旗 CHAP. VII. A Method of meliorating Orange-Trees in England, fo as to make them thrive and bear more profitable Fruit than has yet ripen'd with us by the ordinary Prac tice. T HOUGH we have feveral very fine Orangeries in England, which produce Abundance of Fruit, yet as that Fruit has not always the Advantage of fufficient Nourifhment from the Tree, and the Tree is not without Hazard of being curb'd in its Vigour by Accidents, which often happen in the common Way of Practice, it may not be amifs to fay fomething of planting Orange-Trees in the natural Ground, as we may obferve them now growing in Sir Nicholas Carew's Gardens at Bedington, in Surry, where they always fruit in great Quantity, and bring their Fruit to extraordinary Perfection, without being fubject to the Inconveniences which too frequently attend thofe Trees that are cultivated in Tubs, Pots or Cafes; fuch as chilling the Roots, frequent occafions of Shifting, want of the neceffary Quantity of Water, or having too much of it; while these that are planted in the natural natural Ground are free in Growth, nor lofe their Vigour by fhifting, or can be fubject to any Inconvenience or Hazard but from the Froft, which may be as well guarded againft, as if they were to be fet into a Green-House. Therefore I think what I fhall now treat of may be ufeful, not only in England, but about Paris too, where this fort of Fruit is fo high priced, that I have paid too Livres for three imperfect ones, which were not larger than common Walnuts; they were the Growth of fome Orangery of that Province, for the Parifians have not commonly the Advantage of receiving this Fruit from Lisbon. When I was at Bedington on purpose to take this View, I obferv'd fome Orange-Trees which had been tranfplanted from Cafes into the Ground near the great Trees, about three Years before the Year 1719, and those were grown above three times as much as any Tree I ever faw grow in a Pot or Cafe in that Proportion of Time; as I judge from a Plant the Gardiner fhew'd me, which he faid was of the fame Term of Growth with the reft, but was then a small Tree in Comparison with those in the natural Ground. The Confervatory for these Plants in the Winter fhould be a kind of Frame, which may be taken to pieces, and carried quite away in the Summer: The Expence of taking down and putting up fuch a regular Frame as I mean, would not be equal to the Expence of Cafes or Pots, or even of the extraordinary Attendance the Trees would require if they were to grow in Pots; and much less expenfive would be a Frame of fuch a manner than fome Green-houfes: Befides, as the Management of Orange Trees Trees in Tubs or Cafes is almost as different as the Minds of the Gardiners who cultivate them; fo if there fhould happen an occafion of changing a Gardiner, the Plants in the natural Ground would not be fubject to fuffer by a different Treatment; but thofe Orange Trees which are cultivated in Tubs, are too frequently spoil'd by the different Practice of different Men, as well indeed as most other Things in a Garden; fo that it is to be with'd a Gardiner might be conftant in one Business. If we have a Mind to cultivate Orange-Trees in the natural Ground, we may as well plant them in Walks, or in the Parterre, as any o ther Tree, only providing Coverings for them of Thatch, and four Pannels of double Straw Mattreffes, or fuch Materials to be fix'd to a Frame, as may keep their Roots and Shoots from the Frost in Winter: For in fome Parts of Italy and France, where the Frosts are more fevere for the Time they laft, than they are in England, fuch Coverings or Shelters as I mention are us'd with Succefs, opening them now and then when the Sun-fhines, and when there is no Danger of the Frofts hurting their Roots. And we may be affur'd of this, that the Trees planted in the natural Ground will not fo foon feel the Froft, as thofe in Tubs and Cafes; and an Orange-Tree will certainly, in this Cafe, do well, if we only keep it from the Froft. While I am upon this Head, I cannot help taking Notice of a very ingenious Contrivance for helping decay'd Orange-Trees, of Mr. Philip Miller, Gardiner to the Company of Apothecaries, at the Phyfick-Garden at Chelsea. His Way of restoring decay'd Orange-Trees, will add to our prefent Delight in cultivating them, and allo afford us fome Proofs of the Advantages which those Plants receive, when they draw their Nourishment from a large Fund of Earth; which will appear to be much fuperior to that which Trees can receive, when they are under the Confinement of a Pot or Cafe. Mr. Miller tells me, that fome Orange-Trees were once fo disfigured by ill Management, that they were judg'd by fome unlearned Perfons to be of little or no Value; but that he obferv'd in them fuch a promifing Afpect, that he reasonably concluded, though they had then none of the most gay Appearance, they had Virtue enough in them to be improv'd and become valuable with a little Affiftance; to this End, he thought it neceffary to confult their natural Mode of Growth, and treat them, if poffible, in their own Way, as well with regard to Degree of Heat, as neceffary Liberty; for the firft he prefcrib'd a glafs Cafe well expos'd, in which he directed a hot Bed of Tanners Bark, fuch as I have mention'd under the Head of the Ananas, as order'd at Richmond by Mr. Telende; he pruned their Heads, wash'd and examin'd their Roots, and laid them in Water for a convenient Time, to make good the Lofs they had fuftain'd. When this was done he planted them in Bafkets of proper Earth, and fill'd up the Divifions between them with the fame Soil, which was a fure Way of giving the Roots due Liberty of fearching for their Nourishment; for the Baskets would admit of a clofe Communication of the Roots with the Body of Earth, which was laid between them, and that Earth had no nourishing Quality in it that the Roots could not draw thorough the Baskets; the ConfeVOL. II. Bb quence quence was, the Trees for the most part made Shoots of two Foot, and fome near three Foot long the fame Summer, and produc'd Bloffoms. I had once a Trial of the fame kind, excepting only that my Plants were in Pots, and these were in Baskets; but, I confefs, though mine grew well, yet they were not fo vigorous as Mr. Miller's, for I fuppofe my Trees wanted that Fund of Nourishment which gave the Trees, he mentions, their Excellence of Shoot; but befides this Advantage to the Trees, the Bafkets they are planted in, if they are ftrong, will prevent any Check at the Time of moving fuch Trees to another Place, when otherwise they must have been baulk'd in their Health and Vigour. To Mr. R. S. concerning the ordering of Orange-Trees brought from Genoa. SIR, THER HE Orange-Trees I have fent you, which came from Genoa, feem to be in good Health, their Bark is fresh, and the Shoots of the Head are ftrong, full and green: I took them out of the Cheft upon their Arrival, for fear of their getting the Muft or Moldinefs, which might have injur'd them; and from the Day I took them out of the Cheft, to the Time the Carrier went from London, I laid them upon the Earth in a fhady Place in a Wood, which help'd to keep them in good Order, by the Correfpondence they had with the Effluvia or Va pour |