402 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 30, 18 
their health. Weakly plants will not take such strong supplies 
as those which are vigorous, and it must be given less fre:(uently. 
It is not considered desirable to give liquid manure to weakly 
plants, but these must have assistance if they ever are to become 
healthy. Poverty of plant is from poverty of soil. Starved roots 
can never support a vigorous plant, and if any plant need liquid 
manure it is the weakly and ill-c iiiditioned. It is no use giving 
liquid manure to a plant that has bad foliage from lack of roots, 
but it is another thing to give it to a plant starved in a small 
pot full of hungry roots. Further, liquid manure should be 
given weak; when too powerful it destroys the roots, and it 
should not be supplied too frequently. A plant in the early 
stages of growth after potting will not only require the liquid 
weak, but less frequently than when the roots are more abundant 
and the plant much advanced. As a rule once or twice a week 
is a safe practice until the plants are in free growth, and after¬ 
wards it may be given at each alternate, or, if more vigour is 
needed, at every watering. Whenever it is given it should be 
thorough—as full and complete as a supply of watei’, sufficient 
to fill the soil. 
Liquid manure should always be employed of a known 
strength. No haphazard system must be followed, and although 
manures vai'y in strength and may be different in chemical con¬ 
stituents, those of the same kind are not so variable as to be 
unsuitable for practical purposes. 1 allude to solid manures, 
which when mixed with water are most suitable for pot plants. 
The drainings of itables, cow sheds, etc., are good, yet vary so 
much in strength from the water that finds its way into the 
cesspool, either from rain in the case of open tanks in yards or 
washing out of the trenches in stables, as to be very variable, and 
require great judgment in their employment. As a rule this 
form of liquid manure will mos ly need to be diluted with six 
times the bulk of water, and in using the drainings of the stalls 
one part to twelve of water is quite strong enough, but the 
liquid manure tank is best left alone as regards watering choice 
qjlants with it, reserving it for the coarser or grosser-feeding 
qalants or crops. Liquid manure should always be applied at a 
temperature equal to the mean of the house in which the plants 
are growing, or a few degrees warmer. 
Soot is undeniably the best manure for plants in pots. It 
should be kept dry, as damp spoils it, and putting it in a tub 
with water and allowing it to stand until wanted is not much 
better. If a large quantity be wanted put a peck in a tub, and 
enough water to form it into a paste, then add thirty gallons of 
water, and apply at once, stirring well before each dipping of 
the watering pot. Another plan is to put as much soot as is 
consid red will be wanted in a watering pot and form it into a 
paste with water by stirring with a stick. Pour about a wine- 
glassful into a gallon of water or more, according to the size of 
the can, and apply to the plants. For giving colour to foliage 
there is nothing to equal soot, giving the leaves a deep gi’een 
gloss not to be obtained from any other manure that 1 know. 
Guano, wh n good, is first-rate, Peruvian being the best. 
Place 1 lb. in a tiffany bag, and immerse it in a tub containing 
twenty gallons of water, then move it about until nothing is left 
in the bag but the insoluble matter, and apply at once. If only 
small quantities are required put as many ounces in a tiffany or 
muslin bag as the watering pot contains gallons, and move it in 
the water until it ceases to give out more colour than that of 
the liquid outside the bag in the can. It is then fit for use. 
Pigeons’ dung, at the rate of a peck to thirty gallons of water, 
is a powerful fertiliser. Place it in a tub, stir well, and every 
six hours for a day, let stand a night, then stir again, strain 
through a hair sieve or hag and use. It will save trouble to place in 
a coarse bag in the first instance. For plants not in a vigorous 
condition it must only be used at half the above strength, and is 
only available for sof twooded plants. Fowls’ dung is equally effec¬ 
tive. Sheep droppings, when th y can be had, may be used with 
advantage, and is prepared similarly to the above, with the 
difference that it is well to pour some boiling water over it to 
submerse it. This liquid being cool is well suited for hard- 
wooded plants, as Camellias, Azaleas, and similar plants. Horse 
droppings may be used, but twenty gallons of water is ample for 
a peck, and cow dung is perhaps the safest of all. The cow dung 
should be fresh, and have boiling water poured over it to destroy 
the larviB that harbour in it; and twenty gallons of water is 
sufficient dilution, and is admirable for every description of 
plant, more particularly for those that are naturally slow-grow¬ 
ing, have hard wood, and delight in a cool moisture-holding soil, 
hence it is available in preference to all others with fine hair-li e 
fibres, as Heaths and all peat loving plants. 
Sulphate of ammonia may be used at the rate of half an 
ounce to the gallon of rain water to plants that have plenty of 
roots, and should not be given more frequently than twice a 
week; but it is safer to use it at half the strength—viz., quarter 
ounce to each gallon, and apply more frequently. This is 
perhaps one of the best manures for plants grown for their 
leaves, and is more espeeially useful for Chrysanthemums, 
and Fuchsias. The ammoniacal liquor from the gasworks is 
also serviceable, employing a pint to three gallons of water, and 
superphosphate of lime at the rate of 1 lb. to twelve gallons of 
water may be used similarly. The nitrates of potash and soda 
are good where vigour or leaf-growth is wanted, as they pro¬ 
mote luxunauce in a marked degree; but all such manures 
should only be given to plants that are sti’ong-x’ooting, and not 
to delicate-rooted ones. 
In using liquid manures the best results are obtained by 
varying the applications—not employing one kind throughout, 
but alternating, as for instance seot for a time, then animal 
manure, and then superphosphate of lime, &c., and this course 
seems to act most beneficially on softwooled plants.—-G. Abbey. 
LTPri.STG AND ROD C PRUNING FRUIT TR-ilES. 
In the culture of hardy fruit this operation is a most im¬ 
portant one ; so much so, in fact, that in a vast number of cases 
success or failure depends entirely upon it. Unfruitfulness 
may arise from various causes, but the inexperienced have gene¬ 
rally two very good “ stock in trade ” excuses—viz., bad soil and 
bad climate. This may hold good sometimes, and in a few 
instances may be ouly too true. In the great majority of cases, 
however, we feel sure that failure would not be so frequently 
heard of if a little timely attention were given to I’oot-pruning 
and periodical lifting. Of course we make no pretence at saying 
that either of these operations will ensure a good crop of fruit 
annually, irrespective of other points which are equally essential 
to successful results, but which it is not my intention to dilate 
upon here. 
In regard to lifting, I may at once say that it is neither wise 
nor safe to practise that operation on trees which have been 
planted and left undisturbed for a number of years. The result in 
many cases might prove disastrous to the trees on which it was 
practised. This applies chieliy to Apples, Pears, and Plums; with 
Peaches, Nectarines, and bush trees such as Gooseberries, 
Currants, and Raspberries, there is comparatively little risk, 
owing to the more fibrous nature of the roots. The primary 
object of lifting is to bring about fruitfulness, and should be 
resorted to when trees are in one of the following two con¬ 
ditions—viz., over-luxuriant, or unhealthy. In the former case 
to bring about what is sometimes vaguely called a “ balance of 
power between root and bi’anch,” and in the latter a restoration 
to good health. At first sight it may appear somewhat strange 
to a novice that the same means should be employed to check and 
accelerate root-action. To be brief, however, we must hasten to 
explain that with trees in an over-luxuriant state the object is to 
temporarily checi the How of sap, so that it shall form fruit buds 
instead of wood. The operation in this case need only consist of 
taking up the trees, cutting back all strong roots, and replanting 
in the same soil. In unhealthy trees, however, we have a diiferent 
state of things to deal with. The trees must be lifted with care 
and as many roots as possible. All the old soil should be re¬ 
moved and replaced with other of a better character, and if the 
drainage is defective it should be rectified, as on this, quite as 
much as soil in some instances, depends in a great measure 
success or failure. There is one more very important point in 
connection with the subject—viz., periodical lifting; and of this 
it may be remarked, there can be no question as to the soundness 
of the practice in its relation to closely pruned pyramid ti’ees. 
The qiractice, however, should only be commenced with young 
trees, and if resorted to about every third year no justifiable 
cause for complaint need arise. 
Coming now to root pruning in its generally accepted mean¬ 
ing, and although it is an old theme, concerning which much h is 
been wiutten from time to time, the discussion annually crops up 
in the horticultural papers. The difference between this and 
lifting a tree and cutting back all strong roots, as alluded to 
previously, is simply this, that root-pruning can be safely resorted 
to where it would be most unwise and unsafe to have recourse to 
lifting—viz., with strong vigorous trees of old standing. In such 
cases the only means of bringing about fruitfulness is by root- 
pruning pure and simple, forming a trench at a reasonable 
distance from the bole, say 4 or 5 feet, and severing all thick 
roots which come in the way. With very old trees, and to be on 
the safe side, the work ought to be done gradually, doing half 
way round the tree one 3 ’^ear and the remaining half the follow¬ 
ing year. In digging the trench a depth of from 2 to 3 feet will 
be found to be quite sufficient. But the operation does not end 
here; something in the shape of undermining must be done in 
