258 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 18, 1834. 
probably to planting out very late or neglect in pinching back 
cr thinning out weak and spindly shoots. Amongst the first to 
be taken in hand are Salvias, Solanuius, Chrysanthemums, and 
Richardias. Jt is very essential that they be lifted with plenty 
of soil adhering to their roots, and to insure this a thorough 
soaking of water must be given a few hours beforehand. If the 
plants are lifted with a fork, as they should be, there will be far 
more roots than are required— i.e., if 0, 8, and 10-inch pots only 
are used, and these will be quite large enough and sufficient for 
all ordinary purposes. Reduce the balls no more than is neces¬ 
sary to allow of a little fresh compost being used when they are 
potted, and let it be borne in mind that anything like hacking 
and chopping off the roots with a spade is greatly to be depre¬ 
cated. A small pointed stick and a sharp knife will do the 
work much better, and result in a far less amount of injury than 
would otherwise be the case. 
To encourage speedy and fresh root-action good compost 
should be used in potting. This may consist of good tui-fy loam 
chopped up roughly, with an admixture of one part leaf mould 
and one part manure from an old spent Mushroom bed. After 
potting give the plants a watering to settle the new soil about 
their roots, and stand them on a bed of ashes behind a north or 
west wall till the time arrives for moving them indoors, which 
will be on the first approach of frost, or say the first week in 
October. Next to the above-named plants, Eupatoriums, 
Deutzias, Dielytras, Hoteias, and others of a kindred nature 
may be taken in hand; these to be followed later on by such 
hardwooded plants as Azaleas mollis and pontica. Rhodo¬ 
dendrons, Guelder Roses, Andromedas, and Kalmias. The 
compost for these should consist of two parts peat to one of 
loam, and into potting it ought to be rammed in the pots very 
firmly. This done, they should be plunged in ashes up to the 
rims, there to remain till they are introduced into artificial beat 
to bring them into flower, and with these the end of December 
will be found quite early enough to begin with the first batch. 
Very early forcing and a high temperature is seldom satisfactory 
with hardwooded plants lifted from the open ground, and when¬ 
ever it is attempted the invariable result is a premature falling- 
off of a great majority of the flower buds. 
Lily of the Valley next demands our attention, and is one of 
those plants in the forcing of which success or failure may be 
obtained at an almost infindesimal amount of expense and 
trouble, just according to the treatment it receives. If taken up 
too soon, and before the current season’s growth is completed, 
no amount of forcing will avail in producing flowers of anything 
like a presentable appearance. We would therefore say. By all 
means leave the roots in the ground till the old leaves are quite 
dead and the crowns fully matured. This will not be the case 
much before the middle of November. After the crowns are 
potted, and if not required to be in flower very early, they may 
be plunged in ashes to a depth of 6 or 8 inches, where they will 
be safe from frost—a matter of some little importance with roots 
intended to be forced. —Et Cetera. 
APPLE TREE SHOOTS. 
I AM afraid, from the remarks of “ 0. B.” and your own note this 
week, that a misapprehension exists amongst us on the subject of last 
year’s shoots. When I spoke of “shoots” I meant the annual growths 
from 1 foot to 2 feet long or more, and not of terminal buds. I have 
seen Knight’s Monarch Pear bearing at the points of the short terminal 
shoots in the case of a root-pruned tree, and 1 have had and have now 
Codlins and other Apples bearing fruit at the tips of the branches where 
last year’s growth finished ; but these fertile “tips” are not shoots, but 
only buds, of which there are clusters, no shoots having really been 
produced, as they seldom are in old or stunted trees, on which the buds 
multiply only at the extremities of the branches. I enclose an example 
from a Codlin, which I call a “ terminal spur,” and from which, as you 
may see, I have taken the fruit, leaving two buds on each side for next 
year. Last year only an inch of wood has been produced, and at the 
end of it fruit buds, and this season (1884) buds only have been added. 
This I do not call a “ shoot ” that one would speak of pruning or cut'.ing 
back. I enclose also about 6 inches of the extremity of a shoot proper 
of the same variety, and I shall be glad if you will tell me if Mr. 
Waiting’s shoots, bearing Apples at the tips and forwarded to you, were 
like this shoot or like the terminal bud example ; also to which category 
Air, Bunyard’s specimens belonged, and then we shall understand each 
•other better. I must add, also, that when speaking of the fruit buds this 
week, in reply to Mr. Young, I mean that he has mistaken the fruit buds 
on the wood of 1882 for those of 1883 by reckoning the two years’ 
growth as one.— Non-Believer. 
P.S.—The word “tips,” as used by your correspondents, seems to 
imply terminal buds only, and does not indicate any extension of present 
growth beyond. What was the entire length of Mr. Waiting’s last year’s 
shoots with fruit at their “ tips ? ”—N.-B. 
[The shoot sent to us by Mr. Waiting was a true, smooth, last year’s 
shoot, exactly like the one sent by “Non-Believer” and labelled a 
“ proper shoot,” only it was both longer and stronger, its length being 
upwards of a foot, perhaps 15 inches, but we did not measure it. It was 
bearing good Apples for a length of perhaps 4 inches from the extremity, 
the buds towards the base having remained dormant. Mr. Bunyard has 
sent us similar examples ; also what are referred to as “ fertile tips,” 
which we agree cannot properly be termed shoots, for although they may 
have been produced last year they are buds merely, and cannot be 
regarded as shoots for the purpose of pruning. We had written thus far 
when another sample arrived from Mr. Waiting, and a very remarkable 
one. There is no question of spurs or tips ; it is a genuine last year’s 
shoot—smooth, clean, and very robust, measuring 1|^ inch in circum¬ 
ference. This shoot is nearly 10 inches long, and a perfect rope of fruit 
from end to end, the ten Apples weighing 2^ lbs. The top had been cut 
C'ff late last summer to “ prevent long shoots with fruit at the ends only.” 
It is a conclusive example of fruit, both abundant and fine, borne on 
wood every particle of which was beyond question made in 1883. Mr. 
Waiting has also sent us specimens of this year’s shoots that were 
shortened on July 25th, and are now producing vigorous clusters of 
expanded flowers. This suggests that the shoots were shortened too 
early, so that the blossom buds were forced. Had they remained dor¬ 
mant they would have expanded in the spring. The trees are in a 
wonderfully vigorous, healthy, and fruitful state. Some good Plums 
were sent produced on last year’s wood, and one Apple weighed 10 czs. 
The varieties of Apples which Mr. Bunyard has sent, with fine fruit on 
last year’s shoots, are Cox’s Orange Pippin, Cox’s Pomona, Stirling 
Castle, Cellini, Ross Nonpareil, and Small’s Admirable. Mr. Young has 
sent wonderfully fine examples of last year’s and the present season’s 
growths to be forwarded to “ Non-Believer.” They have been duly sent, 
and we shall be glad to hear what he thinks about them.] 
NARCISSUS HORSEFIELDII. 
The price of this variety has gone up, which no doubt is due to 
its popularity and the eagerness with which it is sought after just 
now. Fortunately, however, it is not yet scarce, for the grower from 
whom w'e purchased during the past two years has sufficient stock to 
supply 2000 flowering bulbs annually ; the stock therefore must be 
large, for the bulbs cannot be profitably lifted and divided the third 
j^ear the same as many varieties, but should remain in the ground 
four years for this purpose. 
Now that early spring-flowering plants are coming to the fore 
we are not surprised that the value of this beautiful Narcissus is 
beginning to be fully recognised. Bulbs are now ready, and where 
plantations are intended to be made they should be planted as early 
as possible before they commence to form roots. Certainly it does 
not appear to injure them very much if they are lifted and replanted 
after the roots have commenced, but it is better done before. 
It is not, however, for the decorative value of this variety for 
beds, borders, and other positions outside that we wish to draw atten¬ 
tion to it, but for early flowering in pots for conservatory decoration. 
The varieties of Polyanthus Narcissus are largely grown for this 
purpose, while the others are very seldom seen, and yet they are not 
less effective. N. Horsefieldii is beautiful when grown in pots, also 
quite distinct from anything else flowering at that season of the year, 
and much more showy than the Polyanthus varieties. Well grown 
it soon arrests attention if slightly elevated above surrounding objects. 
It produces very large flowers of yellow and white, grows only about 
1 foot high, and possesses stout stiff foliage. 
Bulbs for this purpose should be lifted now from the open ground, 
and about six placed in each 6-inch pot, using soil composed of 
fibrous loam, manure, and a little sand. The pots should be buried 
outside under ashes in the usual manner until they are well filled with 
roots, and the plants then brought on gradually in a cool frame. It 
is well at the approach of severe weather to remove them to some cool 
position where frost can be excluded, and where a free circulation of 
air can be maintained. By this treatment the plants will come evenly 
and early into flower without any forcing ; indeed, any attempt at 
forcing will draw the foliage up weakly aud spoil the effectiveness 
and beauty of the plants.— Lancastrian. 
THE FOX-BRUSH AERIDE3. 
I SEND you a spike of an Aerides which I had from a respectable 
nurseryman, Mr. B. S. 'Williams, a few years ago, as the Fox-brush, or 
Aerides Fieldingii. It was small then, but is strong and healthy now 
and has flowered freely. It ia very beautiful and a great favourite ; but 
last week I waa assured by a visitor that my plant is not the true Fox¬ 
brush ; first because the racemes are not branched, and secondly because 
he says they are never produced at this period of the year. I am a little 
concerned about the matter, ^and shall be glad to know whether my 
plant is correctly named or not. It is in the best of health, is grown in 
a pot nearly filled with crocks, the roots being on a mound of charcoal 
and sphagnum. It is in a stove amongst other plants, and the tempera¬ 
ture in winter has often fallen to 58°. This plant is dwarf and sturdy. 
