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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 16, 186& 



one (alas, for the lamented Beeler, of Indiana !) who acted upon 

 the suggestions made to him by observers. He preserved the 

 side branches, though subordinated by shortening when neces- 

 sary, in order to give stocky stems to his trees, and afterwards 

 he removed these with a knife during the summer, before they 

 were to be sold and planted, instead of waiting to perform this 

 trimming up, until they were dug and sent to the packing-shed, 

 in the fall or spring. The result was, that while his stems 

 were stout and stocky, they were also smooth, the wounds were 

 neatly healed over with new bark, instead of being open from 

 the fresh cuts and liable to crack or bleed, as they would have 

 done had this pruning been deferred until after digging either 

 in the fall or spring. Others may have done the same thing; 

 hut you all know that the trees you receive are not possessed 

 of the desirable characters in these respects. To some this 

 may anpear a small matter, but it is introduced as an illustration 

 of the' principle involved in selecting the period for pruning. 

 For the removal of small limbs from young trees, hardly any 

 time can come amiss. 'Twere better to do it out of season 

 than to neglect it ; and it is a good rule to have a sharp pruning 

 knife always at hand when passing among our young orchard 

 trees. There is but one time when pruning should be absolutely 

 interdicted, and that is all the time that the wood is frozen. 

 When so circumstanced it should never, on any account, be cut 

 or disturbed or handled in any manner, not even to gratify your 

 best friend by helping to a few grafts from your tested tree 

 of some coveted variety. Let him wait for a thaw, or go away 

 without them, rather than commit such an outrage upon your 

 tree as to approach it when frozen. 



While considering the question of the proper season for 

 pruning, there is one axiom of great importance which should 

 be firmly impressed upon the mind of the orchardist : Much 

 will depend upon which of the two leading objects he may have 

 in view — vigour of growth and symmetry of form, or simply 

 fruitfulness, as the result of his labours in pruning his trees. 

 Pruning at one season will induce the former effect ; at a 

 different period of the year, the same work will conduce to the 

 latter results. Hence, the value of this postulate, which is 

 pithy and easily remembered — Prune in winter for wood, in 

 summer for fruit. — Dk. John A. Wakdeh, Cincinnati (in 

 American Gardener's Monthly). 



VICTORIA NECTARINE. 



Now that the time for the purchasing additional trees for 

 the orchard-house is at hand, I feel that it may be useful to 

 some of your readers to hear my report of the Victoria Necta- 

 rine of Mr. Rivers. In spite of this very sunless autumn I 

 have found this sort ripen its fruit perfectly, and the flavour 

 is as fine as can be desired ; it is also the most juicy of any 

 kind that I grow. As I live on the borders of Leicestershire 

 and Derbyshire, and in a cold part of the locality, I think my 

 experience is worth having, as probably in more favoured 

 regions this excellent fruit would be found better still. — C. P. 



THE MAIDEN'S BLUSH ROSE AS A STOCK. 



Moke than three years ago I was induced to notice this stock 

 in the first volume of the " Florist and Pomologist " (page S7), 

 and subsequent trials have confirmed the favourable opinion I 

 had then formed of it, not only for the purposes then stated, 

 but as the best stock for all uses ; and I am glad to find " Loch 

 Ness," in a recent Number of the Journal, speaking favour- 

 ably of it. 



Compared with the Dog, Briar, and other common stocks, it 

 may be considered imperishable. Its wood is dense and firm ; 

 the bark, even on two or three-year-old shoots, opens freely for 

 budding ; hardy as the Briar, it will thrive in any soil or aspect ; 

 and it works kindly with graft or bud, and with every kind of 

 Rose. 



I can assure " Loch Ness" that it is as easily propagated as 

 the Manetti at this season by cuttings made from spring shoots. 

 I have not tried it for potting-purposes, but I have no reason 

 to anticipate failure if so employed. While we have been search- 

 ing for good stocks in out-of-the-way places, we have had the 

 very best before our eyes. 



My two old trees, though innocent of suckers, send up from 

 their bases aboveground strong shoots annually, and on them 

 I have magnificent blooms, from buds of Gloire de Dijon, 

 Auguste Mie, and three crimson and scarlet Roses, which cover 

 the bare portion of the stem ; and overhead Cloth of Gold, 



Ophirie, and Saffrano luxuriate, in harmony with the Maiden's 

 Blush, for I preserve with care the old bird which lays the 

 golden eggs in the form of nice cuttings, of which I have a 

 goodly number planted. Harsh treatment this ! What stock 

 besides would bear it with impunity ? Yet this (old maid, I 

 fear, I must call her, for I have reason to believe both of these 

 trees have been upwards of forty years in their present situa- 

 tion), tree flourishes in a poor soil, and does all I require in 

 return for three doses of liquid manure annually. 1 find it 

 answers every purpose, and I am confident so will every one 

 who gives it a clear stage and as little favour as I have granted 

 to it. — Amicus. 



GRASSES FOR LAWNS. 

 ANTnoxANTHUM oDOEATUM (Sweet Vernal Grass). — This likes 

 a cool rich soil, but will grow almost anywhere. Its herbage is 

 short, and oftener scanty than otherwise. On account of its 

 earliness it is desirable to include it in a lawn mixture, but it 

 should be used sparingly. This is the species which gives the 

 grateful odour to new-mown Grass, and which is so powerful 

 in hay ; but it is not the only one, for the same grateful odour 

 is observable in hay to all appearance totally devoid of this 

 Grass. 



Stems 1 foot or more, simple, slender, furrowed, often 

 knotted, naked at top. Leaves short, flat, acuminate ; those 

 on the stem very short, spreading. Sheath very long, some- 

 what beUying, furrowed, with a spear-shaped, upright, skinny 

 sheath-scale. Spike terminating, upright, acute, many-flowered. 

 Flowers on short footstalks. Calyx, valves skinny, acute, some- 

 times with small hairs, rough on the keel. Corolla, valves 

 nearly equal, shorter than the calyx. — G. Abbey. 

 (To be continued.) 



FUMIGATION. 



This is always a sore puzzle to the plant-grower, and various" 



are the means adopted for getting rid of that horrid pest the 



green aphis. I have lately tried a fumigating-pot of very 



simple construction invented by Mr. H. Appleby, the well- 



l known foreman of Mr. Ivery, of Dorking ; and used with it the 



