east, to which it has a gentle slope, 
and the walls are about 16 ft. in height in the highest 
places, the ground being undulating. The soil is a 
heavy loam, resting on a limestone formation. I have 
no doubt but that the walls were built from limestone 
dug from the garden, for nowhere in the neighbour¬ 
hood is it far below the surface. 
In the following list I do not profess to name by 
any means all the varieties grown, but, as far as my 
memory serves me, only the kinds grown in quantities. 
Doyenne du Comice is, above all others, the favourite, 
but it has not this season been so fruitful as usual; 
Durandeau comes next in the owner’s esteem, and he 
grows it on every aspect, the north proving the least 
suitable, though high coloured and creditable examples 
can be grown even in this position. Glou Morceau, 
which, by-the-bye, is rather uncertain in this locality, 
has this season been better, i.e.', freer from cracks 
than ever it has been before—in fact, at the time of 
my visit, September, I did not see a blemish on one of 
them. By this I infer that it likes drier and warmer 
summers than we get here. Josephine de Malines is 
perhaps grown more largely than any other variety on 
account of its high quality and late-keeping propen¬ 
sities ; this variety was nearly a failure this season. 
Doyenne Boussock is largely grown, as is also Beurre 
d’Amalis, which never fails to give a crop, and is 
certainly one of the best autumn Pears. Beurre Diel 
is largely grown. Louise Bonne of Jersey, of high 
colour and of large size, is grown extensively, and is 
one of the owner’s favourites. I have never seen the 
latter so fine as it is here, which, in a measure, may 
be accounted for by the fruits being judiciously thinned 
while still in a small state. 
Beurre Superfinand Madame Treyve are both grown 
in quantity, the last mentioned being a good early 
Pear. Beurre'Giffard is the earliest grown in quantity, 
although St. Swithin is being worked up as fast as 
possible. Concerning the latter, it may not be out of 
place to say that it always remains green in appear¬ 
ance, and that it will not keep more than from three 
to seven days after picking. Clapp’s Favourite, a 
variety of recent introduction from America, is finding 
great favour. Beurre Bose has this year proved a 
failure, which is unprecedented. Williams’s Bon 
Chretien is only sparingly grown. Nouvelle Fulvie 
is much thought of, and will in time be largely culti¬ 
vated. Chaumontel, grown on horizontal-trained 
trees, had the appearance, if I may use the expression, 
of ropes of Onions, so thick and bulky were they on 
the west wall, and they have since ripened all that 
could be desired. This variety, though, is not much 
esteemed by the owner. Triomphe de Jodoigne, a 
very large Pear, is sparingly grown and will in time be 
dispensed with altogether. Winter Nelis is not grown 
so much as its high quality would lead one to expect, 
but Mr. Unthank considers it too small in size. 
Pitmaston Duchesse is well represented, it is a variety 
that may be considered by many as too large, but -when 
one sells by weight, which is perhaps the fairest 
method, no one looses whether the fruits are large or 
small. Fertility, another good autumn variety, fully 
bears out its name as far as productiveness is con¬ 
cerned for late use. Marie Benoist is much appre¬ 
ciated, and isb eing propagated as fast as possible ; the 
owner has had it in good condition in June. Strange 
to say, Marie Louise is not grown at all. 
As I have given a list of those that succeed, I will 
now mention a few popular varieties that have been, 
or will be discarded altogether. Beurre Bachelier, 
Beurre Clairgeau, Beurre Hardy, Beurre d’Bance, 
Beurr4 Sterekmans, Passe Colmar, Dr. Trousseau, 
Ne Plus Meuris, &e. It will doubtless he noticed that 
the varieties grown are nearly all large-sized or 
approaching thereto, and which find the most 
general favour. In closing, I think it only right to 
say that notwithstanding the owner’s lengthened 
experience, he is as ready to listen to any suggestion 
as the greatest novice would be, and is equally as free 
to impart information to anyone that asks his advice 
or opinion. He is always ready to show any practical 
man his trees, so that if anyone who reads this would 
like to see for himself I am certain he will receive, as 
I have done, a courteous and hearty welcome.— 
E. Lumper, Summerville, Limerick. 
Mildew on Vines. —Mr. Temple having so ably 
dealt with this subject at p. 216, it may perhaps not 
be considered an inopportune time for me to state my 
experience with the same. In the year 1879, that cold 
and wet season which many of us will not scon forget, 
I was called upon to give an opinion as to the treat¬ 
ment of some vines which were attacked with mildew 
shortly after the Grapes were set, and while they were 
as small as very small Peas. The bunches in many 
cases were quite white, and to many the case would 
have seemed hopeless. I myself thought it would 
have proved much more serious than it did. I was 
satisfied that the cause, in a great measure, was cold 
and damp, and there was no doubt of the roots being 
damp enough, as they were in an outside border. As 
the case was turned over to me, to be treated as I 
thought best, I mixed a handful or two of sulphur in a 
can of water, getting it well damped before filling up 
the can. This was kept well mixed with the water by 
forcing each alternate syringeful into the can and the 
other on to the vine, taking care to damp every part. 
The fires were then set going, and care taken to keep 
up the necessary temperature. Care was also taken 
not to open the ventilators too wide, to admit of too 
great a volume of cold air, as this, coupled with the 
general lowness of temperature, I believed to be the 
cause of the attack. These Grapes subsequentlyripened 
and coloured well, and it was surprising what few 
traces of the mildew could be seen, only in fact, a few 
rusty specks, nothing like so bad as I have sometimes 
seen result from an operative’s hair rubbing the berries 
while thinning. The next ease of-mildew I had to 
deal with occurred during the past dry summer, on 
some very old vines planted on the back part of one 
of the vineries here. The roots, as is often the case 
with very old vines that have been left undisturbed 
for a length of time, had left the inside border to 
ramble at their own sweet will outside. It appears 
that the past dry summer found them wanting 
moisture, and this, coupled with a humid atmosphere, 
brought about by the wasp-netting placed over all the 
ventilators, had caused the Grapes to mildew just at 
the point of finishing. But hi this case it did no 
serious harm, as it affected only those berries which 
were inclined to shank or did not finish well.— C. 
Warden. 
Plectbauthus Fostldus. — Until recently a solitary 
specimen of this beautiful plant was known. This 
was obtained by Sir Joseph Banks from Endeavour 
Bay, Tropical Australia, during Captain Cook’s first 
voyage, and is preserved in the British Museum. 
Seeds, however, have been obtained and raised at the 
Edinburgh Botanic Garden. A plant sent to Kew in 
18S3 formed a conspicuous object in the Palin-house 
during last spring. This we learn from The Botanical 
Magazine, where it is figured at t. 6792. It forms a 
bush 3 ft. to 5 ft. high, with broadly cordate, coarsely 
crenate leaves, 4 ins. to 6 ins. long, and a sparingly 
branched inflorescence, some 2 ft. to 3 ft. long, with 
beautiful cobalt-blue corollas. The calyx is very 
villose with white hairs, giving the spikes the appear¬ 
ance of being clothed with snowy wool. 
