AngttBt 83, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



151 



I) i« till' inner epidermis of the preen shoot, tlirougli whicli tlie 

 cambium ileseenilK ; and e is Ihu thin outer epidermis not yet 

 become hard. The linneoiis formatimi is seen lietween i) and 

 c- and ¥ rejiresentb the blank portion of tlie ]iremHtiu'0 hitenil. 



The metliod here described may I") tried witli advantase in 

 certain cases, care boijig taken not to jiiercu beyond the point 

 intlicated. 



I liave tlius endeavoured to point out how to recognise the 

 character of a hvteriJ which seems Hkely to become '^rosn, and 

 shown when and )iow to arrest its progress. In the next in- 

 stance a remedy has Ijcen pointed out in tlie case of a lateral 

 liavinj! been neglected or overlooked. It remains, then, only 

 to describe tlie treatment of such laterals as are of fair growth 

 and promise. In the case of maiden or young trees it is good 

 practice not to check their growth, but only to direct it a little. 

 \Vc shall, however, suppose the tree to be somewhat esta- 

 blished and formed. In this case the laterals on the summer 

 extensions m.iy be stopped to G inches to strengthen the buds 

 at the base, of which, at the winter pruning, there will bo left 

 only two good buds. When these have pushed in the following 

 year, in order to induce them to be fruitful, they should be 

 stopped at four leaves as soon as they have made six full-sized 

 ones. The second growths may be stopped at two leaves more, 

 aud the third growth may be stopped at one leaf, or allowed to 

 extend during the autumn, according to the state of the buds 

 at the base. If all go well, by August we may confidently exjiect 

 to find the lowest two buds full aud well established. Possibly 

 another pair besides these may be developed nearer to the base 

 of the lateral. The two upper buds will have extended, and 

 on these the second and third gi-owths will have been already 

 stopped respectively at two leaves, and one leaf, as before said. 



It is my practice in this case to allow the tree to make some 

 more growth, unless the autumn be wet and sunless ; if, how- 

 ever, the two lowest buds of the lateral are not satisfactory, 

 then but very httle second growth is permitted, and frequently 

 it is good practice to cut back below the first stop])ing, and by 

 a new check and concentration of the sap and diminution of 

 the shade produced by the leaves, to endeavour to ripen these 

 lowest buds. 



Some of the finest fruit is produced in the ensuing season 

 on the extensions. When, however, the tree hears freely, the 

 laterals should be rather devoted to form new spurs for future 

 use, and, if possible, they should be transformed into a group 

 of two or three shoots. 



In the case of very old trees no rules can be given, as these 

 require less severe pruning, and vary considerably. 



in fiff. 17, we have a prematiu'e lateral drawn by myself from 



Fig. 17. 



nature early in August. The leaves are omitted. We notice 

 the pair of buds at the veiy base of this lateral ; they are pro- 

 minent, dark in colour, and triple, which is not alw.ays the case. 

 The lateral had been stopped at the fourth leaf, when it had 

 made some six fuU-sized leaves, and two of these four buds 

 have extended. That marked b has been stopped at the second 

 growth, and has formed at that point a group of flower-buds 

 vrliich would ripen in an orchard-house ; the other bud, marked 

 c, has also extended, but it has not produced flower-buds. It 

 would have grown freely, and so has been stopped at about two 

 leaves beyond the first stopping, and, again, for the third time 

 at one leaf ; still it is growing, and it is no matter, for our lower 

 bnds are well constituted. The tree suffered also from insects, 

 and will benefit by more growth during the rest of the autumn. 

 Probably M. Grin would cut back, at the winter pruning, to 

 the first pair of buds at the base ; but I have found it well to 



have plenty of shoots to select from. I should, therefore, cut 

 back only to A, above the beautiful triple group there. This 

 group having a central leaf-bud will bo sure to extend. Should 

 any fruit appear on this group it might be left on, if so desired, 

 and the leaves beyond the fruit reduced to two or three. The 

 pair of buds at the base m.\v become " May dusters " by this 

 process, which, indeed, is the principal aim of very close 

 pruning. Nothing can be more successful than the production 

 of this class of shoot, especially in pairs. Should, however, 

 these buds at the base extend, they will very likely become 

 fruit-bearers of class 2. As soon as the group at a has borne 

 its fruit, it should be completely cut out. By this time the 

 eyes at the base will have become strong, and will be ready to 

 take the place, in some shape or other, of the group removed, 

 At D, we see a group of buds on the other side of the extension, 

 K. This group will be of service hereafter, probably as a May 

 cluster. 



The lateral represented is a fair specimen. Others more 

 striking could as easily have be^'U 8ho\vn ; some which by 

 stopping have forked and become double shoots, which^can be 

 left as such, and others equ;dly useful. Of course, the double 

 shoot is nearer perfection provided it divide very near the base. 

 In M. Grin's practice he does not, however, attach so much 

 importance to having more than one shoot frimi the same base, 

 but it multiplies the chance of fruit, especially in the open air. 

 — T. BiiEHAUT, Richmond Houne, Guernsey. 



CLOTH OF GOLD AND MRS. I'OLLOCK 

 GERANIUMS. 



MANAtiK.MENT OF AMAUAXTHUS .MKLANCHOLICUS IIUHER. 



With me for the last four years Cloth of Gold has put all 

 other golden varieties into the shade. It both grows and 

 flowers well. This year I have two large beds of it, with a 

 groimd-covering of Verbena venosa, struck from root-cuttings 

 in January last. This I find a better plan than planting out 

 seeiUings, as the plants so propagated come into flower much 

 sooner. The soil in the beds is a sort of chalky loam, and a 

 little manure is annually given, but no peat. The beds are 

 exposed to wind on all sides but the north. Cloth of Gold 

 requires plenty of water when first planted out, especially in 

 such dry weather as that which prevailed in the early part of 

 the present season. Some plants used as edgings have not 

 done so well; this I consider is owing to shallow soil and 

 want of moistui-e. Golden Chain does very well with me as au 

 edging plant, but is useless for the centre of a bed on account 

 of its poor flower, while Cloth of ttold has a good bright scarlet 

 flower, combined with a larger and better coloured leaf than 

 the former. 



Amaranthus melancholicus ruber has grown with me as 

 strongly as PeriUa. I sow in heat at the end of March, and as 

 soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, I prick them 

 out into small pots, and when these are pretty well filled with 

 roots turn the plants out in a cold frame, in a mixture of leaf 

 soil aud ashes. Afterwards I keep close for a time vmtil they 

 start into growth and then give all the air possible. I think 

 the main cause of failure at, some places with this and miiny 

 of our bedding plants, is keeping them in small pots until 

 planting-out time comes, then m.any of them grow less. I 

 plant out some thousands of bedding plants every year, and 

 find that nearly all of them are benefited, if they are well 

 rooted, by being turned out of the pots into leaf or any soU out 

 of which they can he well lifted. With Verbenas I find coal 

 ashes answer well. 



I can highly recommend tui-f pots for spring-struck Gera- 

 niiuns, but spring-struck Verbenas, Variegated Alyssum, Agera- 

 tums. Heliotropes, Gazanias, and Petunias, grow quite as well, 

 if not better, tied up in soil and moss, and jdaced in a little 

 heat until they start into growth; when, they may be shifted 

 where you hke. It is the way to grow a great quantity. 



Centaiuea ragusina has turned green with me this year and 

 keeps running to seed. Calceolaria Sparkler does not keep its 

 bright colour with me, it turns a dirty brown after being out a 

 few days. — Bailey Wadds, Raiju-ell, Brour/h. 



As Mr. Fish asks for a report of the above Geraniums, I may 

 state that I have a bed edged with the former, which has always 

 been a favourite of mine, and it does not seem to have grown 

 at all this year. Last year in another bed it grew well, and 

 was everything I could desire as an edging. I have come to 



