304 THE GARDENER. [July 



deep into cold soil, badly-ripened wood, which will suffer from a damp 

 cold winter, may be expected. Keep all suckers from fruit-trees, and 

 thin wood by degrees, leaving in supplies of fruit-bearing wood for 

 next year, as formerly advised. Grubs on Apricots can only be entirely 

 destroyed by hand-picking. Clarke's insect-destroyer is the cleanest 

 and most effectual remedy for red-spider. Figs should not be allowed 

 to become crowded ; and where they are grown on spurred trees, they 

 may be stopped at the fourth or fifth leaf. Squeezing the top bud 

 before it becomes tough prevents bleeding. Where thinly-trained 

 leading branches are placed so that the side-shoots are laid in yearly, 

 it is well to get the shoots tied in while ripening weather remains, and 

 avoid crowding. Where there is much pruning required on Figs, little 

 fruit may be expected, and the roots will require attention. The Fig, 

 when not in deep cold soil, requires heavy soakings of tepid water : 

 where growth is not vigorous, plenty of liquid manure will do wonders 

 in producing large fruit. 



Eoses will now require abundance of water at their roots. The 

 neglect of it will give a short flowering season and plenty of mildew. 

 Where there are single shoots taking the lead, they may be cut well 

 back, and a number of shoots will break out, which will flower freely 

 late in the season. The free use of the hoe will now be of much ser- 

 vice among bedding plants, the open surface of loose soil acting as a 

 natural mulching, and keeping out drought. Dahlias require good 

 stakes, which will support the plants against wind. Earwigs and other 

 pests are troublesome; rings of soot and lime, and other unkindly ma- 

 terial, placed round the plants, may keep them from venturing on 

 them. Weakly shoots which are getting crowded may be cut out. 

 The finest flowers are had from plants with single stems, and the side- 

 branches kept regular and free from crowding. Carnations and Picotees 

 may have the number of their flowering-stems regulated and tied up 

 neatly. Propagation of these favourites may be done either by bend- 

 ing down the bottom shoots, if they are long enough for layering, or 

 pulling them off for piping, and placing under hand-glasses ; if on a 

 gentle bottom-heat so much the better : piping is taking off the bottom 

 leaves and cutting at a joint. Pinks are generally done in this way. 

 Layering (we mention the operation in detail as usual for beginners) is 

 cutting the bottom leaves off, leaving those on three or four upper joints. 

 On the bottom of stem, between two joints, draw the knife gently up- 

 wards through the next joint, half severing the plant; a quantity of light 

 sandy soil is ready, and placed under each layer, and the half-severed 

 shoot is placed on the soil upright, taking care not to separate it from 

 the plant, and is pegged to keep it in its place ; more soil is thinly 

 placed over, and water given to moisten the whole. Pots may be used 



