Shreds 



( 334 ) 



Shrubbery 



Pear, and Plum trees, amongst others. The female 

 beetles are about $" in length ; the males are much 

 smaller. They are on the wing towards the end of 

 spring. The pests bore numerous little galleries in 

 the bark and wood, and do incalculable damage. 

 These galleries are lined with " ambrosia," a white 

 substance which supports fungoid growth. The 

 beetles feed upon the ambrosia. The remedy is a 

 thick wash of soft soap and washing soda, applied 

 in the mornings of warm days. This dries on, stops 

 up the galleries, and suffocates the pests. 



SHREDS. 



Nailing is not practised nowadays for wall trees 

 very much ; wires and ties have been found to be 

 an improvement. The shreds used in nailing are 



not impaired it is rather improved unless the 

 fruit approach the dead-ripe stage. Late kept 

 Grapes will shrivel, but this is different from 

 shanking, and the flavour is not affected until 

 fermentation sets in. 



When resting various bulbous and pseiiilo-lmlbous 

 plants only give enough water to prevent shrivelling 

 to any great extent. The same rule applies to 

 Cactaceous and other succulent plants in winter. 

 Old bedding "Geraniums" (Zonal Pelargoniums) 

 should be treated in the same way. If kept damp 

 they rot. 



SHRUBBERY. 



The shrubbery, that portion of the grounds set 

 aside principally or entirely for the cultivation of 



SHOKTIA GALACIFOLIA. (see p. 333). 



generally obtained from the waste cuttings of 

 cloth, and should be prepared in wet weather. 

 Although shreds have the advantage over ties that 

 they never cut or chafe the bark of tender shoots, 

 they unfortunately harbour a good many insects. 

 Where insect pests are troublesome it is advisable 

 to remove all the old shreds each year, burn them, 

 and re-nail the trees entirely. 



SHRIVELLING. 



The shrivelling of the skin of Apples, Pears, 

 Plums, Grapes, and other fruits before they have 

 attained to ripeness bespeaks an inadequate supply 

 of nutriment to the fruit, which may be brought 

 about in several ways. It may be clue to 

 shanking, which see. Frequently it is due to the 

 lack of moisture in the soil. Trees carrying heavy 

 crops of fruit are given no more consideration than 

 those with light crops, and the result is disastrous. 

 Copious supplies of liquid to the roots are good. 

 Thinning heavy crops is also advisable. 



Pears that have been gathered too soon shrivel ; 

 so do Plums that have been left for a long time 

 upon the tree, but in the latter case the flavour is 



shrubs, is, or ought to be, one of the most attrac- 

 tive features of a garden. That it is not so is due 

 mainly to errors in planting and management, or 

 to the bad selection of shrubs which has been 

 made. There is no excuse for the monotony and 

 dulness of many shrubberies, as there are many 

 pretty shrubs yielding flowers or pleasing foliage 

 throughout the year. 



In order to make the shrubbery a source of 

 pleasure there should be a due proportion of 

 plants of both evergreen and deciduous habit. In 

 many places the deciduous shrubs are too few in 

 proportion, as, though leafless in winter, the beauty 

 of their young foliage, and frequently that of the 

 dying leaves, is most delightful, apart from the 

 charms of the flowers yielded by so many. The 

 various coloured twigs of several are also attrac- 

 tive in winter. Klowering shrubs ought to be 

 plentifully planted, and there should also be 

 a considerable number with pretty foliage, either 

 of graceful form or habit, or marked with 

 variegation, which often help to brighten up 

 the shrubbery at a dull season. The Hollies 

 and Aucubas are among the best of variegated 



