THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



99 



with assistance, of doing more than 

 many people may imagine. With a 

 view to induce improvement in its 

 growth, I would suggest that prizes 

 be offered at our exhibitions— say, 

 for three best pots. I am not an 

 exhibitor now, but if you will kindly 

 allow me a little space, I will, for the 

 guidance of others, give a hint or 

 two, which are easily carried out, 

 and will repay those who adopt a 

 plan I tried some time since as an 

 experiment. 



The roots of musk, like those of 

 mint, run under the surface of the 

 soil, which, by continued watering, 

 loses the nourishment so essential to 

 the plant. 



Cuttings, well grown, make much 

 better plants than those obtained by 

 division of the roots. 



My method is to take a vigorous 

 young cutting, well rooted, plant it 

 in about four inches of a rich compost 

 at the bottom of a half-peck flower- 

 pot, placed in the warmest part of 

 the greenhouse, where it will grow 

 rapidly, pinch out the leader, and as 

 it grows I frequently add more soil, 

 until the pot is filled to within an 

 inch of the top ; by this time the pot 

 is well filled with roots which have 

 struck out from all parts of the plant 

 thus buried, hence it grows more 

 vigorously than when it has only a 

 few roots running under the surface. 

 I place a number of neatly-cut sticks 

 about two inches apart all round the 

 edge of the pot, draw and tie them 

 together at the top, thus forming a 



cone about eighteen inches high above 

 the rim. I then take some fine mat- 

 ting, pass it round each stick, com- 

 mencing at the bottom, and as the 

 plant grows continue to place these 

 bands round to keep the foliage in- 

 side. As the flowers make their 

 appearance, I take them off until 

 the trellis is nearly filled, which will 

 not be long, for the plant may be 

 almost seen to grow ; I then let it 

 bloom at will. A frequent turn of 

 the pot will prevent drawing to one 

 side. 



I now let the shoots which come 

 through the trellis fall down round 

 the pot, which will soon be almost 

 invisible ; the whole then presents a 

 most beautiful pillar of about two 

 feet in height, covered with flowers 

 of a larger size than commonly seen 

 on musk, and not a stick of its sup- 

 port to be seen; by this time it re- 

 quires a little assistance with clear 

 manure water, not too strong. I 

 should also say, that frequent syring- 

 ings with chilled water is of great 

 and almost essential service. 



I once sent six of them to a flower- 

 show, and they were the admiration 

 of every one there ; many inquired 

 if it was not a different variety from 

 the common musk. This may not be 

 a new plant, but I have not seen 

 musk grown thus by any one, and 

 would advise lovers of this favourite 

 of mine, where practicable, to try the 

 effect. 



E. J., in Midland and Northern 

 Florist. 



FORMING BUSH AND PYRAMID TREES. 



No. 1. — The Spikdle or Distaff. 



Theee are many amateur fruit- 

 growers in need of a few words of 

 guidance as to the best method of 

 pruning and training their miniature 

 fruit-trees. It is simply impossible 

 to lay down rules for universal appli- 

 cation, and I do not feel sure that I 

 shall succeed in dealing explicitly 

 and practically with the case in a 

 general way. If knowing something 

 about it be an important qualification 

 for the task, then I have at least a 

 chance of success, for though my 



collection of hardy fruit-trees is of 

 very limited extent, I defy any cul- 

 tivator in England to produce better 

 examples of miniature trees — trees 

 that are severally compact, hand- 

 some, formed to certain models, as 

 for example, round bushes, stiff 

 spindles, cones, pyramids, etc., and 

 that are also aa fruitful as trees can 

 be, and the fruit uniformly disposed 

 over their entire superficies. Exactly 

 how to form any particular tree to a 

 pyramid, or distaff, or bush, cannot be 



