62 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
Fig. 2. — BLACKBERRY SHOOT 
cuttings, in the spring, and planted in the same 
manner as described for those made in the fall. 
When the variety is very scarce, then any 
small roots ma)' be used for propagating, but in 
such cases it is best not to attempt it in the open 
ground, but place them in a propagating house. 
Cut the roots into pieces of from one-half to one 
inch long, mix with sand, and place in a warm 
situation, but 
not in so 
high a tem- 
perature as 
to force the 
formation of 
buds. "When 
the callus is 
formed, and 
buds begin to 
show them- 
selves upon 
the surface, 
which they 
should do in 
four to six 
weeks, place 
them in soil 
composed of 
equal parts of 
leaf mold and 
sand, and in 
a position 
where they 
will receive 
a heat of seventy-five to ninety degrees. 
When the plants have made a growth of four 
to six inches, they may be potted singly, or plant- 
ed out into the open ground, provided the wea- 
ther is warm and there is no danger of their he- 
coming checked by cold. The blackberry may 
also be propagated from green wood in summer, 
in the propagating-honse, or early in Spring by 
cuttings from plants forced for the purpose. 
The same process used by propagators in mul- 
tiplying grapes and other plants from green 
wood is equally applicable to the blackberry. 
Single bud cuttings may be made of the ma- 
ture wood in the fall, always choosing the me- 
dium sized branches, and those that have notbe- 
come very hard ; or in other words, not fully 
ripe. Plant in boxes or pots, and place in a 
temperature of from 80 to 100 degrees. This is 
not quite so certain a method as the others, still, 
with some varieties, very good plants can be 
produced by an experienced propagator. 
Layering the branches in summer is often 
practiced witli success, especially with some va- 
rieties. In making layers, that portion to be 
covered should be stripped of its leaves, and 
then a small incision made on the branch, and 
on the under side, as is usually done when lay- 
ering' woody plants. Root cuttings, however, 
produce the very best plants, and the number 
that can be made from the roots of one large 
stool, if given proper care, is much greater 
one would suppose who has never tried it. 
than 
Dana's Hovby Pear.— The London Gar- 
dener's Chronicle gives a description and (veiy 
poor) figure of this American variety, and says : 
"Its flesh is melting and juicy, its flavor more 
delicious than that of any pear known, being 
that of the Winter Nelis, with a slight smack of 
IheSeckel; its season is December until Janu- 
ary. When this pretty and delicious pear be- 
comes known, a dish of them at dessert will be 
as much sought after as a dish of old Golden 
Pippins in the last Century." 
Ways and Means in Pruning. 
Notwithstanding the fact that in our notes for 
the month there is always a timely word upon 
all the important operations in the orchard, we 
have many letters asking about pruning, espe- 
cially as to the time at which it is to be done. 
It has frequently been stated here that the 
small work with the knife may be done at any 
time when the wood is not frozen ; but most 
orchardists consider this as trimming rather than 
pruning, and applying the latter term to the 
removal of large limbs. When limbs of con- 
siderable size must be removed, and this too 
often happens, it becomes of importance to do 
it at the season when the tree will sustain the 
least injury. Upon this point a variety of opin- 
ions have been expressed and different seasons 
advised. Autumn priming is recommended by 
some, for the reason that the wounds thus made 
in the operation will become dry and the sur- 
face of the wood seasoned and secured from 
decay. The majority of good orchardists pre- 
fer summer pruning — or that done when the 
tree is accumulating its woody deposit. This is 
when the branches of the year have ceased to 
elongate, and the for- 
ces of growth are di- 
rected to preparing 
for the vegetation of 
another year. At this 
time the process of 
healing goes on more 
rapidly than at any other, but it has the disad- 
vantage of being a season when there is so much 
other work to be done that the labor cannot be 
given to the orchard. Another, but a minor 
disadvantage is, that the trees being covered with 
foliage the effect of the removal is not so readily 
observed. The season in which there is most 
, leisure, and perhaps the next best to the one last 
mentioned, is after the severity of winter is 
over, but before the swelling of the buds indi- 
cates the awakening of vegetation. Though 
late winter is not the best season, it is prefera- 
ble to do the work then than to neglect it alto- 
gether. As soon as the tree starts into growth 
no wound should be made, as there will be a 
disagreeable and injurious out-pouring of sap. 
As to the operation itself, it should be done 
with judgment and care. Cutting away a limb 
without a clear idea of the object to be gained — 
going into a tree with an axe and chopping here 
and there, is not prun- 
ing, but butchery. Hav- 
ing determined upon 
the removal of a limb, 
it should be sawed off 
neatly, close to the main 
branch. It is not rare to 
see a butt of a foot or 
more in length left by 
the"pruner; this is a most 
mischievous practice, 
as a crowd of small 
branches will usually 
spring from the base of this stump, as shown 
in the engraving, while the upper end, having 
no supply of sap, will decay. Works upon 
orchard culture generally recommend that the 
wound be made no larger than the base of 
the limb removed. In France, where tree cul- 
ture is made a profession, the most recent wri- 
ters advocate pruning close to the trunk, and 
covering the wound with some preparation. 
In France coal-tar is used on all trees except 
stone-fruits — but while we mention this as a 
matter of interest, we do not advise its use. It 
BAD PRTTXING. 
may be that our coal-tar is different from theirs — 
at all events so much injury has been clone to 
plants in this country by the various products 
of coal and petroleum that we advise great cau- 
tion in their use. Grafting wax, made warm 
enough to apply with a brush is cheap, safe, and 
efficacious, as is the shellac and alcohol paint, 
but the materials for this are now very expensive. 
The rough surface left by the saw should be 
smoothed with a knife or drawing knife before 
using the wax. Limbs of considerable size may 
be neatly removed by means of a large, stout, 
and sharp chisel, driven from below by a 
wooden mallet. 
— -• ■ «! ■ ►-» 
The Care of Young Trees. 
a 
There would be much less said about pruning 
and much less pruning to be done, were it gen- 
erally known — and the knowledge acted upon — 
that we have it in our power to form the tree 
while young, and so regulate the young growth 
that the removal of large limbs would be a rare 
necessity. The too common method is, to trim 
the trees up, to a small head, at planting, and 
then let them grow until they come into fruit, 
when it is discovered that pruning is needed, 
and there is a great lopping off of useless limbs, 
that with proper treatment would never have 
grown. Those who will have their trees trim- 
med high, doubtless have good reasons for the 
practice, but the best experience teaches that 
low headed trees are, other things being equal, 
more exempt from those troubles dependent 
upon climatic influences, than those trained to a 
tall naked trunk. Our present object is not to 
discuss the general subject of pruning young 
trees, but to point out a trouble that often arises 
from allowing them to have 
their own way. We refer to 
the formation of crotches, 
or a division of the trunk in- 
to two nearly equal branch- 
es, which may again subdi- 
vide in a similar manner, and 
thus render the tree liable to 
split. In forming the young 
tree in the nursery this is 
avoided by all intelligent 
growers ; but all trees are 
not treated as they should 
be, even in the nursery, and we often see young 
orchards containing examples of very bad man- 
agement. When a crotched tree of this kind is 
discovered, it is best to remedy the defect even 
at the considerable sacrifice of one-half of the 
present growth. The manner of treatment is 
to cut away one of the branches that form the 
fork, retaining the one that can be most readily 
brought to the upright position ; in removing 
the limb, enough of its base is left to afford a 
support to which the remaining one ma) r be se- 
cured, and this is then brought as nearly erect as 
possible and tied to the butt, as in the engraving. 
When the erect position has become established, 
the supporting portion is cut away even with 
the trunk ; if this be done at the usual season 
of pruning, the wound will soon heal over. 
■ —. moo. .-» 
Early May and Early Richmond Cherry. 
— This popular and early market cherry has also 
been called Kentish. It seems to be established 
that it is a Virginia seedling, long known in the 
State where it originated, as the Early May. 
The elder Prince procured the variety from 
Richmond, Va., and called it the "Richmond." 
The Illinois State Hort'l Society, at its recent 
meeting, voted to adopt the name Early May. 
