104 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Januray  30,  1902. 
Apple  Trees  at  Uffculme. 
When  on  a  visit,  one  clay  in  September  last,  to  Fffculme,  the 
extensive  and  picturesque  suburban  re.sidence  of  Mrs.  Richard 
Cadbury,  Kings  Heath,  Birmingham  I  vas  particularly  impressed 
vith  fine  crops  of  Apples  prcjduced  by  the  numerous  well-managed 
pyrauiidal,  bush,  and  espalier  trained  trees  there,  and  urged 
Mr.  G.  Menzies,  the  courteous  head-gardener,  to  secure  photo¬ 
graphs  of  a  few  of  the  more  prominent  of  them  for  reproduction 
in  the  Journal,  resulting,  however,  in  the  production  of  only  two 
pictures  suitable  for  the  purpose. 
The  Giree  lengths  of  espaliers  shown  by  the  illustration  on 
page  105  consist  wliolly  of  Lord  Suffield  Apple,  and  Mr.  Menzies 
informs  me  that  from  each  length  of  espalier  the  weight  of  fruit 
k  amounted  to  about  1001b.  The  trees  were  planted 
by  him  about  ten  years  ago,  and  a  good  crop  of  fruit  has  been 
procluced  every  year  .since  first  planted,  and,  which  Mr.  Menzies 
attributes  chiefly  to  the  late  flowering  proclivity  of  Lord  Suffield 
vanetv.  thus  escaping  the  late  fro.sts. 
It  should  be  stated  that  each  length  of  espalier  under  notice 
IS  iovds  long  and  5ft  high.  They  were  each  furnished  with  four 
young  trees,  and  Avhen  the  two  centre  ones  had  fillecl  their  allotted 
space  the  trees  on  either  end  were  gradually  cut  back  to  alloiv 
of  extension  of  the  former.  Ob\dously  the  .system  commends 
itself  to  .special  notice  to  intending  planters.'  Regarding  the 
^  pyramidal  forms,  the  major  portion  of  the  Apples  at 
ftculme  are  allov’ed  an  open  and  free  growth  of  the  branches, 
and  due  attention  being  observed  vuth  regard  lo  summer  or  early 
autumn  removal  of  the  superfluous  young  groivths,  free  access  of 
sun  aiid  air  is  thereby  secured,  both  to  the  colouration  of  the  fruit 
and  the  maturation  of  the  A  oung  wood,  also  considerablA'  lessening 
any  required  ivinter  pruning. — W.  G. 
circumstances,  would  have  been  ludicrous.  That  this  phase 
of  the  flower  traffic  is  good  for  trade  goes  without  saying, 
but  few  will  dispute  that  the  sudden  call  is  often  a  serious 
tax  upon  the  resources  of  private  gardens.  It  is  really 
that  fine  spirit  of  loya'ty  which  not  only  prompts  a  man  to 
do  his  utmost  when  the  call  comes,  but  which,  when  season 
prevails  against  him,  brings  a  feeling  of  relief  when  the 
edict  goes  forth,  “  No  flowers.” 
The  diffidence  of  the  33,000  towards  the  Gardeners'  Royal 
Benevolent  Institution  (see  page  26)  tells  its  tale  in  mournful 
numbers.  Don’t  cavil  at  the  court.  The  fact  that  a  few  do 
support  it  is  admitted,  but  the  chief  fact  remains,  and 
“  darna  be  disputed,”  that  these  are  so  few  and  far  between 
(see  list  of  names  in  the  annual  report),  as  to  warrant  the 
assumntion  that  the  British  gardener  practically  ignores 
benevolence  so  far  as  the  G.R.B.I.  is  concerned  ;  and  where 
that  is  concerned  he,  surely,  is  concerned.  Appeal  after 
appeal  has  been  made,  year  in  and  year  out ;  nraverfully, 
powerfully,  pitifully  have  gardeners  been  appealed  to  on  its 
behalf — on  their  own  behalf,  but  they  Avill  have  none  of  it— 
until  such  time  as  they,  some  of  them,  seek  to  reap  where 
they  have  not  sown.  It  is  an  old,  old  tale — an  old  lesson  oft 
repeated,  never  learned.  Is  it  thoughtlessness,  heartless¬ 
ness,  or  indifference  ?  Charitably  one  would  like  to  suppose 
it  is  the  former,  but  in  knowing  men  who  have  been  thinking 
about  it  for  years,  and  are  thinking  about  it  still,  nothing 
more,  then  can  we  only  reason  from  what  we  know  and 
attribute  the  nude  results  to  a  callous  indifference.  “  Think¬ 
ing  about  it !  ”  A  fig  for  such  thoughts. 
Prunlngs, 
a  H  quoted  from 
.  C.  M.  in  the  St.  James  s  Gazette  ”),  it  was  reported  in 
a  daily  paper  that  Sir  W.  Thiselton-Dyer,  the  director  of  Kew, 
lad  deduced  from  experimental  observation  made  during 
a  London  fog  that  in  a  week  six  tons  of  solid  matter  were 
deposited  on  a  square  mile,  including  not  only  soot,  but  a 
vanety  of  tarry  hydrocarbons,”  highly  injurious  to  animal 
and  vegetable  life.  This  should  show  something  for  the 
u'f  i  perseverance  of  our  great  nurserymen,  who  are 
able  to  carry  on  their  extensive  business  under  such  a  foul 
cloak  of  London  s  “  smoak.”  One  may  indeed  wonder,  like 
those  who  see  a  dog  dancing  on  its  hind  legs,  not  only  how 
it  is  done,  but  that  it  is  done  at  all.  However,  the  age  is 
marvellously  progressive,  and  although  it  may  require  a 
prophetic  vision  of  abnormal  poAA'^er  to  see  a  smokeless 
future  for  London,  Avho  shall  say  it  is  impossible  1  What 
one  would  like  to  see  now,  and  the  immediate  present  is 
our  concern,  is  more  attention  paid  to  the  furnace  flues  of 
private  gardens.  One  good  chimney  shaft  is  worth  half  a 
dozen  small  ones,  yet  how  often  does  one  see  a  number  of 
small  chimneys  dotted  through  the  glass  department  of 
some  great  garden  with  all  the  disadvantages  of  Avaste,  dirt, 
and  deficient  draught.  An  ugly  factory  chimney  w'ould 
never  be  tolerated,  some  will  say.  Certainly  not ;  but 
make  it  an  ornamental  one,  and,  apart  from  that,  we  can 
always  have  what  Emerson  calls  the  beauty  of  purpose. 
No  flowers.”  The  American  note  of  an  Orchid  wreath 
6ft  wide  (p.  517,  last  vol.),  comprising  1,000  Orchid  blooms,  is 
a  sample  of  the  dimensions  to  which  the  memento  mori  has 
.attained.  Obituary  notices  in  which  “  no  flowers  ”  is 
included  are  becoming  more  common,  shoAving  clearly  that 
the  one-time  modest  and  appropriate  tribute  has  grown 
into  an  incubus  that  many  wmiild  fain  be  rid  of.  So  much 
is  this  the  case  that  some  would  endorse  the  opinion  of  an 
old  gardener,  who  was  kept  on  the  tenterhooks  of  forcing 
and  retarding  for  months  in  anticipation  of  a  sad  event,  that 
the  custom  was  “  an  unmitigated  nuisance.”  He,  like  many 
more  of  us  gardeners,  was  a  loyal  servant,  with  profound 
respect  for  the  family  he  served,  and  genuine  sympathy 
with  them  in  their  hour  of  trial,  yet  the  uncertainty  of 
That,  which  comes  like  a  thief  in  the  night,  led  him,  in 
spite  of  his  loyalty,  into  expressions  which,  under  other 
With  highly  polished  pen  ‘‘  Ignoramus  ”  probes  the  great 
Apple  question  on  page  40.  He  ought  to  get  to  the  bottom 
of  it,  if  it  is  fathomable,  which  is  doubtful.  There  are  some 
curious  conundrums  in  the  gardening  world,  but  there  is  an 
irresistible  charm  about  his  letter  that,  in  spite  of  having  just 
tackled  one,  viz.,  why  any  gardener  Avorthy  of  being  called 
such  is  not  a  member  of  the  G.R.B.I.,  and  given  ,t  up,  one 
is  lured  on  to  ask  our  Apple  appiaiser  is  he  as  ignorant  as  he 
would  have  us  believe  1  “  Ignoramus  ”  would  like  to  know 
why  the  British  public  Avili  pay  sixpence  per  nound  for  New- 
towns  when  they  can  get  good  Cox’s  for  threepence  1  In 
answer  to  that,  where  is  the  British  public  such  an  - — , 
what  you  please,  as  to  do  that  1  In  our  odorous  city  some 
250,000  of  the  British  public  never  get  the  chance,  and  the 
only  decent  Apples  to  be  had  are  NewtoAvns,  at  eighteen- 
pence  the  dozen.  However,  it  is  feared  this  cross-question¬ 
ing  sans  answers  won’t  lead  to  mutual  enlightenment. 
“  Ignoramus  ”  guesses  “  there  would  be  fewer  foreign  Apples 
in  England  to-day  if  a  British  Apple  groAving  company  ”  had 
been  promoted.  Guess  again,  “Ignoramus,”  at  what  the 
present  market  value  of  the  company’s  shares  would  be  ? 
Also,  whether  any  gardeners  would  have  helped  the  com¬ 
pany’s  promotion  by  taking  preference,  ordinary,  or  deferred 
shares  at  par,  or  wisely  have  waited  till  the  latter  were  to  be 
had  for  a  nimble  ninepence  1 
“  Fish  guauo,  superphosphate,  sulphate  of  potash,  and 
sulphate  of  ammonia,”  according  to  directions,  is  “  H.  D.’s  ” 
prescription  on  page  61  for  concocting  a  Vine  stimulant,  and, 
doubtless,  in  his  capable  hands  it  is  simple,  safe,  and  satis¬ 
factory,  and  very  good  victuals  for  the  Vine.  The  getting 
and  blending  of  these  ingredients,  however,  may  not  be 
expedient  with  all  who  would  infuse  fresh  vitality  into  their 
Grape  bearers,  yoiiug  or  old,  aud  to  such  Thomson’s  Vine 
manure  will  be  found  a  boon  and  a  blessing  equalled  by  few 
of  the  concentrated  fertilisers,  excelled  by  none. 
I  Under  the  little  pictorial  heading  on  page  62  appears 
“  Another  B.’s  ”  protest  against  “Jocular  Horticulture.”  The 
two  “B.’s,”  evidentlv.  do  not  care  to  gather  honey  from 
flowers  of  speech.  Be  that  as  it  may,  there  is  a  good  point 
in  the  protest,  and  other  old-world  readers  have  noticed  the 
“  smart,”  new-world  style  pretty  strongly  flavouring  some 
would-be  up-to-date  gardening  papers.  Yet  these  remarks 
do  not  apply  to  “  our  Journal,”  and,  doubtless,  the  sternest 
stickler  for  technical  instruction  pure  and  simple  will  scarcely 
object  to  its  being  made  as  bright  and  readable  as  is  con¬ 
sistent  with  good  taste,  and  the  main  object,  by  the  inclusion 
of  lighter  matter  to  point  a  moral  or  adorn  a  tale.  A  little 
