OctolMi 21, 1869. ] 



JOUENAL OP HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



327 



h«lp to mature the frnit-bnds. If the leaves flag we shall syringe 

 or shade. During the summer we dwelt somewhat in detail on 

 summer pruning, or rather pinehing, as a means of regulating 

 the growth and fruitfulness of a tree ; but in addition, when 

 we wish to concentrate as much fruitfulness in little space as 

 possible, a little root-pruning will also be necessary. 



To many enthusiastic holders of small gardens, this root- 

 pruning is a matter they cannot master, though almost as 

 simple as head or branch pruning. They look upon it, how- 

 ever, with something like dread, and for their sakes we shall 

 mention some of the modes of securing fruit on trees soon 

 after planting, and so as to render root-pruning seldom ne- 

 cessary. 



We will first take the case where station planting is re- 

 sorted to, and means are taken, either by flags or concreting 

 15 inches or so below the surface, to prevent the roots going 

 down. Good concreting should be about 3 inches thick, and 

 be made of clean gravel six parts, and one part of powdered 

 qaicklime, with just enough of water to lay it down of a thickiah 

 consistence. Then let it be made smooth and be allowed to 

 dry before the earth goes on. Such stations should not be 

 less than 5 feet in diameter. The bottoming is made to pre- 

 vent the roots going down, as the deeper they are the greater 

 the tendency to luxuriance of growth, and the shallower the 

 roots the more within atmospheric influence, and the greater 

 the tendency to the production of fruit buds. It such trees 

 need root-pruning, it is easily applied beyond the concreting. 

 The stations should at first be fully a foot above the ground 

 level in the centre, as even with mulching the height will always 

 be lessening. Trees intended for dwarfs, if thus planted, will 

 yield fruit quickly, but will grow rather slowly, as the extreme 

 of growth and the extreme of fertility are ever opposed to each 

 other. 



Uany who have no great depth of soil, and that soil rather 

 poor, are anxious to have dwarf trees without any bottoming, 

 concreting, and as little as may be of root-pruning. In such a 

 case we would fork over the shallow ground, collect the best 

 surface soil into flat conical heaps, at least 15 or 18 inches 

 above the general level, and this being made tolerably firm we 

 would spread out the roots carefully 6 to 8 inches below the 

 raised surface. In very inferior soils we have obtained fine, 

 healthy, fruitful trees by this means, and that with little more 

 trouble than giving a mulching of a barrowload of rotten dung 

 every season, for if it was applied early in summer it was 

 generally out of sight before the next summer came. The 

 mulching kept the roots moist and near the surface. It the 

 soil was very poor, we would add a little sweet rotten dung 

 mixed with it, but if at all fair we would put no dung at all in 

 the soil about the roots, but apply all the manure to the sur- 

 face. In fact, in all old kitchen gardens we would prefer a 

 barrowload of fresh soil from the sides of a road, &b., to any 

 manure mixed with the soil. No plan could well be simpler, 

 and results demonstrate that it will succeed. 



One, perhaps, wishes for special reasons to obtain small 

 maiden plants, and does not care for fruit for two or three 

 years, but wishes to have good-tized fruitful trees established 

 as quickly as possible. In this case we would not trouble our- 

 selves at first with bottoms or raised stations ; we would ma- 

 nare the soil and plant on the level, much as a nurseryman 

 would do, who wants trees to se 1 instead of to fruit. We would 

 encourage our trees by mulching and watering for a couple of 

 years or so, so as to obtain a nicely furnished balanced top, 

 whatever the mode of growth adopted ; and then, as the growth 

 moat likely would be tolerably vigorous, in the end of the 

 second or third season, say early in October, we would care- 

 fully take up the trees, losing as few roots as possible, never 

 allowing a root to dry, and replant every tree so taken up before 

 fceginning with another, spreading the roots out carefully on 

 a raised knoll, covering with about 6 inches of soil, giving a 

 little fresh soil if possible, and applying the dung given in the 

 shape of mulching. We have seen numbers of trees thus 

 treated, that continued luxuriant enough to he healthy, and 

 were fruitful for many years without needing any root-pruning, 

 and but little pruning of the head. Of course there was the 

 trouble of carefully lifting and replanting ; but in such young 

 trees that involved less labour than would appear at first sight. 

 The object of the mode was first to secure rapid gro.vth to form 

 a tree, then permanent fruitfulness with but little trouble. 

 When this mode was practised under our advice, and where 

 drainage even was objected to, we had the ground deep- stirred 

 to the subsoil, but the subsoil and tbe lower strata left 

 83 they were before ; the trees continued finitfnl,' the opening ' 



of the subsoil carrying oil stagnant water, and the mulching on 

 the surface keeping moisture near enough the top to prevent 

 the roots going down in eearch of it. Though well aware of the 

 importance of drainage to prevent stagnant water lodging, we 

 are convinced we are not sufficiently aware of the importance 

 of deeply stirring the subsoil as an assistant to, nay, even as a 

 substitute for deep drainage, and though aware of the impor- 

 tance of bottoming platforms or borders where there is a thiD 

 soil over deep, close clay, *c., we rather think that if called 

 upon to form a large plantation of dwarf fruit trees, we should 

 be satisfied with draining oS stagnant water, deeply stirring the 

 subsoil a season before planting; and then, it we could obtain 

 no fresh soil, we would be content with collecting the best sur- 

 face soil in mounds, and keeping the roots moderately moist, 

 enticing them near the surface by mulchings. Last season 

 mulchings would hardly prevent, in such a case as ours, the 

 roots from becoming too dry ; but tbe circumstances were ex- 

 ceptional, as will at once be seen when we state that for two 

 mouths we had no clean water to go to, and were forced to cover 

 up what we could not water. 



Something will be gained if our readers see that by the 

 simplest modes they can eileot their object ; only as respects 

 fruit trees let us advise them to bear in mind, that of various 

 modes, one may be as sucoessful as the other when thoroughly 

 carried out, but that the mingling of plans will often be at- 

 tended with failure ; also let them remember the simple fact, 

 that the nearer the surface the roots of a fruit tree are, the 

 more will it be studded with fruit buds, and that if the surface 

 be kept rich and moist by rough mulching, the roots will be 

 less likely to go down deeply in search of water. The mere 

 raising of a mound does not necessarily cause it to dry sooner, 

 and more especially if the surface is stirred or covered. In 

 raised flower-beds we have often found, that from the very 

 depth and openness of the soil, less water was required than in 

 the case of those on the level. 



OBKAMBNTII, DSPABTMBNT. 



We are sorry the weather is becoming so much colder. The 

 flower-beds and borders are still so fine, that we would like 

 them to continue a month longer. As yet we have not taken up 

 anything, but next week we must move cuttings, so as to have 

 a place in a cold pit ready for Caloeolaria cuttings ; for, after all, 

 discarded as they are in many places, the best tricolor Pelar- 

 goniums make a poor substitute for them, and as yet we find 

 that nothing meddles with them. Proceeded with housing and 

 potting, and expect a very busy week. — B. F. 



CO VENT GARDEN MARKET.— Ootober 20. 



Markets are Btill very dull and hesTT, foreign importations being in 

 excesa, and trade for inferior goods being quite at a standstill. Large 

 arrivals of Potatoes both coastwise and by rail, best qaalities maintaining 

 former prices. 



FRUIT. 



