January  12,  189?. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
33 
the  above  recipe,  our  editor  would  be  inundated  with  inquiries  for  the 
cure  of  the  evil. 
A  very  little  practical  experience  is  worth  a  great  amount  of 
theory,  and  as  Peach  culture  has  been  rather  extensively  carried  cut 
in  the  gardens  of  which  I  have  charge,  I  will  briefly  state  the  simple 
ingredients  we  use.  At  the  present  time  we  have  upwards  of  sixty 
trees  planted  under  glass.  Onr  .soil  is  heavy  on  the  magnesian  lime- 
.stone  formation,  too  heavy  for  Peaches;  we  therefore  use  loam  of  a 
lighter  texture,  somewhat  inclined  to  be  sandy,  in  the'proportion  of 
one-haP'.  To  ten  loads  of  the  above  we  use  about  three  barrowloads  of 
wood  ashes,  and  the  same  quantity  of  broken  brickbats  about  the  size 
of  a  pullet’s  e^g.  No  manure  of  any  description  is  used.  The  border 
is  well  drained  with  rubble,  and  a  drain  is  laid  in  a  convenient  place  to 
carry  aw.ay  the  surplus  avater.  The  border  is  not  made  more  than 
18  inches  in  depth.  The  soil  is  made  very  firm  and  the  trees  planted. 
We  formed  a  border  on  the  above  lines  in  the  autumn  of  189G.  The 
trees  avere  obtained  from  a  well  knoavn  nursery  avhilst  they  avere  in 
green  leaf,  as  the  house  aa'as  intended  for  early  forcing.  They  made 
rapid  growth  the  first  season,  and  during  the  past  summer  a  heavy 
crop  of  large  handsome  fruit  avas  gathered  before  the  end  of  June. 
The  majority  of  the  trees  avere  12  feet  in  height,  and,  avhere  they  had 
room  to  develop,  avere  as  much  through.  The  trees  avere  and  are  now 
in  the  best  of  health. 
All  that  is  require  !  to  grow  good  Peaches  is  sound  loam  of  medium 
texture.  If  the  soil  is  deficient  in  lime  some  lime  rubble  may  be 
added  avith  advantage,  but  care  is  required  in  selecting,  as  the  lime 
made  from-  the  magnesian  limestone  will  often  do  more  harm  than 
good.  Hence  the  reason  we  prefer  broken  brickbats  where  lime  is  not 
necessary. 
If  good  Peaches  can  be  grown  and  the  trees  kept  in  a  healthy 
condition  on  the  above  simple  lines,  why  use  an  expensive  and  unsafe 
concoction  as  mentioned  in  the  recipe  cited  ? — S.,  YorTts. 
In  response  to  the  invitation  of  “  A.  D.”  for  expressions  of  vieavs, 
my  experience  leads  me  to  think  that  the  rich  fare  so  often  provided 
for  Peach  and  Vine  borders  is  not  essential  to  the  production  of  fruit 
either  in  quantity  or  quality.  If  the  turfy  loam  and  various  manures 
were  used  less  freely  in  the  making  of  borders,  more  opening  material 
being  added,  the  borders  would  be  in  a  condition  to  sustain  healthy 
root  action  after  the  first  few  years.  That  turf  freely  used  does 
induce  rapid  growth  there  is  no  doubt,  as  the  roots,  by  the  fermen¬ 
tation  of  the  fibre,  are  in  a  mild  hotl  ed  ;  but  after  decomposition  has 
taken  place  the  soil  settles  into  a  cold  miss  through  which  water  and 
air  cannot  pass  freely. 
For  the  past  seven  years  I  have  had  the  management  of  three 
Peach  houses.  The  trees  have  borne  heavy  crops  of  fruit  each  season, 
improving  in  health  at  the  same  time.  They  have  all  been  lifted, 
but  no  fresh  soil  was  used.  'J’he  soil  from  one  side  of  each  tree  was 
carefully  picked  from  among  the  roots  and  burnt  refuse  freely  mixed 
with  it  as  hot  as  it  could  be  obtained  from  the  fire  heap,  as  well  as  a 
few  barrowloads  of  mortar  rubbish.  These  were  well  mixed,  and  the 
following  day  the  mixture  was  dry  enough  to  bear  ramming  without 
running  together.  The  drainage  having  been  seen  to,  we  commenced 
to  fill  in  the  border.  As  the  soil  was  returned  it  was  trodden  and 
rammed  as  firmly  as  possible.  When  within  6  inches  of  the  original 
border  we  commenced  to  lay  in  some  of  the  roots,  covering  them  with 
sail  and  treading  it  firmly;  the  surface  was  then  mulched  with  short 
litter  and  a  watering  given.  In  May  the  whole  of  the  borders  were 
mulched  with  short  litter.  The  trees  were  watered  with  weak  liquid 
manure  each  time  water  was  necessary. 
Towards  the  end  of  the  year  the  mulch  was  raked  off,  and  a  good 
dusting  of  lime  pointed  in.  Later  the  houses  had  a  dressing  of  earth- 
closet  manure,  watered  in  with  stronger  liquid  manure.  The  borders 
are  18  inches  deep,  with  from  3  to  GJnehes  of  drainage.  As  the 
prunings  of  shrubs,  trees,  aud  old  Pea  stakes  were  used  in  burning  the 
refuse,  and  these  kept  covered  over  to  smoulder,  the  heap  contained 
charcoal  and  wood  ashes. 
Chrysanthemums,  Arums,  Azaleas,  and  other  pots  were  stood  on 
the  Peach  and  Vine  borders;  but  the  watering  of  these  did  not 
prevent  the  roots  working  on  the  sinface,  which  we  attributed  to  the 
firmness  and  porosity  of  the  borders. — S.  Backhouse,  Shrewsbury. 
The  Value  of  Lime. — It  is  well  known  that  lime  is  a  valuable 
agent  in  correcting  the  sourness  of  land,  in  unlocking  the  unavailable 
potash,  phosphoric  acid,  and  nitrogen  in  the  soil,  and  as  a  general  soil 
improver.  Many  plants  are  benefited  by  the  application  of  lime  to  the 
soil,  but  some  are  injured  by  it.  Experiments  made  at  the  Rhode  Island 
Experiment  Station  show  that  Onion,  Parsnip,  Celer}',  CauliBower, 
Spinach,  Lettuce,  Beet,  Asparagus,  Cucumber,  Cabbage,  Turnip,  Peas, 
and  Kohl  Rabi  are  benefited  by  its  use  ;  that  Carrots,  Potatoes,  and  Rye 
are  indifferent  to  liming  ;  Sorrel  and  blue  Lupines  are  positively  injured 
by  the  use  of  lime.  Lime  is  especially  valuable  to  land  that  has  been 
continually  heavily  dressed  with  stable  manure,  and  which  is  showing 
signs  of  being  less  fertile  than  formerly. 
SIR  W.  T.  THISELTON  DYER,  K.C.M.G. 
The  distinguished  and  popular  director  of  the  Royal  Gardens,  Kew\ 
will  be  the  recipient  of  a  host  of  congratulations,  in  which  we  cordially 
join,  on  the  occasion  of  the  honour  of  knighthood  conferred  upon  him  in 
recognition  of  his  services  to  Colonial  Governments. 
When  Sir  William,  then  Mr.  Dyer,  was  appointed  to  his  present 
position  in  1885  we  published  his  portrait  and  gave  a  sketch  of  his  career, 
and  said  of  him  : — His  devotion  to  science,  and  especially  natural  science, 
his  notable  antecedents,  and  his  ten  years’  probationary  work  as  assistant 
director  of  the  Gardens,  eminently  fitted  and  recommended  him  for  the 
appointment.  The  directorship  of  Kew  is  a  post  that  requires  of  the 
holder  a  special  training.  It  is  one  which  no  mere  botanist,  any  more 
than  no  mere  gardener,  is  capable  of  filling  satisfactorily,  but  it  requires 
a  judicious  combination  of  the  two.  These  qualities  are  well  met  in  Mr. 
Dyer,  who,  though  eminently  a  man  of  science,  has  also  a  broad  practical 
side  which  can  be  turned  at  any  time  in  the  direction  where  it  is  required. 
He  knows  that  science  without  practice  is  dead,  and  that  it  is  only  when 
applied  that  it  is  really  living. 
Mr.  Dyer  w-as  born  on  .Tuly  28th,  1843,  in  Westminster,  and  his  early 
education  was  acquired  at  King’s  College  School,  and  he  entered  the 
medical  department  in  1861  as  Warneford  scholar.  In  1863  a  junior 
studentship  at  Christ  Church,  Oxford,  was  offered  for  open  competition, 
which  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  obtain.  His  first  appointment  was  that 
of  Professor  of  Natural  History  in  the  Agricultural  College  of  Cirencester.. 
In  1870  Mr.  D^’cr  became  Professor  of  Botany  in  the  Royal  College  of 
Science  for  Ireland  in  succession  to  Dr.  Wyville  Thomson.  Part  of  his 
official  duties  in  Dublin  was  to  deliver  a  short  course  of  popular  lectures. 
Reports  of  these  appeared  in  some  of  the  Irish  papers,  and  were  reprinted 
in  the  ‘‘  Gardeners’  Chronicle.”  This  circumstance  brought  him  to  the 
notice  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  from  whom  he  received  an 
invitation  to  join  the  staff  as  Professor  of  Botany  with  a  seat  on  the 
Chiswick  Board  of  Direction,  and  he  returned  to  London  in  1871.  In- 
1875  the  Government  revived  the  office  of  Assistant  Director  of  the 
Royal  Gardens,  and  Mr.  Dyer  was  offered  the  appointment.  Haviug 
taken  up  his  residence  at  Kew  two  years  previously  he  had  opportunities 
of  becoming  acquainted  with  the  work  of  the  establishment,  and  he 
accepted  the  offer,  though  with  some  misgivings,  as  it  seemed  to  close 
the  door  finally  to  a  teaching  career,  which  he  had  then  most  at  heart. 
Mr.  Dyer  (“as  was”)  is  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society,  and  in 
Consideration  of  his  admirable  management  of  Kew,  and  of  services 
rendered  to  the  Crown  Colonies,  her  Majesty  conferred  upon  him  the- 
distidfction  of  Knight  Commander  of  the  Most  Distinguished  Order  of 
St.  Michael  and  St.  George.  May  ho  long  live  to  enjoy  the  well- 
merited  recognition,  which  is  a  compliment  also  to  botany  and 
horticulture. 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 
DRILL  HALL.— January  10th. 
As  is  customary  at  the  opening  mreting  of  the  year  exhibits  were  by 
no  means  numerous  They  were,  however,  fairly  well  diversified,  and 
contained  several  plants  of  more  than  average  interest.  Orchids  were 
good,  as  were  the  fruits  from  Mr.  W.  J.  Empson. 
Fruit  Committee. — Present  :  P.  Crowley,  Esq.  (m  the  chair)  ; 
with  the  Rev.  W.  Wilks  and  Messrs.  G.  Bunyard,  J.  Cheal,  J.  H.  Veitch, 
W.  Poupart,  J.  Glceson,  A.  H.  Pearson,  A.  Dean,  A.  F.  Barro^  W. 
Batts,  W.  Farr,  W.  J.  Empson,  G.  Wythe?,  U.  Balderson,  i.  Q. 
Lane,  G.  Reynold.^,  G.  Norman,  and  J.  Willard. 
Mr.  W.  J.  Empson,  gardener  to  Mrs.  Wingfield,  Ampthill,  staged 
thirty-eight  dishes  of  Apples.  They  were  very  good  in  quality,  aiM  well 
preserved.  The  best  dishes  were  Peasgood’s  Nonesuch,  Lord  Derby, 
Bismarck.  Smart’s  Price  Arthur,  Wellington,  American  Mother,  Mere  de 
Menage,  Prince  Albert,  Gascoyne’s  Scarlet,  and  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin  (silver 
Knightian  medal).  Mr.  Hialop,  Bletchley  Park  Gardens,  Bletchlej, 
exhibited  a  good  dish  of  Russet  Apple  The  Scotsman.  Mr.  J.  Miller, 
gardener  to  the  Right  Hon.  Lord  Foley,  Ruxley  Lodge,  Esher,  staged  a. 
basket  of  Mushrooms  (vote  of  thanks).  IMessrs.  J.  Christmas  &  Co., 
Worplesdon,  Surrey,  forwarded  a  dozen  bottles  of  fruit  wine,  w  hich  were 
sampled  by  the  Committee,  who  passed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  sender. 
Floral  Committee. — Present  :  W.  Marshall,  Esq.  (in  the  clmir)  ; 
with  Messrs.  C.  T.  Druery,  J.  H.  Fitt,  H.  J.  Jones,  H.  B.  ISlay,  R.  Dean, 
G.  Stevens.  W.  Howe,  J.  Hudson,  J.  Jennings,  J.  F.  McLeod,  C.  d- 
S-xfer,  G.  Gordon,  C.  E.  Pearson,  C.  E.  Shea,  J.  T.  Bennett-1  oe,  J.D. 
Pawle,  Chas.  Blick,  H.  Turner,  E.  T.  Cook,  George  Paul,  and  Chas. 
Mr!  F.  Miller,  110,  Fulham  Road,  South  Kensington,  exhibited  am 
extensive  display  of  floral  dceoraiioii?.  The  flow’ers  employe  were 
Narcissi,  Tulips,  Lily  of  the  Valley,  Roman  Hyacinths,  white  Lilac,  amt 
Freesias.  The  exhibit  wms  very  bright  and  attractive  at  this  period  ot 
the  year  (silver  Banksian  medal).  Messrs.  Barr  «k  Sons,  King  Street  , 
