1 62 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[June, 



cut back considerably it will push out again green 

 all over, and make a nice tree. It must be care- 

 fully remembered, however, that in all these cases 

 the leading shoot must be cut away also, or the 

 side branches will not come out well. An idea 

 prevails that a new leading shoot will not come 

 out on the pine family after one has lost its first. 

 But this is a mistake ; sometimes they will not 

 show a disposition to do so, side shoots near the 

 leader's place will seem to put in a rival claim for 

 the leadership the following year, but if these are 

 then cut away they will not make a second 

 attempt, and the real leader will then push on into 

 its path of destiny. 



The Scotch pine and the Chinese arborvitae, are 

 two plants which derive wonderful benefit from 

 the pruning knife. Both these are very liable to 

 get ragged when left entirely to their natural in- 

 clinations, but grow with a beautiful compact 

 luxuriance under the occasional application of the 

 knife. Indeed the Scotch pine with judicious 

 pruning makes one of the most beautiful ornaments 

 of the lawn and pleasure ground. It can be made 

 to take many odd forms ; one of the most pictur- 

 esque is obtained by cutting off its head about ten 

 feet high, and never let another leader grow. The 

 side branches are all cut away except the upper 

 tier, these spread then outwardly,— not exactly 

 creeping, but flowing forward in the most luxurious 

 green imaginable, making a much prettier arbor 

 than any weeping tree we ever saw. 



Increased attention has been given the Rhodo- 

 dendron and Azalea the few past seasons, as they 

 prove to be much more easy to manage than 

 people formerly thought. It is found to be a 

 mistake that they need shade. It is only a cool 

 soil they require. This is made by deepening it, 

 and adding to it material which will keep it open 

 and porous at all seasons. We accomplish this 

 by adding fine brushwood with the heavy clay 

 loam. Those who have them in good growing 

 order should take care to keep them in good health 

 by occasional top-dressing. This they enjoy, as 

 the little hair-like roots fancy feeding in cool 

 places, near the surface. 



Evergreen hedges will require attention as they 

 grow. Where the height desired has been attained 

 the top and strong growths should be cut back 

 while they are still watery. The side shoots need 

 not be touched till past midsummer. All wise 

 people now employ the conical shape for hedges. 

 In cutting back the top growth at this season, the 

 conical toim can still be preserved. 



All those who have set out trees the past spring. 



should take the first chance of a dry spell to 

 loosen the soil deeply about them with a fork, and 

 immediately after beat it down hard again with 

 the heel, or some better "clod-crusher." Innum- 

 erable lives of trees may be saved by this simple 

 practice. 



Rare roses are increased by layers, buds and 

 cuttings; layers are made of the strong growths 

 as soon as the wood gets a little hard; a slit is cut 

 in the upper side of the shoot, to be layered, and 

 it is bent down into rich soil. Everything roots 

 sooner in rich than in poor soil. The cut used to 

 be made on the under side, but they are then 

 liable to break on bending down. Budding is 

 done by taking out a piece of bark with an 

 eye, and inserting it under the bark of another 

 kind and then tied in. It is nice amusement for 

 ladies, and any florist will explain the process to 

 those who do not know. Budded roses are not 

 very popular owing to the tendency of the kinds 

 used for stocks to throw up suckers, which, unless 

 the intelligence of the grower is equal to keeping 

 them off, in the end kills the kinds budded on them. 

 Rose cuttings are generally easily raised by those 

 who know little about it. In proportion as one 

 becomes a skilful florist, the failures to strike rose 

 cuttings increase. Almost every one who puts in 

 a few " shps " of half ripe wood into a pot of earth, 

 and sets the pot under a shady fence, succeeds ; 

 but as soon as he or she knows " all about it," they 

 can't strike roses. Here at least is an encourage- 

 ment to the new beginner. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM FRAGMENTS. 

 BY WILLIAM T. HARDING. 



Both spring and summer, as they gradually 

 merge into each other, bring forth in continuous 

 succession, an arra'y of pretty flowers pecu'iar to 

 each month, with remarkable punctuality. And 

 so true is this, that the keen observer of vegetable 

 physiology who carefully studies and closely 

 watches nature's operations, can see how precisely 

 regular are her habits, under normal conditions, 

 and with what rigid nicety she performs her 

 functions; would be able to recognize the correct 

 month of the year — were it possible to forget— by 

 the vegetation surrounding him. And, as the 

 regular periods continue to come and go, unre- 

 mittingly, the deep interest they naturally create, 

 never ceases, until the last leaf and flower fades 

 and falls into inevitable decay. And even then. 



