260 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



THE QUESTIONNAIRE 



Subscribers are invited to make free use 

 of this department to solve problems that 

 may arise in their garden work. Questions 

 on' the ordinary pursuits of gardening, that 

 can be readily answered by applying to the 

 usual reference books sliotild not be re- 

 ferred to the Questionnaire. 



Can you give me any information re- 

 specting the principles of the Lorette 

 system of pruning? — A. K., Ohio. 



What is known as the Lorette system of 

 pruning was discussed in an article which 

 appeared in this journal last year, which 

 especially advocated summer pruning of 

 fruit trees. As some questions are being 

 asked about it. and also as more recent 

 readers may not have seen the article, it 

 appears fitting to again set forth the prin- 

 ciples of ihe system which, briefly, is as 

 follows ; 



The points of young shoots are pinched 

 off in July. Secondary growth results, and 

 this in turn is pinched in August. In Sep- 

 tember the whole of the new shoot is cut 

 back to the basal buds. These buds are 

 to be found at the extreme base of the cur- 

 rent season's growth, and in the ordinary 

 way are blind or dormant. The pinching 

 sets up in these partial development. When 

 the entire new wood is removed in Sep- 

 tember the basal buds develop either into 

 mature fruit buds ar immature fruit buds 

 which become fully matured ne.xt summer. 

 These fruit buds are developed on the cur- 

 rent season's wood, which is the special 

 feature of the Lorette system, and distin- 

 guishes it from ordinary pruning. It will 

 be apparent that it does away with winter 

 pruning altogether, except where leaders 

 want shortening. The system is especially 

 adapted to the culture of cordon, espalier, 

 bush, pyramid and other restricted forms 

 of fruit trees, and there appears to be no 

 reason why it should not be applicable to 

 standards. — Arthur Smith. 



Here and There 



GARDENING IN THE NINE- 

 TEENTH CENTURY 



Horace W.\lpole tells us that Kent, a 

 celebrated gardener of his day, "leaped 

 the fence" (referritig to the sunken fences 

 then in vogue) "and saw that all Nature 

 was a garden." Though this expression 

 was somewliat exaggerated, it helps to 

 convey Walpole's idea that formality in 

 the making of gardens was no longer to be 

 an essential characteristic. Vet cham- 

 pions of the old order were many. Even 

 Sir Walter .Scott urged that "wherever 

 spectacular effect is desirable, formal 

 beds and parterres can never be dis- 

 pensed with." We have only to make a 

 tour of the parks and public gardens to 

 see the splendid use that is now being 

 made of the wealth of decorative material 

 at our disposal — plants from all parts of 

 the world, of which no one would have 

 ventured to dream twenty or thirty years 

 ago. 



When the bedding-out system came 

 into vogue, it appealed to the popular 

 taste; it was orderly; it had color. Her- 

 baceous plants liad to give way to the 

 regularly formed beds of Geraniums. 

 Verbenas, Calceolarias and other flowers 

 whose colors are gorgeous in Summer, 

 but. having l)loomed. are no longer re- 

 quired. Two features are absent in 



Palms, Pinks 

 and Perfection 



If you should ask me to give yoti ni}' honest-to- 

 goodness opinion of our palms, would promptly 

 answer that they are in the three P's class. 

 Palms in the Pink of Perfection. 



That's a lot to say of any lot of palms, but it's 

 none too mucli to say of our lot. Which toot of 

 our horn you are most welcome to come and 

 prove for yourself. 



As small as 3 inches. As large as 5 feet. If you 

 are from JMissotiri, and can't come to see them, 

 let us send you a sample lot. 



pLTuliu9 "RgeKri* Cor 



I ^/ Ai Tho Si^ of The Trgg 



tkerTord N.J. 



"bcddcd-out'' plants — there is a lack of 

 individuality, and the flowers are mostly 

 of the same color and height. One other 

 drawback may be noted — scent is otten 

 wanting, so highly appreciated by our 

 grandfathers. How they loved the "pot 

 Lavender," Marigold, the "crown imperial 

 of the Lily" ! The professional gardener, 

 however, had his way, and "bedding out" 

 developed in a manner which was con- 

 sidered a remarkable exhibition of taste 

 thirty years ago or more. .\s shrubs had 

 been lopped and trained to imitate various 

 forms of animal life, so flower-beds were 

 made to imitate the patterns on carpets. 



Speaking generally, it may be said there 

 has been a readjustment of all these ideas, 

 and, in adapting them to modern life, 

 garden-makers have aimed to plan with 

 due regard for precision of line and bal- 

 ance of masses. While introducing the 

 quiet dignity of former periods, gardens 

 have become less formal. "Uniformity 

 and conformity had had their day." For 

 a time, indeed, there was a violent reac- 

 tion — only for a time, however — for methods 

 more or less appropriate. Graduallv we 

 may say we have drifted toward.s' the 

 common-sense view that Nature must be 

 left to herself as much as possible, but 



