August 19, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIOULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



1C9 



chance than would a country dressmaker beside M. Worth or 

 Augustus Ahlborn, even though they had the same person to 

 dresB and the same materials to work with.— D., Deal. 



THE VINE BORDEE. 



As the growth and fruitfulness of the Vine depend iu a 

 measure on the border, its construction and material, I beg 

 to call the attention of intending planters to a few points 

 worth notice. After the site is cleared it is often necessary to 

 case the bottom of the border. This is effected by putting on 

 rubble and pouring on soft mortar, spreading evenly, allowing 

 it to set, taking care to give a fall for water to the drain in front. 

 Observe, it is usual to place the crooks, &a., inside the pot, not 

 under it ; the drainage should not be too rough or sparse — 

 6 inches is ample. Partitions of single brick and mortar are 

 useful, enclosing the border with a substantially-built wall, 

 preventing rats, itc, from burrowing into it. The dry bricks 

 will answer the first year or so, making half the border. Any 

 free soil will grow Grapes. There is nothing better than turfy 

 loam chopped as for other plants, with a free admixture of char- 

 coal and building rubbish, passed through an inch sieve. It is 

 important that the whole of the compost should be thoroughly 

 oxydised, adding very little manure, well mixing and making 

 firm in the border. Avoid treading in future, wet or dry. 



The next point ia manure. For young Vines solutions are 

 easily applied, also for fruiting Vines a freely soluble manure 

 applied during growth is the best stimulant. I have no idea 

 of burying bones. Bone dust and blood manure with stable 

 dung will give an unusual increase of fruit if properly applied. 

 The bone dust should be put on after the Grapes are cut 

 (December) with a sprinkling of blood manure or guano, and 

 covered up with fresh manure and shutters if outside. Blood 

 is again served out twice or thrice during growth with plenty 

 of water. I need scarcely add, with other proper attention 

 first-class Grapes will be produced. 



N.B. — I am perfectly satisfied much of the shanking, <feo., 

 is due to mutilations with the knife during growth. — C. 

 Pbinsep. 



SPURRING MOEELLO CHERRIES. 



Had our talented friend Mr. Taylor read the first part of the 

 paragraph relating to the summer pruning of the Morello 

 Cherry (see page (55), I do not think he would have found 

 other than a coincidence in the views he expresses at page 108. 

 There is a difference, however ; Mr. Taylor advises " dis- 

 budding " in addition to " pinching." Disbudding I do not 

 practise nor advise, as every shoot the Morello Cherry pro- 

 duces may, by stopping to three leaves, be had fruiting the 

 following season, and this without crowding, even when the 

 laying-in practice is adhered to. Beyond this I fail to notice 

 any difference in the views expressed at page 05 and those at 

 page 108. If Mr. Taylor, however, objects to spurring the 

 Morello Cherry on account of the greater cropping and quality 

 of fruit of trees treated upon the orthodox laying-in of young 

 wood as compared with those spur-pruned, I must testify that 

 such is not my experience. 



It was not, I believe, until Mr. Rivers gave us the Morello 

 upon the Mahaleb stock for cultivating as pyramids that spur- 

 pruning for this tree was thought of; and finding spur-pruning 

 to answer for trees cultivated as pyramids, and limited very 

 often as they and wall trees are to space, I considered, that 

 answering well for pyramids in the open, it would be equally 

 available for those trained to a north wall, and the result has 

 been equal to anticipation. The trees spurred bear as well as 

 those with the wood " laid-in," and if anything better, for 

 there are less unfruitful parts of the past or current year's 

 growth, the spurring increasing the fruitful and diminishing 

 the unproductive parts, the trees spur-pruned being masses of 

 fertility from the multiplication of the fruitful parts which 

 stopping entails. It is easier for the roots to cater for two 

 or three leaves, than for the leaves upon a shoot a yard long. 



I have trees treated both ways — shoots laid-iu and shoots 

 closely stopped, and the advantage is decidedly in favour of 

 the spurred trees. The fruit is more abundant, as fine, and 

 ripens earlier, which is only what may be looked for from the 

 spurring admitting the hght and air to have full access to the 

 leaves and fruit. There are no long laid-in shoots nor bare use- 

 less wood to support, which first overshadowing the fruitful 

 shoots to their injury can only, in a full-trained tree, have place 

 nntil ezbansted shoots are cut out. No tree, especially a fruit 



tree, should, in my opinion, be allowed to form useless parts ; 

 and as exhausted shoots are made such only by the mode of 

 young laid-in wood, I consider it better to leave a practice, 

 old and good as it may be, for one easier performed, less ex- 

 haustive, and equally advantageous in quality and quantity 

 of crop. 



" When the idea is to economise labour," writes Mr. Taylor, 

 " and to have a fair return for the same, trees should be trained 

 in the way their natural habit suggests ; and it is just as wide 

 of the mark to spur Morellos and Black Currants as it would 

 be to train an Oak tree to a balloon trellis." Economise labour, 

 indeed, by laying-in shoots of Morellos a yard long and cutting- 

 out exhausted shoots ! Whether is easier — requiring less time 

 — to stop a dozen shoots, or lay-in growth a yard long, to cut 

 out exhausted wood and afterwards nail such shoots ? By the 

 latter mode more skill and time is required, and greater ex- 

 pense is incurred in naUs and shreds, and the work is less com- 

 fortable to the operator. As to " natural habit," what ia there 

 natural in training a tree to a wall ? Nothing natural what- 

 ever ; the whole is artificial, as is that of a tree trained aa a 

 pyramid, for the habit of the Morello is diffuse, forming a 

 round head as diffuse and as pendant as a Beech, being very 

 much Uke the Bird Cherry (Cerasus Padus). 



If the object be to " economise labour," it will best be sought 

 by planting standards of Morellos, as is practised with others 

 of the same family, also Apples, Pears, &a,, in orchards, and 

 let them take care of themselves. They in a few years will 

 give bushels of fruit, but trees in this natural state do not 

 afford proportionately heavier crops than a pyramid tree, 

 which from its growing in a circle of perhaps 2 yards diame- 

 ter, and being only 2 J yards in height, is more suited to the 

 proprietor of a small garden, who in the space required for a 

 standard tree in its " natural habit " expects to supply his 

 wants in Apples, Pears, and Plums as pyramids as well as 

 Morello Cherries ; and how is the proprietor of a small garden 

 to have his Apple, Plum, and Cherry pies, as well as Pears to 

 stew, with some of all in a ripe form to refresh himself, if he do 

 not limit them to allotted space by artificial means ? It is not 

 a question of training " an Oak tree to a balloon trellis," nor 

 of spurring the Blackcurrant; but I see no objection to the 

 latter, any more than to spurring the Morello Cberry, if by so 

 doing we so overcome natural habit by cultivation as to maka 

 it subservient to the wishes and requirements of man. No 

 trees are so profitable on account of their prolificacy as 

 pyramidal Morelloa spur-pruned, and two of which I advise 

 to be grown in every cottage garden iu the kingdom. 



I am very glad Mr. Taylor is striving to make " Pear-grow- 

 ing become popular among our cottagers," and with those 

 surely he will not advise training them as their natural habit 

 suggests, or they will find space for but a small number and 

 variety, or a jungle of unfruitful growth. Spare them this 

 by close summer-pruning, and give ua your experience in three 

 years' time of results attending the spurring of Morello 

 Cherries. 



Secateurs are very handy implements. Not a tree I have 

 has such strong wood as to require their use, being easily cut 

 by -l-inoh scissors. Were the wood so strong aa to require the 

 nip of the secateur, I should consider the trees wanted curb- 

 ing at the roots, which is a more certain way of preventing 

 robust growth, and giving in the place of long sappy growths 

 less exhausting and more useful spurs. — G. Abbey. 



EPIDENDRUM AURANTIACUM. 



The genus Epidendrura is one of the most extensive of the 

 whole Orchid family, no less than three hundred distinct 

 species and varieties having been difoovered. A large pro- 

 portion of them have been introduced to this country, but not 

 a tithe of the number is at present to be found in cultivation. 

 The flowers of many of the species are pretty enough ; for 

 instance, E. stenopetalum has beautiful rose and white flowers, 

 but being produced two or three together instead of in largo 

 panicles, as in E. eyringothyrsus, they make no show, and the 

 plant has well nigh dropped-out of cultivation. Many of the 

 species can only be regarded as botanical subjects, and aa such 

 have found a place in national herbaria. AH the species are 

 stove epiphytes, nearly the whole of them being found natu- 

 rally growing upon trees, which ia a hint as to the system of 

 culture to be pursued. Some of the very finest of the species, 

 such as E. vitellinum majus, thrive best on blocks. 



The subject of the present notice is a native of Guatemala, 

 and was intioduoed to this country in 183S. It is one of the 



