April  20,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
323 
being  in  Norfolk,  but  some  in  Cambridgeshire.  Ei"lity  tons  of  Goose¬ 
berries  have  been  (les|)atche(i  from  Wisbech  Station  in  one  day. 
Strawberries  and  Raspberries  are  very  extensively  fjrown,  and  Mr. 
Richard  Rath  and  his  partners,  whose  great  fruit  and  flower  farms 
were  visited,  gathered  40  tons  of  Strawberries  in  one  day  in  18'J0. 
The  two  firms  of  which  Mr.  Bath  is  head  hold  900  acres  of  land,  about 
850  acres,  as  the  foreman  of  one  of  the  firms  estimated,  being  under 
fruit,  including  210  acres  of  Strawberries.  The  fine  alluvial  soil 
(some  of  it  let  at  £3  an  acre)  is  perfect  for  liaspberries,  and  apparently 
suits  other  fruits  also.  Very  little  fruit,  according  to  my  informant, 
was  grown  in  the  district  sixteen  years  ago,  when  Mr.  Bath  started  his 
great  enterprise.” 
Values  ok  Middlesex  Orchards. 
Mr.  W.  E.  Bear,  in  his  article  to  which  last  week  you  made  reference, 
seemed  to  regard  £10  per  acre  rental  per  year  for  fruit  orchards  in 
Middle.sex  as  very  high.  No  doubt  it  is,  but  in  the  neighbourhood 
where  I  so  long  resided  such  rents  were  common  for  established 
orchards,  although  they  fell  somewhat  later.  When  an  orchard  is 
planted,  as  so  many  in  Middlesex  are,  with  Apple-!,  Beais,  and  Plums, 
fairly  close,  and  Gooseberries  and  (Jurrants  almost  densely  between 
them,  and  is  in  its  tenth  or  twelfth  year,  it  is  in  the  most  fruitful 
condition,  and  the  7)roduce  is  on  the  average  enormous.  But  such  a 
method  of  cropping  soon  exhausts  the  soil,  because  when  the  top  trees 
become  strong  they  need  all  the  I'oot  area  the  ground  affords,  whilst  the 
roots  of  the  bushes  nearer  the  surface  practically  absorb  all  the  surface 
manure  dressing,  and  the  trees  get  little. 
If  the  top  trees  are  at  their  be.st  from  the  tenth  to  tie  fifteenth 
year,  the  bushes  are  best  from  the  fourth  to  the  tenth  year,  and 
certainly  by  the  twelfth  year  they  should  be  de.stroyed,  thus  enabling 
the  tree  roots  to  obtain  needful  food,  whilst  the  surface  might  be 
cropped  with  Daffodils,  Violets,  Wallflowers,  Queen  Stock.s,  and 
similar  plants,  which  being  from  time  to  time  cleared  off  enables  the 
.soil  to  be  freely  dres.sed,  and  surface  cultivated.  Mr.  Walker  at 
Ham  does  not  grow  bushes  beneath  the  trees,  as  they  are  generally  of 
bush  form  rather  than  standards,  but  flowers  are  cultivated.  By 
bush  cultivation  higher  class  fruits  are  obtained  than  is  the  case 
with  standard  trees,  as  these  usually  are  of  commoner  varieties ;  not 
but  that  very  free-fruitin'r  common  varieties  as  a  rule  jay  well,  but 
then  they  do  not  produce  that  description  of  high-class  fruits  which 
are  so  much  needed  in  our  best  markets. — A.  D. 
NOTES  ON  PEACHES. 
Peach  Buds  Dropping;, 
I  SHOULD  like  to  give  my  opinion  on  this  point.  Mr.  Markham 
(page  2.52,  March  .30th)  is  of  the  opinion  tliai  the  mischief  is  done  before 
starting  time.  My  aim  has  always  been  to  prevent  bud-dropping,  and  a 
few  details  as  to  my  practice  may  not  be  out  of  place.  Immediately  the 
crop  of  fruit  is  gathered  the  border  is  dressed  with  lime,  until  it  looks  as 
if  there  had  been  a  fall  of  snow,  forking  it  into  the  border  at  once,  and 
follow  in  a  day  or  two  with  a  thorough  watering.  The  next  operation  is 
to  work  into  the  surface  soil  a  mixture  of  charred  ashes  and  soil,  and  the 
border  is  never  allowed  to  become  dry,  as  I  think  this  is  conducive  to 
weakness  in  some  portion  of  the  tree.  Instead  of  this  we  want  continued 
progress  to  assist  the  growth  and  formation  of  the  buds,  and  to  encourage 
the  storage  of  sap  for  the  coming  season.  Constant  watch  is  kept  on  the 
wood  and  buds,  the  house  being  ventilated  to  its  utmost  capacity,  syringing 
being  practised  morning  and  night.  When  the  wood  is  thoroughly  ripe 
syringing  ceases,  and  the  trees  are  given  their  required  rest  in  the  lowest 
possible  temperature. 
At  starting  time,  after  seeing  that  the  border  is  properly  moist,  we 
commence  forcing  with  the  ventilators  a  l.ttle  open,  and  the  pipes  kept 
warm.  This  1  consider  the  criiical  period  in  the  dropping  of  the  buds, 
which  I  attribute  to  the  expansion  and  contraction  of  the  sap,  directly  in 
connection  wiih  the  expansion  and  contraction  of  the  atmosphere.  Bearing 
this  in  mind,  I  endeavour  to  make  the  atmospheric  conditions  as  natural  as 
possible.  Early  on  each  morning,  and  again  the  last  thing  at  night,  the  houses 
receive  a  thorough  syringing,  the  pipes  being  kept  warm,  and  the  venti¬ 
lators  a  little  open  ;  water  is  given  in  accordance  with  the  drainage  of 
the  border.  I  must  have  continually  a  free  circulation  of  air  passing 
through  the  Beach  house,  night  and  day,  so  that  I  may  avoid  any 
suspicion  of  weakness,  and  insure,  so  far  as  in  my  power,  the  perfect 
development  of  the  flowers.  Everything  is  kept  scrupulously  clean,  which 
with  the  healthy  grow th  induces  each  portion  of  the  tree  to  perform 
its  proper  functions. 
Artificiality  is  the  cause  of  Beach  buds  falling.  If  the  foundation  is 
not  laid  by  naturally  well  ripened  wood,  and  the  roots  are  unhealthy 
so  as  to  do  their  duty  when  called  upon,  then  failure  must  ensue. 
Imitate  Nature  so  far  as  is  possible,  providing  showers  by  the  aid  of 
the  syringe  ;  secure  warm  air  currents  through  the  house  by  proper 
manipulation  of  the  ventilators,  and  provide  a  warm  and  genial  instead 
of  a  cold  sap-chilling  atmosphere  ;  and  success  should  follow.  In 
conclusion  I  may  say  that  I  am  convinced  sufficient  attention  is  not  paid 
to  ventilation,  as  with  fresh  air  and  slightly  more  warmth  in  the  pijies, 
we  should  do  much  better  than  is  the  case  at  present. — II.  Mitchei.l, 
Druidstone, 
HARDY  FLOWERS  IN  APRIL. 
A  HACkward  season  doe.s  not  inspire  one’s  pen,  and  such  it  has 
been  up  till  now.  The  Daffodils  are  here,  but  not  in  the  numbers  wo 
are  wont  to  have  at  this  time  in  ordinary  staf-ons,  and  the  laggards 
move  slowly  towards  their  ojiening  stage.  There  are  jdeniy  of 
buds,  and  one  cannot  complain  of  sparse  flowering,  either  among  those 
in  bloom  or  those  which  will  follow  on.  Big  clump.s  of  telarnonius 
plenus,  Henry  Irving,  Mrs.  H.  J.  Elwes,  and  ’I'ottenham  Yellow  give 
a  welcome  brightness  below  the  grey  skies  above.  Muscaris  grow,  the 
pretty  clustered  bells  on  their  close  spikes  looking  fine  among  the 
green  leaves.  I  often  think  none  is  prettier  than  the  old  M.  botryoide.s, 
Vjut  there  are  beautie.s,  too,  in  the  flowers  of  M.  conicum,  M.  Ixitryoidea 
album,  M.  Szovitzianum,  M.  racemosurn,  and  others.  Buschkinias 
are  yet  in  flower,  and  look  pretty  with  their  pearly  white  and  blue 
blooms.  A  few  late  plants  of  Scilla  bifolia  carnea  are  still  fresh,  and 
Scilla  sibirica  has  not  yet  jjassed  away. 
Seldom  have  we  so  few  blooms  of  Anemone  coronaria  at  this  time 
as  this  year.  There  are  many  flowers  on  A.  blanda,  which  has  beer» 
later  than  usual.  A.  apennina  has  caught  up  with  its  congtmer,  and 
with  its  white  and  rosy  varieties  looks  pdeasirig.  Channitig,  too,  are 
A.  nemorosa  purpurea  and  A.  ranunculoides  jjallida.  Brimroses  and 
Polyanthuses  looked  unpromising  for  a  time,  but  they  have  been  fast 
making  up  leeway  and  now  are  covered  with  bloom.  The  variety  of 
colours  and  shades  they  give  is  very  plea.sing  to  see. 
Aubrietias  and  Arabis  have  not  assutned  their  full  garment  of 
flower,  but  are  attractive  for  all  that,  with  the  purple  and  white 
blooms  on  their  sheets  of  green.  Some  of  the  1  tog’s  Tooth  Violets 
are  pleasing  still,  though  others,  as  their  wont  is,  have  passed  quickly 
away.  Here  is  E.  grandiflorum,  and  there  is  E.  Siuithi,  with  its 
light-looking  butterfly  flowers  of  while,  with  yellow  base  and  purple- 
flushed  exterior.  In  a  rather  moist  but  .sunny  place  it  is  now 
established  below  a  clump  of  Primula  Sieboldi,  which  is  as  yet  only 
an  inch  high.  Some  Aljjine  Primulas  are  in  bloom,  but  the  jiast 
winter  has  not  favoured  them,  so  that  they  give  less  bloom  than 
usual.  Neither  P.  denticnlata  nor  its  variety  or  sub-species  cash- 
meriana  are  nearly  so  fine  as  they  usually  are. 
The  quairit  Fritillarias  are  coming  on.  Already  some  of  the 
varieties  of  F.  Meleagtis  are  in  bloom.  The  jieculiar,  yet  jiretty, 
F.  acmopetala,  and  the  charming  F.  pallidifiora,  with  others,  will 
shortly  flower.  On  the  rofkwork  the  old-fashioned  Pulrnonaria 
officinalis,  in  several  varieties,  looks  not  uncomely  in  its  own  wav, 
while  the  one  named  saccharata  picta  will  be  useful  by-and-by  with 
its  white  sjjlashed  leaves. 
Rhododendron  jirsEcox  has  jtarted  with  its  bloom  for  the  year,  but 
It.  ciliatura  alburn  has  taken  up  the  tale,  and  now  looks  beautilul  in 
its  sheltered  place.  Cytisus  pratcox  is  showing  colour  along  its  stems, 
and  C.  ratisbonensis  or  biflorus  will  run  it  hard  for  hrst  place  among 
the  hardy  Brooms.  On  a  sunny  wall  and  against  a  trellis  Forsythia 
susjjen.^a  is  covered  with  golden  blossoms.  They  look  so  fragile  that  one 
is  surprised  to  see  them  last  so  long.  Erica  carnea  is  as  fresh  as  ever,  too, 
and  E.  mediterranea  alba  has  also  come  into  bloom.  The  Doronicums 
are  not  yet  in  full  flower,  but  D.  caucasicum  is  charming  even  now. 
Sanguinaria  canadensis — the  Puccoori  or  Bloodroot — is  as  delightful 
as  usual  when  it  opens  out  to  the  sun;  and  Triteleia  uniflora,  which  is- 
a  weed  with  some,  is  beautiful  near  by.  A  little  Ornithogalurn,  whose 
acquaintance  I  have  not  long  made,  is  0.  tenuifolium,  an  attractive 
species  which  is,  I  am  told,  less  obtrusive  and  encroaching  in  its  ways 
than  most  of  its  friends.  It  is  crowded  with  its  silvery  white  flowers. 
Violets  are  delicious  with  their  fragrance — a  gift  so  jireciousastomake 
them  prized  for  that  alone  had  they  not  the  arlditional  beauty  of  colour 
to  recommend  them.  In  a  shady  place  Cardamine  rutundifolia  has 
shot  up  its  stems  with  their  small  white  flowers,  and  the  Saxifrages 
known  as  Maga-seas,  such  as  S.  cordifolia,  ligulata,  or  Stracheyi,  have 
begun  to  bloom. 
Not  many  of  the  Tulips  are  ready  to  flower,  but  the,  as  yet,  rare 
T.  Kaufmarmiana  has  kept  ojjen  for  a  fortnight  despite  the  weather 
we  have  had,  and  a  flower  on  a  clump,  sent  me  some  years  ago  from> 
Chios,  keeps  it  comjiany.  There  are  double  Daisies,  (Jorydalises,  the 
rare  ^illa  italica  alba,  with  stray  blooms  on  other  jilants,  so  that,  lato 
as  is  the  season,  its  reoird  of  bloom  is  not  a  barren  one.  The  impulse 
of  Nature  has  come  to  the  flowers,  and  bloom  they  must,  cold  and 
cheerless  though  the  time. — S.  Arnoti’. 
A  Nedlected  Ca.mellia.  —  Perhaps  Camellias  are  generally 
neglected  nowadays,  though  it  is  gratifying  to  now  and  then  meet  with 
champions  of  this  tine  old  flower.  Only  recently  I  saw  growing  on  the 
back  wall  of  a  Beach  house  a  tree  of  the  old-fashioned  single  white 
Camellia  now  so  rarely  met  with.  The  tree  was  a  mass  of  bloom,  and 
the  pure  white  flowers  with  golden-yellow  stamens  were  exceedingly 
effective.  The  outcry  against  the  Camellia  for  some  time  past  has  been 
that  the  flowers  are  stiff  and  artificial-looking,  but  surely  this  cannot  be  said 
about  the  single  white.  Its  delicate  nature  and  tendency  to  droji  makes  it 
unsuitable  for  cutting,  but  when  grown  in  pots  and  covered  with  flower 
there  is  no  plant  more  effective  at  a  time  when  bloom  is  scarce. — 11. 
