1887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



I could have iron-clad stocks every time, I should 

 not fear if the stock came above the ground. I 

 went South with the idea that top worked trees 

 were better than root grafts, but I had to give it 

 vip on triid. I am trying the experiment now of 

 picking out the best iron-clad stttck I can get to 

 work on and budding grafts on them. The 

 objection; It makes double work. I hope it will 

 be tried by othere also. 



Mn. TuTTLE.— Years ago I used to make but 

 one from a seedling root. Since that time I don't 

 generally make more than two from a root. I 

 can see no ditference between the working of the 

 two methods. I grow just as good trees as I ever 

 did when I grafted only from the collar. 



Mh. P.^ttcn.— In 187;; and 1H7;J in the western 

 portion of Wisconsin, as in Iowa, those trees that 

 were ntjt root grafted were lost almost entirely 

 in nui*serics three or four years old. The benefits 

 of Mr. Floyd's procedure are more than counter- 

 balanced by the fact that we get better strength 

 from scion growths. We see that the top of cer- 

 tain trees give the form to the tree far more than 

 the root does. 



Mil. FtjOVD.— Mr. Gibb sent some scions to 

 Wauwatosa to be grafted, and he stipulated that 

 they shoulil be collar worked. I know that the 

 lower parts of rf)Ots when cut up do not give sat- 

 isfaction. While the upper ones bring foi-th a 

 tree, they do not go down deep. I would not 

 undertake to grow trees from the lower parts of 

 the roots, for there would be so many culls in 

 them. There is a good deal of satisfaction in 

 having a strong root below. The scion having so 

 large a feeding power below makes a better and 

 stronger growth. You do not get an even top 

 though. If the roots are uniform in size the trees 

 will be alm(jst as fine as the roots are. 



Pruning in the Cold Grapery. 

 On page M of the last volume an article on 

 the Cold Grapery appeared which dealt with 

 the sub,1ect up to the training and other after 

 care of young plants. As then promised, we 

 herewith resume our treatment of the same 

 subject as related to the after training of 

 the vines, this paper to be followed by yet 

 another. 



The Shout Spur System.— This system is 

 given the preference, as being, aU things 

 considered, the best for the amateur. By 

 this ntethod we always have young wood, 

 which bears fruit but once and is then cut 

 back to a single bud. The plants are set at 

 four feet apart and a main cane allowed to 

 each root, extending after a few years to the 

 ridge of the grapery. We depend on the side 

 shoots for bearing. 



Let us presume that the end of the first 

 season's growth of a strong spring set vine 

 has been reached, and with all of the season's 

 growth confined to a single cane by having 

 pinched the laterals back to one leaf, as in 

 Figure 1 annexed and the main cane at its 

 point in September. Then in the autumn, 

 about December 1 or earlier, aU the laterals 

 should be taken off and the leader shortened 

 back to three or four feet according to its 

 strength, and be laid on the ground and 

 protected with mats or any similar material 

 for the winter. 



About; April of the 

 following spring, or 

 , as soon as the buds 

 begin to swell, the 

 vine should be un- 

 covered and within 

 a few days be again 

 tied to the wire. 

 This new length 

 should, in Septem- 

 ber, have its end 



Fig.l. Stniwina the Laterals pinched to Strength- 

 at one leaj, a. 



en the lateral buds, 

 and then at the pruning time in the follow- 

 ing December in turn be headed back to 

 within three or four feet of the previous 

 year's growth. A similar course should be 

 pursued with each subsequent season's 

 growth until the top of the house is reached 

 and the vine is complete. The side shoots, 

 which will proceed from the previous sea- 

 son's growth of the cane, should be pinched 



when they have made their fifth leaf, and 

 if the vine is strong a bunch of Grapes 

 may be allowed to each shoot. Any laterals 

 that form on these canes or the young 

 canes above should be stopped at one leaf, 

 as shown in figure 1. 



The subsequent management of the vine 

 on tliis close pruning system will be simply 

 repetitional of what we now have had an in- 

 troduction to, that is, the vine will bear its 

 crop of fruit from the shoots proceeding from 

 the spurs, and the bearing wood as well as 

 the laterals must at the next pruning in 

 be cut back to a single bud. 



In order that the 

 importance of this 

 close pruning may 

 be rightly under- 

 stood attention is 



Fig. 2. Vine Cane, lower Fig,S, Second year's oyowth, 



Simr of which was lower cut showing ahadty 



properly close-pruned, pruned spur, the upper 



the upper not. one, b, properly cut. 



SHORT SPUR PRUNING, GOOD AND BAD. 



called to the figures annexed. Figure 3 

 is a vine cane showing its spurs, the lower 

 one of which shows proper pruning, the up- 

 per not. The lower part of Figure 3 shows a 

 badly pruned spur of the second year's 

 growth; the upper part, h, a spur of the same 

 age in proper shape. The one thing to be 

 kept in mind is to prune every year to a 

 single bud, thus keeping the young growth 

 near home; if this is not done the spurs be- 

 come unsightly and have to be renewed, as 

 at o. Figure 3. Some growers seem to fear 

 this close pruning as if it would endanger the 

 next year's crop, but if the wood is properly 

 ripened there need be no fear of this, as 

 it is a usual thing for the fruit of the lowest 

 buds to be the finest. 



By keeping the spurs close they wiU in 

 time throw out from one to three shoots eacli, 

 the strongest and best placed of which 

 should be selected for fruiting; the otliers 

 may be rubbed off, or sometimes one may be 

 pinched back to one leaf to form the base of 

 a new spur and then eventually the old one 

 can be dispensed with. 



Long ou Renewal Pruning.— This con- 

 sists in animally providing a fresh supply of 

 young branches from which bearing shoots 

 proceed, cutting out aU the branches that 

 have borne the previous season. While re- 

 quiring less pruning than the former method, 

 it is not so easily made successful by ama- 

 teurs, and the fruit is rather less freely pro- 

 duced, but is usually of better quality. 



The first season one shoot only is allowed 

 to grow from each plant, aud this at fall 

 pruning time is cut dowm to the third bud. 



The year following two shoots are trained 

 up, of which the strongest is chosen as the 

 fruiting cane of the year to foUow. This one 

 is cut back to about three feet in December, 

 and the others to a single eye. Each eye of 

 the thi-ee-foot cane will produce a fruit shoot 

 the ue.xt season, on which a single bunch 

 only should be allowed, while from the 

 single remaining eye of the other shoot re- 

 ferred to a cane should be grown for next 

 season's bearing. As the vine increases in 

 age and strengtli, several bearing canes, and 

 these stronger, may be provided each season. 



Grouping Trees and Shrubs. 



L. B. riEKCE, SUMMIT CO., O. 



In planting most grounds it is best to so 

 arrange the position of the group as to take 

 advantage of some natural background if 

 possible, as a high hill or bluff, a piece of 

 forest, an orchard, or trees already planted. 

 Where backgrounds of this character are to 

 be had, attention should be paid to the color 

 and blooming qualities of the trees or shnibs 

 rather than to sky outline. 



Old places many years planted can often 

 be rejuvenated and greatly improved by cut- 

 ting out the interior planting and using the 

 trees upon the outer edges as a background 

 for the new. Unsightly stems and undesir- 

 able views beneath grown trees can in this 

 way be hidden by a growth, which, if planted 

 in harmony with what is beyond, will each 

 year be more beautiful and attractive. 



In the planting of new places where there 

 is only the buildings, the sky and the ground 

 to consider, charming effects of sky outline 

 can be aimed at, and such effects can be 

 most easily reached by close planting. Of 

 course the minor branches will become 

 dwarfed, and intermingling sooner or later 

 die, but being hidden from sight this is im- 

 material; the outline is what is wanted. To 

 this we can add contrast or symphony in 

 color as we choose. A group once com- 

 menced, if properly placed, can be added to 

 from year to year, as time goes on, with 

 great satisfaction, and in better accord with 

 Nature's methods. 



The usual plan of planting groups is to 

 place in the center a very rapid growing tree, 

 as a Norway Spruce or Silver Maple, placing 

 slower growers in front or around. This re- 

 sults in an immediate effect of both sky line 

 and difference in size, but eventually the 

 quick growing trees envelop the slow ones, 

 and all that was aimed at is lost. A marked 

 and curious instance of the kind exists 

 within a few feet of where I write. Two 

 trees of an Evergreen group are an Ameri- 

 ican Arbor Vitae and a Siberian, planted at 

 the same time, about five feet apart, some 17 

 years ago. Now the former projects above, 

 and on either side of the latter forming a 

 gothic doorway, of which the dark green 

 foliage of the Siberian forms the door. The 

 effect is unique, but different from that 

 originally intended. It may be remarked in 

 passing, however, that the life of an Ever- 

 green group is only about 30 years; when 

 having passed its greatest beauty it should 

 be cleared away and another one started. 



With a practical suggestion I will close. 

 A man owns a lot fronted by tlie universal 

 row of sidewalk Maples. Being the owner 

 of a lot he will be deemed the legitimate prey 

 of the plate-book tribe, and sooner or later 

 he win buy a cut-leaved Birch, an Althea, 

 a .Snowball and a Syringa. Instead of scat- 

 tering these promiscuously around the lawn, 

 let him make one or two Maples near the 

 corner of the yard a background for the 

 Birch and Beech, then toward the house 

 from these he can plant the three taU shrubs, 

 and when the agent comes along who has a 

 Rose Weigelia, a hardy Hydrangea and a 

 Golden Spirea, he can add these to his group, 

 and finally taper off with a group of Chinese 

 Peonies and Deutzia Gracilis. 



These will be in sight at once, forming a 

 pleasing view all through the growing 

 season, and leaving a beautiful foreground 

 of uninterrupted lawn, easy to mow and 

 gratifying to the eye. Of course other trees 

 can be substituted, only observe the princi- 

 ple of placing the largest farthest away. 



422. Bone ManuTB for Fruit Trees. I would 

 use this in planting. Thoroughly mix a quart 

 with the soil that is placed about the roots of the 

 plant. More can be used if it is at hand. For 

 trees that have been planted a year or so I would 

 prefer well decayed stable manure, to be ap- 

 plied generously aud well worked in around 

 the trees at any convenient opportunity.— C.E.P. 



