258 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



the following season — the growths are shorter 

 and less succulent, and the fruit-buds more 

 numerous. It generally happens that when 

 once a fruitful condition has been brought 

 about, it continues. The production of fruit 

 is itself the best countercheck to rampant 

 growth. 



Whilst root-pruning is mostly adopted in the 

 fruit -garden, it may sometimes be profitably 

 used also in large greenhouses or conservatories 

 where flowering plants are planted out in bor- 

 ders. The same causes that bring about a too 

 robust growth and deficient fruitfulness in 

 kitchen-garden trees may bring about a shy- 

 flowering condition in some greenhouse plants. 

 Clethra arborea, for instance, planted out in a 

 rich conservatory border, will often fail to 

 flower anything like so well as when restricted 

 in pots or tubs. The remedy in this case also 

 is a judicious root-pruning. 



After what has been said, it need scarcely be 

 pointed out that root-pruning cannot be em- 

 ployed to cure the barrenness of trees, which 

 is due to lack of vigour or starvation at the 

 root. 



Ringing. — This term has been given to a pro- 

 cess which consists in removing a narrow ring 

 of bark from a branch or stem of a tree. The 

 theory of the operation is that whilst it admits 

 of the flow of crude sap from the roots to the 

 leaves, it prevents the downward flow of the 

 elaborated sap, and thus the growth above the 

 "ring", and any fruits it may bear, are likely 

 to be better nourished, larger, and more highly- 

 coloured than would otherwise be the case. 

 In practice the operation is often harmful, and 

 is rarely resorted to in good English gardens. 

 In American gardens, however, it is practised 

 by some fruit farmers. " Kinging is useful in 

 two ways — it may set unproductive trees into 

 bearing, and it may modify the fruit which is 

 borne above the ring. The philosophy of the 

 one is that the extra food tends to develop 

 fruit -buds; the philosophy of the other is 

 that the extra food hastens the maturity and 

 increases the size of the fruit already grow- 

 ing. It is generally a last resort. If a tree 

 here and there persists in being barren, ring it 

 as an experiment If the whole plantation is 

 fruitless, and has yet received all the care | 

 which legitimately makes for fruitfulness, then ( 

 ring all the trees. There are, however, more I 

 fundamental and general means of promoting 

 fruitfulness " (Bailey). 



[w. J. B.] 



CHAPTER XXII. 



FLOWER-GARDENS AND PLEASURE- 

 GROUNDS. 



Formation of a Garden — Reserve Garden — Sub- 

 tropical Garden — Hardy Perennial Garden — 

 The Rock-garden — A Rootery — Decorations — 

 Formation of Pleasure - grounds — Approach 

 Road — Walks— Shrubberies — The Rose - garden 

 — American Garden — Decorations — Lawns — 

 Bowling-greens — Lawn - tennis Grounds — Orna- 

 mental Water. 



I. Formation of a Flower-garden. 



General Remarks. — In the more strict accep- 

 tance of the term, a flower-garden forms part of 

 the grounds surrounding the dwelling, or some 

 spot adjacent to it, that is set apart for the 

 special cultivation of flowers. It should be placed, 

 if not quite adjacent to the house, within a short 

 distance of it, and where it is visible from the 

 principal windows; and in that case it ought 

 to be made as ornate as possible, having due 

 regard to the canons of congruity and good 

 taste. Statuary may be sparingly introduced, 

 also a sun-dial, a fountain, arbours of various 

 kinds, either constructed of rustic woodwork or 

 of ironwork, covered with creeping and climbing 

 plants, such as Roses (climbing and on their own 

 roots), Clematis, Menispermum, Ivy, Ampelopsis, 

 Aristolochia, Honeysuckle, or similar plants. 



As a rule artificially coloured materials should 

 not be used for covering the walks, although 

 small pebbles of various colours ma}^ be admis- 

 sible when arranged in patterns, and embedded 

 in cement in a tasteful manner to form a firm 

 dry surface around seats, or as floors for summer- 

 houses. Flower-beds are most effective when 

 set in grass. 



Shrubs of small growth and trees of low 

 stature may be employed at set distances apart 

 within flower-gardens of regular design at rare 

 intervals, and near the margins and at salient 

 points of the design. In some cases even, they 

 may form the central objects in beds of large 

 size, in which positions such species should be 

 chosen as will not be injured by the necessary 

 close clipping or knife pruning, or which are 

 naturally of a close compact habit. As speci- 

 mens of the former, Desfontainea spinosa, Buxus 

 balearica, many of the smaller leafed Hollies, 

 both green and variegated, Euonymus radicans 

 and E. japonicus, Phillyrea angvstifolia, may be 

 named; and of the latter, Juniperus communis, 

 Cupressus Laicsoniana in variety; Irish Yews, 

 golden varieties of the common Yew, Libocedrus 



