*|  December  12,  1901.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  537 
( - - - - - 1 _ _ _  _ 
OIApples  and  Pears  at  Bristol. 
atmospheric  dryness.  It  is  very  difficult  to  fix  how  many 
drops  should  be  given  to  each  pot. 
The  soil  contained  in  the  pot  and  the  nature  of  the  tree 
are  to  be  considered.  For  instance,  the  Conifers  require 
little  water  when  in  pots.  It  is  better  to  use  the  smaller- 
sized  pot  for  Pines  than  those  that  seem  to  be  large  enough, 
for  they  prefer  dry  mould.  In  potting  them,  therefore,  it  is 
desirable  for  the  gravel  to  be  put  in  the  bottom  of  the  pots 
to  let  the  water  run  down  easily.  The  mould  laid  on  the  top 
of  the  gravel  should  not  be  the  heavy  sort,  nor  be  filled  in 
tightly  for  the  same  reason.  The  quantity  of  water  to  be 
given  depends  a  great  deal  on  what  sort  of  mould  they  are 
planted  in,  and  whether  the  weather  is  very  dry  or  other¬ 
wise.  Generally  speaking,  evergreens  do  not  require 
so  much  water  as  the  deciduous  plants.  They  are  habitually 
kept  in  a  sufficiently  damp  condition  to  let  the  sap  flow  in 
a  gentle  manner.  This  last  consideration  is  very  important, 
for  the  sap  must  not  be  overloaded  with  water,  either  when 
they  are  pruned,  grafted,  or,  as  is  specially  the  case  with 
Pines,  handled  so  unsparingly  by  a  process  generally  known 
as  “  rings  ” — that  is,  the  fastening  up  of  young  shoots  in  a 
calculated  twist  to  an  older  branch  of  the  same  tree. 
Grafting  is  met  with  rather  less  frequently  where  the 
growth  is  quicker,  and  the  younger  twigs  are  generally  bent 
in  a  wavy  manner.  When  the  leaves  do  not  grow  densely, 
there  must  necessarily  be  some  methods  used  to  make  the 
appearance  of  the  trees  more  compact.  This  zigzag  line  of 
the  trunk  is  widely  adopted  in  Palms.  The  younger  shoots 
in  every  alternate  concave  curve  are  nipped  away,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  they  would  be  hidden  from  the  sunshine, 
and  the  development,  therefore,  generally  unsatisfactory. 
But  the  existence  of  such  shoots  is  desired  sometimes  for 
bringing  them  out  in  different  plane  and  angle.  These  are 
called  “  pocket  branches.”  The  Pines  have  a  tendency  to 
shoot  up  a  set  of  branches  from  certain  points.  These 
points  are  treated,  when  the  bending  into  zigzag  manner  is 
carried  out,  in  early  summer,  in  such  a  way  as  to  form  the 
sharpest  points  in  the  curves.  At  that  time  all  the  useless 
branches  are  cut  off,  the  “  pocket  branches  ”  will  be  done 
away  with. 
In  conclusion,  Mr.  Tsumura  said  :  If  we  examine  closely, 
we  find  that  deliberate  care  is  taken  in  all  the  bendings  and 
twistings  of  the  young  branches.  The  possibility  of  life  and 
healtn  in  a  branch,  such  as  will  be  required  to  work  it  up. 
or,  rather,  conform  it  to  one’s  ideal,  is  the  first  principle  of 
this  kind  of  art.  Only  by  trying  it  can  you  understand  and 
appreciate  the  difficulties  we  have  to  face,  for  every  branch 
has  its  own  habitual  growth,  direction,  and  power  of  growth, 
and  finally  the  possibilities  of  its  future  ;  all  these  factors 
must  hence  be  counted  upon  ;  the  result  of  the  art  is  not  one 
that  can  be  obtained  immediately,  but  after  a  very  long 
period  of  expectation. — R. 
In  connection  with  the  fine  show  of  Chrysanthemums 
annually  held  in  Bristol,  there  is  always  a  wonderful  dis¬ 
play  of  fruit,  the  schedule  providing  several  classes  for 
Apples  and  Pears  in  collections  and  single  dishes.  The 
season  has  been  almost  notorious  for  its  partiality  of  Apples 
and  Pears,  and  it  must  therefore  have  produced  in  the  minds 
of  many  visitors  a  feeling  of  surprise,  if  not  envy,  when  con¬ 
fronted  with  the  wealth  of  such  fine  fruit.  The  great  extent 
of  competition  is  explained  to  some  extent  in  the  fact  that 
exhibitors  come  from  so  many  and  widely  separated  dis¬ 
tricts  and  centres,  though  not  attracted  by  the  value  of  the 
fruit  prizes  offered.  Somerset,  Gloucester,  Dorset,  Hants, 
Hereford,  Monmouth,  and  Wilts  contribute  to  this  display  of 
fruit  and  flowers,  and  though  there  are  specialists  in  both 
present,  there  are  a  greater  number  who  exhibit  both. 
Quantity  and  quality  of  both  Pears  and  Apples  were 
such  that  it  would  be  scarcely  fair  to  describe  one  as  inferior 
to  the  other,  even  in  a  fractional  degree.  Nor  could  the  fact 
be  lost  sight  of  that  there  were  Pears  that  had  been  wonder¬ 
fully  well  preserved.  For  instance,  Doyenne  Boussoch,  an 
October  Pear  of  fine  appearance,  though  of  doubtful  keeping 
character,  were  in  beautiful  con¬ 
dition  in  one  collection,  as  were 
also  Pitmaston  Duchess,  Forelle 
or  Trout  Pear,  and  Souvenir  du 
Congres.  The  queen  of  Pears, 
Doyenne  du  Comice,  were  plen¬ 
tifully  shown,  and  in  fine  charac¬ 
ter  too,  as  also  were  Marie 
Louise,  Emile  d’Heyst,  Beurre 
Fouqueray,  Beurre  Superfin, 
Beurre  d’ Avalon,  Magnate, 
Duchesse  d’Angouleme,  Glou  Mor- 
eeau,  Beurre  Alexander,  Lucas, 
Marechal  de  la  Cour,  Huyshe’s 
Princess  of  Wales,  Beurre  Baltet 
Pere,  Beurre  Diel,  and  Beurre 
Bachelier.  For  Pears  there  are 
classes  for  six  dishes,  and  four 
dishes,  dissimilar,  and  a  single 
dish,  which  naturally  provide  a 
repetition  of  kinds,  and  especially 
of  the  more  popular  ones,  such  as 
Doyenne  du  Comice,'  Pitmaston 
Duchess,  Beurre  Diel,  and  Beurre 
Clairgeau.  The  latter,  though 
not  of  high  quality,  affords  the 
brightest  touches  of  colour  among 
the  many  plates  of  Pears,  which 
is  made  a  reason  for  its  inclusion 
among  dessert  Pears,  either  for 
exhibition  or  home  use. 
For  shooting  parties  colour  plays  an  important  part,  in  the 
treatment  of  the  dinner  table  on  some  occasions,  and  it  is 
here  where  this  finely  coloured  Beurre  is  acceptable  in 
accentuating  the  depth  or  wealth  of  colour  in  winter  when 
so  desired.  It  is  very  marked  what  varying  reports  one  may 
hear  from  host  and  guest.  There  are  those  who  will  praise 
the  Pear  as  much  for  its  edible  qualities  as  for  its  fine  outer 
coat,  which  sometimes  assumes  a  bright  crimson  on  the 
surface  exposed  to  the  sun. 
Herefordshire  and  Dorset,  perhaps,  contributed  fruit  of 
the  finest  colour  in  the  Apple  classes,  the  Goodrich  Court 
fruit  being  particularly  meritorious,  both  for  size  and  quality. 
Similar  classes  are  provided  for  these  as  for  Pears,  with  the 
addition  of  those  for  culinary  varieties.  The  task  of  the 
judges  was  certainly  not  an  enviable  one  in  arriving  at  a  true 
and  just  verdict,  for  among  the  many  collections  and  single 
dishes  staged  there  were  little  to  choose  between  them. 
Very  few,  if  any,  could  be  found  fault  with,  either  in  collec¬ 
tions  or  single  dishes,  and  not  a  few  had  to  go  away  dis¬ 
appointed.  Cox’s  Orange,  King  and  Ribston  Pippins,  com¬ 
prised  three  out  of  four  varieties  in  several  exhibits  of 
dessert.  Blenheim,  Cornish  Gillyflower — always  a  favourite 
with  the  judges  at  Bristol — Adam’s  Pearmain,  Baumann’s 
Red  Reinette,  Monmouthshire  Beauty,  Margil,  Court  Pendu 
Plat,  Scarlet  Pearmain,  Brownlee’s  Russet — a  very  pretty 
Apple — Fearn’s  Pippin,  and  American  Mother,  the  latter 
very  fine  in  colour,  comprised  the  bulk  of  variety  in  the  des- 
Fan-shaped  Apricot  Trek  at  Weston  House.  A  Model  of  fine  Training.  (See  525.) 
