PEA 



448 



PEL 



branches, make a notch a little deeper 

 than the bark ; it may be done by two 

 cuts with a sharp knife, the side nearest 

 the trunk being perpendicular, the other 

 sloping ; the graft may then be intro- 

 duced by the common mode of crown- 

 grafting. Train the shoots from the 

 grafts as before directed. In two years 

 and a half most kinds will produce an 

 abundant crop, and the trees will be 

 very nearly as large as those on the 

 wall from whence they were taken; 

 thus having an advantage over young 

 trees of at least ten years." — Gard. 

 Mag. 



In pruning pear trees, never cut off 

 a shoot which can be laid to the wall ; 



evergreen shrub. Cuttings in spring. 

 Sandy loam and lime rubbish. 



PEDICULARIS. Twenty-one spe- 

 cies, chiefly, if not all, hardy herba- 

 ceous. Sandy light loam and peat. 



PEGGING-DOWN is a process which 

 has to be pursued annually, in arrang- 

 ing the lower branches of shrubs, &c., 

 on flower borders. It is usually done 

 with little hooked sticks ; but Mr. Bea- 

 ton, the scientific gardener at Shrubland 

 Park, says, — " We take a handfuU of 

 malting, and cut it into four-inch 

 lengths; then divide each piece into 

 three or four pieces; we double these 

 pieces round the shoots, and fasten the 

 ends of the matting in the soil with a 



for by cutting off the foreright shoots i small dibber, or with the fore finger, 

 you produce a succession of the same In this way a boy may train and tie 

 without a chance of producing fruit. ' down all the plants in a flower garden 

 By laying in these shoots, less wood is i in less time than it would take to pro- 

 produced; and those buds either on cure pegs for two or three beds, and the 

 the old wood, or any short spurs which work is much neater than when done 

 otherwise would have produced only ] with the best pegs." — Gard. Chron. 



wood shoots, bear a succession of bios- | 

 som. — Gard. Chron. 



PELARGONIUM. Two hundred and 

 fifty species. Chiefly green-house ever- 



Impregnating the Blossom of Wall ^ greens ; but a few are herbaceous, and 

 Trees. — Mr. Harrison truly observes, ! a still smaller number tuberous-rooted, 

 that "it is very usual to see healthy i The shrubby evergreens are increased 

 pear trees produce an abundance of by cuttings : new varieties from seed 



bloom, but set a very small proportion 

 of fruit : this is particularly the case 

 with the tenderest kinds. The reason 

 is in some cases from the stamina being 

 destitute of farina ; and in others, from 

 the farina having been dispersed before 

 the pistils had arrived at a proper state 

 for its reception. To remedy this, as 

 soon as the first blossoms have ex- 

 panded, and the pistillum is in a proper 

 state of maturity, impregnate six upon 

 each corymb of blossom. The florets 

 to choose for this operation are those 

 situated nearest the origin of the spur; 

 for when pears set naturally, it is very 

 generally such florets. The time for 



and the tuberous-rooted from seed ; 

 and all will thrive in a mixture of light 

 loam and leaf-mould. It is to the 

 shrubby evergreens that we shall con- 

 fine our attention, these being the most 

 beautiful and most generally cultivated. 

 They form a portion of that large family 

 formerly known collectively as "Gera- 

 niums;" but modern botanists have 

 divided these into three genera : Pelar- 

 goniums, having usually seven stamens, 

 and unequal-sized petals; Geraniums, 

 having ten stamens, and equal-sized 

 petals; and Erodiums, having five sta- 

 mens. 



Characteristics of Excellence in the 



this operation is calm, dry days, and, if i Pelargonium. — "The flower should be 

 possible, when the sun is not very hot | large, composed of broad rose-leaf pe- 

 upon the trees. Immediately after- j tals, free from crumple or unevenness 



wards give each tree about eighteen 

 gallons of manure water, or sot1; pond 

 water, at the roots. The trees should 

 never be washed over the tops for a 

 considerable time after this impregna- 

 tion has been effected." — Treat, on 

 Fruit Trees. 



PEAT-EARTH. See Bog Earth. 



PEAT-EARTH PLANTS. See Ame- 

 rican Plants. 



PECriNARIA articulata. Stove 



of any kind ; smooth on their edges, 

 and forming a compact surface ; round 

 which, if a circle be drawn, the perfect 

 symmetry of the flower would appear 

 by the extremity of each petal touching 

 the circle, without extending beyond 

 it. It is indispensable that the flower 

 should be of a stout firm texture, with 

 sufficient liberty at the bottom of the 

 cup to prevent its being in the least 

 cramped ; but allowing it to retain, 



