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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 14, 1S70. 



beyond this is to out off the irregular-growing shoots in spring, 

 sommeneing with those nsar the base ; in fact, this ought to 

 be done whenever there is a deficiency of vigour in the weak 

 shoots, which, for the most part, are at the base of the tree. 

 The pruning of those parts should be done about a fortnight or 

 three weeks in advance of the pruning of the shoots in the 

 upper part of the tree. This will cause the lower shoots to 

 form buds, or, it may be, start them ere the shoots at 

 the upper part are pruned, so that when the upper shoots 

 are shortened the lower shoots will start freely, making 

 more vigorous growths than if they were pruned at the same 

 time as those at the upper part. Pruning is not necessary 

 every year, so long as the form required and close growth are 

 secured, and yet it is well to go over the bushes periodically 

 and do whatever is necessary ; for nothiug is so ugly as an 

 irregular-growing bush Holly. Beyond restraining the growth 

 upwards, the pruning of bushes is not materially different from 

 that of pyramidal trees. 



Open natural-shaped Trees. — These are best with one leader, 

 though it is not uncommon to see them with two or more, and 

 in a state of nature they usually have several. Now, if the 

 tree is young, there is no excuse for more than one leader, and 

 being kept to that, the side shoots will only need to be short- 

 ened where too long in proportion to those in another part, 

 thinning them out where too crowded, in order to encourage 

 growth in the weak and open parts of the tree. Care should 

 also be taken to cut out all shoots or branches that cross each 

 other, or which, from growing upright, are likely to interfere 

 with the leader or with the vigour of the side branches. 



In case of two or more leaders having been formed it will 

 be necessary to see to their vigour being equalised, which 

 may be secured to a great extent by cutting in the strongest 

 in spring after growth has commenced, and not pruning the 

 weakest that season. It will also be necessary to prune the 

 side branches so as to give an equal extension to them, and to 

 preserve the balance between all the parts of the tree. 



Those having Hollies that are too spreading and too loose, 

 taking up more space than is desired, and badly formed, will 

 do well to have them pruned into shape. The end of March 

 or beginning of April in a mild season, or a fortnight to three 

 weeks later if the season is late and cold, is the most suitable 

 time. Hollies will bear pruning to any extent, but of course 

 break most freely from the smaller branches. The strongest 

 shoots or branches should be cut back most, and the smallest 

 least, for if they are all cut off to one length the strongest will 

 push much more vigorously than the weak, and soon be more 

 extended ; hence they should be cut well back, or say a loot 

 more than a branch half their thickness. The small shoots 

 should be cut back evenly, so that there may be as nearly as 

 possible an equality in the growth the first season. The very 

 weak branches, and those which cross each other or grow 

 upright, should be cut well in, and, if need be, cut clean out. 

 To secure good growth, well thin out the branches ; they do no 

 good crossing and overlying each other. If the weather prove 

 dry in May and the beginning of June give a good watering, 

 and the growth before autumn will be good, and the following 

 year handsome trees will be the result. I have cut Hollies 

 that had a very large spread of head so closely in that there 

 was little but sticks left, and have surprised those asking for 

 their removal as unsightly objects with the handsome pyramids 

 or bushes secured by a judicious use of the saw and knife. I 

 have seen old spreading open trees formed into pyramids and 

 bushes so close that birds had to seek an entrance from beneath. 

 — G. Abbey, 



NOTES ON ROSES, AND THEIR CULTURE. 



Mk. Radclyfee has spoken in such glowing terms of Felix 

 Genero that I think it right, in order that amateurs who have 

 not seen the Rose may not be disappointed in ordering a great 

 number, to say that I do not think the opinion of Rose-growers 

 in general would bear out Mr. Radclyffe's estimate of it. It is, 

 no doubt, a good grower, but the colour is dull (red, with too 

 much of a violet tinge in it), and the shape by no means first- 

 class. The outer petals are never large enough. It is more of 

 the form of Prince Henri de Pays Bas, which, though I know 

 itis admired by some Rose-growers, does not approximate ahigh 

 standard in shape. The only thing, in my mind, to recommend 

 in the shape of Felix Genero is, that having incurved petals it 

 hides its own deficiencies, as I have never yet picked a flower 

 of it that was very full in the centre, if the incurved petals were 

 pushed back to examine it. It would be interesting, I think 



if Rose-growers were to classify their Roses under their different 

 forms, taking well-known Roses as standards of form — as, for 

 instance, Alfred Colomb, Comtesse de Chabrillant, Baronne de 

 Rothschild, Louise Margottin, La Ville de St. Denis, &c. I 

 hope some of our best observers of Roses, as the Rev. S. R. 

 Hole and the Rev. E. N. Pochin, will do so, and if new Roses, 

 when they came out, were described in this way, as to their 

 shape, it would very much help persons who wished to order 

 some of the new sorts. 



While on the subject of Roses, I add, hardly any Rose has 

 done so well or improved so much with me this year as Princess 

 Mary of Cambridge. Fisher Holmes has also gained much 

 in my estimation, and Madame la Baronne de Rothschild is 

 almost perfection as a pink. La France has also been very 

 fine, though too loose in the petal; and Annie Wood has had 

 some exceptionally fine flowers. I never remember to have 

 seen dark Roses burn so much as this year. I can hardly get 

 a Rose from Monsieur Boncenne, Lord Macaulay, Duke of 

 Wellington, or Pierre Notting which is not burnt, and I am 

 thinking another year of planting all very dark Roses by them- 

 selves in a quarter in my kitchen garden, and fixing up some 

 framework of laths, so as to be able to cover it over entirely 

 with tiffany on very sunny days. Those that have no shade 

 of purple in them, as Alfred Colomb, Marie Baumann, Le 

 Rhone, La Brillante, <Src, can stand the Bun, and so do all the 

 cerise, pink, and pure white Roses ; and it is one great point to 

 recommend pink Roses, that they seem to last much longer 

 than dark Roses, either crimson or scarlet. For instance, 

 Princess Mary of Cambridge, Abel Grand, and Baronne de 

 Rothschild keep their true colours and last longer than almost 

 any Roses I am acquainted with. There are other Roses which 

 ought to be grown in the shade as well as the dark ones ; for 

 instance, Souvenir de Malmaison and Gloire de Dijon are both 

 of them improved both in form and colour in hot summer 

 weather if they are well shaded. Souvenir de Malmaison, 

 especially, should never be exposed to full sun. Miss Ingram, 

 again, and Acidalie, also seem better for a slight shading. — 

 C. P. Peach. 



TABLE DECORATIONS. 



Ie I refer to this subject again, it is not because I have seen 

 any reason to alter my opinions, or that I can throw any fresh 

 light on it, but because I have had the opportunity of seeing 

 since I wrote last two examples of decoration, one showing how 

 it ought to be done, and the other just the opposite. I allude 

 to the arrangement made at the Rose Show at the Crystal 

 Palace by W. Thomson, Esq., of Penge, and the other at 

 the Royal Horticultural Society's Rose Show. The former 

 was almost perfect in its way ; the latter, with the exception 

 of that which obtained the first prize, as bad taste as it was 

 possible to be. 



The exhibition which had been made by Mr. Thomson was 

 in the large theatre, which had been altered for the purpose, 

 and consisted of one large dining table and two smaller ones, 

 the two smaller ones being arranged by professional artists, 

 the centre one by amateurs. It is to this centre arrangement 

 that I desire to draw attention, and although it is quite impos- 

 sible to describe it, yet I shall endeavour to give a brief sketch 

 of it. The table was large — probably would dine twenty people — 

 and was a long oval. As the cloth is never removed now-a-days, 

 the old tale of sitting under one's mahogany may be considered 

 as exploded, and any kind of wood may be used. In this 

 instance the top was of deal, and in it holes had been made 

 to receive flower pots containing Palms ; instead of the ordi- 

 nary tablecloths strips of damask are placed on, by this means 

 thepct* are concealed, and the Palms look as if they spring 

 from the tablecloth itself ; after they have been placed the 

 cloths are ironed, and all looks perfectly smooth. Some seven 

 Palms, I think, were placed on the table, the centre one being 

 the tallest, and the others arranged according to height, the 

 general height being about 3 feet. Oq either side of the tall 

 Palm were very tall and graceful-looking glass vases, containing 

 a few Fern fronds and some sprigs of the climbing Fern. On 

 the outside of the Palms were six glass vases filled with Fern 

 fronds and Pelargoniums. In some of them were flowers of 

 Hibiscus, and this was almost the only piece of coloured flower 

 in the entire arrangement. To give colour, coloured wine glasses, 

 two to each plate, were used, and coloured finger glasses. This 

 seemed to me to fulfil all the conditions of good taste, and to 

 fall in with the canons I have laid down ; for the arrangement 

 was simple, there was no obstruction of the view, there were 



