1 88 1.] FRUIT -CULTURE. 505 



They are increased by cuttings of the young shoots, which should be 

 slipped off with a heel, about the end of March or during April. The 

 pots to receive the cuttings should be well drained, and half filled with 

 soil from the potting-bench, and then filled up with pure silver sand. 

 After giving a watering through a fine-rosed pot to settle the sand, 

 proceed to put in the cuttings, water again, and cover with a bell-glass, 

 then plunge the pot in a mild hotbed until the cuttings strike root. 

 As soon as they have fairly rooted, they must then be potted off singly 

 into small pots, and replunged in the hotbed until they root afresh 

 into the new soil, w4ien they may be taken out of the plunging material, 

 and either set on the surface or on a shelf near the glass. Care must 

 be taken that they do not suffer from want of water in this young 

 state. They must be shifted on into larger pots as they require it ; 

 and in potting, the soil should be rammed pretty firmly into the pots 

 and round about the ball, so that the water may not escape too readily 

 through the fresh soil, and the ball become too dry in consequence. 

 They will require to be pinched occasionally when young, to get them 

 into shape, and to make a good foundation at first, after which they 

 will not give much trouble in the way of training, save a partial 

 cutting back of rampant shoots now and again. They stand the knife 

 well, so that should they at any time become too big, there need be no 

 hesitation in cutting them pretty hard back, as they will break away 

 again freely. When the early-flowering varieties have ceased flower- 

 ing, and as soon as the weather permits, they may be set out of doors, 

 in a sheltered sunny position, to mature their growth, as on this depends 

 very much their flowering freely next season. A temperature during 

 winter of from 45° to 50° will suit them w^ell. They are not much 

 troubled with insects, but are occasionally attacked by scale, and 

 a kind of smut which blackens the stems and leaves, rendering them 

 unsightly. This must be overcome with brushing and syringing 

 Avith warm soapy water, or any of the hundred and one nostrums for 

 killing scale, etc. As simple a remedy as any for brown-scale, is to dip 

 the plant in water heated to 140° Fahr. : this will effectually kill all the 

 scale, without doing harm to the plant. J. G., W. 



FRUIT-CULTURE. 



Plums and CnEuiuEs. 



Being very much alike in their nature and requirements, we have placed the 

 Plum and the Cherry tinder one heading. Much of what we have said on the 

 root and top cultivation of Apples and Pears applies to these fruits, and need 

 not therefore be repeated. In one })articular Plums differ from Apples and 

 Pears — they are invariably grafted or budded on the Plum-stock. Mr llivers 

 tried the Sloe, but he does not seem to have secured particularly favourable 

 results, as he docs not advise the use of it as a stock, "except as an expcri- 



