36S 



HORTICULTURE OF THE OLDEN TIME. 



Other branches, so that when they grow 

 outwards the next year, they may help to 

 fill lip the head of the tree in the centre. 

 Rub off all buds that come where you do 

 not want them, and leave those of which 

 you are doubtful, because it is at this pe- 

 riod you have the power of driving the 

 whole strength of the plant into the branch- 

 es that you save. In this way proceed until 

 the head of the tree is of proper form and 

 proportion, instead of, as we now see them 

 every where, a small, pimping, ungraceful 

 head, to a tall and graceless stem. When 

 once your plants have arrived at this per- 

 fection, which with care they soon will, you 

 may cut back every season's growth to two 

 buds or eyes ; cut away entirely every weak 

 shoot, remove those that are in the way of 

 others, and when any portion is confused by 

 reason of too many spurs or branches, clear 



some of them away. Never be afraid of 

 cutting an)' branch clean out, if it comes in 

 the wrong place, or interferes with your de- 

 sign in forming a compact, symmetrical 

 head. Bear in mind, that if you wish a 

 great many flowers, and grow your stand- 

 ards for appearance, they must not be too 

 closely pruned ; but if you desire to show 

 your blooms at exhibitions, and want large 

 flowers, use the knife more freely; a mul- 

 tiplicity of blooms is against size. The ne- 

 cessity of spring pruning is earnestly re- 

 commended; ii is, in fact, nipping mischief 

 in the bud, for you can watch the develop- 

 ment of the newly coming branches, and 

 remove all but the number there is good 

 room for. 



The subject will be continued in the No. 

 for March. Wm. W. Valk, M. D. 



January 4, 1847. 



HORTICULTURE OF THE OLDEN TIME. 



BY JOSEPH BRECK, BOSTON. 



It is sometimes pleasant to have things 

 old as well as new, brought before the mind, 

 to take a retrospective glance, the better to 

 judge of the progress that has been made in 

 pursuits, in which so many now delight to 

 engage ; arts, which aided by the light of 

 science of the nineteenth century, are now 

 so rapidly tending toward perfection. We 

 have been much interested and amused in 

 conning over an old work that has been 

 kindly loaned us by the librarian of Harvard 

 college. We found it, in examining this 

 immense collection of books in one of the 

 alcoves devoted to botanical, agricultural, 

 and horticultural works ; an ancient and 

 rare folio volume of about 1,700 pages, 

 entitled " The Herball or General Historie 



of plantes, gathered by " John Gerarde of 

 London, master in Chirurgerie, very much 

 enlarged and amended by Thomas Johnson, 

 citizen and apothecarye of London, Anno 

 1633." 



The work appears to have been first pub- 

 lished by Gerarde in 1597, so that with the 

 exception of that portion of the work " en- 

 larged and amended by Thomas Johnson," 

 the descriptions of the trees and plants were 

 given 250 years since. 



It is written in a pleasing quaint style : 

 every plant is so well described and illus- 

 trated with a well executed wood cut, that 

 although the scientific and common name 

 in many cases differ from those of the pre- 

 sent time, it is at once recognized. 



