368 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
October  15,  18f6 
this,  botenically  and  horticulturally,  in  a  very  advanced  state  in  the 
interesting  and  beautiful  Edinburgh  Botanic  Gardens. 
Edinburgh  is  not  even  yet  quite  done  with.  There  is  Mr. 
Carmichael  and  his  Strawberries,  Mr.  Fish  in  his  library,  Mr. 
McLeod  and  his  Golden  Elders  “  Auld  Reekie,"  changed  to  “  Pair 
Edina  ’’  once  more  ;  but  a  postcard  comes  and  interrupts.  It  has 
found  its  way  to  my  hands  from  a  railway  magnate,  who  it  seems 
reads  the  Journal  of  Horticulture.  He  does  not  ask  me  for  a  good 
word  for  his  line,  or  anything  of  that  kind,  but  rebukes  mo.  He 
^ys  I  am  going  too  slow — am  a  “  week  behind  time,”  and  so  on. 
Then  he  flatters,  and  urges  me  to  “put  on  steam,  as  he  likes  the 
run,  it’s  so  awfully  interesting."  “  Awfully  !  ”  Look  to  your 
dictionaries,  ye  young  men,  and  mind  your  adjectives.  See 
there  :  “  Awful — that  strikes  with  awe  .  .  .  dreadful,  fearful, 
^rrible  ; "  and  try  and  feel  as  I  feel  in  being  thus  found  out. 
This  naagnate  is  perhaps  destined  to  hear  something  more.  In  the 
meantime  a  caveat  is  entered  against  the  implication  that  anything 
dreadful  or  fearful  [has  been  said.  The  “  terrible "  cannot  be 
denied,  the  terrible  prolixity  of — The  Scribe. 
NOTES  ON  OUTDOOR  PEACHES. 
As  the  inonth  of  September  is  closing  upon  us  at  the  time  these 
notes  are  being  penned  we  are  in  a  position  to  give  the  results  of 
practice,  as  set  forth  in  our  notes  of  April  2nd  (page  303),  together 
with  such  further  practice  as  circumstances  and  season  have 
required. 
Although  frosts  did  not  occur  much  after  the  middle  of  April 
with  us  this  season,  yet  it  was  considered  advisable  to  keep  treble 
garden  nets  over  the  trees  till  after  the  middle  of  May,  these  being 
put  on  as  soon  as  the  flower  buds  showed  signs  of  starting  into 
active  growth.  As  the  blossoms  expanded,  which  they  did  in  great 
profusion,  for  the  branches  were  literally  wreathed,  the  bees  soon 
found  them  out,  and  came  upon  them  in  great  numbers,  and  their 
operations  were  daily  watched  with  the  keenest  interest  by  the 
gardener.  The  result  was  a  very  full  set  of  fruit,  which  of  course 
required  considerable  thinning.  This  operation  was  extended  over 
several  weeks  as  the  fruit  swelled,  the  largest  and  best  looking  as 
well  as  the  moat  conveniently  situated  only  being  retained. 
Early  in  the  month  of  May  each  tree  was  treated  in  the  follow¬ 
ing  manner.  A  portion  of  the  surface  soil  was  removed  with  a 
fork  4  inches  deep  and  about  5  feet  square  over  the  roots,  taking 
care  not  to  injare  any  that  were  near  the  top.  This  being  done,  a 
peck  of  wood  ashes,  2  quarts  of  bonemeal,  and  a  shovelful  of  blood 
manure  prepared  as  for  Tomatoes  was  spread  over  the  roots  of  each 
tree  ;  the  soil  that  had  been  removed  was  then  put  back,  and  a  good 
mulching  with  fresh  stable  litter  added.  Then  followed  a  thorough 
application  of  water,  warmed  by  having  stood  several  hours  in  the 
^n.  This  operation  had  to  be  repeated  every  week  throughout 
«^ne,  July,  and  the  early  part  of  August,  for  we  had  no  rain  but 
the  veriest  showers  that  scarcely  laid  the  dust  for  months.  All 
young  growths  were  nailed  in  as  required,  care  being  taken  to  keep 
of  the  way  of  the  fruit,  so  as  not  to  shade  it  more  than 
possible,  for  wherever  a  fruit  was  shaded  by  any  means,  even  on 
the  brightest  walls,  absence  of  colour  was  the  result. 
No  attempts  were  made  to  produce  exhibition  specimens,  but 
each  tree  had  to  carry  a  full  crop  of  fruit  suitable  for  home  con¬ 
sumption.  Although  no  such  attempt  was  made,  yet  I  heard, 
through  a  neighbour  who  attended  our  local  show  and  had  seen 
mine,  that  I  should  have  had  no  difficulty  in  securing  premier  prizes, 
for  the  fruits  from  both  south  and  west  walls  were  not  only  well 
floured,  but  of  good  size,  and  equally  good  in  flavour  also,  as  the 
Editor  will,  no  doubt,  be  able  to  affirm.  I  may  add  that  all  the 
trees  are  young  and  carried  crops  averaging  from  five  to  seven 
dozen  per  tree. 
^  ^®®i<^6dly  in  favour  of  young  trees.  Well  trained  youngsters 
can  be  bought  for  a  few  shillings,  and  if  properly  planted  and  taken 
care  of  will  soon  fill  a  large  space  of  wall,  producing  fruit  the 
eecond  year  from  planting.  Here  is  an  example.  In  the 
^tnmn  of  1894  (November)  my  employer  bought  from  Dickson’s 
Nurseries,  amongst  others,  a  young  Royal  George  Peach  tree  for 
about  5?.,  fan  trained,  which  I  planted  on  a  west  wall  8  feet  high. 
I  nmasured  it  yesterday  ;  it  covers  a  space  10  feet  wide  by  7  feet 
nigh,  allowing  space  from  the  soil  to  the  bottom  branches  for  a  foot 
of  clear  stem,  and  in  the  centre  the  branches  extend  a  foot  above 
the  top  of  the  wall.  This  gives  a  clear  growth  10  feet  wide  by 
o  feet  high  in  two  seasons,  and  the  wood  is  turning  to  that  deep, 
dull  red  colour  which  so  delights  the  experienced  eye. 
year  the  tree  produced  twenty-six  fine  fruits,  next  year 
it  will  be  quite  capable  to  produce  seven  dozen,  by  which  time  it 
will  have  paid  its  way  with  interest.  We  had  very  few  wasps  again 
this  season,  as  we  “  dot  ”  every  queen  that  comes  within  reach 
during  the  spring.  Earwigs  are  our  worst  pests.  They  come  in 
great  numbers,  and  give  more  troable  than  wasps,  as  they  insinuate 
themselves  into  the  cotton  wool  with  which  the  fruit  is  protected, 
and  there  secretly  commit  their  ravages,  unless  every  precaution 
to  prevent  them  is  taken. — Wm.  West  Chapman. 
[It  is  the  simple  truth  to  say  that  the  fruits  sent  to  us  were 
better  than  hundreds  we  have  seen  at  shows,  being  above  the  average 
size,  fleshy,  well  coloured,  and  of  superior  quality  ;  in  a  word,  they 
bore  the  stamp  of  thorough  cultivation.] 
HOT  WATER,  MUSTARD,  AND  LIME. 
(For  Mr.  a.  and  Mr.  D.). 
I  KNOW  nothing  about  eelworms,  and  have  always  been  able  to 
grow  Cucumbers  and  Tomatoes  without  them,  and  if  I  should 
happen  to  be  overtaken  by  the  pest — I  mean  if  the  plants  in  my 
charge  should  be — I  know  what  I  should  do  on  the  appearance  of 
the  symptoms.  The  scientists  may  perhaps  smile  derisively  when 
I  tell  them,  but  1  cannot  help  that.  I  rather  like  to  see  them 
enjoy  themselves  in  that  way  while  I  go  on  in  mine.  I  should 
neither  fly  to  phenyle,  carbolic  acid,  corrosive  sublimate,  kainit,  nor 
any  other  remedies  that  have  been  advised,  but  to  something 
cleaner,  simpler  and  cheaper  than  them  all.  Now  smile  away, 
Mr.  A.  and  Mr.  D  ,  when  I  tell  yon  I  should  just  use  hot  water,  at 
first  pure,  and  if  that  did  not  answer  I  should  put  some  mustard 
in  it.  I  can  now  fancy  I  hear  a  ha,  ha !  from  Mr.  A.,  and  a 
he,  he!  from  Mr.  D,,  and  “mustard  and  water!"  becoming 
chaunted  in  unison  by  them  both.  Well,  suppose  that  should  be 
so,  is  it  not  something  to  effect  an  “  union  of  hearts,”  that  may 
perhaps  lead  to  unity  in  effort  in  endeavours  to  conquer  the,  to 
many,  invisible  scourge. 
I  may  be  wrong,  of  course,  but  it  scarcely  seems  to  me  that  the 
best  way  of  attaining  the  desired  end  is  by  pelting  pages  of  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture  at  each  other,  to  which  not  one  reader  in 
a  thousand  can  be  expected  to  turn  for  the  purpose  of  verifying 
the  little  quotations.  “Gems"  these  would  seem  to  be  to  the 
writers  or  discoverers,  which  they  like  to  see  sparkling  all.  over 
their  communications.  It  looks  clever  and  indicates  research,  an 
impression,  it  is  said,  that  savants  like  to  convey ;  but  it  does  not 
lead  plain  and  practical  men  much  “forrader.” 
I  am  getting  away  from  the  hot  water,  mustard,  and  lime. 
Mr.  A.  seems  to  have  frightened  Mr.  D.  by  the  advocacy  of  a 
10  per  cent,  dose  of  lime  for  certain  pnrposes  under  certain 
conditions.  “Shocking!”  must  have  been  the  exclamation  of  the 
latter  when  he  read  of  such  an  outrage  on  the  soil ;  why,  “  it 
amounts  to  actually  spreading  an  inch  of  lime  on  the  surface  and 
mixing  it  with  9  inches  in  depth  of  soil,  and  expecting  anything  to 
grow  in  it !"  It  does,  indeed  ;  and  a  good  many  things  will  grow 
in  it,  including  Cucumbers  and  Tomatoes,  while  it  is  inimical  to 
the  underground  enemies  of  these  and  other  plants. 
Then  Mr.  A.  seems  shocked  in  turn  because  the  efficacy  of  an 
ounce  or  two  of  kainit  and  bonemeal  applied  to  each  square  yard, 
plus  a  peppering  or  salting  of  nitrate  of  soda,  is  questioned  a* 
banishing  various  kinds  of  peats,  with  wonderful  names,  from  the 
soil.  That  it  will  not  do  so  in  the  case  of  many  soils  need  surprise 
nobody.  It  has  been  tried  and  found  wanting,  not  in  one  case  or 
two  or  ten,  and  a  10  per  cent,  dressing  of  lime  is  much  more  likely 
to  accomplish  the  object.  I  am  a  plain  man,  and  have  small  faith 
in  the  infinitesimal  doses  of  this  or  that  antidote  or  chemical 
manure,  as  determined  in  laboratories  by  learned  professors  and 
adopted  by  their  copyists.  I  have  tried  them  and  found  them 
wanting,  and  have  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  if  science  is  not 
confirmed  by  practice  its  actual  use  is  in  leading  cultivators  to  prove 
for  themselves  the  little  stereotyped  fallacies  of  complacent 
doctrinaires. 
What  would  they  say  to  a  mere  working  gardener  recommending 
a  dressing  of  half  a  pound  of  salt  to  the  square  yard  and  digging  it 
in — blending  well  with  the  soil — in  the  autumn  or  very  early  in 
the  spring  for  banishing  wireworms  ?  They  might  admit  the  wire- 
worms  would  be  “  cured,”  but  with  the  proviso  that  the  dressing 
would  be  “  fatal  to  crops  ”  sown  or  planted  in  the  same  ground. 
That  would  be  because  they  had  not  tried  them.  Wbat  would  they 
say,  again,  to  using  thrice  the  quantity  of  gas  lime  that  is  “  recom¬ 
mended  in  books  ”  as  a  preventive  of  the  “  clubbing  ”  of  various 
crops  ?  They  might  be  expected  to  admit  there  would  be  no 
clubbing  because  there  would  be  no  crops.  Again  the  rejoinder  is 
because  they  have  not  tried  them,  and  so  in  respect  to  artificial 
manures.  Mr.  A.  can  double  his  doses  of  kainit  and  other  ingredients 
without  doing  harm  to  the  crops,  but  good  in  many  cases,  and  not 
much  harm  either  to  their  hidden  enemies  in  the  soil.  I  for  one, 
judging  from  practice  alone,  should  back  a  10  per  cent,  lime  dress¬ 
ing  for  the  purpose  last  named  as  being  the  more  efiectuaL 
