112 



THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Grevillea acuminata.— Curious, if not 

 over-beautifui, though the red flowers are 

 abundantly produced all over the plant, 

 and make a nice variation of character in a 

 large collection. In a sheltered place, this 

 is hardy enough to be planted out. 



JSabrothamnus elegans. — This is a 

 plant for everybody, nearly hardy, and as 

 easily kept and grown as a Cytisus or 

 Veronica. When in bloom, the carmine 

 flowers are truly magnificent. It is one of 

 the best of plants for a pillar or conserva- 



tory wall, but needs shade during June, 

 July, and August. Soil, turfy-peat one 

 part, yellow loam two parts. Prune after 

 flowering. 



Olea Americana. — This beautiful 

 white-flowered olive forms a fine conserva- 

 tory tree, if grafted on the privet, and is 

 one of the best of subjects to plant out on 

 a bank or broad border, in a large house, 

 for the beauty of its foliage and profuse 

 habit of flowering. 0. Dioica is a magni- 

 ficent stove tree. 



TO COBEESPONDENTS. 



Catalogues Received. — " Sutton and 

 Sons, Royal Berkshire Seed Establish- 

 ment, Reading. Priced list of Clover, 

 Grass, and other Farm Seeds." A con- 

 venient condensed list, with spaces left 

 for filling in the quantity required, so 

 that it can be used as an order-sheet. 

 — " Frederick Boshell, 86, High Street, 

 Borough, S.E., Catalogue of Dahlias." 

 A well-selected and reliable list, with a 

 fine lot of novelties, printed on a large 

 sheet in good clear type. 



The Ground Vinery. — At page 99 of 

 Mr. Rivers's work, called " The Minia- 

 ture Fruit Garden," Mr. Rivers says, "I 

 have very recently planted some peach- 

 trees in one of these slate-paved vineries, 

 and feel assured that very early and fine 

 peaches can be grown in such places. 

 I have managed my trees in this way. 

 I took two pyramids full of blossom 

 "buds, cut off the shoots on one side, so 

 that the stem would be flat, and then 

 pegged it down with hooks made of stout 

 iron wire, thrusting them into the soil 

 between the interstices of the slates." 

 Now, I have just made one of these 

 ground vineries, five feet long, two feet 

 six inches wide, and sixteen inches high, 

 and have planted in it, resting on the 

 slates one maiden peach, carrying only 

 a single stem. This stem is about thirty 

 inches high, and well clothed with wood 

 buds for about eighteen inches from the 

 graft upwards, and it has very weak 

 laterals the rest of the way up, and the 

 top is very weak. The buds are just 

 beginning to break. Please instruct 

 me how I am to train and prune this 

 tree, so as to make it what Mr. Rivers 

 calls a "pyramid." 



Upright Espalifb Pbars. — In the 

 Floral World, speaking of the train- 

 ing of trees in this form, you say : — 

 " To form the tree it is requisite to begin 

 vttb. a leader, and two side-branches. 



From the side-branches all the buds are 

 kept pinched, except one left to lead on, 

 and another to form a shoot for upright 

 training. The next year two other buds 

 are selected on each side, one to lead on 

 and the other to form the next upright 

 rod." What do you mean by this ? Do 

 you mean that, when there is one up- 

 right shoot and two side-shoots, the cul- 

 tivator is to select, on each of the side- 

 shoots, a bud to form the next upright 

 shoot, and another to lead on ; and that 

 he is then to cut back each of these side- 

 shoots to the bud selected to lead on ? 

 What is to be done to the first upright '? 

 Is it ever to be shortened ? If so, when 

 and how mucli ? Are the other up- 

 rights to be shortened? If so, when 

 and how much ? 



Vertical Cordon. — I have got some 

 maiden pears, carrying one stem, and I 

 want to train them like the "Vertical 

 Cordon " named in the " Miniature 

 Fruit Garden." This "Vertical Con- 

 don " lias five upright branches ; each 

 branch eight inches apart. Please in- 

 struct me how I am to form this par- 

 ticular "Vertical Cordon" with five 

 upright branches. Mr. Rivers's instruc- 

 tions are very " misty," and I cannot 

 possibly make them out. — Fanny. 



[In forming the upright espalier, the top 

 bud left is that which will take the lead ; 

 consequently, the side-branches forming 

 the base of the tree are every year cut 

 back, so as to leave two buds so situated 

 that one will push horizontally and the 

 other vertically, the horizontal shoot 

 serving to extend the base of the tree, 

 the vertical shoot to be trained in and 

 clothed with bearing spurs. All the 

 summer shoots pushing where not re- 

 quired are suppressed by pinching, so 

 that there is no wild growth left to 

 prune away except the horizontal and 

 vertical rods which should be allowed 



