128 GARDENING DIFFICULTIES SOLVED 



from a branch or branches, if the tree is to be restored, cut out 

 the infected part, and put on a poultice of cow manure, lime, soot, 

 and clay, filling the wound with it, binding it on with a piece of 

 cloth, and keeping the air from it until the wound has healed and 

 filled up with new bark. Trees which are predisposed to gumming 

 should be pruned chiefly in summer, and the knife as far as possible 

 kept off them in the winter and spring. There are predisposing 

 causes in cultivation, the most common being planting young trees 

 in land which has been made too rich with manures. 



Mulching Young Fruit Trees 



Q. I have been told that it is a bad plan to manure the ground 

 for young fruit trees at planting time. Is there any objection to 

 giving manure afterwards? If not, how should it be applied 1 ? 

 Amateur, Watford. 



A. Many people adopt the commendable practice of avoiding 

 the use of any natural manure at all when they are planting their 

 young trees in autumn or spring, for they fully appreciate the fact 

 that there is already sufficient tendency to rampant growth without 

 further encouraging it with stimulative materials. It is, however, 

 most desirable to do something for the trees in the early summer 

 which will encourage the roots to remain near the surface, instead 

 of striking downwards into the cooler lower soil as soon as the 

 weather becomes intensely hot and dry. To this end the grower 

 should give as much water as may be necessary to moisten the soil 

 to a depth of 3 feet or thereabouts, then fork over the surface 

 and apply a 2-inch mulching of short manure. The food virtues 

 of this will gradually find their way downwards, and the covering 

 will tend to keep the surface cool and moist, and thus practically 

 ensure the roots remaining near the top. 



Cordon Gooseberries 



Q, I have been recommended to plant cordon Gooseberries 

 against a fence facing west. Do you advise my doing so 1 Grant, 

 Dorking. 



A. Cordon Gooseberries fruit well either on north, south, east, 

 or west fences. In fact, by planting a few on each aspect a welcome 

 succession of fruit is obtained. Either single or multiple stemmed 

 cordons may be chosen, the management of the plants does not 

 present any serious difficulties. Summer pinching of the young 

 shoots is necessary to admit light to the fruits and the buds on 



