410 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  28,  1897.' 
LOWDHAM  ANIl  ('HIIAVELL. 
Unkamiltak  and  familiar  will  he  the  above  names  to  the  maiority  of 
Journal  readers,  all  of  whom  are  accjuainted  with  Chilwell.  l>ut  Jjowdham 
is  new  to  the  horticultural  world,  though  ere  many  years  have  passed  it 
will  be  know'U  as  a  home  of  fruit  trees  and  Hoses.  Por  upwards  of  a 
century  the  firm  of  J.  It.  Pearson  &  Sons  has  made  its  r.eadquarters  at 
Chilwell,  and  it  has  ever  been  renowned  for  the  high  quality  of  its 
stocks  of  plants  and  fruits  as  w'cll  as  for  the  urbanity  and  probity  of  its 
owners.  Last  week  both  the  new  and  the  old  establishments  were  visited 
with  a  view  to  getting  notes  for  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  and  at  each 
centre  there  was  almndance  of  material  to  examine  and  about  which  to 
write.  It  is  proposed,  however,  before  dealing  with  each  place  separately, 
to  give  a  brief  paragrajih  of  the  two  together,  and  then  to  turn  first  to  the 
new  and  then  to  the  older  nurseries  for  more  extended  details. 
Though  fruit  trees  have  been  grown  and  sent  broadcast  over  the  country 
from  Chilwell  for  many  years,  the  output  has  developed  within  the  last 
twenty  years  to  an  enormous  extent.  Some  years  ago  the  nurseries  were 
stocked  with  all  kinds  of  trees  and 
shrubs,  but  these  have  been  gradually 
crowded  out,  until  the  fruits  prac¬ 
tically  reigned  supreme.  This  meant 
that  there  was  an  area  of  50  acres 
under  fruit,  and  every  yard  of  the 
ground  was  occupied.  Put  with  the 
growth  of  years  ran  concurrently 
the  extension  of  trade,  and  of  late 
it  lias  been  impossible  to  grow  suffi¬ 
ciently  large  stocks  of  several  of  the 
most  popular  varieties  of  the  various 
kinds  of  fruits.  The  heads  of  the 
firm  realised  that  something  would 
have  to  be  done  to  overcome  the 
difficulty.  At  the  time  this  decision 
was  arrived  at  the  landlord  quietly 
informed  them  that  he  was  raising 
the  rent  20  per  cent.  This  did  not 
exactlj^  meet  with  approval,  and  to 
overcome  that  landlord  the  new 
ground  was  purchased  at  Lowdham. 
It  has  been  said  that  the  I  hilwell 
area  comprised  50  acres.  Remem¬ 
bering,  then,  that  the  extent  of  this 
was  far  too  limited,  the  purchase  at 
Lowdham  of  just  double  that  number 
strikes  one  as  showing  a  combina¬ 
tion  of  judgment  and  enterprise. 
Purther  than  this  there  is  abundance 
of  land  adjoining  that  can  either  be 
rented  or  purchased  as  necessity  may 
arise,  which  is  practically  certain 
to  come  as  the  years  roll  on  and 
the  trade  advances  still  more.  Each 
planting  season  brings  increased 
orders  to  our  great  fruit  nurserymen, 
and  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose 
there  will  be  any  decrease  in  the 
future.  There  still  remain  many 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  old,  worn- 
out  trees  that  must  be  displaced,  and 
the  same  fate  awaits  the  thousands 
of  worthless  local  varieties  which  are 
found  in  all  quarters  of  the  country. 
Growers  are  realising  that  trees  of 
the  two  types  quoted  do  not  pay  for 
the  space  they  occupy—  not  even  the 
rent  of  the  ground  they  cumber  ;  and  are  planting  young  healthy  stock 
of  the  most  approved  varieties  of  alkkinds  of  fruits. 
Lowdham. 
To  speak  now  particularly  of  the  new  nursery  we  have  to  journey 
from  Chilwell  through  Nottingham  to  a  distance  of  six  miles,  or  about 
twelve  miles  from  the  home  establishment.  It  is  quite  in  the  country, 
and  in  this  respect  differs  from  the  old  nursei'y,  which  is  in  close  proximity 
to  two  large  towns  besides  Nottingham — namely,  Beeston  and  Long 
Eaton.  The  Lowdham  gardens  are  really  in  two  portions,  one  of  which 
is  within  three  minutes  of  the  station  of  the  same  name  on  the  Midland 
Railway,  and  the  other  about  ten  minutes  easy  walking.  Trains  run  with 
fair  frequency,  so  that  the  place  will  have  the  distinct  advantage  of  being 
easily  accessible  to  those  persons  who  may  wish  to  personally  select 
their  trees.  The  small  piece  of  ground  referred  to  as  being  near  the 
station  has  not  yet  been  touched  for  planting,  though  it  has  been  ascer¬ 
tained  that  there  is  a  great  depth  of  fine  soil  underlying  the  turf  with 
whi.cH  che  surface  has  been  covered  for  years.  Here  the  offices  and 
packing  sheds  will  be  erected. 
On  the  more  e.xtensive  area  a  considerable  amount  of  work  has  been 
carried  out,  large  portions  of  the  ground  having  lieen  cultivated,  and 
several  acres  planted.  The  ground  is  undulating  over  the  whole  surface, 
(hstinctly  hilly  in  places,  and,  needless  to  say,  the  soil  varies  widely, 
though  it  is  all  good.  Almost  the  whole  of  the  farm  has  been  under 
pasture  for  scores  of  years.  Perhaps  the  major  portion  of  the  staple 
IS  a  sound  holding  loam,  while  there  are  besides  large  stretches  of 
lighter  loam,  with  several  acres  of  an  alluvial  deposit.  In  only  a  narrow 
strip  across  a  corner  of  one  field  is  the  soil  less  than  2  feet  in  depth,  but 
in  several  instances  5  feet  is  found.  It  has  been  chosen  by  the  expert, 
Mr.  Alfred  H.  Pearson,  in  collaboration  with  Mr.  Charles  E.  Pearson, 
who  are  the  leading  lights  of  the  firm  of  J.  R.  I’earson  &  Sons.  Of  the 
first  named,  who  is  the  fruit  man,  we  have  the  pleasure  of  presenting,  in 
;  fig  61,  an  admirable  likeness,  from  a  photograph  by  Messrs,  A.  Cox  &  Co., 
'  Nottingham. 
In  the  selection  of  a  proper  site  there  was  no  haste,  no  jumping 
at  conclusions.  iVIiles  of  country  were  traversed,  and  every  point 
i  in  the  surroundings  of  each  place  that  might  have  any  bearing  on 
I  successful  fruit  culture  was  weighed  to  a  nicety.  The  results  must  be 
i  gratifying  indeed,  for  land  has  been  secured,  than  which  no  better  could 
be  desired  for  fruit  trees.  It  naturally  requires  cultivation,  and  anyone 
who  is  familiar  with  Mr.  Pearson’s  methods  knows  that  it  will  be  given. 
The  steam  cultivator  has  been  at  work,  and  there  has  been  no  skimming 
of  the  surface,  but  a  deep  grip  and  a  heavy  turn- over.  To  insure  the 
i  men  doing  good  work,  Mr.  Pearson  has  spent  many  days  riding  up  and 
down  fields  on  the  cultivator,  only 
resting  to  partake  of  a  table  d’hote 
lunch  under  a  hedge  or  behind  a 
smother.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the 
al  fresco  life  was  enjoyed,  and  proved 
in  all  respects  beneficial. 
It  is  now  just  eighteen  months 
since  the  work  was  initiated,  and 
already  many  acres  are  under  fruit 
and  Roses,  and  the  cultivation  does 
not  cease  with  the  planting.  In 
Eebruary  of  this  year  hoeing  was 
commenced,  greatly  to  the  astonish¬ 
ment  of  the  natives,  who,  in  Mr. 
Pearson’s  own  words,  “thought  I 
had  gone  mad,”  and  we  might  add 
that  it  is  a  great  pity  other  growers 
do  not  have  similar  attacks  of  mad¬ 
ness,  for  there  are  method,  sense,  and 
reason  in  it.  Then  every  acre  has 
a  little  dressing  of  horse  droppings 
applied  as  a  mulch  at  the  rate  of 
between  50  and  60  tons  to  the  acre. 
The  effects  of  last  autumn’s  mulching, 
and  the  early  hoeing,  are  plainly 
seen,  for,  despite  the  dry  weather, 
the  plants  grew  and  thrived,  simply 
because  the  rains  of  the  winter  had 
carried  food  down  to  the  roots,  while 
the  dusty  surface  soil  had  prevented 
waste  of  it  by  rapid  eiaporation.  In 
places  here  and  there  a  spade  was 
pushed  down  into  the  soil  and  sunk 
easily  to  a  depth  of  two  blades. 
We  passed  quarter  after  quarter 
stocked  with  trees,  and  everywhere 
there  was  the  same  uniform  excel¬ 
lence.  Some  lifting  had  been  done, 
and  the  trees  had  come  up  with  large 
masses  of  fibrous  roots  almost  on  a 
level  with  the  surface  of  the  soil. 
By  the  way,  immediately  a  tree  is 
lifted  the  roots  are  securely  covered 
with  a  mat  so  that  they  may  not  be 
exposed  to  the  drying  influences  of 
the  air,  and  they  are  kept  covered 
until  the  packing  stage  is  reached. 
Another  excellent  method  of  pro¬ 
cedure  that  is  worihy  of  universal  adoption.  The  more  the  roots  become 
shrivelled  by  exposure  to  the  atmosphere  the  greater  the  prejudice  against 
successful  replanting.  At  Lowdham  there  are  no  aged  trees,  but  there 
are  maidens  and  espalier  trees  in  thousands,  as  well  as  the  various  stocks 
that  are  utilised  for  working.  All  alike  are  in  the  best  condition,  and 
augur  well  for  the  success  of  the  new  nursery.  Large  quarters  are  to  be 
planted  this  season,  and  if  the  present  rate  of  stocking  be  maintained 
there  will  be  very  little  unoccupied  ground  two  years  hence. 
It  is  fortunate  that  there  are  several  barns  and  outbuildings  attached 
to  the  Lowdham  homestead,  but  good  cottages  for  the  workmen  were  at 
a  minimum.  It  has  always  been  a  practice  of  this  firm  to  look  well  after 
its  workpeople,  and  to  this  end  four  cajiital  cottages  are  already  erected, 
and  more  are  in  contemplation,  so  that  the  men  will  eventually  be 
comfortably  housed.  That  the  employes  appreciate  these  acts  is  proved 
by  the  length  of  time  with  which  they  stay  with  the  firm,  for  there  are 
now  several  who  have  served  upwards  of  forty  years,  the  record  being 
held  by  one  man  with  an  unbroken  service  of  sixty-four  years.  This 
veteran  looked  active,  and  ready  for  any  amount  of  work.  That  the  men 
like  the  treatment  given  to  them  is  proved  by  an  anecdote  of  the  late  Mr. 
J.  R.  Pearson  and  one  of  his  men,  who  was  employed  for  over  seventy 
years  in  and  about  the  nursery.  Unfortunately  he  used  to  break  out 
occa.sionally,  and  was  promptly  discharged.  The  following  morning, 
however,  always  found  him  at  -work  again,  and  remonstrance  was  wasted 
on  him,  for  if  his  employer  said  anything  the  I’esponse  would  be  to  the 
effect  that  if  Mr.  Pearson  did  not  know  when  he  had  a  good  man  he 
knew  when  he  had  a  good  master,  and  he  was  not  going  to  leave. 
