r 
542 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ December u, issa 
eventually neglect to top-dress and to otherwise feed the Vines 
liberally. The second part of toy subject must be postponed. 
—W. Iggulden. 
ABOUT DECORATIVE PLANTS. 
In many gardens the demand for small decorative plants is 
rapidly increasing, and large specimens in consequence are being 
discarded. Large plants are noble and beautiful when well 
grown and arranged where they can be seen to the best advan- 
tage; but they occupy too much room in gardens where thousands 
of small decorative plants are required. The object a few years 
ago when a plant was obtained was to repot it and grow it into 
a specimen ; but now, if likely to prove useful, they are divided, 
and a stock obtained as rapidly as possible for decoration. It is 
very seldom that large plants are found in any number in gardens 
where decorative plants are largely grown, for it is impossible to 
arrange them so as to keep them in good condition, and at the 
same time present an effective display. But where small neat 
specimens are grown they are much more attractive, and can be 
removed and changed at will. 
A few years ago fine-foliage plants were largely grown for table 
and room decoration, and many valuable old flowering plants 
were discarded to make room "for them. But the fashion has 
changed, and flowering instead of fine-foliage plants are now in 
great demand. _ Perhaps there never was a time in the whole 
history of horticulture when flowers and flowering plants were 
in such constant demand for the many and varied forms of 
decoration. 
Those cultivators who have both flowering and foliage plants 
to produce know the extra care and labour needed in producing 
the former. If we take the Cyclamen—one of the most lovely 
and useful plants that can be grown either for cutting or the 
various forms of decoration—we shall find they are on cultivator^’ 
hands at least twelve months. This length of time must elapse 
from the sowing of the seed before they are ready for the purposes 
for which they are grown. The same may be said of the single 
and double forms of Primulas, which are indispensable during the 
winter. It would not be difficult to enumerate many others— 
such, for instance, as Mignonette, Zonal Pelargoniums, Helio¬ 
tropes, Celosias, and many more that take the same length of 
time, or nearly so, to have them in the best condition and in full 
beauty at this season of the year. 
How is it with fine-foliage plants ? If we take small Palms we 
shall find they do not entail half the care and labour to keep 
them in good health and condition for several years without even 
the trouble of repotting. They certainly must not be grown in 
too high a temperature, or they soon become too large, and will 
require occasional supplies of liquid manure. Crotons and Dra¬ 
caenas are easily produced, as good tops can be taken, rooted, and 
ready in a, few weeks for purposes of decoration, and the same 
may be said of many other fine-foliage plants. 
The length of time required in production is by no means the 
only matter to be considered. Where flowering plants only are 
used in rooms double the quantity have to be grown than are 
necessary with foliage plants. These then require proportionate 
house room in which to grow the plants. In how many gardens 
do sufficient suitable houses exist in which to grow decorative 
plants well ? Low houses and heated pits should be liberally pro¬ 
vided in all gardens where the demand for small well-grown 
decorative plants is large ; but on the contrary, we often find a 
very limited quantity of suitable plant houses, and vineries and 
Peach houses have to be filled with plants. This necessitates 
constant removal of the plants from house to house, and not un- 
frequently is the means of red spider and thrips establishing them¬ 
selves upon the Vines or Peach trees. I have in two instances 
had leaves of whole vineries to sponge, in one through red spider 
establishing itself upon a Tea Rose which passed unnoticed, and 
from it to the Vines, and in the other through thrips. I am certain 
that mealy bug is introduced into vineries chiefly through turning 
them into plant houses. It is surprising the success that attends 
plant-growing under such difficulties ; but it is impossible to pro¬ 
duce them in the same excellence as if proper hou es were provided 
in which to grow them.—W. Bakdney. 
Suttons’ Reading Exhibition Brussels SrnouTS.—Through 
the kindness of a friend, who sent me a few plants in the early part 
or the year, I have been enabled to grow the above variety for the 
tirst time, and have much pleasure in bringing the same before the 
notice of those of your readers who take an interest in kitchen gar¬ 
dening, and strongly advise them to procure a packet of seed of it in 
tne spring—i e., if obtainable. Last year the crop of seed proved a 
iauure, hence it is that this season it is only in the hands of a favoured 
few. The plant grows to a height of about 18 inches, and is studded 
with large handsome sprouts as hard as bullets, which are of excellent 
flavour. Takingall points into consideration it may appropriately be 
described as being a very superior variety, and is worthy of special 
commendation.—J. Horsefield, Heytesbury. 
PLANTING, PRUNING, AND TRAINING FRUIT 
TREES. 
This is a matter in which looseness both in teaching and 
practice is apt to creep in, to the injury of the trees, and con¬ 
sequently to the subsequent loss of the planter. Those of us who 
assume to be teachers of gardening must be heedful of this, and 
take especial care to show why the method of culture we recom¬ 
mend is the best. It is not enough to dogmatise, and say Do this 
or that, in these days of keen intelligent inquiry into cause and 
effect. We cannot enter too minutely into details when treating 
of the culture of any crop, but fruit trees which may remain 
where we plant them for two or three generations merit especial 
care, particularly at the outset. 
Will those who advise the training of trees horizontally tell us 
why they do so ? Why, too, are we so frequently advised to 
refrain from pruning a newly planted fruit tree till the sap is in 
motion in spring ? I am still a good many years on the right 
side of fifty, yet I have lived long enough to see a large number 
of fruit trees planted in that best of all soils for fruit-growiDg—a 
deep fertile loam, trained horizontally, attaining full development 
in size, form, and fruitfulness, and then gradually becoming more 
and more vigorous in the top branches at the expense of the 
lower ones, till they were comparatively worthless and were cut 
down to be replaced by palmette verriers and cordons. I am not 
wont to favour rigid rules of culture, but in fruit-tree management 
there are two or three rules that must be enforced as strictly as 
the laws of the Medes and Persians. One of them is that, what¬ 
ever be the form of a fruit tree, all its branches must point 
upwards, either vertically or at a sufficiently acute angle to 
induce a prompt and free flow of sap and a sufficiently equal 
distribution of vigour through the tree. Now, after a horizontally 
trained tree is brought into fruit-bearing it never does this. Hence 
the undue vigour of its upper spurs ; hence, too, its condemnation 
and the substitution of palmette verriers, with the end of every 
branch not only pointing upwards but upon a common level, so 
that in a full-grown tree the tips of the lower branches are as 
high as the pair at the top of the stem. Surely no one after seeing 
a full-grown palmette verrier could ever dream of reverting to 
horizontal training ; for the improved form so thoroughly 
exemplifies the equal distribution of vigour, and is so handsome 
withal, that it excels all other modes of training. 
Turning now to my second question, which is of even greater 
moment at this season of the year, and which, I may repeat, is, 
Why are we so frequently advised to refrain from pruning a newly 
planted fruit tree till the sap is in motion in spring ? The advice 
so clearly bears caution upon the face of it that “ For safety ” is 
the only answer we can imagine. This answer naturally leads 
to the question, Is it, then, dangerous to prune when planting— 
say in autumn ? I emphatically assert that it is not; only take 
care to select healthy young trees in full vigour, see that the 
transplanting is well done, and prune at once, not simply because 
you may do so with impunity, but because it is decidedly the 
best for the trees. To wait till the sap is in motion certainly 
involves a loss of time as well as of vigour. The bud to which 
we prune contains the germ of a branch which it is important 
should be as robust as possible, and yet we are advised to 
weaken it by leaving other buds above it to waste the first flow 
of sap and then be removed ! Is not this rather like doing a 
thing because somebody said it was right, without inquiring if 
it really is so ? Never let us forget that it is the swelling bud 
which attracts sap from the circumjacent tissue and causes it to 
flow, and not flowing sap which forces the bud into growth. It 
was upon some standard Apple trees that I proved the fallacy of 
waiting till spring before pruning, and the matter was discussed 
in the Journal about thirteen years ago. Since then I have 
planted a considerable number of all sorts of fruit trees—Apples, 
Tears, Plums, Teaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Figs, and Cherries, 
and have pruned when planting with invariable success, the first 
year s growth always being as sturdy, stout, and strong as could 
be wished. 
It is, however, by no means intended to imply that time’y 
pruning was the sole or even the primary cause of this succ ess, 
for careful transplantation is even more important. Maik the 
term ! I use it intentionally, because young trees often sustain 
injury from an undue exposure of the roots to the air. The lif - 
ing and packing is sure to be well done by a good nurseryman, 
