3U 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE G.iRDENER. 



[ May 2, 1872, 



be acceptable to those who dislike tobacco sinoke, all danger 

 arising from an overdose of it to a very temlor plant is avoided, 

 and the Laurel is so generally grown that it must be aknost 

 everywhere at hand for the purpose.— W. JIitten. 



PINCHING THE LEAVES OP FEUIT TREES. 

 The pruning of fruit trees as at present practised, consisting 

 in cutting off yearly from a third to a fourth part of the gi-owing 

 branches, and then shortening all the resulting young shoots, 

 is daily attacked by a new school, wlio would substitute for it a 

 method of growing fruit trees from which great mutilations, and 

 the suppression of the branches of the framework, are scnipu- 

 lously avoided. Those who depend on the old mode of pruning 

 are obliged to confess that the greater part of gardeners do it 

 badly ; that in their unskilful hands it is very dangerous, and 

 indeed gai-deners ought to be excused, for the rules of this prun- 

 ing are very arbitrary and uncertain. 



In the new system the grower is to take care that the tree be 

 not subjected to greater suppressions than are absolutely neces- 

 sary, and also that only such restrictions be made as are requisite 

 for maintaining the proper strength of the sap, the uniformity 

 of the framework, and to induce the disposition to fruit 

 herbaceous shoots. The experiments of the elder M. Grin, of 

 Chartres, prove that the pinching of herbaceous shoots — the 

 mere nipping of the leaves — if done in proper time, is quite 

 enough to ensure the attainment of this end. M. Grin's 

 system is as follows : — 



He prunes in November, and by this means he concentrates 

 in the buds left after the pruning all the sap elaborated during 

 the winter, and avoids gumming and blistering. 



In April, as the leaves expand, he cuts over at half then- length 

 two leaves at the base of the premature lateral (see A in the 

 accompanying figure), leaving untouched the first and broader 

 leaf B. The premature lateral has this characteristic, that the 

 first leaf it produces is long and broad, and the next pair are 

 small and stipule-like. It is these two which ought to be cut 

 over at half then- length at A. This simple operation causes 

 the development of two buds at the base of each shoot. 



When the shoot has developed a second pair of leaves it is in 

 the same way necessary to cut these two leaves at half their 

 length from the base, at e, the large leaf always remaining un- 

 touched. The above two simple leaf-nippings suffice to arrest 

 the development of the premature shoot, to establish two buds 

 at the base, and to impart a fruiting disposition to those buds 

 formed at the second pah' of leaves." 



If, on some very vigorous trees, a branch is disposed to grow 

 too long, it will be necessary to restrict it by cutting the ex- 

 tremity in order to create a fruiting tendency. It is very 



seldom that there is any necessity to have recourse to mcxre tliaa 

 one nipping. 



This system is applicable to all kinds of fruit trees, to Apples 

 and Pears as well as to stone fruits. M. Grin has replied as 

 follows to objections made by some of the Committee of the 

 Paris Horticultural Society. 



" The simple nipping of the extreinities of the leaves has en- 

 abled me to arrest the flow of the sap, to moderate growth, to 

 maintain the balance of the tree, and to cause fruitfulness. 



" The nipping of the leaves, as practised by myself, has al- 

 ways resulted in the development of buds at the base of the 

 shoot, and having them as close as possible to the principal 

 branches of the tree, even in the case of over-luxuriant shoots."' 



There is no occasion for me to insist upon the simplicity and 

 advantages of this system of managing fruit trees, which saves- 

 tying or nailing, doubles the amount of fruit produced on the- 

 wall, and prevents gumming and blistering. — {De La lioy in. 

 Bei'ue Horticole.) 



ROSES. 

 Nothing could be finer than the first bloom here last year., 

 but orange fungus prevailed, and great mischief was done to 

 the health of the trees by the destruction of the functions o£ 

 the leaves. I regret to say, that though I put more than- 

 six hundred bushels of lime on my Piose ground and other 

 plots with a \ie-w to destroy its spores, I stUl see a great 

 amount of orange fungus on the new foliage. 



I have cut back my Roses — my first cutting was just aftes 

 Christmas — and I have removed all foliage where I can see- 

 fungus, heading-back the twig to a dormant eye. I ad-vise this 

 to be done, for orange fungus is a quick spreader, affecting the- 

 under side of the foliage, and greatly hindering a fine autumn 

 bloom. The wood of Roses, from this cause andi 

 long-continued rain chilling the roots, has suf- 

 fered much. The bark looks yellow (chlorosis 

 ■ — it would be better termed jaunosis, as chlo- 

 rosis means, properly, gi-een), and the pith, which 

 should be white, looks salmonish. The more of. 

 such wood removed the better for the plant. I 

 have cut down many of my bush plants to the 

 stump. I cut down some last year to the stump,, 

 and they ai-e now among my healthiest and best 

 plants. 



Judge of the health of your Rose trees by the 

 colour of the bark and pith ; the former should, 

 be a healthy green, and the latter a clear white.- 

 As regards buds that have been frosted, if they 

 feel soft pull them off' ; and if the two side buds 

 look fresh let them remain, and when you see 

 which is the better pull oft' the other. 

 It is so cold and exposed here that I have rarely any white- 

 fungus. Orange fungus affects the stalks and under sides of 

 the leaves, and white fungus the stalks and the upper sides of 

 the leaves. I am determined to give no quarter to orange fungus.. 

 If necessary I 'wiD cut down to the ground every plant. 



I ad-vise persons who have freshly planted Briar Roses to- 

 cut them very hard indeed the first j^ear ; for lack of this, and. 

 not mulching them, they are often mined for ever. 



'V\'ith regard to Roses of late date, I consider that it takes 

 two or three seasons before one can speak with certainty aboub- 

 them. I can give a high " testamur " to the following Roses 

 on the Manetti stock: — Ehe Morel, Felix Genero, Marie Rady,. 

 Alice Bureau, Perfection de Lyon, Madame Chirard, Edward 

 Morren, Baroness Rothschild, x'resque 2'1<^''"'' its only fault. 

 Countess of Oxford, and Marquise de Castellane. Under glass 

 in my vinery on the brick flue, jalanted out in earth -with a. 

 board to keep the eai'th up, I have three beautiful plants ofi 

 Princess Christian. Its buds, wonderful sepals, foliage, and; 

 erect habit are first-rate. I do not know it out of doors, but- 

 I never saw a more perfect t^Tie of a pot plant. There is no 

 need of triggers. The curt twigs are stiff' as iron. In a few 

 days all three plants will bloom ; from the look of the buds I 

 think it must be a good Rose. I dressed two of the plants 

 -with some stuff sent by Mr. 'SY. Paul, and the plants sooni 

 went ahead of the other plant, which is a very good one. The 

 stuff looked worthless, but it is evidently very powerful. I 

 have two nice wall plants of Reve d'Or, which is distinct in 

 colour and form. The blooms, golden with a coppery centre,, 

 were sent to me, and I thought them choice. After I have 

 bloomed the plants I -will report. I am more and more in love 

 ■with Pradel's " dai'ling." The Maruchal is good on the 



