Novemboi- 28, 186B. ] 



JOUENAIi OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



445 



Lauru3tiiiu3 is upon the south or entrance side, and about 

 C yards from the porch of the thickly-covered thiitdied cottage, 

 of whicli the bedroom windows have a small but deeply-thatched 

 ridge roof of their own. A space near the door, and a small 

 portion of the walk, are laid donm in small pebbly stones of 

 various colours and sizes, the rest of the walks are gravel. 

 Some of tlie small bods have Box-edgings about 1 foot high, 

 but for the most part the walks are edged with shells. Here 

 are several circular beds, in which are grown during summer 

 Geraniums, and other gay-flowering plants, and in winter 

 some AVallUowers, edged with Crocuses, i-c. Fastened in the 

 soil of some of these circular beds are three iron rods meeting 

 over the centre of the bed at 4 feet high, and surmounted by a 

 vase containing gay-flowering plants all summer, and Wall- 

 flowers, or Periwinkles, and Crocuses in winter. These supports 

 of ii-on are ornamented with difi'erent ornamental shells, fixed 

 on with cement, and the vases likewiiie aro curiously orna- 

 mented with various-coloured shells ; and upon the shell-en- 

 cased iron supports, during summer flowering plants are trained 

 up, such as Tropieolum canaricnso, or common Nasturtiums, 

 with a few Convolvuluses intertwined. 



Looking a little beyond we see a figure in shells of a man not 

 much larger than Tom Thumb, and having his arms stretched 

 out, and for a hat a vase covered with curious and interesting 

 shells fu-tistically arranged, and filled with Tom Thumb Gera- 

 niums, their green foliage and bright scarlet flowers contrasting 

 well with the white shells sparkling in the sun. Upon little 

 pedestals, hut not in beds, are placed at some corners shell 

 vases very tastefully ornamented, care being always taken to 

 have a great variety in the colour of the shells. Then, again, 

 farther back in the shade of the trees are figures in shells of 

 some birds and small animals; the owl, the peacock, ..tc., 

 roosting upon a low branch. At each end of the garden, under 

 the shade of some shrubs, is an arbour-like summer-house 

 decorated with shells, and its sofa-like arms, are also thus 

 ornamented. The occupant has often told me how he enjoys 

 sitting in this shi'ub-covered, shell-adorned alcove during sum- 

 mer, and seeing what numbers of persons look over the low front 

 hedge at his curious and interesting handiwork. The various 

 remarks which are made by the passers-by give him much 

 amusement. By the aid of iron, cement, shells, &c., this style 

 of ornamentation might be carried to any extent, and small as 

 the garden is, I scarcely ever saw children pass by it without 

 looking in. 



In the same neighboui-hood, but not overshadowed by trees, 

 I have often admired a smaU garden which seemed to give the 

 owner great pleasure and amusement. Here the boundaries 

 are composed of various shrubs, which are allowed to grow 

 rather high, 10 or 12 feet, but all are neatly kept. The ground 

 is in grass, excepting a small walk for convenience in wet 

 weather. The occupant here seems to delight in smoothly- 

 kept grass, and well-kept shrubs, and has a fair practical know- 

 ledge of the more usefid and common sorts, and their seasons 

 of flowering. Such a garden may be more appi'opriately termed 

 a winter garden than a summer one, for in the cold winter 

 months evergreens and grass can be made, and generally are, 

 nearly as attractive as in summer. 



Among evergreens suitable for planting in gardens such as 

 that above referred to, are the various sections of the Hollies, the 

 foliage of which gives such a diversified appearance when judi- 

 ciously introduced among other shrubs. The Aucuba japonica, 

 with its deep green and yellow-blotched leaves, looks well under 

 the shade of high trees ; and the Laurustinns, which is easily 

 kept low by cutting-in about the month of May, will continue 

 flowering from October to April, and is quite a treasure during 

 winter. Besides these a few of the more upright-growing kinds 

 of shrubs may be planted, to give a pleasing variety and con- 

 trast ; and among such I may name the Chinese .Junipers, some 

 Cypresses, and a few plants of Cedrus deodara. Until I had seen 

 how giaceful an appearance the Deodar had in its young state 

 in many villa gardens, and the pleasure which it gave the pro- 

 prietors, especially when it was planted among evergreens, I was 

 rather unfavoirrable to the planting of forest trees in the gar- 

 dens of villa residences. It must, however, be home in mind 

 that these gardens are not planted or decorated for the gene- 

 rations to come, but for the pleasure of the present one, and 

 should these evergreens grow too large let the next generation 

 cut them down, or remove them to where they can fully develop 

 themselves. The gracefully drooping branches of the Deodar 

 Cedar make it a great favourite with every one, and in every stage 

 of its growth. 



The occupier of the villa above referred to, and which is 



situated at the junction of two streets, may bo seen during 

 some portion of every fine day deriving health and pleasure 

 from attending to his little favourites. The extent of the 

 garden may bo about one-twentieth of an acre, and the walks 

 are very naiTow and low for the beds, some of which aro banked 

 up along the sides from 12 to 18 inches with stones and soil, 

 but all over-grown with Stonecrops. Other ])ortions of the 

 walks have Box edgings holding up the soil in the small beds, 

 which aro none of them more than 4 feet wide. Here are 

 strangely-shaped little vases, some having old men's faces upon 

 them, as well as other figures, and all are filled with some 

 variety of Sedum, generally grown hanging down over the 

 sides of the vase. A great number of flowering plants are 

 grown considering the small space which the beds occupy, in 

 consequence of the ground being so rich and so carefully 

 cleaned, watered, and otherwise attended to. Splendid Balsams, 

 Marigolds, and Asters, are grown from seed in tlic small beds, 

 and when I went past the garden in the end of October it was 

 very gay with Chrysanthemums. These are all closely tied to 

 one stake, forming before flowering a close green mass, but are 

 now all more or less displaying the various colours of their 

 flowers. 



The possessors of the gardens which I have described, had, 

 no doubt, spent the more active portion of their lives in 

 business, but are now enjoying the quiet of their villa resi- 

 dences, and pursue horticulture on a humble scale as a means 

 of recreation. — G. Dawson. 



THE MODERN PEACH-PRUNER.— No. IS. 



OnCHARD-HOUSE PltUXlNG AND TnAINING. 



It is evident that this summer stopping of the shoots to four 

 leaves is not only well adapted to trees on the open wall, but, 

 as it economises space, time, and labour, it is also equally well 

 suited for wall trees in orchard-houses. To show that this is 

 possible, and easy to accomplish in either case, is one main 

 object of this work. To reduce Peach-pruning to its simplest 

 and most natural elements, is to do away with all the needless 

 and wasteful appliances which have hitherto been such hin- 

 drances to amateiu's. In orchas-d-houses, especially, it is de- 

 sirable to make use of a system combining simplicity of detail 

 with a saving of time and physical labour, both of which ama- 

 teurs have not always at their command. 



Considering the immense advance in Peach- culture which 

 those invaluable structures, orchard-houses, have produced, 

 and how many of them are chiefly managed by amateurs, it is 

 evident that such laborious contrivances as ties, and such 

 needless complications as disbudding (too often insisted on, 

 even by excellent pruners), must end in wearying and disgust- 

 ing many to whom the orchard-house would prove a pure and 

 innocent enjoyment. Neither would it be advisable to have 

 one method of pruning, close, for in-doors, and another, long, 

 for the open air. This would create confusion, and hinder 

 progress. It is a mistake to suppose that wall trees and es- 

 paliers under glass, or in the open air, require any substantial 

 difference in their mode of treatment. 



The ease of potted trees, such as bushes, flat-topped or pyra- 

 mids, presents no greater difficulty. The shoots on all bush 

 trees in pots should be stopped at three leaves — i. c, one leaf 

 shorter than oh more developed forms on walls, as soon as five 

 full-sized leaves have been formed. The object is to allow the 

 sap to habitiiate itself to this, its natural channel, and thus 

 permit the shoot to become somewhat hard before it be 

 shortened. The upper buds will soon burst forth into a se- 

 cond growth. Generally, only the upper two buds will thus 

 burst, but, in the case of strong vertical shoots, all three may 

 do so. This is no great matter for trees under glass, where 

 they are sheltered from atmospheric changes, and especially 

 saved from any rank growth caused by a simless and rainy 

 summer. In the open air it would not be desirable to cause 

 all the buds thus to burst, as was the case in the original sys- 

 tem, because, in cold and humid climates, we could not depend 

 on a crop formed entirely on the junction buds ; and we thus 

 require, in addition, to have a good triple group lower down 

 the shoot, which is obtained by pruning to four leaves, as 

 before said. In the case, however, of bushes, restrained in 

 their growth in pots, and under complete control in their root- 

 development, priming to three leaves will be found the best. 



Soon afterwards the second growth will push forth, and it 

 will be necessary to arrest it somewhat abruptly, so as to eon- 



