32 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



C Jnly 8, 1875. 



or nearly so with the wall. Others there may be, but I do not 

 know the term they are recognised by. 



Now, fruit trees have two growths, spring and midsummer. 

 The first is the strongest, and in vigorous trees is continued 

 to a period long past midsummer ; but upon moderately vigor- 

 ous trees the first growth is over by the early part or middle of 

 July, and varies somewhat with different trees. Apricots will 

 have the first growth made by the middle of June to its close. 

 Plums follow next, then Pears, and last of all Apples, unless 

 we take cognisance of the Peach and Nectarine, and those of 

 course are next to the Apple in completing the first or spring 

 growths. When the trees are as before stated very vigorous, 

 the spring growth is not complete until a late period, so long- 

 continued is it that there is difficulty in distinguishing the 

 spring from the second growths. The less vigorous the growths 

 the earlier the spring growth is made, and the sooner it is, 

 of course, succeeded by the second or midsummer growth. 

 Between the two is a sort of cessation from growth for a time. 

 The cessation from growth is, though brief, for some purpose 

 which I do not profess to comprehend. It may be the giving 

 of character to the buds (and I could advance much in proof), 

 or as tending to some end in respect of the fruit ; certain is it 

 the wood becomes what we term in trees which do not lose 

 their leaves, firm. From the points of such shoots or near 

 them other shoots arise in many cases, not in all, whilst shoots 

 may be originated from other parts which in the first growth 

 have been in a semi-latent state. The shoots so resulting are 

 the second or midsummer growth, and if they proceed from 

 wood of the current year are laterals. The second growth will 

 be continued until a late period, and is not usually productive 

 of bloom buds, seldom I believe in the case of stone fruit, 

 though instances occur of bloom buds being formed upon the 

 second growths of Pears and Apples. The first growths are 

 therefore most momentous ; the second are mainly of value ia 

 promoting root action, drawing up fresh supplies of sap for 

 the fruit, and elaborating it iu a more p^rfect manner than 

 the leaves of the first growth, whilst thfy also prevent, by 

 appropriating any excess of nutriment, its being forced into 

 the buds of the first growth, and their premature expansion, 

 as is occasionally the case with Pears, Apples, Cherries, and 

 Plums, the bloom buds expanding in summer, and the hopes 

 of a crop the following year being lessened. Such instances 

 are not uncommon, and those havicg any experience at all 

 of trees on the dwarfing stocks, cannot but be more or les3 

 familiar with two blossomings in a season, frequently a little 

 here and there, but occasionally a full display. 



It is not necessary to do more than note the evil calculated 

 to be done by practising summer pruning at an early period of 

 the first growth, or before the leaves intended to be stopped 

 to are full-sized, for if the tree be very vigorous it will only be 

 resultant of two or more shoots from below whence the stop- 

 ping was done, and the tree is as full of sappy shoots in a year 

 as it was before the stopping. It is only just to state that a 

 very vigorous fruit tree neither by early and severe stoppinj?, 

 or even moderate pinching at a later period is to be brought 

 into a satisfactory fruiting state, it requires pruning at the 

 other end — i.e., the roots, and by reducing the supply of sap 

 inducing a less plentiful amount of fruitless wood or spray. 



If we operate upon a very moderate-growing tree very early 

 in the season we liberate the sap, and cause it to be forced into 

 parts expected to form fruit buds, and thus acted on early 

 they may start into growth instead of developing into fruit 

 buds, or should they already be of the latter character wo may 

 hasten their development, their maturity being completed at 

 so early a period in summer that they are forced into flower by 

 there not being present other means of appropriating the sap. 

 Early pinching for other important cousi ieratious we do not 

 advise, not a few of the many mishaps to fruit trees accruing 

 from want of foliage at an early period, and to lessen it does 

 not appear a satisfactory means of avoiding them. Blistered 

 and crumpled leaves is known to be the result of chill, by con- 

 tinued cold weather ; pinching will not give warmth, but expose 

 the parts remaining more fully to the influence of cold, and 

 jeopardise the fruit by its being more fully exposed, the 

 leaves being its natural protection from adverse influences. 

 Early pinching must also limit instead of promote root action, 

 and the growth and the tender fruit be for a time arrested, if 

 indeed it does not cause the crop to bo thrown off or become 

 cracked or otherwise deformed. 



Though too early pinching be bad, late summer pruning is 

 equally deprecable, for the allowing of long vigorous shoots to 

 be made appropriating the sap, shading the spurs and fruit. 



and thereby depriving them of light and air, is a robbery of the 

 fruitfulnei;3 in the present as well as for future seasons. The 

 spurs receive very ill-support, and the fruit less, for the parts — 

 i.e., the leaves feeding them — are small from being under the 

 leaves of the shoots, and they imperfectly perform their 

 functions owing to the unfavourable conditions in which they 

 are placed for doing so. Late summer pruning deferred until 

 a late period is also undesirable from the parts requiring to be 

 removed being large, suddenly exposing the fruit and leaves that 

 were overhung by spray to bright and it may be hot sun, and 

 they must have forced into them the sap that was needed for 

 the spray removed, and as there is no part or only lesser foliage 

 to appropriate it, it must create a stagnation at the roots, and 

 cause to be put out speedily a quantity of spray that will be 

 active late in the season. In fact, so complete is the check con- 

 sequent upon a late and large removal of summer shoots, so 

 paralysed is the root action, that the tree for a long time after- 

 wards remains stationary, making no effort at fresh growth, 

 and when it does it is weakly and late. In no wise can a large 

 development of spray conduce to the sine or quality of the ctop, 

 and in no wise can it by a large and sudden removal contribute 

 thereto, but must act prejudicially upon the tree's healthful- 

 ness and its present and after fruitfulness. — G. Abbey. 



NEW DISEASE OP POTATOES. 



I AM sorry to have to state that it attacks English as well as 

 the Yankee Potatoes. I have Walker's Regent, and especially 

 Flourball (Sutton's), badly attacked. I had it very bad (1874) 

 among Early Eose ; about halt died off as described in last week's 

 Journal, just as the Potatoes began to form. I have examined 

 several gardens since it was mentioned in the Journal of Hor- 

 ticulture, but chiefly do I find it in the American race. One 

 garden nearly all Eed-skin Flourball was badly affected. — 

 E. J., Louth. 



[More than ono correspondent states that Sutton's Flour- 

 ball is liable to this disease, and each arks. Is one of its 

 parents an American variety ? — Eds.] 



I HAVE a row or two of Extra Early Vermont (I saved the 

 seed myself last year), and find several roots attacked iu the 

 way you describe. None of the English varieties are attacked. 

 My next-door neighbour has also some in the same condition, 

 and the circumstances are precisely my own. — G. C, Croydon. 



The disease is very prevalent here in some cottage allot- 

 ments known as Clarke's Gardens. In one of them I saw six- 

 teen plants of American Late Eose, and they are all dead, 

 also several plants of Extra Early Vermont ; and the other 

 varieties do not look so strong and vigorous as they were in 

 former years, the leaves being very much curled. — W. E,, 

 Doncaster. 



CELERY CULTUEE. 



Theee are few plants which require more care in culture 

 than does Celery. Having experienced some failures and a 

 fair share of success, I can offer a few notes upon its culture. 

 Leicester Eed is the sort. Those who require early Celery 

 must sow in heat about the middle of January, prick-out iu heat, 

 and harden-off ia frames. I sow for the main crop the first 

 week iu March, place in a Cucumber bouse, thence to a vinery, 

 then to a frame to harden for ten or twelve days. The 

 plants are then pricked-out in 5 inches depth of soil (on ashes 

 made hard), well mixed with Mushroom dung or droppings 

 broken up. In this compost the plants are readily moved to 

 the trenches with a good ball. 



Stocky plants are also obtained by sowing in a warmer 

 corner early in March, timely thinning, and planting in the 

 trench when large enough. I have noticed Asters, Stocks, 

 Helichrysums, and other plants do equally well sown out in 

 the borders. With the Celery the next thing is the trench. 



The soil here is 2 feet deep, and the greater part of it is 

 annually trenched, turning-iu to the bottom a foot thick of 

 husky strawy manure from the stable, shrubbery refuse, &c. 

 After early Teas, a trench is thrown-out o feet wide, 1 foot 

 deep, and plenty of dry short manure is worked in. The 

 plants are placed 1 foot apart each way, water is freely sup- 

 plied till re-established, when liquid manure is given. Soot is 

 used to prevent fly, and salt to keep-off' worms and to give 

 solidity. Blood manure is an excellent stimulant for Celery. 

 "Earthing is commenced with the growth, using boards and 



