268 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 27, 1883. 
as described will be in grand condition for forcing fcbe following 
season. 
It is only necessary to make two pottings of bulbs, as some 
can be pushed forward and others brought on under cool treat¬ 
ment and retarded to suit the requirements of different culti¬ 
vators.— SciENTIA. 
ROOT-PRUNING LARGE AND OLD TREES. 
I am very glad to see this subject opened by Mr. G. Bunyard 
of Maidstone, who, speaking with an extensive practical ex¬ 
perience to draw lessons from, may be accepted as a safe guide 
and counsellor in the matter. Personally, I am quite certain 
that very many old and comparatively barren trees which are 
occupying valuable space on walls, and equally valuable space 
in other parts of the garden, might be made fruitful and satisfy- 
ing by being subjected to this operation, always provided that 
that operation is performed with care and judgment. It is 
annoying in the last degree to have yards, almost miles, of good 
•wall room taken up by old, perhaps time-honoured, but still use- 
1 ;ss and barren trees, and yet be prevented or afraid to operate 
u ion them fearful of disastrous consequences. I was once in 
charge of two large trees of Gansel’s Bergamot Pear. They 
were trained to the height of perfection as to the disposi¬ 
tion of their branches, but in all the six years I had them in 
charge did I see more than, perhaps, five or six Pears in any one 
year, and some years none at all. I suggested to my em¬ 
ployer that it would pay to grub them up and plant afresh, and 
lie fell in wfith the idea, but on referring it to the landlord, or his 
agent, I forget which, we w r ere forbidden to touch these trees 
harmfully on pain of something fearful coming to us. They 
were trees hoary with age and family associations I suppose, 
and as my then employer was only a yearly tenant we were 
obliged to let it alone, and endure seeing the barren trees cover¬ 
ing some 60 yards of 13-feet garden wall. I should have liked 
to root-prune both those trees, but, being timid and faint-hearted 
as to what might be the result, I let them alone. 
There are in many old gardens these unserviceable ancients. 
Since my Gansel’s Bergamot experience I have had in my hands, 
and not long since, a wall of old Pears with stag-horn breast 
shoots, growing yearly a forest of sticks that would do admirably 
for training young Fuchsias and Begonias to, but no fruit, 
or of fruit just one or two at the ends of each of the side main 
branches. Immediately I took them in hand I reduced these 
stags-liorns down to their lowest dimensions, to the little trusses 
lying close to the main branches, and then, not caring whether 
one or two of the trees lived or died, the walls being very full, 
I root-pruned them, digging the trench at, say, rough measure¬ 
ment, 1J yard from the bole of the tree, and cutting all roots 
off, no matter how thick that we encountered in the digging. 
That was three years ago, and I am glad to report that the trees 
are full of fruitful wood close to the main branches for the first 
time in the memory of one of the oldest of my labourers, bearing 
a fine crop of clean-looking fruit. I am quite sure that we may 
do more root-pruning than is usual, even amongst some of the 
oldest of our wall trees, and thereby bring them out of a state 
of unfruitfulness and vexation to owners into one of profit and 
usefulness. All that is required is to use judgment in the 
operation both as to time and manner of doing. As to the time, 
I think the end of this month (September) is as good as any 
—nay, better; indeed that is my experience.—H., Notts. 
THE PHYLLOXERA. 
I have no doubt your correspondent Mr. H. W. Ward is perfectly 
right when he recommends the “ stamping-out ” system as the only radical 
one for getting rid of the above-dreaded pest. Had the French nation 
acted on this advice, which was tendered to it nearly twenty years ago, the 
insect might have been banished out of Europe, instead of which, in 
spite of all such nostrums as immersion, which is impracticable, and 
sulpho-carbons, and such like, the pest is rampant in the length and 
breadth of their land. Will Mr. Ward lay your readers under an 
additional obligation by letting them know how and from whence he 
got the insect at first?—A Vine Grower. 
Sensitiveness of Earthworms. —I am now engaged in extirpat¬ 
ing Daisies from the lawn which surrounds my Rose beds, and I have 
observed how sensitive the earthworm is to vibration. After taking out 
a patch of Daisies from the soil raised by the Daisy fork, one may notice 
on replacing the earth and putting it level again a general alarm 
amongst the worms that may have been raising their bodies through 
the earth. Possibly the first movements of the fork in lifting the soil 
may have disturbed the creatures ; but certain it is that on tapping 
the earth down again any that may be within, say, a hand-breadth or 
so of the operation retreat or pull themselves in so rapidly and simul¬ 
taneously that they must have experienced some shock. Has anyone 
who knows more about the habits of the worm noticed this ?—A. M. B 
RANUNCULUS IN POTS. 
In many gardens Ranunculus do very unsatisfactorily when planted 
outside, especially when the ground is light and dry ; but they can be 
successfully grown in pots, and will afford abundance of useful flowers 
for cutting. When in pots the roots should be secured as early as possible, 
and about five placed in each 6-inch pot in good rich soil consisting of 
fibry loam, decayed manure, and a little coarse sand. They should be 
potted moderately firm, and it is a good plan to place a little sand round 
each pot. Place the pots containing the roots in a cold frame, and fill 
the spaces between them with coal ashes, just covering the rim of the 
pots with the same material. Directly the plants commence growing the 
ashes must be removed from the surface of the soil, but the pots should 
still remain plunged. It is a good plan to keep them plunged until they 
have flowered. When plunged they do not dry so rapidly, which is a 
great advantage to their successful cultivation in pots. After growth has 
commenced they must be protected from frosts, and the plants kept as 
near the glass as possible, with abundance of air both day and night 
when favourable. They soon draw up weakly in a close confined atmo¬ 
sphere, and will not endure being forced into bloom. To achieve success 
as natural a system of cultivation as possible must be practised. While 
growing never allow them to suffer by the want of water at their roots.— 
Lancastrian. 
GRAPES AT THE EDINBURGH SHOW. 
Having long wished to see Grapes as exhibited at the above Show, 
I made a point of taking a trip northwards. To say I was gratified 
does not fully express my feelings, yet I was disappointed in some 
particulars. As was stated last week, Mr. J, Mclndoe, gardener to Sir 
Joseph W. Pease, Bart., M.P., Hutton Hall, Yorkshire, and Mr. W. 
McKelvie,gardener to theDowagerDuchess of Roxburgh, Broxmouth Park, 
Dunbar, were placed equal in the class of twelve bunches of Grapes, 
six black and six white. All Mr. Mclndoe’s bunches were large, but 
the only varieties really good and ripe were Black Hamburgh and 
Golden Queen. Mr. McKelvie had a trio of Muscat of Alexandria, the best 
in the whole Show ; Buckland Sweetwater, good ; Black Hamburgh, 
fair ; and Madresfield good, much smaller than the others, but ripe. As 
far as quality went the latter exhibitor decidedly should have had first 
honours, but the others overweighted them, and it must have been size, 
and size alone, which the Judges honoured by their verdict. This 
award gave great dissatisfaction, and to me, a stranger, it was amusing 
to hear the comments in the northern tongue. I carefully went through 
the exhibits several times, and failed to see the justice of the awards in 
this class. This is written in no carping spirit, and doubtless you will 
find I am not alone in my opinion. 
Muscats. —Grand heavy bunches were shown by Mr. McKelvie, 
excellent produce also being exhibited by other successful exhibitors, 
notably Messrs, Ramsay, McKinnon, Day, and King, and this valuable 
Grape was on the whole well represented. 
Black. Hamburglis. —In the classes for this Grape the exhibits were 
not on the whole of great merit. The best was a good bunch of nearly 
3 lbs. weight, and with fine hammered berries, from Mr. James Jeffrey, 
Craigleuch Gardens. Some good examples were staged in the collections ; 
the premier bunches in the Show probably being those of Mr. Kirk. 
Duke of Bvccleuck. —A noble bunch with monstrous berries was 
exhibited by Mr. McKinnon. Mr. Dewar, Beechwood Gardens, also 
well won the chief prize in the any white variety class with capital 
examples of this fine Grape. 
Alnwick Seedling. —I expected to see this Grape better represented. 
Mr. Kirk exhibited it well in a collection ; and in the single bunch 
class Mr. D. Murray, Maybole, won the chief prize with a good bunch, 
but rather small berries ; Mr. Robertson following with a small bunch and 
grand berries, only five lots being staged. 
Gros Colman. —This was still more disappointing, only three bunches 
being staged in the class, and both the prizetakers—Messrs. D. Murray 
and Pringle—had good examples, while those shown in the classes were, 
as a rule, not ripe. 
Black Alicantes. —These were generally good without being superior. 
A few fine examples were shown in the collections, notably by Mr. Day, 
also in the class of one bunch, in which there were twelve competitors, 
the prizes going to Messrs. Spencer, Lindsay, and McKay, but they by 
no means gave general satisfaction ; Mr. Ballantyne, Stoneyhill, staging 
produce equal to any in the class. 
Abercairney Seedling. —This was exhibited by Mr. McKelvie, but 
is too much like the Black Alicante to be considered distinct by me. 
Cooper's Black. —This Grape, which is not often seen, was admirably 
shown by Mr. Lees of Hillsborough, winning him a prize in one of the 
collections, also first for any black Grape for any variety not in the 
schedule, and first again in the finest bloom class. It was very good, 
and appeared to be quite distinct. 
Mr. Forbes staged a superb bunch of Madresfield Court weighing 
about 6 lbs ; and Mr. Murray, Park Hall, a beautifully finished example 
of Gros Maroc. 
In the sixteen classes 197 bunches were staged, and there were several 
in the collections of fruit. The best class of all was that in which fruit 
was exhibited for the finest bloom. Having given my impression of 
