234 THE GARDENER. [May 



ERANTHEMUM PULCHELLUM. 



This is an old-fashioned winter-flowering stove plant, which is not quite so 

 much grown as its merits entitle it to be. It is exceedingly easy of cultivation. 

 The following directions followed out will secure success. After it is done 

 flowering in spring cut it back, and place in a vinery at work. When started 

 into fresh growth, shake out in the same way as is practised with Pelargoniums, 

 and re-pot in a smaller-sized pot, using, in preference to others, a compost of 

 fibrous loam and sand. AVhen the shoots have grown long enough to make cut- 

 tings of, insert as many as may be required round the edges of 4-inch pots : they 

 soon form roots in a warm temperature. Pot off into 5-inch pots, one plant in 

 each ; they will flower well in this size : or they may be treated to a further shift 

 into 7 or 8 inch. Large plants may be grown in IG's — this is a handy size ; and 

 if the plants are firmly potted, as all plants should be potted, they hold a large 

 quantity of soil for the nourishment of the plants. In the summer months, 

 they may be grown in a cool house, but ought to be taken into a stove tempera- 

 ture in August to have the flowers fine. They require an abundant supply of 

 water whilst growing ; three or four of their pretty wax-like flowers, backed by 

 one of their leaves, make a nice button-hole bouquet. To have the plant look 

 well, the flowers which have withered should be picked off every morning. 



R. P. B. 



A PEW WORDS ABOUT WALTjS AND WALL TREES. 



It has often appeared to me that the common mode of training fruit-trees 

 against walls might well be modified with great and beneficial advantages. In 

 advancing such a statement, many will be ready to ask upon" what grounds I 

 put forward such an opinion, and what fault there is to be found with the com- 

 mon mode of training fruit-trees. The two most common ways of training 

 fruit-trees are the fan — which many think is the most natural, and the best 

 way to properly develop the capabilities and bring into full play all the different 

 parts and resources of the tree. 



The other is the upright central stem from the root, and having horizontal 

 branches leading off at right angles from the upright stem, and as far as 

 possible leading off at regular distances apart from the bottom to the top of 

 the wall. I am well aware that there are many excellent examples of both 

 these modes of training to be seen where gardening is carried on with skill and 

 spirit in different parts of the country, and many of them look well when 

 the trees have furnished the wall; but what a long time many of them take 

 before they do so. I know some gardens w^here the wall-trees are planted 

 from 10 to 15 yards apart (and some at greater distances), and the wall fairly 

 furnished. Well, but what a length of time it took to grow pear-trees to 

 such an extent, and what an amount of care had to be bestowed upon them, 

 even before they could attain to such dimensions ; and when anything injuri- 

 ous to either the main stem or roots of the tree attacks one such large tree so 

 as to cause its death, what a blank is caused. 



What I am about to state is not with any view to supersede the above modes 

 of training entirely, but more with a desire to remind the readers of the 'Gar- 

 dener ' that there is often a great waste of time as well as of fruit while waiting 

 the growing of trees trained in either of the above modes. Most people after 

 planting choice fruit-trees become anxious to taste fruit from them, as soon as 



