460 



THE GARDENERS* CHRONICLE. 



[July 13, 





hedge or wall, taking care that no drops from it fall upon 

 them ; by those methods very few cuttings are lost, 

 because though they may be exposed to much rain, the 

 evaporation is greater in the open air than in a house, 

 where, though the confined heat and moisture would 

 cause them to take root quickly, those agents of 

 vegetation would also occasion their decay. Though 

 cuttings may be taken at all seasons, with the requisite 

 precautions, the months of June, July, and August, are 



the most favourable. 



Increase by Grafting.— If you wish to have two or 

 three different varieties on the same stem, choose a plant 

 with the same number of branches that you wish to have 

 of colours. Cut off the tops of these branches the even- 

 ing before they are grafted, as low as possible ; and when 

 the excess of sap has evaporated through the incisions, 

 select an equal number of strong grafts (from stocks of 

 equal vigour, so that there be an evenness and uniformity 

 in the parts of the plant), from 9 ins. to 10 ins. 111 length; 

 insert them in the incisions, bind them with soft liga- 

 tures, cover them with fresh Moss, and place them under 

 a bell-glass shaded from the sun until the grafts have 



taken well. _ 



Saving the Seed. — The seed must be gathered gra- 

 dually as it arrives at maturity ; for since all the flowers 

 do not blossom at the tame time, the seeds will not ripen 

 simultaneously. You may know when to collect them 

 by the brown colour of the upper part of the pod ; the 

 pod then becomes detached from the calyx, and if not 

 carefully watched, may be carried away by the wind. 

 The seeds should be put into paper bags and kept in a 

 very dry place, until a sufficient quantity has been 

 collected. Those which are collected at hazard 

 may sometimes produce good varieties, but those 

 from choice plants are far preferable. Seed may be 

 raised so as to produce plants participating of the nature 

 of two different stocks. Suppose two Pelargoniums in 

 flower, of different colours, and that it is desired to have 

 these two colours united in the same flower : to effect this 

 combination, it is only necessary to cut out the stamens 

 of that which you intend to become the parent, then take 

 a small camel's-hair brush, and remove with it as much 

 as you can of the pollen to the stigma of the mother 

 plant, using great caution lest that organ be injured. 

 The stamens may also be cut as fast as they ripen, and 

 the anther applied to the pistils of the flowers that are to 

 be fertilised. You must operate upon flowers equally 

 advanced, or repeat two or three times this operation, in 

 case the pistil is not fertilised the first time. In order 

 to render the operation (which ought to be always re- 

 peated) more complete, the fertilised plant ought to 

 be kept apart from every other, and covered whhgause, 

 to protect it from bees and other insects, which would 

 extract the nectar ; but seed may be obtained which will 

 give excellent varieties, without taking all this trouble, 

 provided it be taken from flowers of first-rate merit. 



ON GATHERING FRUITS. 

 This is a most important point to be attended to; 

 for, upon the manner in which fruits are gathered depends 

 the success of their keeping, in whatever manner they 

 may be preserved. No fruits should be gathered when 

 dew is upon them, or in dull, cloudy weather. On this 

 important point every gardener agrees. I cannot too 

 severely condemn the mode of gathering the more com- 

 mon fruits, 88 Apples and Pears, at one sweep : although 

 a common practice, even with the best of gardeners, it is 

 a bad one. All fruits should be gathered as they arrive 

 at maturity, and that in the most careful manner. It, 

 however, often happens, even in the most congenial 

 climates and situations, that a portion of the fruit, of the 

 same tree, and even on the same branch, will arrive at 

 maturity sometimes before the others ; the ripe portion 

 should be gathered immediately, and carried carefully 



It was a common practice, and is in some places now, J tight 

 to allow the fruit when ripe to fall of its own accord ; 

 and many plans have been adopt A to prevent the fruit 

 from injury by falling on the ground. Fruits allowed to 

 remain on the trees till sufficiently ripe to fall of their 

 own accord are much too ripe for preserving for any 

 length of time. Some fruits, such as Peaches, Plnms, 

 &c. will not keep over a day or two ; and the flavour of 

 the fruit thus allowed to fall will be much deteriorated. 

 There are certan criteria by which we may know 

 with great nicety when fruit is in a proper state for ga- 

 thering. Most fruits, such as Peaches, Pears, and 

 Plums, part freely from the tree when ripe. Plums 

 should be handled in the most careful manner, otherwise 

 the bloom will be rubbed offthem. When this is the case, a 

 little fine flour should be carefully dusted over them, but 

 with the greatest delicacy. Apricots should be gatheied 

 when the side next the sun feels soft, which may be as- 

 certained by a gentle pressure with the finger. This 

 fruit adheres firmly to the trees, and would, if not ga- 

 thered, remain until it was over-ripe, and had become 

 mealy. Peaches, Nectarines, Apples, and Pears fall of 

 their own accord when fully ripe ; but they should never 

 be allowed to do so, for reasons before stated. The best 

 plan is to gather all fruits, with the exception of stone- 

 fruit, some time previous to their arriving at maturity, 

 to place them in a warm room to accelerate their ripen- 

 irng, if they are required for immediate use. A good, 

 citerion with Apples and Pears is to cut up a fruit of 

 average ripeness, and if the seeds have acquired a brown 

 or black colour, they are in a fit state for gathering ; but 

 if they remain white, the fruit is not ripe, and should re- 

 main some time longer on the trees, even supposing a 

 slight frost should intervene. Some sorts of Pears 

 and Apples which have had a slight touch of frost 

 are not injured by it ; on the contrary, they will be 

 found to have acquired a finer flavour. If severe frost 

 should set in before the late sorts of Apples and Pears on 

 the walls (which in some cold and unfavourable climates 

 will be the case) have arrived at proper maturity for 

 gathering, they should be covered by suspending canvas 

 or bunting in front of them. Having procured the proper 

 materials, and cut or Sewed them into convenient lengths, 

 they should then be fastened on the top of the wslls 

 by means of hocks and eyes of sufficient strength, and 

 to pegs driven into the ground, at 2 or 3 feet from the 

 wall; this covering should always be taken off during 

 the middle of the day, and replaced in the evening ; by 

 this means they can be allowed to remain on the trees 

 much longer, free from frost. If Apples have been pit- 

 ted in the manner previously recommended, and if very 

 gevere frost should occur, the pit should on no account 

 be opened if there is the least suspicion that the frost 

 has reached them ; if it is opened air will enter, and the 

 consequence will be the entire loss of the fruit. When the 

 frost has disappeared the pit may be opened with safety. 

 Cherries. — This fruit should be gathered when quite 

 ripe. I, however, would recommend a portion of them 

 to be gathered before being quite ripe, and if required 

 for immediate use, they should be suspended over a hot- 

 house flue in a basket, in order to accelerate their ripen- 

 ing. The remainder may be kept in air-tight tin cases, 

 of a broad and flat form, packed in a little fine dry char- 

 coal, Beech-flowers, or bran, until they are required 

 for use* 



Strawberries and Raspberries. — For these fruits, as 

 far as I am aware, there lias been no means adopted for 

 their preservation for any length of time. I would re- 

 commend that the fruit which has begun to change 

 colour (which some will do before others) should be ga- 

 thered, and placed in a hot-house to accelerate the 

 ripening ; this will afford a succession. Fruits gathered 

 iu this manner and surrounded with silk-paper, and then 

 packed in tin cases, thoroughly air-tight, with a little 

 charcoal sprinkled amongst them, will be found to keep 

 for some time ; the later sorts of these fruits should only 



In packing fruits of all descriptions, the heaviest 

 should always be laid in the bottom, and the more deli 

 cate on the top, each fruit being previously surrounded 

 with clean linen or fine paper, and packed amongst bran. 

 Beech or Hazel-flowers ; fine-powdered charcoal will 

 answer equally well, if it has been thoroughly dried n» 

 vious to being used. Whatever material has been made 

 use of for packing, when the fruit is taken out it should 

 be properly cleaned, and laid in some cool cellar until 

 required for use, first taking all bruised ones out and 

 throwing them away; for, if they are left, they will 

 impart a musty flavour to the others. For packing 

 Grapes, I would recommend bran thoroughly dried first 

 putting in a layer of bran, then Grapes, shaking a Utile 

 amongst the berries, which will fill up any spaces between 

 them, and likewise prevent them from bruising each 

 other; when unpacked, the bran will fall out from 

 amongst them, and if any remain, it should be removed 

 with a small painter's brush; the berries should then be 

 treated as before directed, when they will be ready for 

 the table. 



The smaller fruits, such as Gooseberries, Curranti 

 &c, should be packed in flat tin cases, and on no account 

 should a large quantity be put into the case ; if this is 

 done, they will not be fit for use at their journey's end. 

 All these small fruits should be packed in bran, which 

 can be easily removed when they are unpacked ; this will 

 prevent them from bruising one another. When un- 

 packed, they should then be laid in some cool apartment 

 until they are required for use. — John Mcintosh. 



ROSE GARDEN.— No. XIV. 



{Continued from page 444.) 



Pushing Eye. — Sometimes a jet from an eye will 

 start before the winter, and grow an inch or more ; and 

 this (if not killed by severe weather — a matter to be 

 dreaded with a small and delicate shoot), will show a ten- 

 dency to burst into leaf with the first intimation of spring. 

 This is not desirable, as it would form one straight 

 leader ; and yet, from the little rings around it appearing 

 so undefined, and no buds being clearly perceptible, the 

 only chance of life appears in the summit. This, how- 

 ever, is not the case ; and in order to delay it, and cause 

 the sap to form buds on either side, the little shoot may 

 be shortened to three or four rings, and left about an inch 

 long ; buds will then form on each side of its base, as 

 well as from the rings, and instead of a single stronger 

 leader, the tree will form a little head at once. This 

 mode ought to be adopted also (when wood only is re- 

 quired) with the buds of the previous seasons' insertion, 

 by nipping off the point of the shoot when three or four 

 eyes have been formed ; in this case the plant has not 

 advanced enough to suffer the evil of a check, but rather 

 a restraint, which being only just sufficient to increase 

 the impatience of the plant to start into action, does not 

 diminish the quantity of wood to be formed, but by mul- 

 tiplying the shoots, keeps it nearer home and forms a 

 better head, yielding more buds to work from, and sooner 

 than if left to run up, and for this reason less inclined to 

 flower ; this mode of treatment presupposes the plant to 

 be both healthy and in good ground 



to the fruit- room, which should be cool and dry. Here 

 they may be laid upon the shelves, or tables, as the case 

 may be, and covered over with canvas, to prevent evapo- be preserved. The flavour of these and other fruits of 



ration, and to keep the dust from settling upon them, 

 whilst the remainder is gathered, when the whole should 

 then be immediately packed for preservation. 



There have been many plans recommended for gather- 

 ing the more delicate fruits, of which I entirely disap- 

 prove. What I would recommend is to gather them by the 

 hand in as careful a manner as possible, and lay them 

 gently in baskets, previously padded and lined with some 

 soft material, such as wadding, and carried without 

 delay to the fruit- room ; the shelves should be previously 

 covered with canvas, or some such material. In good 

 gardens, I would recommend that the fruits which are 

 in any way difficult of being detached from the tree, 

 should be cut of the twigs with a pair of sharp scissors, 

 into a padded basket held beneath for their reception. 

 This may be considered to be a tedious way of gathering 

 fruits; i grant it is. But if we consider, we will see 

 that the fruit thus carefully gathered will repay the 

 trouble, by keeping longer fresh and sound. I can 

 boldly assert, that there is more fruit injured by im- 

 proper gathering and storing, than by any other means. 



In proof of this, if gardeners would take an Apple or 

 Pear which has been gathered in the usual way, and lay 

 it aside for a day or so, then carefully peel it, they will 

 find it bruised, though not observable before. How does 

 this happen ? I answer, that it occurred during the 

 operation of gathering, carelessly laying them in cane 

 baskets, and in carrying them to the fruit-room ; they 

 are also hurt in moving them from one shelf to another. 

 It is a general practice in large gardens, to intrust the 

 gathering of fruits to persons who are regardless how 

 they gather them ; and this is a source of much mischief, 

 as the fruit is often much injured by them. 



Guards against WW.-The inserted buds, when ve- 

 getating, have, as has been before observed, no immediate 

 junction with the stock ; to prevent, therefore, heir 

 being knocked out by the wind, it is necessary to tie a 

 small, but not flexible twig, as thick as the Jnger, to thi 

 stem of the tree, leaving a foot sticking out 1 above , and 

 when the jets ere a few inches long, to tie them with 

 piece of bast to this guard to defend the m from injury. 

 F It sometimes happens, on looking at he buds which 

 ^ave taken and sprung several inches, that aw an, 

 igour may be observed in some particular shoot, wmc 

 roops as if about to die off. On examining this, it wi 



be found that just at that place where the "P* 1 "* 



J , , _«.... 1. „«^v and eaten nan 



comme: 



need, . .log has been at work, and eaten n *, 

 through the shoot ; whether it it that tl.i-.op* ■<«» » 

 performed by the animal for the purpose of «« J* 



this nature, which have been preserved in this manner, 

 will not be so fine as those that are allowed to remain 

 on the plants and ripened by the sun. However, fruits 

 preserved in this way will be found useful for dessert, 

 when those in the open air are finished. 



Walnuts, Chesnuts, Filberts, Sfc, should not be 

 gathered until they are quite ripe, and fall of their own 

 accord from the trees. It will often happen, however, 

 in late seasons, that the winter will be far advanced, 

 especially before Chesnuts drop, therefore they should 

 be gathered by means of ladders ; but on no account 

 should the trees be beaten with sticks, which is a very 

 common practice, but cannot be too severely condemned. 

 After they are gathered they should be divested of their 

 outer shells, and gently dried, after which they may be 

 packed in boxes or casks, in fine dry sand or charcoal, 

 in alternate layers, and placed in a dry cellar ; the casks 

 or boxes should be elevated on bricks, to prevent rats 

 and mice from destroying them, which will be the case 

 if they once gain admittance. 



Packing for Carriage.— This is also an important 

 point to be attended to, especially when over-ripe fruits 

 have to be sent to any distance. In this, as in preserv- 

 ing and gathering, different methods have been adopted, 

 and a great many of them without success. Baskets, 

 for packing fruits, should on no account be used if it 

 can be avoided. I would recommend two boxe?, to be 

 of different sizes, with false bottoms, and secured with a 

 lock and two keys,-— the one to be kept by the person 

 who packs the fruit, and the other by the person who 

 unpacks it. Boxes made of inch-deal have been recom- 

 mended by some ; these will answer the purpose equally 

 well, if they have been made thoroughly air and water- 



j'cii'M uir.u uj *.uv «u. **.*-» •-*-- 1 • , . devour 



the end, and eating it when dead, or merely 

 that small portion to which it has applied ibeir, 

 appear, though, from the habits of the animal, ,M 

 i. not improbable. However this be, slugs ^0™^ 

 the shoot the first time they attack it, but ai*.j ^ 

 and finish what they have once begun. II we ^ 

 left to itself, the slug, or the next ; fW*. oM ^ * ^ 

 destroy it. To avoid this, a small stick may ^ 

 alongside the shoot, and both bound r0 "" a t ?" top , tho 

 gently with bast (covering the shoot close) to the * ^ 

 leaves only being left out, thus rendering * » l thrce 

 to the attack of the animal, for at least two ^ 



inches. A dead cabbage or other leaf may oe j_ ^ mf 

 the bottom of the tree 



will be found under it in the morning-, ""'7rnm furt her 

 caution taken, the shoot will be protected ,r ^ d the 

 injury, unless a fresh attack be commenced bey 

 ligature. 



bage or omer ic«i .--, ^.enemf 



ee, and, in all P^g' b %*pii 

 it in the morning ;while o by 



Home Correspondence 



\ com- 



The Chiswick Exhibition and the J™g"£L gjf o«» 

 inication in the last Number of the £*"»*** *«« 



demands 



« One of the Judges (not of Heaths), de« 1 yo0f 

 notice than has been bestowed upon it. A' * uleS for 

 correspondent, in his evident ignorance ot » faa * 

 the guidance of the judges, which year after j ._ ut 



the an 



been published by the Society, and also in |fl ^ 



which pervades his communication, appears ^ _«, 

 character of a disappointed exhibitor, than 



term* 



the Judges," I will suppose him to be * D * hether the 

 himself; and, granting this, I would bsk, , coV 



instance he so pointedly alludes to, and bo si a ^ 

 demns, is the only one that ever came unaer 



v 



l 



