JOURNAL OP HOBTIODLTUKB AND COTTAGE GABDENEll. 



[ AagoBt 5, 18S>. 



however, water miiet be applied more Bparingly, as an over- 

 dose at that time will deteriorate the flavour, and cause many 

 of the fruits of the finer varieties to split open, eapecially in 

 dull, oold, cloudy weather. Great care is therefore necessary 

 in watering, X-o., at this stage. 



It is an old saying, that •' a pruned Fig tree never bears." 

 It is, however, like many others, only half true. The Fig tree 

 will bear any amount of pruning; there is no plant more 

 benefited by .■(ummer-pruning— i. c, pinching olT the growing 

 shoots — than the Fig, and even in winter it may ho pruned to 

 any extent with impunity. It is true that if we cut back in 

 winter all the shoots on which are situate the fruits which 

 form the first crop, that crop will be sacrificed. We obtain, 

 however, a very abundant second crop if attention be paid to 

 the pinching of the growing ehoots as closely as possible during 

 summer. While the trees are young and "vigorous the shoots 

 will elongate considerably in spite of all the pinching. These, 

 in winter, should be cut back to one-half their length, and the 

 same process of close pinching continued. As the plants grow 

 older they will make more stubby, short, close-jointed wood, 

 which iu winter will not require much pruning. Of the trees 

 exhibited (uow eight years old), most of the largest had the 

 half of their brauches cut back in winter, and the other half 

 left unpraned, excepting when the plant became too large ; 

 then it was headed quite down, and by this means the whole of 

 the plants were kept compact and of a uniform size. In summer 

 the young shoots are pinched, first at from 2 to a inches in 

 length, then as closely afterwards as it is possible to do so. 

 This continuous and incessant pinching induces fruitfulness 

 in the Fig to a very great degree. All the shoots that are 

 pinched throw out one and sometimes several fruits at the 

 axila of the leaves, while those not pinched more rarely do so. 

 Another point of considerable importance is that of forming 

 the plant on a single stem. Independently of its more hand- 

 some app;;aranco, I have found such plants to be much more 

 fruitful than where a multiplicity of stems are allowed. 



Lastly, with respect to the selection of varieties for cultiva- 

 tion. If pot-culture is intended I would recommend consider- 

 able variety— firstly, because there is a charm in variety; and 

 secondly, because Figs vary much in flavour according to the 

 situations or conditions under which they may be growing. 

 For instance, some of the higher-flavoured and finest Figs 

 require much heat and bright sunshine to bring them to 

 full perfection, and it may happen that these conditions can- 

 not be fulfilled ; the weather may be cold and sunless, and 

 more heat may be wanting than can be supplied— then some 

 of the second-rate sorts surpass the better ones in flavour. 

 Of the highest-flavoured sorts, I would select Col di Signora 

 Blanoa. Grosse Verte, and Bourjassotte grise. These, however, 

 all require considerable heat; the last named being, perhaps, 

 the finest and most constantly good variety in the collection. 

 Of the most free-fruiting kinds may be named White Isohia, 

 Violette de Bordeaux, White Marseilles, and Brown Turkey ; 

 and for hardy varieties— varieties suitable for cullivating in the 

 open air ajuiust walls in thiscountry-in addition to the White 

 Marseilles and the Brown Turkey commonly to be met with, 

 I would ventuie tj recommend the earliest of all our Figs, De la 

 Madeleine, Grosse Violette de Bordeaux, and Grosse Mon- 

 ptrueuse de Lipari. which are all possessed of the property of 

 '•first bearing"— the term used in the Fig countries to denote 

 those varieties which retain and ripenofi the fruit which is 

 produced on the wood of the previous year's growth. Our sum- 

 mers are in general too short to allow of the Fig ripening more 

 than the first crop, so that only those varielies which are pos- 

 sessed of this pioperty (and it is peculiar to some vaiieties), can 

 be considered suitable for open-air cultivation in this country ; 

 but on this point, as well as on many others in connection with 

 Figs, we have yet much to learn.— A. F. BinEON (Read before 

 the lioiial IlorliciiUurat Socictv.) 



CULTURE OF MARECHAL KIEL ROSE. 

 Tonn correspondent, " A Subscribek," is quite right in his 

 observation ihut the blooms of the Matfchal Kiel exhibited at 

 shows are selcclicns from large stocks. You do not see the 

 failures but the tuccesses. It is a Tea-Noisette in family, but 

 not in character, as a Noisette means a cluster Kose. It was 

 derived from Isabella Gray, which sprung from the Cloth of 

 Gold. Tje latter in my garden (four plants in the open aii), 

 is a rampant grower with plenty of foliage. I think of bud- 

 ding the ilarshal on the new powerful bhoots of Cloth of Gold. 



The Tea and Tea-Noisette Boses saoceed best under glass. 

 They like rich Barley and Turnip soil, with free drainage, in- 

 tense heat, plenty of water, and little pruning. 



As your correspondent only keeps a few yellow Hoses, let 

 him procure Gloire de Dijon and Triomphe de liennes. For a 

 standard, I specially recommend Celine Forestier. I have a 

 most elegant standard of it here, given to me by the Rev. S. B. 

 Hole. It blooms better as a standard worked on a Briar, than 

 on its own roots, or on a Manetti stock. 



Triomphe de Kennes and Gloire de Dijon will do well on a 

 Briar, or on their own roots, or on the Manetti, and in the open 

 border, or against a south or south-east wall. 



To till a large space of south wall, no yellow Kose will excel 

 Solfaterre. The best Marfohal Niel I know is in front of the 

 wall of a vinery. Mine are best in that situation. — W. F. 

 Eadclyffe. 



ASPECTS OF SPRING GARDENING.— No. 4. 



{Concluded from page 56.) 



Eesumino my notes on Nuneham Park, and coming away 

 from that part called " Mason's Garden," a pleasant winding 

 walk by tall banks of shrubbery, and ending in an ascending 

 flight of steps, leads to the north terrace garden, and here 

 an entirely new scene opens to the view. In our fioricultnral 

 progress up to this point we have been treading a pleasant 

 flowery ravine, hidden between two huge walls of trees on 

 either side, with a foreground of shrubbery and flower beds. 

 So calm and peaceful is it, so sublime and beautiful, and so 

 solemnly still, that it might be likened to a vast open temple, 

 wherein some of the most lovely forms in nature wait upon 

 the Beneficent Hand that gave them being, and hath so lavishly 

 " decked the earth with trees, brightened it with flowers, and 

 gladdened it with the sun." On the emerald floor of this 

 temple are gathered innumerable types, both of leaf and blos- 

 som, varied in form and hue, but unchanged in their one simple 

 act of devotion ; there 

 " Tho flowora come forth like Toice.s sent fromsomo swcotland of love, 



And breathe of some more glorioiid world. Like the returning dovo." 



And to fill np tbelontUne of the simile — 



*' while airily aloft 

 Tho trees tbcir cool green feathery foliaf^e droop. 

 Scarce Btirrinij: iu the bre ith of fair Spring's mom — 

 Like verdant banks on the broad stream of Liie." 



But on the north-terrace garden a broad expanse of open 

 country bursts into view ; below, in a grand valley, 



*' Clear serpentining Isis smoothly glides, 

 Full-Sowing iu the distance." 



Beyond, Abingdon, and a vast tract of country ia the distance 

 on hill sides rising up, as it were, to the sky. On the right the 

 eye catches in the distance a glimpse of the classic halls of 

 Oxford ; on the left a lengthened and commanding rampart of 

 woodland shuts out the park from view, screens the vale below, 

 and aiTords a kind of broad ledge, whereon runs that grand 

 walk of a mile in length, regarded as one of the masterpieces 

 of the great landscape gardener, " Capabihty " Brown. The 

 north terrace garden is inlaid on gravel ; there is no grassy 

 turf to vary the flowers ; to see that, one must look over the 

 balustrading on to the park below. 



The ground plan of this terrace garden forms a kind of an 

 irregular triangle, and comprises twenty-nine beds of various 

 shapes — some large and others small, and so disposed as to fit 

 into the shape of the garden, which is bounded on two sides 

 by the north wing of the mansion, leaving the other two sides 

 completely exposed. In the centres of five of the beds were 

 stone vases set on pedestals, each vase filled with the charming 

 Dielytra spectabilis. Looking over these beds, the most gor- 

 geous were two of circular shape, having in the centre Young's 

 Blood Wallflower, a very fine dark strain, yielding grand masses 

 of colour, and much esteemed by Mr. Stewart, the Wallflower 

 being surrounded with the blue M^osotis, and edged with the 

 golden-flowered Alyssum saxatile. Another bed was of an 

 oblong shape, the centre being filled with Silene pendnla, 

 and edged with Viola comuta. Phlox frondosa, mingled with 

 the common blue Venus' Looking-glass, made a pretty bed, 

 though the blue form of Campanula pentagonia would be more 

 effective in this relation, as it would jield larger flowers of the 

 same hue, and a corresponding extent of or mass of colour- 

 ing. Some outside slips of beds, actually describing a very 

 important flank movement in this floricultural review, filled 

 with the yellow Cliveden Pansy, with white MyoEotis, with 

 Phlox frondosa, with the Cliveden blae Pansy, and with both 



