12 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 1, 18S5. 
florists’ flowers, which are being raised to plant in the borders ©f the 
pleasure garden. 
The large kitchen garden is situated in an open position at some 
distance from the other part of the gardens. The staple soil is of excellent 
quality, being admirably adapted to the growth of first-class vegetables 
and fruit. Some exceptionally fine bushes of Alfriston and Blenheim 
Pippin Apple trees are growing here. The usual bush fruits, too, are 
grown on a large scale. Excellent crops of vegetables were growing in 
their various quarters. A slight disadvantage with regard to the produc¬ 
tion of hardy fruits is the absence of a wall round the kitchen garden. 
Mr. Gilbert, however, manages to get a fair supply by planting against 
the walls of various buildings. A couple of Pear trees growing against a 
portion of the mansion are worthy of mention. These are trained 
horizontally, and have attained a height of fully 50 feet—the height of 
the mansion. Mr. Gilbert does not know the name of the variety, but 
says that thirty years ago they were as large as they are now. 
The glass department is not very extensive, neither is it of modern 
construction. It is, however, none the less useful, as Mr. Gilbert makes 
good use of it. There is an immense large plant stove, in which are large 
specimens of Phoenix reclinata, Hibiscus Cooperi, and the curious Xylo- 
phylla falcata. Mr. Gilbert is specially successful in the cultivation of 
Eucharis amazonica. He has some splendid specimens, one of which we 
measured and found to be 6 feet in diameter. The foliage is remarkably 
robust, enabling each specimen to carry hundreds of blooms. The latter 
attributes his snccess to deep potting, disturbing the roots as little as 
possible, and adopting rational treatment in supplying them with a fair 
amount of water, and not drying off the plants, as some do, to ensure their 
blooming. A fine plant of the old and but seldom seen Night-flowering 
Cactus (Cereus grandiflorus) was climbing at will up the roof. Orchids 
are gone into on a small scale—a specially fine piece of Phalmnopsis 
Schilleriana being grown in a basket and suspended over a tank of 
warm water—a position it evidently enjoys. Adiantum farleyense does 
well there. It is p'anted out in pockets against the surface of the 
back wall. It is evidently a good plant for the purpose. In addition 
to the plants just mentioned there is the usual collection of flowering 
and foliage plants. A long span-roof stove in which are a miscellaneous 
collection of Tea Roses, Gardenias, Stephanotis. and other plants for 
affording cut flowers, and a couple of vineries, in which average crops 
of well-coloured Black Hamburgh Grapes are produced, also containing 
a healthy collection of Azaleas and Camellias for cut flower purposes, 
brings the description of the several departments to a close. 
Great credit is due to Mr. Gilbert, who has served thirty years in the 
several capacities of garden boy, journeyman, foreman, head gardener, 
and eventually steward to past and present baronets in these gardens, for 
the excellent manner in which he manages not only the gardens, but the 
other departments of which he has the trusted charge. Mr. Gilbert has 
served in other good gardens besides these, as well as when serving here 
as garden boy, having the benefit of acquiring a sound knowledge of the 
higher principles of gardening under Sir Thomas Wilson’s tuition—hence 
his wide practical experience and success in his profession.—T. II. S. 
WINTER DRESSING FRUIT TREES. 
ROOT-PRUNING. 
[Continued from page 547 last Vcl.) 
ROOTS. —When the tree3 make too much growth and are difficult to 
restrain by summer priming, the cropping not being satisfactory, it is 
evident the roots are in a similar condition to the growths, and we must 
do one of two things—viz., allow free extension of the growths, limiting 
the pruning to removing irregularities, so as to preserve the symmetry of 
the tree, or have the supply of food diminished by curtailing the roots. 
The former is in many instances impracticable, from the space being 
limited to a given area, and it becomes a necessity to operate upon the 
roots ; indeed root-pruning in the case of trees on the restricted system is 
an essential to success. In order to secure crops of fine fruit, large in 
size and high in quality, the soil must be rich, and we have only to miss 
a crop of fruit by frost or the inclemency of the weather when the trees 
grow too luxuriantly to bear profitably. Summer pruning may render the 
trees symmetrical, and to some extent may check root-action, counteracting 
the tendency to gross and unripened growths ; but it will not change 
grossness to fertility. It is a case for root-pruning. Then we have 
occasionally to face gross growth and unfruitfulness, which may be a 
consequence of too rich soil or its loose aud moisture-holding nature. 
This also is a case for root-pruning, for we have only to get a tree into a 
fruitful state and by regulating the crop continue it, at least for some 
time. 
In seeking to check over-luxuriance and induce fruitfulness, the danger 
is in giving too sudden a check, and so cripple the growth that the trees 
have scarcely life enough left to form fruit buds. The roots should be 
laid bare, beginning about a yard from the stem in the case of wall trees, 
and for bushes or pyramids one-third the height of the trees from the 
stem, working outwards, removing the soil from amongst the roots. Then 
commence operations by going back to where the soil were first com¬ 
menced being removed, and select any thick roots that extend without 
throwing out ramifications or fibres. These should be detached, or some 
of them, always selecting the thick bare ones that have a tendency to 
strike downwards. All roots severed should be removed from the soil, so 
far as that can be done without interfering with the smaller and more 
fibrous roots. As to the number of roots that ought to be removed, that 
is matter for the discretion of the operator, for as a rule the more vigorous 
the tree the fewer and stronger will be its roots, and these must not be 
cut so extensively as when the roots are more numerous and more 
branched. 
In most instances of undue vigour the roots will be found deep in the 
soil, hence advantage should be taken where there are few roots in the 
space where the soil is taken out to work under them towards the 
stem, so as to reach and sever every root striking perpendicularly into the 
soil. When these operations are completed the soil should be returned 
and made firm about the roots, being careful to fill all the interstices, and 
if the roots retained are deep lay them in nearer the surface, but in layers 
with soil between, and this may be continued up to the stem of the trees. 
As regards trees that are grown on the restricted system, lifting being 
resorted to biennially or triennially, the object is to keep the roots home 
within reach of the manurial elements supplied, and to multiply them as 
much as possible in that area, for it must be borne in mind that root- 
pruning and lifting multiplied the roots just as stopping increased the 
number of shoots. Lifting is an invigorating process, and if judiciously 
performed is attended with (he best results. Lifting must not be 
practised on trees that have been allowed to have their roots run freely in 
an unrestricted border. If such trees are operated on it must be done 
gradually, for if the roots are brought home all at once it is likely the 
cheek will be so violent as to seriously interfere with the growth, if 
indeed the trees do not collapse. The roots must be shortened in this 
case and fresh ones encouraged from near the base of the stem. 
The best time to lift trees is in autumn, as soon as the foliage com¬ 
mences to ripen, but it may safely be performed any time in mild 
weather during the season of rest up to the swelling of the buds. 
Growth.— In the case of restricted trees the growths consequent on 
summer pruning or repeated stopping become very much branched and 
crowded. In order to admit light aud air the spurs should be thinned 
and shortened so as to bring the growths nearer the wall. The spurs 
that are very much crowded may be reduced a third, and care should be 
exercised so as to leave sufficient fruit buds for a crop, removing the 
attenuated and soft wood growth. Trees that are very full of growth and 
weakly, forming plenty of fruit buds, are all the better for a judicious 
thinning. The food supplied will then be appropriated by fewer parts, the 
blossom will be stronger, the fruit need less thinning, finer fruit and a 
heavier crop resulting. It is one way of invigorating weakly trees well 
worth more attention. 
There are trees confined to space on walls that produce a quantity of 
breastwood, and are difficult to restrain either by summer pruning or to 
bring into a fruitful condition by root-pruning. The fact is they are too 
restricted, and have not space for the development of new and fruitful 
parts. If we remove some of the branches to an advantageous place 
short at the base and train the resulting growth in the place of the old 
barren one, we obtain a fruitful branch in the course of two or three 
years. In this way trees that produce little fruit, but plenty of spray, 
may be rendered fruitful, and being done by degrees will not entail any 
loss of crop. 
Orchard trees that give loads of small fruit usually have the growths 
much crowded. They should have the heads well thinned so as to let 
light into the interior, and the result will be freer growth and finer fruit, 
but so long as a standard tree hears fine fruits its growth should be left 
alone, the pruning saw only being necessary to lop off straggling growths, 
to remove cross branches and decayed parts. If the trees do not bear, if 
they are not healthy, or the fruit is inferior, cut off their heads and 
regraft them with varieties that have been proved.—G. Abbey. 
(To be continued.) 
SUCCESSFUL CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTURE. 
It has been frequently stated in these columns that all the best 
Chrysanthemum blooms do not find their way to the show tables, and 
that this is perfectly true will be admitted by all who saw the Chrysan¬ 
themums grown this year by Mr. Edwards, gardener at Springfield, West- 
bury-on-Trym, near Bristol. The collection would not, as the times are, 
be thought an extensive one, neither is a very great variety aimed at; 
but all were very well grown, the blooms being remarkable both for their 
great size and substance. Plenty of the blooms of Japanese sorts measured 
from 8 inches to 11 inches across, though what Mr. Edwards rightly 
considered the best were of less diameter in most cases, but more than 
compensated for this falling-off in that they were of greater depth and 
substance. Some of the best blooms of Elaine were 6,| inches across, 
Lady Selborne 6^ inches, Cry Kang 7j inches, Cossack 6f inches, Comte 
de Germiny 8.1 inches, and Madame C. Audiguier 8£ inches, the last- 
mentioned being 6J inches in depth, and were truly grand specimens. 
The measurements of some of the incurved sorts were as follows:— 
Golden Queen of England 7f inches across, Queen of England 7 inches, 
Nil Desperandum 5i inches, Prince of Wales 5 inches, Mrs. Heale 
5J inches, Mrs. Halliburton 4f inches, Jardin des Plantes 5.| inches, 
Bronze Jardin des Plantes 5^ inches, St. Patrick 4§, and Lilac Yenus 
4f inches, and were in other respects perfect hlooms. 
The plants are not stopped or cut down in any way, and Mr. Edwards 
much prefers the crown buds, as these, if secured, invariably devdope 
into blooms of greater substance than do the majority of the terminal 
buds. The number of blooms to a plant varied according to tho vigour 
and habit of the variety ; but as fine blooms were desired care was taken 
not to grow too many. In this and other respects Mr. Edwards’ treat¬ 
ment does not materially differ from that of the majority of growers of 
large blooms, but his ideas as to the possibility of giving liquid manures 
