222 THE ARDENER. [May 



a mixture of bones, brick-rubbish, and soil rammed firmly underneath 

 the roots ; fibre will then be plentiful, and there will be no fear of 

 plenty of fruit. If shoots start freely into growth and no fruit attached 

 to their base, they may be rubbed off to let them break further back, 

 and some dormant buds may push fruit. It is always of importance to 

 keep the trees close to the walls when they are planted, with the view of 

 being benefited by the bricks and mortar. In some warm southern 

 districts Figs are treated more like orchard trees, and allowed to grow 

 as they like. We have seen this answer well in Sussex and in the Isle 

 of Wight, but it would be folly to try it in northern districts. In 

 gardens this has a slovenly appearance. Stopping of Figs induces 

 fruitfulness : the top pressed at every fourth leaf gives sturdy fruit- 

 bearing wood. 



Currants and Gooseberries may require stopping of leading shoots. 

 Though these are generally left to themselves, a little care, especially 

 with young vigorous bushes, amply repays the little labour expended. 

 The centres thinned out a little to shape the bushes, and leaders pre- 

 vented from robbing the other portions of the bushes, are their chief 

 wants in summer pruning. The same applies to those against fences. 

 Caterpillar may be seen on Gooseberries, and should be either hand- 

 picked or dusted with white Hellebore powder while the bushes are 

 damp : the powder mixed with water and syringed over the bushes 

 answers well. Strawberries may be planted from the stock which have 

 been forced, or from the store beds. The plants made firm at root and 

 well watered will give little trouble afterwards. 



In the orchard house, stopping and thinning of shoots, gradual thin- 

 ning of fruit, careful watering and syringing, increasing the supply of 

 air as the season gets warmer, fumigating and dusting with tobacco 

 powder to prevent insects establishing themselves, are the chief wants 

 in this department. M. T. 



ASTILBE JAPONIC A. 

 (hoteia.) 



No gardener who has a demand for decorative plants and cut-flowers 

 throughout the early spring months should be without a good stock of 

 this hardy plant. It is so easily forced, flowers so freely, and the blooms 

 stand so long, either when cut or on the plant, that it is simply invalu- 

 able. When a large stock of it is at command, a few plants should be in- 

 troduced to a warm house, such as a vinery, when forcing commences, 

 and small batches should be introduced in succession, as occasion re- 

 quires, from January onwards. They luxuriate in a warm, moist at- 

 mosphere, with a plentiful supply of water at the roots ; indeed it is 

 scarcely possible to injure them with too much water, when growth 

 is fairly started \ it is, therefore, good practice to keep the pots stand- 



