308 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 16, 1897. 
viding the soil is fairly good and an occas¬ 
ional mulch of manure is applied. Even 
professionals do not always recognise this 
fact, or at all events they do not act up to it. 
In the case of agriculture, good landlords 
prohibit the carting away of certain products 
from the land, while allowing the grain to 
be sold. This is largely on the assumption 
that the fertility of the land must of necessity 
be kept up by the return to it of the straw 
and leaves in the form of farmyard manure. 
In the case of fruit trees, it is true that the 
fruits and prunings only are taken away 
from the land, unless, indeed, vegetables 
are grown underneath the trees. It must be 
remembered, however, that fruits contain a 
large proportion of the useful mineral and 
other elements withdrawn from the soil by 
means of the roots ; and that these sub¬ 
stances must be returned to the land in 
greater or less quantity in order to maintain 
its fertility. Selections of varieties of Apples 
are made for various purposes showing that 
the author has a wide personal experience 
with the peculiarities and characteristics of 
many varieties, and knows what advantages 
they have to offer. 
Amateurs need not now hesitate to plant 
Pears on account of the old notion that it 
takes a lifetime for them to reach a bearing 
condition. Success depends largely upon 
soil and the particular stock on which the 
trees are grafted. On shallow sandy soils the 
author recommends the Pear stock, because 
the roots penetrate more deeply and escape 
the evils of a hot and dry summer to a much 
greater extent than they would upon the 
Quince. The latter is the best stock for 
deep and heavy soils. The trees come into 
bearing upon such a stock in the course of 
two or three years from the time of planting. 
No manure should be incorporated with the 
soil at the time of planting as it tends to 
foster rank and coarse growth that does 
not get properly lignified or ripened before 
the advent of frost. Fruits of some of the 
more useful Pears are represented by wood- 
cut illustrations. Numerous figures are also 
given of the ten best methods of training 
Plum trees on walls, and of growing them 
in the open. Peaches and Nectarines are 
dealt with in fairly exhaustive detail, the 
author giving encouragement to the amateur 
not to be frightened from attempting their 
culture on the supposition that they require 
specially favoured and warm districts to 
ensure success. He considers that south 
of the Trent there are thousands of home¬ 
steads at which the cultivation of these 
luscious fruitsmay beattempted with reason¬ 
able hope of success. They may be grown 
upon south, east and weM walls, but where 
gardens are unfortunate in not possessing 
such aids to fruit culture, the trees may be 
planted against the walls of the homestead 
itself including outbuildings, provided 
always that they are simply protected from 
cattle. He recommends fruit trees in place 
of the merely ornamental climbers that are 
often employed. Any porous and fairly well 
drained soil will be suitable, though a 
moderately strong loam is the best. Speak¬ 
ing from many years’ experience, Mr. 
Wright is strongly in favour of autumn 
pruning for Peaches and Nectarines, imme¬ 
diately after the crops are gathered. We 
are aware that if pruning, nailing and other 
necessary operations are long deferred, there 
is a liability of many of the flower buds 
being destroyed, especially through careless 
handling. Shoots about the thickness of 
slate-pencil are sufficiently strong for bear¬ 
ing purposes, and anything more gross in 
the way of young and bearing wood should 
be removed, if a healthy and well balanced, 
fruit-producing tree is to be maintained. 
Other stone fruits are also dealt with in 
the same straight-forward and earnest way. 
The first and most important thing in con¬ 
nection with the planting of Apricots is the 
thorough drainage of the soil, and an 
adequate supply of lime in the shape of old 
mortar rubble or plaster, the latter contain¬ 
ing another fertiliser in the shape of hair 
containing nitrogen. Where success is not 
at first attained the author recommends 
experiments with superphosphates, potash, 
kainit, bone meal, silica &c. Judging from 
observations we were under the impression 
that Figs in the open air gave the most 
successful results where lime or chalk entered 
largely into the composition of the soil; 
and on turning to the chapter on Figs we 
find this view pretty well corroborated, for 
the author recommends a “ well drained 
border containing plenty of lime refuse, and 
the whole made thoroughly firm.” Under 
these conditions the trees are not liable to 
be injured by frost in winter. The end of 
March or the beginning ol April is the best 
time for planting operations, as the trees 
get well established before the advent of 
winter. No manure either in a solid or liquid 
form should be given to Fig trees in the 
open border, till they are well-established 
and bearing heavy crops of fruit. The 
obvious reason is that gross, sappy growth 
should on no account be encouraged, other¬ 
wise Fig culture in the open will be a 
failure. 
There are also chapters on Gooseberries, 
Currants, Raspberries, Strawberries, Cob¬ 
nuts, Filberts, Walnuts, Medlars &c. The 
second section of the book is devoted to 
culture under glass, including Grapes, 
Peaches, Figs, Melons, Strawberries and 
orchard houses. Then follow miscellaneous 
chapters on grafting, budding, manures, 
storing fruit packing and marketing fruit, all 
of which are useful in their respective ways 
to amateurs who would undertake the culti¬ 
vation of fruit. The chapter on manures is 
an interesting one which may safely be acted 
upon as the result of experience on the part 
of the author, who says that if fruit trees 
are supplied with nutriment equal to their 
requirements, "heavy crops may be produced 
every successive year without impairing the 
vigour of the trees. The cultural part of 
the book runs to 139 pages and a lengthy 
appendix relating to insect pests, and pre¬ 
vention or cure, together with an index, 
augments that number to 244 pages. The 
insect article is as comprehensive as space 
will allow and the information reliable as far 
as it goes. The paper, printing and binding 
are excellent for the price charged, and 
numerous illustrations add greatly to the 
value of the book. 
-- 
The present acreage of woodlands in Ireland is 
only 308,928 acres, a very small proportion of the 
uncultivated land suitable for planting. 
Mr. Charles Bennett, for nearly six years foreman 
of the glass department, Bicton, has been appointed 
head gardener to Sir William Walrond, Bart.. M.P., 
Bradfield, Cullompton, Devon. 
Mr. Heath, late gardener to Sir . W. Walrond,M.P., 
was lately presented with a walking stick and pipe by 
the members of the Uffculme Horticultural Society 
as a token of esteem on his leaving the neighbour¬ 
hood. 
Axminster Gardeners,—At the recent annual meet¬ 
ing of this Improvement Society the Rev. A. New¬ 
man and Mr. W. E. Pitfield Chappie were elected 
president and hon. secretary respectively. It was 
arranged to hold the meetings every two months in 
future. 
Railway Station Gardens.—Mr. Baker, station- 
master at Ashley Hill, G.W R., has been awarded a 
special prize by the G.W.R. Company for the best 
station garden in the South Wales line. Mr. Tummy, 
station-master at Symond's Yat, has received a 
similar prize for the prettiest station garden in his 
district. 
The Search After Light is responsible for the 
great growth of climbers on the tops of trees that 
support them in tropical forests. 
Prehistoric Corn is the name of a "new novelty" 
in the farm seed line, whose introducer says among 
other things in speaking of its discovery, fifteen feet 
underground in a sealed pottery vessel says, “ Here 
it has lain in a perefect state of preservation while 
the thousands of years rolled by ! ’ — American Florist 
Russian Tea from the Caucasus.—Another large 
party of Chinese have arrived at Odessa on their way 
to the Caucasus to superintend the cultivation of the 
tea p'ant. Considerable success has already attended 
tea-planting in the Caucasus by the Russian Govern¬ 
ment ; and private enterprise is now taking the 
matter up. 
The Apple Crop of the United States is rather 
under than over the average as some people would 
have it. In 1895 it was 60,500,000 barrels. Last 
season’s crop is stated to be 59,000,000 barrels. 
Michigan stands pre-eminent, however, inasmuch as 
the last year’s crop was the heaviest and finest ever 
harvested there. 
Rainfall in Devon.—Mr. J. Mayne writes us that 
November 1895 was the wet month for that year, as 
6 92 in. of rain fell. There is a deficiency of about 6 
in. for the year that is just closed. December was 
the wet month, as 6 86 in. fell. The weather still 
continues mild and showery. A rain gauge is fixed 
up in the garden at Bicton and Mr. Mayne keeps a 
regular record of the rainfall. 
Syndical Chamber of Belgian horticulturists. — At 
the monthly meeting of this society held in the 
Casino, Ghent, Belgium, on the 3rdinst., Certificates 
of Merit were awarded to M. Jules Hye for Odonto- 
glossum crispum macrospylum, Odontoglossum 
crispum regale, O. crispum album, a group of new 
Odontoglossums,Odontoglossum crispum Petersiiand 
Odontoglossum wilckeanum albens. A similar 
award was accorded to M. Jules de Cock for Cattleya 
chocoensis. Mr. Jules Hye also received a certificate 
for culture and flowering for a fine specimen of 
Cypripedium Sallieri hyeanum. 
Botany in Ancient Egypt.—At a meeting of the Vic¬ 
toria Institute in the rooms at Adelphi Terrace, the 
Rev. F. A. Walker, F.L.S. brought forward the sub¬ 
ject of " Botany in Egypt in Ancient Times." He 
discussed the extent to which it was known, and how 
far that knowledge was made use of in medicine and 
the various relations of life as described in the 
papyri and on the monuments. He quoted the evi¬ 
dence of Homer, Pliny, Herodotus, and other 
writers to illustrate his remarks. He pointed out 
also that the soil of Egypt used to bear three crops a 
year, and with our modern advantages combined 
with a resumption of the ancient careful system of 
cultivation, Egypt would become of even greater 
value in these than she was in past days. 
Worcester and District Auxiliary Gardeners’ Royal 
Benevolent Institution.—The balance sheet of this 
admirable provincial auxiliary of the Gardeners' 
Royal Benevolent Institution is to hand and shows 
what valuable work it is effecting. The total receipts 
were /175 9s. 6d. and of this sum £164 15s. has been 
sent to the parent institution for the benefit of the 
pensioners. The working expenses have, therefore, 
been remarkably small. They have really only 
been £7 103, the small remaining sum being 
a balance left in the treasurer’s hands. The 
total amount collected has mostly been from dona¬ 
tions, life members, and annual subscribers of one 
guinea. The donations consisted of one sum of 25 gs., 
one of £20, 4 of 10 gs. each, and one guinea. There 
are four life members subscribing 10 gs. each, and the 
balance sheet shows a list of 29 annual subscribers of 
one guinea each, several of whom have paid their 
subscriptions which will appear in next balance sheet. 
Mr. J. Hill White, the hon. secretary and treasurer, 
51, Broad Street, Worcester, informs us that 13 new 
guinea subscribers have been added. The Right 
Hon. Earl Beauchamp, Madresfield Court, Wor¬ 
cester, showed an excellent example that might well 
be followed by others. In April last he allowed his 
beautiful gardens to be thrown open to the public at 
a small charge for admission, and the sum of 
£13 14s. 6d. was collected as a result, and handed to 
the local auxiliary by his gardener Mr. William 
Crump. 
