October  25,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
383 
in  the  matter  of  trenching.  When  we  speak  of  trenching,  we  mean 
that  the  soil  should  not  only  be  moved  to  a  good  depth,  but  that  its 
position  should  be  reversed — that  is,  the  top  spit  of  soil  is  placed  at 
the  bottom,  and  the  bottom  spit  of  soil  brought  to  the  top.  This  acts 
well,  and  brings  good  results  when  the  ground  is  of  uniform  quality ; 
but  when  there  is  a  wide  difference  between  the  two  layers,  it  is 
obvious  that  to  bury  the  fertile  top  spit  and  bring  to  the  surface  the 
hungry  subsoil  would  be  folly  if  the  ground  were  to  be  cropped  the 
1  ext  season.  Ground  that  had  not  been  previously  trenched  would 
necessarily  he  m  this  condition,  therefore  to  carry  out  trenching  in  the 
full  meaning  of  the  term  it  is 
essential  that  the  ground  should 
have  been  bastard  or  mock 
trenched.  This  is  a  method  of 
moving  the  soil,  but  not  alter¬ 
ing  its  position,  and  is  always 
the  safer  and  more  effectual 
plan  of  dealing  with  ground 
that  has  not  received  high-class 
cultivation  hitherto. 
Bastard  trenching  is  carried 
out  in  the  following  manner  : — 
Take  out  a  trench  2  feet  wide 
along  one  end  of  the  plot  of 
ground  to  be  dealt  with  and 
wheel  it  to  the  other,  removing 
the  soil  to  the  depth  of  two 
spits.  If  preferable  deal  with 
half  the  piece  only  ;  then,  instead 
of  wheeling  the  soil  to  the 
opposite  end,  place  it  at  the 
same  end  of  the  corresponding 
half,  where  it  Avill  be  in  readi¬ 
ness  to  finish,  as  the  trenching 
proceeds  down  one  half  and  up 
the  other  to  the  end  where  the 
soil  is  placed.  Having  removed 
the  two  spits  depth  of  soil,  and 
thus  excavated  the  first  trench, 
break  up  the  bottom  of  this 
with  a  spade  or  fork.  Mark  out 
the  width  of  the  next  trench, 
and  remove  the  first  spit  to  the 
same  position  as  the  previous 
two.  The  second  spit  of  the 
second  trench  may  be  then 
placed  in  the  bottom  of  the 
first.  Next  mark  out  the  third 
trench,  and  the  first  spit  from 
this  may  be  used  to  fill  up  the 
first.  Break  up  the  bottom  in 
every  case  alter  the  second 
spit  iis  removed,  and  place  on 
it  a  layer  of  manure  or  any 
decomposable  vegetable  matter. 
Decayed  manure  should  also  be 
placed  between  the  first  and 
second  spit,  especially  when 
the  ground  is  of  a  poor  char¬ 
acter. 
In  carrying  out  true  trench¬ 
ing  the  first  trench  is  dug  out 
m  the  satne  way  as  detailed  for 
bastard  trenching ;  the  bottom 
is  broken  up,  manure  introduced, 
and  the  top  spit  of  the  next 
trench  placed  in  the  bottom 
and  the  lower  spit  on  the 
top,  introducing  manure  or  not, 
between  the  first  and  second 
spit,  according  to  the  character 
of  the  crop  to  be  grown. 
If  these  methods  of  trench¬ 
ing  are  rot  alw'ays  practicable  the  ground,  in  order  to  produce 
good  results,  ought  to  be  at  least  dug  deeply — that  is,  as  deeply 
as  can  be  done  with  an  ordinary  spade.  This  is  often  all  that  is 
necessary  when  the  ground  has  been  previously  well  worked. 
Heavy  and  retentive  soil  should  be  well  broken  up  and  left 
roughly,  so  as  to  become  pulverised  by  the  action  of  rain,  frost, 
snow,  and  wind  acting  upon  it  alternately.  Stiff  or  clayey  soil 
is  frequently  ridged  for  the  winter.  This  method  presents  a  more 
extensive  surface  to  the  action  of  the  elements.  It  may  be  broken 
down  in  spring,  when  it  will  be  found  to  crumble  and  work  more 
readily  than  if  simply  dug  over  and  left  flat.  Very  sandy  and  porous 
soil  is  usually  dug  and  manured  in  spring,  because  when  manured  in 
autumn  the  fertilising  qualities  of  the  manure  are  likely  to  be  washed 
by  the  winter  rains  into  the  subsoil. — E.  Barrow. 
OQality  in  Fruit. 
Fig.  106. — Iris  ibekica. 
Although  there  has  been  such  a  wonderful  fruit  crop  this  season, 
and  where  properly  thinned 
fruit  have  apparently  finished 
well,  I  do  not  think  that,  taking 
the  average,  the  quality  is  up 
to  the  naark.  It  is  too  early 
yet  to  prophesy  as  to  the  keeping 
qualities,  but,  unless  I  am  very 
much  mistaken,  there  will  be 
many  complaints  on  this  score 
before  Christmas. 
Respecting  early  Pears,  the 
advantage  of  growing  these  on 
various  aspects  is  not  sufficiently 
taken  into  account  by  planters, 
the  consequence  being  that 
such  varieties  as  Williams’  Bon 
Chr§tien,  Souvenir  du  Congres, 
and  Beurie  de  I’Assomption 
ripen  up  very  quickly  in  a 
warm  August,  and  are  all  over 
by  the  middle  of  September. 
And  it  is  a  well-known  fact 
ihat  the  quality  of  all  these  is 
not  nearly  as  good  when  thus 
hurried  along  at  the  finish 
as  it  is  when  growing  in  a 
cool  aspect  where  they  develop 
gradually.  The  Beurre,  for 
instance,  may  with  care  be 
enjoyed  right  up  to  the  end 
of  September,  and  Beurre 
d’Amanlis  at  least  a  week  later. 
Those  who  only  grow  Souvenir 
du  Congres  and  Williams’  Bon 
Chretien  on  a  south  wall  have 
no  idea  as  to  the  true  character 
of  either,  for  even  when  gathered 
a  little  green,  as  they  ought  to 
be,  from  such  positions,  there 
is  very  seldom  that  richness  of 
flavour  and  refreshing  juiciness 
that  is  chaiacteristic  of  them  in 
their  best  form. 
Speaking  of  early  Pears,  can 
anyone  tell  me  if  it  is  possible 
to  get  flavour  in  Jules  Guyot,  a 
variety  that,  as  lar  as  I  have 
been  able  to  discover,  is  not  fit 
to  eat  at  any  time  or  under  any 
conditions  of  culture  ?  Marie 
Louise  d’Uccle  is  not  good  by 
any  means,  but  it  may  be  eaten, 
and  occasionally  when  Marie 
Louise  fails  it  is  very  useful, 
but  Jules  Guyot  is  not  fit  for 
a  costermonger’s  barrow  as  I 
have  seen  it. 
Of  early  Apples  there  are 
far  too  many  of  the  mealy  soft 
fruits  ot  the  Duchess  of  Olden 
burg  and  Mr.  Gladstone  class  ; 
they  are  not  refreshing  or  crisp, 
and  are  only  tolerated  on  account 
of  their  earliness.  A  far  better  Apple  is  Duchess’  Favourite.  I  have 
had  this  on  a  variety  of  soils  and  situations,  and  know  of  no  other 
BO  useful,  free  bearing,  or  good.  It  is  a  very  pretty  Apple  to  look 
at,  aud  worthy  of  inclusion  in  any  list.  The  newer  Beauty  of  Bath 
and  Lady  Sudeley  leave  much  to  be  desired  on  the  score  of  quality, 
though  both  are  handsome,  and  for  my  own  eating  I  should  prefer 
the  old  Harvest  Apple  or  the  Devonshire  Quarrenden  to  either.  But 
it  is  a  matter  of  taste,  and  perhaps  other  growers  will  not  think  with 
me  in  respect  of  these#  In  this  matter  I  think  it  would  be  of  the 
greatest  value  if  experienced  growers  would  give  readers  of  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture  their  views  in  brief.— H.  R.  Richards. 
