244 Notes and Gleanhigs. 



The strict Guyot system of pruning seems to me so well calculated to avoid 

 the difficulties and loss of fruit I have mentioned, that I mean to test it care- 

 fully next season on a row of vigorous Rogers's No. 15. By raising upright 

 canes and fruit on a single horizontal arm one year old, cutting this completely 

 away in the fall, filling its place by bending down for an arm a similar cane of 

 the present year's growth, and repeating this process indefinitely, we put in 

 practice a theory that seems to me in all respects correct. 



We use for fruit, be it noted, in Guyot's system, the very buds, that, on the 

 short-spur plan, would be thrown away ; and, as we bend down a fresh cane every 

 fall, we have our grapes always on the level of the lower wire. Again : as the 

 cane that has fruited is tlirown away, there are never any uncertain spurs : we 

 always work with new wood, and have a regular, symmetrical vine, carrying as 

 much fruit as is good for it. 



All I have written may perhaps be condensed into the following words : 

 Plant your vines at least twelve feet apart, — better sixteen, — and modify the 

 popular short-spur system by some innovation that will assure an abundance of 

 fruit, and yet preserve the symmetry of form that gives vine-raising half its 

 charm. J. M. Merrick, Jun. 



Propagation of Centaurea candidissima. — It seems almost superflu- 

 ous to attempt to advance any thing new concerning this useful plant, so much 

 has been written of late respecting it ; but there are one or two important points 

 which have not, I think, been noticed by other writers, and which some of the 

 numerous readers of "The Florist" may be glad to be made acquainted with. 

 In briefly describing our method of propagation, I will simply state, that, about 

 the beginning of January, we place the old plants in a temperature of from 55° 

 to 60° ; and, as soon as they show signs of growing, the tops of the shoots are 

 pinched off", and a few of the leaves removed. This will induce them to throw 

 out a succession of side-shoots ; and, as soon as these shoots have made four or 

 five leaves, they are stripped, not cut off", and inserted singly in two-inch pots, 

 and placed in the propagating-house. Now, the placing the cuttings singly in 

 small pots is the point to which I wish to direct special attention. Some culti- 

 vators advocate placing several cuttings in a pot or pan ; but, when taken out to 

 be potted off", most of the roots are certain to be broken in the operation, so 

 weakly are they attached to the stem ; whereas, if placed one in a pot, as described, 

 they can be transferred to larger pots without receiving the least check : conse- 

 quently, a great deal of time and trouble is saved. 



As soon as the cuttings have tolerably well filled the two-inch pots with roots, 

 they are shifted into four-and-a-half-iach ones, using a compost of loam, leaf- 

 mould, sand, and a little peat. They are again placed in a temperature of 60' 

 till they get firmly established, when they are removed to cold frames, and kept 

 moderately close for a week or so. Here they remain until the middle of May, 

 when they are plunged in their summer quarters in the flower-garden. We 

 never turn them out of pots. This is done to prevent the roots being broken off 

 when taken up in the autumn, which is as likely to occur as when they are taken 

 out of the cutting pot or pan : moreover, the plants winter better. — D., in Florist. 



