January  5,  1899. 
7 
JOURN'AL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
and  market  gard<  ns  were  absorbed,  and  fruit  trees  throve  in  the 
freshly  broken  ground  enclosed  within  the  garden  walls  ;  but  of  late 
years  the  speculative  builder  lias  converted  the  light  roil  into  mortar 
for  building  purposes,  and  the  new  gardens  c  aisist  generaUy  of  clay 
and  rubbish  fenced  in  with  oak  palings.  The  fine  old  gardens  of 
Dulwich,  Tulse  lldl,  Strealham,  Putney,  and  other  suburbs  still 
remain,  but  tho  surface  soil  is  generally  exhausted,  sour,  and  full  of 
fungoid  germs.  To  buy  fresh  soil  in  quantity  would  now  be  an 
enormous  expense,  and  the  question  is.  What  should  be  done  to  restore 
fertility  to  the  soil  ? 
“  I  am  afraid  that  the  art  of  trenching  is  in  danger  of  being  lost  in 
the  suburbs  of  London.  Nearly  all  young  gardeners  want  to  get  into 
the  glass  houses  and  amongst  the  flower  pots.  The  first  tool  put  into 
the  hands  of  a  young  gardener  should  be  a  spade,  and  if  he  do  not 
begin  to  use  it  in  early  years  he  will  never  have  the  muscles  or  the 
inclination  to  use  it  manfully.  If  yon  want  trenching  done  i)ropcrly 
you  must  look  about  for  some  old  labourers  to  do  it.  Of  course  a 
good  deal  depends  upon  the  subsoil,  and  I  do  not  advocate  the  bring¬ 
ing  up  to  the  surface  a  quantity  of  gravel  or  stiff  clay.  But  a  portion 
of  the  latter  material  may  with  advantage  be  turned  up,  and  when 
dressed  with  lime  and  exposed  to  the  frost  it  will  soon  break  down 
and  admit  of  being  incorporated  with  the  rest  of  tho  soil.  Where  it 
can  bo  done  some  clay  should  be  burnt  or  charred  and  worked  in  with 
the  rest.  All  lime  and  brick  rubble  should  be  saved.  The  ashes  of 
rubbish  heaps,  soot,  sweepings  of  the  poultry  yard,  dovee  )te,  and 
stable,  refuse  from  tho  kitchen,  weeds,  and  leaves  should  bo  collected 
and  spread  over  the  ground  to  bo  turned  into  tho  bottom  of  tho 
trench,  so  as  to  be  buried  with  tho  stale  and  exhausted  soil  from  the 
surface. 
“  When  the  trenching  is  complet  d  tho  surface  should  be  lioavily 
dressed  with  quicklime  and  be  left  rough  for  the  winter.  In  the 
following  spring  a  liberal  dressing  of  quarter-inch  bones  or  cearso 
boncmcal  should  be  lightly  forked  in  and  a  green  crop,  say  of  Tares, 
raised,  which  might  with  advantage  bo  dug  in  to  fre'hen  and  enrich 
the  soil.  The  land  would  then  be  tit  for  jdanting  with  fruit  trees  in 
the  following  .autumn.  Stable  litter  — I  wdll  not  call  it  manure — is  of 
but  little  value  except  as  a  mulch  in  dry  or  frosty  weather.  This 
should  be  spread  round  the  trees  after  ]>lanting,  and  when  there  is  a 
good  crop  a  sur''ace  dressing  of  any  good  manure,  consisting  mainly  of 
phosphates  and  ])otnsh  rather  than  nitrates,  should  be  sown.  The 
trees  will  require  to  be  watered  in  dry,  hot  weather,  .as  the  roots,  if 
planted  properly,  are  near  the  surface. 
“  I  have  tried  planting  maiden  trees,  but  whether  pruned  the  first 
year  or  the  second,  I  have  never  been  able  to  make  such  gO)d  bushes 
■or  pyramids  as  those  obt.ained  from  the  nurseries  under  the  descrij  tion 
of  ‘Two-year-olds,  with  some  fruit  spurs.’ 
“  AVith  res])ect  to  pruning  it  has  been  humorously  said  that  ‘  there 
are  twm  sets  of  fools — those  w’ho  prune  too  much  and  those  who  doii’t 
prune  at  all.’  I  have  found  it  better  to  bo  cautious  in  the  use  of  the 
pruning-knife  after  the  foundation  of  tho  treo  has  been  laid,  and  to 
confine  pruning  to  thinning  l  ut  objectionable  shoots  rather  than  to 
shortening  them  back.  Summer  is  to  be  preferred  to  winter  pruning, 
as  tho  wounds  heal  over  more  quickly  and  lervo  less  opportunity  to 
canker  germs  and  American  blight  to  effect  a  lodgment. 
“  Summer  pinching  has  its  uses,  but  bushes  pinched  into  stun  led 
growth  can  never  be  got  out  of  it.  I  prefer  a  more  natural  system.” 
There  are  several  excellent  essays  in  the  publication  in  addition  to 
that  from  which  w’o  have  taken  the  .above  notes.  'I'heso  compTse 
“Garden  Peas.”  by  Mr.  N.  N.  Sherw’ood,  V.M.II. ;  “Origin  of  Species 
— Inducing  Varieties,”  by  the  Kev.  Professir  G.  Ilenslown  M.A., 
V.M.II.;  “  I'lconomic  I'sc-s  of  Bamboos,”  by  j\Ir.  A.  B.  Frecmrn 
Mitford,  C.B. ;  “  Hybrid  Water  Lilies,”  by  ^lons.  •  Robert  Latonr 
M.arliac  ;  “  Water  Lilies,”  by  Mr.  J.as.  Hudson,  A^.M.H.  ; 
“  Perpetual  Strawberries,”  by  Mens.  Henri dc  Vilmorin,  F.R.II.S. ;  and 
“  Disa  grandiflora,”  by  Mr.  F.  W.  Birkinshaw. 
COMMENTS  ON  APPLES. 
Mr.  Picker  has  taken  my  criticisms  very  well  on  the  whole,  but 
I  wish  he  had  left  out  tho  last  sentence.  He  must  not  forget  that  he 
specially  invited  criticism.  As  to  Bramley’s  Seedling,  the  difficulty 
appears  to  be  that  it  takes  up  too  much  room.  This  also  seems  to  be 
the  objection  taken  to  it  by  a  writer  in  the  previous  number  of  tho 
Journal  (which  is  unfortunately  mislaid,  so  that  I  have  forgotten  his 
signature).  Ho  grafted  Bramley’s,  and  it  grow  luxuriantly  for  two 
years,  and  then  he  root-pruned  it !  A  two-year-old  graft !  Bramley 
is  not  a  toy  or  a  pocket  Apple  tree,  but  a  fine  big  tree,  to  produce 
Apples  by  tho  sackful,  and  it  should  not  be  planted  or  grafted  where 
there  is  not  room  for  it. 
I  hoped  I  had  a  little  claim  to  the  grand  old  title  of  gardener ;  but, 
anyhow,  it  is  a  piece  of  nows  to  me  that  it  is  not  the  gardener,  nor  yet  the 
unfortunate  folk  who  have  to  eat  the  produce, but  the  “practical  cook” 
who  decides  upon  what  varieties  .are  to  be  grown.  1  know  it  is  tho 
gencr,al  itle.a — traditional  with  cooks  w!io  do  not  have  to  eat  it,  but 
general  ideas  are  not  alwiys  right — ttiat  Ap])le  sauce  should  be  .acid. 
I  like  sweet  App'es  for  sauce ;  acidity  gives  me  tho  gout  cr  b.ad 
temper  or  som/thing.  Somebody  wrote,  he  supposed  I  did  not  like  to 
eit  sugar  with  my  Ap  les.  Well,  I  do  not,  when  I  can  get  the  sugar, 
naturally  provided  and  properly  mixed,  in  the  Apples  themselves. 
Mr.  Picker  writes  of  a  gardener  carrying  in  Lane’s  Prince  Albert 
for  dessert,  wli )  said  they  were  appreciated  “as  a  change.”  It  that 
g. ardencr’s  employer  likes  a  change  from  best  to  worse  for  the  sake  of 
change,  I  can  only  s.ay  I  do  not  agree  with  him.  My  “fixed  taste” 
is  that  “  tho  best  of  everything  is  good  enou:;h  for  me.” 
Mr.  Picker  makes  a  point  when  he  says  that  he  cannot  understand 
how  I  can  grow  Cox’s  Orange  when  my  soil  is  not  good  enough  for 
Ga-5oyno’s  Seedling.  Well,  I  cann  d  grow  Cox’s  Orange  to  size  .and 
perfection  without  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  but  I  must  have  it  if  I  can 
posdbly  manage  it,  .as  I  have  nothing  to  take  its  p'ace,  whereas  I  cim 
find  a  substitute  for  G.a^goyne’s  Seedling.  By  using  all  means  of 
strong  and  suitable  stocks  and  high  feeding  I  can  get  Cox’s  Or.ange  to 
grow  well  and  to  fruit  freely  for  my  own  consumption,  but  not  to 
jiroduco  s.amplcs  fit  to  compete  with  those  grown  on  better  land..  I 
h. ave  not  succeeded  so  well  wit’n  Ribston  Pippin,  and  .an}  how  I  should 
])refer  the  o' her. 
Yes,  I  do  go  to  church.  I  have  never  heard  anyone  find  fault 
with  me  in  that  respect.  As  to  str  nons,  I  am  sa  unfortunatciy 
situated  that  I  alwa\s  have  to  listen  to  the  same  man.  Yes,  I  am 
getting  rather  tired  of  him.  His  sermons  are  not  “very  good,”  and 
1  am  afraid  others  wou'd  object  to  the  “same  two  every  wee’s  for 
ciiht  or  nine  months,”  cv.n  if  I  did  not.  In  short,  I  am  still  of 
opinion  that  t  )o  many  varieties  of  Apples  are  grown  as  a  rule,  but  I 
kno'.v  it  is  a  g  ,0(1  tost  of  the  energy  of  a  g.ardenor,  whether  he  w.ll 
have  the  pduck,  graduallv,  perhap.'!,  but  surely,  to  do  aw.ay  with  every¬ 
thing — evt-n  ‘‘useful”  varieties— .and  grow  otily  what  ho  finds  to  bi 
the  best  in  his  O'.vn  garden. — W.  R.  Raillem. 
APPLES  IN  IRELAND. 
I  HAVE  re, ad  IMr.  Birdney's  letter  on  p.ago  431,  Dectmber  8th  l.'st, 
and  have  to  thank  him  for  hi.s  appreciative  remarks.  I  regret  much  I 
w.is  not  at  home  when  he  called  to  sec  my  humble  efforts  at  fruit 
farming.  I  .am  greatly  ide.ased  to  know  that  so  gool  an  .authority  was 
well  t  leased  with  what  ho  saw.  He  asks  hoav  I  got  tho  idea  of  grow‘- 
ing  Bramley ’s  Seedling,  and  wlwn  I  give  my  reason  it  will  .also  be  a 
reply  to  your  correspondent  “  K.,  who  spraks  of  wholesale 
failures  in  Ireland  where  Apple  growing  has  boon  tried. 
kly  idc.a  of  growing  Bramley’s  so  largely  came  in  lhi.s  way.  I 
v’sited  a  number  of  gardens  in  the  d  strict  where  the  soil  was  similar 
to  mine,  and  found  most  of  the  leading  varieties  of  App  es  in  them. 
Some  were  a  partial  success,o;hers  utter  failures;  I  only  found  Bramley’s 
in  two  gardens.  It  was  a  gre.at  success  in  both  ;  I  therefore  concluded 
that  it  would  be  a  waste  of  time  and  money  to  plant  anything  else  on 
a  large  sc.ile.  I  began  with  one  hundred  young  trees,  and  grafted  my 
old  trees  from  them. 
Another  view  led  me  to  grow  this  variety.  It  is  late,  and  the  fruit 
keeps  well.  If  I  had  early  Apj  les,  such  as  Lord  Siiffieldor  Ecklinville, 
good  as  they  undoubtedly  are,  I  could  not  sell  them  for  half  the  money 
Bramley’s  would  realise,  because  most  of  the  orchards  in  Ireland  are 
early,  and  the  market  is  glutted  in  October.  If  Api'les  are  cheap  then, 
I  can  hold  mine  over  till  Christmas,  cr  even  till  April,  when  I  am  sure 
of  a  gool  price.  In  March,  American  Apples  are  over.  Bramley’s  is 
then  in  jvrfcction,  and  the  crops  sidl  at  gocid  prices.  Our  cold,  damp 
climrte,  I  believe,  suits  late  varieties.  Foreign  Apjiles  (Australian 
exceirted)  are  of  little  value  in  March.  We  can  compete  with  them  for 
late  Apples,  but  we  have  not  sun  enough  to  equal  them  in  the  early 
v.irieties. 
I  did  not  go  in  for  Bnamley’s  alone  ;  I  tried  Lane’s  Prince  Albert, 
Stirling  Castle,  Devonshire  Quarrenden,  L  rd  Suffield,  Worcester 
Pearmain,  Ecklinville,  King  of  the  Pippins,  Cox’s  Orange  and  Ribston  _ 
Pippins,  Blenheim  Pippin,  Grenadier,  and  Duchess  of  Oldenburg. 
I  find  Ribston  does  better  than  the  Cox’s  Orange  or  King  as  standards, 
but  all  need  a  wall.  Blenheim  will  not  do  at  .all  here  as  a  standard, 
but  succeeds  fairly  well  as  cordons  against  wialls.  I  only  tried  frona 
two  to  six  trees  of  each  variety,  in  order  to  find  tho.so  which  would 
suit  the  land,  and  as  soon  .as  I  found  a  variety  avould  not  answer  I 
grafted  it  with  Bramley’s,  bec.ause  it  proved  suitable.  I  believe  in 
increasing  those  that  will  flourish,  and  clearing  out  all  that  will  not. 
I  do  not  like  to  see  things  in  a  failing  state,  and  have  no  time  to  try 
to  induce  them  to  grow. 
I  think  if  those  growers  “  K.,  Dulling  writes  of  had  begun  in  a 
proper  way  by  testing  their  land  with  a  number  of  varieties,  they 
would  find  at  the  end  of  three  years  that  a  few  would  answer,  and 
instead  of  planting  (a  collection)  500,  had  several  trees  of  the  few  which 
succeeded,  they  would  not  have  failed. — J.  8.  Smitu,  Oaklands,  Boi/Ie. 
