178 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



they will cxliaust themselves, it would 

 be much wiser to stop tlicm early iu 

 Juue ; then to stop all tht'lr Literals, 

 and in November to cut them back to 

 range with tiie genenil outline of the 

 tree. To allow gross shoots to push 

 their full length is simply to hand 

 over the whole of the tree to a few 

 rampant leaders, and defer, perhaps 

 indefinitely, the formation of spurs. 

 But by regulating the growth or' 

 the head, by stopping all shoots 

 that threaten to monopolize the sap 

 supply, and insuring the exposure to 

 light and air of every part of the 

 head, a bearing habit will in time be 

 induced, and the prodviction of fruit 

 will reduce the vigour of the tree by 

 a natural process. 



One more remark may be of use 

 to those who lament the unfruitful- 

 ncs3 of their apple-trees. The careless 

 way in which many gardeners remove 

 large boughs, is ol ten the ruin of good 

 trees by causing the formation of 

 masses of weak spray which can never 

 be of real service unless a careful 

 selection is made of the best placed 

 shootjS, and the rest removed by a clean 

 cut, so as to force the sap into a cer- 

 tain set of the leadei's to replace the i 

 boughs that were injudiciously re- | 

 moved. Where the branches are 

 crowded, and the sunlight is thereby 

 intercepted, the pruning-knife may be 

 used with great advantage to effect a 

 general and moderate thinning. Ill- 

 placed shoots should be removed by a 

 clean cut at their junction with the 

 branches from which they originate. 

 The best season for a general supervi- 

 sion and pruning is immediately after 

 the gathering of the fruit, as every 

 scrap of dead wood can thenbe detected 

 instantly, and the wounds caused by 

 the knife and saw will heal more 



quickly and effectually than if the 

 pruning be deferred to the usual 

 season. Lastly, in this matter of 

 dealing with old trees, let it be borne 

 in mind that the sudden i-emoval of a 

 large amount of live wood from any 

 tree is unphilosophical, cruel, and de- 

 structive. What is to become of the 

 sap that fed those branches ? It v.ili 

 force into growth a forest of watery 

 spi'ay, it will throw an excess of vigour 

 into the most fruitful branches, and 

 render them gross and unproductive, 

 and it will also, perhaps, escape by 

 extravasation, and form wounds which 

 may result in the total destruction of 

 the trees. However long neglected 

 the trees may have been, and how- 

 ever severe may be the pruning re- 

 quired, the removal of the objec- 

 tionable branches must be effected 

 piecemeal ; they must be cut back a 

 third of their length the first season, 

 then to half their original length the 

 next, and be finally removed the 

 season following. This will save the 

 trees the shock of a too sudden re- 

 duction of leaf surface, and enable 

 them to dispose of their sap in chan- 

 nels where it will be useful. There 

 is one good and golden rule to be 

 observed in regard to standard fruit 

 trees of all kinds if doing well, and 

 that is, to leave them alone. Though 

 a crowded head may need thinning 

 with the knife, pruning is not to be 

 considered a regular routine process ; 

 when apple-trees come to mature age . 

 aud a good bearing condition, the 

 knife can be of little benefit to them, 

 but effectual drainage and occasional 

 refreshing of the surface-soil will 

 maintain them in full vigour, and 

 combine iu their growth the fruit- 

 fulness of age with the strength of 

 youth. 



BEGONIAS Al^B CALADIUMS. 



Within the last three years the progress 

 of horticulture, ami the introduction of 

 new and beautiful plants, lias been more 

 rapid and extensive than in any fornici- 

 period. In order to prove our assertion, 

 we need only point to two families of plants 

 — the Begonias and Caladiums. It v»as 



only a few years ago that Betronia Eex 

 wfis sent out by M. Linden, of the Botanic 

 Garden of Brussels. It electrified the jiar- 

 dening world. In less than a year, so ra- 

 pidly was it propagated, there was scarcely 

 a garden of any pretensions where its beau- 

 tifully silver-zoned leaves were not seen 



