18 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[JiLNTTART, 
June, and will form from fruit spurs. The same 
system of pruning is followed in subsequent 
years. Every young shoot when it has made 
four or more leaves is pinched back to three 
Fig. 3. — PTEA5IIDAL PEAR TREE. 
leaves except the leading one of the side branch 
which is to be cut back in August. This treat- 
ment alone 'will produce a well shaped pyramid 
tree ; but when it is dcsir.able to keep the tree 
dwarf and confine the roots to a limited space, 
root pruning is practised. When the ti'ee has 
reached the hight of about six feet, a trench is 
dug around it in autumn, 18 inches from the 
stem, and all roots inclined to grow perpendic- 
ularly are cut off with a sharp spade. Tlie hor- 
izontal roots are cut with a sharp knife to with- 
in a circle of 18 iuches, and the trench is filled 
with a mixture of equal parts of well rotted 
manure and good mould. The surface over 
the roots is covered with coarse manure which 
is left to enrich the soil and serve as a mulch. 
In rich soils the root-pruning is repeated annu- 
ally, and iu poor ones once in two years. The 
result is that in a few years the entire circle of 
three feet around the tree is filled with fibrons 
roots. If the roots are found to be too crowded, 
Fig. 3 — BUSH PEiR TREE. 
a portion of thcni may be thinned out. 'Witli 
those varieties which naturally have a straggling 
habit, bush training will answer better than the 
pyi-amidal. In this, no leader is preserved to 
secure a pyramidal form, but the shoots are all 
treated alike and pinched as above directed. A 
bush pear tree is shown in fig. 3. Root prun- 
ing is practised with the bushes as well as with 
pyramids, or the tree may be removed every 
second year to a new situation which has been en- 
riched with well prepared compost. The advan- 
tages claimed by Mr. R. for root-grafted dwarfs 
are : 1st. The rendering of the trees eligible 
for the smallest gardens. 2d. The facility with 
which blossom buds and fruit may be thinned 
and the fruit gathered. With shy bearing sorts 
the flowers may be artificially fertilized. 3d. 
The cultivator can be independent of the natur- 
al soil of the garden, as with a small quantity 
of rich compost and surface manure the tree 
can be kept in full vigor in a poor soil. 4th. 
The ability to remove old trees with as much 
ease as furniture — a great consideration with 
tenants. Of course this system can not be re- 
commended for general culture, as it requh-es 
that care which can only be given to fruit in 
gardens. Any one makiug experiments in this 
direction should faithful!}- carry out the plan 
in all its particulars, to secure full success. 
Peach Trees in Cold Climates. 
Some months ago a western nurseryman, who 
had a plan for protecting peach trees during se- 
vere winters, consulted its with reference to 
patenting his process. Considering that patent- 
ing a mere process or way of doing a thing in 
horticulture was, to saj- the least, inexpedient, 
he was advised to give his simple discoveiy to 
the general fund of knowledge. He had all 
his life profited by the accumulated experience 
of thousands of others, and we considered it 
onl}' right that he should make this small re- 
turn. The gentleman would not consent to 
make his discovery public, but wished us to ad- 
vertise that he would communicate his secret 
for a compensation. This jiropositiou was de- 
clined for the reason that, while the secret might 
be worth the sura asked, most persons, when 
they found out how simple the thing was, 
would consider that they had been " sold" and 
would blame us accordingly. The process iu 
question having been described to us under cir- 
cumstances implying confidence, it was not giv- 
en publicity and the matter dropped. In a re- 
cent niunberof theCouatrj^ Gentlema* another 
person, " V. W. S.," has hit upon almost pre- 
cisely the same expedient as the one alluded to, 
and as everj' liberal horticulturist should, he com- 
municates his experience for the benefit of the 
public. The method is simply to lay down the 
trees and keep the tops covered with snow. It 
is done as follows: dig a trench on one side of 
the tree, about a foot from the trunk and sufli- 
cienth- deep to uncover the roots. The lateral 
roots on this side are to be cut off at 13 or 15 
inches from the tree, and those roots which run 
downward are to be severed by thrusting a sharp 
spade directly under the tree. The tree may 
now be bent over and the branches brought 
close to the ground. The roots upon one side 
being severed, and the remaining ones being 
undisturbed, this can be accomplished without 
difficulty. It is important to save all the roots 
possible and yet allow the tree to be bent down, 
and only those should be severed which inter- 
fere witli this object. The upturned roots have 
sufficient earth placed over them to protect them 
from frost, and the tops are lightly covered with 
refuse vines from the garden or similar litter. 
Wheu snow falls, it is heaped up over the top 
of the tree so that it will be covered to the 
depth of six inches or a foot, and the covering 
kept on all winter. In spring when the buds 
are about to start, the tree is brought up to its 
natural position and secured bj' pressing the 
earth firmly around the roots. Tlic work of 
laying down is done before the ground freezes, 
and the first snow is put over the top, taking 
care to keep the covering repaired from time to 
time. It is advised that the tree be pruned in 
something of a fan shape, in order to bring the 
mass of branches as near the ground as possi- 
ble. The writer above alluded to states that 
he has followed this method with five trees, for 
two years, with the most satisfactory results. 
The plan seems well worthy of a trial in those 
localities where the limbs of peach trees are li- 
able to be winter-killed. The experiments 
should be made with young trees. The in- 
cidental root pruning will promote fruitfnluess. 
Cone-bearing Plants from Cuttings. 
The general interest now felt in propagating 
evergreens of the Pine family has led several to 
ask the method of raising them from cuttings. 
With some, such as the Arbor vitaes, plants 
may be readily grown from cuttings, while the 
Pines usuall}- strike root with the greatest diffi- 
culty, if at all. Mr. W. S. Carpenter has had 
excellent success with both the American and 
Siljerian Arbor Vitaes iu the open ground. He 
makes the cuttings in Maj', taking twigs from 
three to six inches long. These are cut "witli a 
heel," i. e., with a small portion of the branch 
from which thej'came adhering to them, and are 
set out in well drained soil, in rows a foot apart 
and six inches distant in the rows. Most of the 
cuttings root the first season, while those which 
do not, usually survive the winter, and make 
roots the next year. Mr. C. thinks that 90 per 
cent, of his cuttings live and make plants. The 
usual way of striking cuttings in the green- 
house is, to take the points of the same season's 
growth just as it is ripening, about 2 or 3 inches 
in length, set thickly in pots of pure sand, 
and cover with a bell gUss or glass-top box. 
They are kept cool until spring, when they arc 
placed where they will have a very gentle bot- 
tom heat. Most of the Spruces, Firs, Junipers, 
Cedars, and some few of the Pines have been 
grown in this waj'. Some propagators have 
excellent success, while others make a total 
failure with cuttinss of the more diflictdt ones. 
Experience with- Insects. 
Mr. David Lawrence, Sciota Co., O., in com- 
muuicating some of his gardening experience, 
states that he prevents borers from attacking 
his peach trees by setting them about 9 inches 
deeper than they stood in the nursery, thus 
putting the portion of the tree usually attacked, 
below the reach of the insects. This deep set- 
ting of trees is so contrary to general practice 
that we can not advise it ; besides, the borer, 
though it prefers the base of the tree, will fre- 
quently deposit its eggs several feet from the 
ground ; but we give the suggestion for those 
who wish to experiment. Mr. L. states that the 
trees do not grow very vigorously the first year, 
but do well afterward, and being set so deep, 
they are not readilj' affected by droutli. The 
same writer finds suds, made strong with sotl 
soap, and applied hot, to be efficacious in de- 
stroying all kinds of insects. Hot water for kill- 
ing the woolly aphis was noticed in December. 
