284 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 29, 1894. 
over-lapping; in this way we get better drainage with 
a few pieces than when a few handfuls are thrown in 
indiscriminately. Cover the drainage with some 
rough pieces from the potting material, and we are 
ready for the tree. See that the roots are evenly 
spread out, and not covered with soil until they can 
be laid straight-out in the soil, and not crowded into 
the bottom of the pot. Use a stick in potting, and 
ram the soil firm, but leave room on the top for top 
dressing. The size of pots for the trees I have 
mentioned would consist of io in. and 12 in. pots, 
and if the work is carefully done should with top¬ 
dressing last four or five years. 
As the trees are potted they can be stood close 
together outside, and be covered over with bracken or 
leaves to protect them from frost and wet. In this 
position they can remain until March, when they 
will require to be taken into the house. The trees 
can be stood almost close together until their fruit 
is set, and by the end of May or beginning of June, 
both Apples and Pears can be removed outside to a 
south border or a sheltered position and be plunged 
within 2 in. of the rim, if the soil should be light and 
where the water can pass freely away, but should the 
soil be heavy and retentive, two bricks should be 
placed on edge in the bottom of the hole made for 
plunging, and the pots stood on them, and only be 
plunged three-parts of their depth. With the re¬ 
moval of the Apples and Pears, we have now plenty 
of room to spread out the remaining plants left in 
the orchard house, and it is necessary as growth 
now becomes rapid that close attention should be 
paid to pinching. 
Although I have mentioned here that Apples and 
Pears can be removed as soon as all danger from 
frost is past, it may be desirable to keep the plants 
longer inside so as to produce larger fruit. This 
may be done, but the fruit will be much improved 
in flavour in both instances if the plants are 
removed to the open for at least six weeks or two 
months before the fruit ripens. We have all 
admired the fine examples of Pears often seen 
exhibited at some of our leading exhibitions, and the 
thought of the flavour has not troubled us, but in 
many cases could they have been judged by their 
flavour, smaller examples would have taken their 
place. This I put down to ripening the fruit under 
the glass instead of removing it to the open air. 
Having thus far secured our trees, and having 
them potted up ready for starting, we move them 
into the house about the middle or end of March. 
If the soil in the pots is at all dry, give the plant a 
thorough watering, taking care from this on that they 
do not become dry. Keep plenty of air in the 
house, both day and night, except in frosty weather. 
In fine weather the trees should be syringed early 
in the afternoon, until they come into flower, and 
even then the plants are all the better for being 
slightly syringed when in flower. My experience 
teaches me that fruit trees always set best outside 
in wet weather so long as the frost keeps off, and I 
consider it a mistake to keep fruit trees dry overhead 
when in flower. We must not forget that pollen 
is equally as effective when transmitted to the pistol 
of the flower in a wet state as it is in a dry, and 
we thus obtain an easy means of distributing it. 
As soon as the fruit sets a sharp look-out must 
be kept for green and black fly, two of the greatest 
pests we have to contend against in the orchard 
house. We must also see that our trees do not 
become overcrowded, and should this be the case 
let us pick out all our worst set trees, and those of 
least value and remove them to their outside 
quarters as soon as ever danger from frost is over 
and plunge them in their summer quarters. 
As soon as ever the fruit are set, and we can see 
the most promising fruit thinning out should take 
place, and do not let us forget that it is quality we 
want, not quantity. If our trees are such as I have 
described and potted into 10 in. or 12 in. pots, from 
one dozen to two dozen fruits according to the size 
of the varieties will be sufficient. That would 
apply to Pears, Apples, Peaches, and Nectarines; 
Plums may bear double the number. As soon as 
the fruits are set we can now use the syringe more 
freely, and the house in bright weather may be 
syringed morning and afternoon, closing the house 
for a few hours after syringing, but opening it 
again before night. Allow a free circulation of air 
at all times, and at no time is this of more 
importance than when the trees are in flower. 
Manure water in a weak condition may also be 
applied as soon as the fruits are set, and continue its 
use in a weak state, but change its composition 
occasionally. As the growths get to 6 or 8 leaves, 
they can be pinched to the fourth leaf, the leading 
shoots can be left longer if they are required to 
increase the size of the tree ; continue this pinching 
throughout the summer, and if not neglected, little 
or no winter pruning will be necessary. 
Should green or black fly make their appearance 
means should be taken at once to get rid of them. 
For this purpose, where a few appears on a tree, I 
have found tobacco paper used with a pair of bellows 
a capital plan, and a most economical one forgetting 
rid of them. Where Cherries are grown, we are 
almost sure to be troubled with fly, and should the 
atmosphere be kept too dry, red spider is sure to 
make its appearance, but with a free use of the 
syringe and the bellows with tobacco paper we have 
a good remedy, but there are the usual means and 
divers other methods well-known to get rid of them. 
As the season advances, so the interest in the 
orchard house increases. The sight in the orchard 
house when the trees are in flower may compare 
favourably with the Orchid house at this time of 
the year, but when we see the fruits swelling, and 
getting on their matured colour, and we find that 
the good samples of the different kinds of fruit is so 
superior to the fruit grown outside (what there is 
left by the uncertainty of our climate) that we 
wonder that more has not been done in ihis age of 
cheap glass to produce a more plentiful supply of 
better fruit than has been done, and so help to keep 
the foreign supply from our markets. 
I was much struck in reading “ The Orchard 
House,” by T. Francis Rivers, where he says:— 
“ Fine and well-grown large Pears during the winter 
months, at a low average, are worth 3s. per dozen. 
So that from 2,000 trees, always safe from storms 
and frosts when in bloom, we may estimate an 
annual crop of 25,000 dozens of Pears. This may 
when the trees attain the age of seven or ten years 
be put down at 3,500 dozen. When it is con¬ 
sidered that 1,000 dozens of Pears are worth ^150, it 
will be seen that a house of Pears may be made a 
source of profit.” He estimates that a house 100 ft. 
long by 24 ft. wide will accommodate the 2.000 
trees, and if we add the Grapes that would be cut 
from the rafters, if planted 6 or 8 ft. apart, we have 
no hesitation in agreeing with him when he says, 
"An industrious man may make a sure and hand' 
some profit from a house 100 ft. by 24 ft.” . 
As the fruit are gathered from the trees, the trees 
should be removed to the open, so as to get the 
wood thoroughly well ripened for another year. 
Towards the end of October the surface soil should 
be removed from the pots until the roots are well 
exposed, and top dressed with fresh material, such 
as I have described for potting. As they are finished 
they should be stood close together in a sheltered 
position, and the pots covered over with bracken and 
leaves, as before the winter pruning can be done at 
any convenient time before the trees are taken inside 
for another year. Those that would require larger 
pots would be repotted instead of top dressing. It 
is also advisable to turn out the plants to see the 
drainage is perfect. This is easily done at the time 
of top dressing, and prevents after loss and 
annoyance. 
Before closing this paper and submitting a list of 
best varieties for orchard house culture I should like 
to draw your attention to the list, as there are many 
good varieties I have left out, but for our purpose 
we must have large fruit if we are to get a large 
price for it. As with Grapes, so with orchaid 
house fruit, we must have something to catch the 
eye and make a fhow on the table. It is left to 
those who grow fruit for their own consuming to 
grow the good flavoured and best varieties. This is 
not as it should be, but we have to thank to a great 
extent for this the bad rules, or rather the want of 
rules, in judging fruit at our exhibitions. Let us 
hope that the committee to be appointed by the 
R.H.S. to enquire into the subject of judging may 
do something, so that the best quality fruit will be 
brought to the front, and not the largest examples as 
at present. 
List of twenty-five Apples. —Emperor Alex¬ 
ander, Beauty of Bath, Bismarck, Cox’s Orange 
Pippin, Cox’s Pomona, Duchess of Gloucester, Lady 
Sudeley, Lord Derby, Lord Grosvenor, Peasgood’s 
Nonsuch, Prince Albert, Stirling Castle, Warner’s 
King, Worcester Pearmain, Washington, Mere de 
Menage, Beilingheimer, Beauty of Kent, The Queen, 
King of Pippins, Hormead Pearmain, Baumann’s 
Red Winter Reinette, Blenheim Orange, Benoni, 
Bramley's Seedling, 
Pears (twenty-five). —Beurre Gifford, Clapp's 
Favourite, Williams’ Bon Chretien, Souvenir du 
Congres, Beurre d’Amalis, Fondante d’Automne, 
Marie Louise, Conseiler de la Ceeur, Durondeau, 
Beurre Bose, Glou Morceau, Doyenne du Comice, 
Duchess d’Angouleme, Marie Louised’Uccle, Beurre 
Diel, Beurre Bachelier, Beurre d’Anjou, Pitmaston 
Duchess, General Todleben, Beurre Superfin, 
Louise Bonne de Jersey, Beurre Ranee, Beurre 
Clairgeau, Magnate, Doyenne Boussock. 
Plums (Fifteen). —July Green Gage, Old Green 
Gage, Jefferson, Kirke’s Transparent Gage, Reine 
Claude de Bavay, Guthrie’s Late Green Gage, 
Reine Claude Violette, Webster’s Gage, Bryanston 
Gage, Coe’s Golden Drop, Prince of Wales, Victoria, 
Pond's Seedling, Autumn Compote, White Magnum 
Bonum. 
Cherries. —Early Lyons, Early Rivers, Frog- 
more, Bigarreau, Knight, Early Black, Early Black 
Bigarreau, May Duke, Governor Wood, Black 
Eagle, Elton, Old Bigarreau and Black Tartarian. 
Note.—All the Bigarreau Cherries are better to be 
worked twice. First the May Duke on the Maheleb 
stock, then re-worked on the May Duke. 
Peaches. —Alexander, Alexander Noblesse, Hale's 
Early, Goshawk, Grosse Mignonne, Lady Palmer¬ 
ston, Mr. Gladstone, Noblesse, Princess of Wales, 
Stirling Castle, Violette Hative and Waterloo. 
Nectarines.— Albert Victor, Balgowan, Elruge, 
Hardwick Seedling, Humboldt, Lord Napier, Pine 
Apple, Pitmaston Orange, Victoria and Violette 
Hative. 
Apricots.— Early Moorpark, Moorpark and Gros 
Peche. 
Figs. —Brown Turkey, Brunswick, White Bruns¬ 
wick and Black Ischia. 
Grapes.- Black Hamburgh.— Alex. Wright. 
--*•- 
MANURES FOR ROSES. 
Before recommending any special fertilizer for 
Roses, let me point out that they are not such gross 
feeders as many might infer from some catalogue 
instructions. To get them at their highest exhibition 
form, and to have a pleasurable Rose garden full of 
beautiful, if not ideal blooms, are two totally differ¬ 
ent things. We need first of all cast our thoughts 
around to see what class of manure is most readily 
available, and truth to say it does not matter much 
what manure we use, so long as we keep one point 
in mind, viz., not to use stiff, close manures upon 
soil of a similar character and vice versa. At any 
rate we should not use them to excess. A stiff 
manure soon sours and stagnates aheavy soil, whereas 
one of a lighter character brings it into better 
heart, and at the same time affords the properties 
most needed. 
Soot, guano, and fresh stable manure should be 
avoided upon sandy soil, they tend to dry it up still 
more. But a stiff, clayey or wet soil is greatly 
benefited by these ingredients. We see therefore 
that it is a question of soil and manure rather than 
the latter alone. If we are dealing with light land, 
a little agricultural salt is by no means to be depised. 
I use it in a mixture of cow manure and weeds all 
decayed together. It does not matter what soil we 
are working upon, pig manure with weeds, &c., that 
the animals have grubbed among, and thoroughly 
killed is excellent. If confined to one, this would 
be my choice. It is not pleasant; but no good 
manures are, and we can deodorise it by mixing 
with soil or slightly covering it over when mulching. 
Some apply a little lime to this and night soil, but 
the effect is so very wasteful that I prefer a little 
more trouble in using it by covering with soil. 
Night soil, by the way, is an excellent fertilizer for 
Roses. Use it when forming a Rosery, incorpor¬ 
ating it in the bottom trench. We thus avoid 
unpleasant odour, get rid of what is often more or 
less of an encumbrance in the country, and get a 
most valuable Rose manure at the same time. 
I said Roses were not gross feeders, neither are 
they, but they are hungry plants and amply repay 
for a little extra attention. We find our native 
Roses more frequently upon stiff and somewhat poor 
soil, but our garden hybrids will not do themselves 
justice unless better fed than this. At the same 
time we secure good results by giving a little steady 
