October 16, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
829 
The selection of the trees will follow next in order, and this 
depends, both as to the class of trees and also as to the kinds of 
fruit, upon the decision made as to the future of the ground. If 
for orchards, then standard trees only should be planted, and these 
upon the Crab or free stock, and of kinds that can be best recom¬ 
mended by the nurserymen for this form of tree. If the ground 
be intended for continual cultivation, then in my opinion the best 
form of tree is what is generally known as “ half-standard.” These 
are not so much exposed to the wind, are much more convenient 
for the gathering of the fruit, and can be grown in a greater 
"variety of sorts, and also upon various stocks. 
If the trees are to be well fed and cared for, then I think the 
best stock will be one of the freer-growing Paradise ; these will, I 
think, best attain the desired end in fruit culture—viz., to grow a 
fairly good tree while also bearing a large quantity of fruit. But 
if what is known as the starving process is to be followed —i e., 
plant the trees and take no further trouble about them—then by 
all means avoid every kind of Paradise stock, as trees upon the 
■Crab, however vigorous, will be none too much so for such a 
method of treatment. I prefer to buy two-year-old untrimmed 
trees, and to make my own personal selection, so as to secure the 
kind of trees which I desire. 
Having secured the trees (which should always be obtained 
from some well-known and established nurseryman) it is of all 
things most important that they be properly planted. First let the 
roots be seen to, and all injured ones cut back, and also all long 
straggling roots ; then have a hole made—not deep, but of sufficient 
space to allow of the roots being spread out their whole length, not 
cramped into a heap, and then filled in with the earth made as fine 
as possible, so that it may shake well into the roots ; then tread 
tolerably firmly with the foot, according to the state of the ground, 
and let the ground when finished be slightly higher round the trees 
than elsewhere. 
If the trees be standards they will need immediate staking, or 
they will soon be displaced and injured by rough stormy winds. 
This should be done carefully and well, otherwise much harm may 
come to the trees by chafing against the stakes, a result which I 
saw some time ago in the case of a young plantation. If the trees 
be “half-standard,” or two years old, such as I have described, 
they will not need staking, except in a few cases where the roots 
are few and feeble, and this not until some time after planting, at 
least such is my experience and practice. 
We come now to a part of the subject upon which I am aware a 
great diversity of opinion exists, greater perhaps than in any other. 
I mean that of pruning. In this matter I wish to give my own 
experience and belief, in no dogmatic way, but with an honest open 
mind, willing to believe that others may have found some other 
practice to be preferable. It is my practice with trees such as are 
to be obtained generally, to cut back severely, the same season as 
the planting takes place, and I have rarely failed to secure good 
•shoots with which to form the basis of the trees. Often these 
require nothing more in the way of pruning beyond the thinning of 
the branches and the removal of shoots that cross each other, but 
where the growth is weakly I cut back a second time. But when 
once a tree is properly furnished with an evenly balanced head, the 
‘best thing to do is to let it alone, that it may bear fruit, which it 
never will if the pruning knife is constantly used. In this matter 
the habits of the different varieties of Apples must be studied. Some 
will bear more pruning than others, while some apparently will not 
bear any. 
With the approach of spring (or even at the autumn plant¬ 
ing) the trees will be greatly benefited by some manure being 
spread round the stems of the trees, and remaining upon the sur¬ 
face. This will help to exclude the dry penetrating winds, and will 
also tend to encourage surface rooting, which is much to be 
desired. 
I have thus dealt with the preliminary stages in the cultivation 
of Apples, as being the all-important time upon which the success 
or failure of after years to a large extent depends. If the land be 
intended for orchards, it will be better to defer sowing the seeds 
for at least two years, and planting the ground with other crops, 
such as Potatoes or roots, so that the trees may become thoroughly 
-established, when the grass seeds may be sown and afterwards fed 
off with young stock or sheep, or if cut for hay care should be 
taken to replenish the soil so that the trees may not suffer. 
In the case of trees upon land under constant cultivation much 
more may be done in the management of the trees where a tree 
shows signs of running to wood. If upon the Paradise stock it may 
be lifted and replanted, or if upon the Crab it may be root pruned 
with very good results, whilst those that appear weakly may be 
■encouraged by stirring the soil and by surface dressing. So far I 
have said nothing upon the distances at which the trees should be 
planted. This will vary very much indeed, for -while 30 feet 
by 20 may not be found too much for orchard standards of vigorous 
kinds, 18 feet by 12 or 15 will be found ample for many sorts upon 
the Paradise stock. 
It may be expected of me to give a list of sorts that I consider 
most profitable. I therefore append a list, not as being in any way 
complete, but rather as types of all classes to which they belong, 
always remembering that any one kind of Apple will not succeed 
equally well in all soils and in all districts, and that in making 
a selection regard should be had to the soil and situation, and to 
plant those sorts that seem best to succeed in each particular 
locality. 
For kitchen use I should advise the following:—Early Julien, 
Lord Suffield where it succeeds, Keswick Codlin, Yorkshire Beauty 
or Red Hawthornden, Stirling Castle, Duchess of Oldenburg, Lord 
Grosvenor, Ecklinville, Jolly Beggar, Lord Derby, Grenadier, 
Small’s Admirable, Warner’s King, New Hawthornden, Stone’s 
Apple, Tower of Glamis, Bismarck, Lane’s Prince Albert, Bramley’s 
Seedling, and Wellington where it succeeds. 
For dessert or table use I would suggest the following—viz., 
Red Juneating, Mr. Gladstone, Yellow Ingestrie, Devonshire 
Quarrenden, on soil that suits it; Lady Sudeley, Worcester Pear- 
main, which has more money in it than any table Apple I have yet 
seen ; Duchess’s Favourite, King of the Pippins (if in orchard Blen¬ 
heim Orange), and Cox’s Orange Pippin. The last named will, I 
think, be generally found to answer best upon the Paradise stock. 
I purposely pass over the cost of planting, which may be 
easily ascertained by reference to catalogues of fruit trees, and by 
a little calculation. I would like, in closing, to emphasise a few 
points. First, do not plant a few trees of a large number of 
sorts, but first ascertain what is best for each particular locality, and 
then plant a large number of those sorts. Give preference to 
those which can be gathered from the frees and sent direct to 
market. If possible plant a whole field, or at least several acres 
when planting. Avoid all patchwork business. Do not force 
growth too freely when young, but as the trees advance in age, and 
heavy crops have checked their vigour, let them be well fed and 
cared for, which expense and trouble they will well repay. 
Remember that “ whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing 
well,” but that it is impossible to do anything well without 
attention. 
HARDY FLOWER NOTES. 
Frost is still holding off, but by the stormy Solway another 
enemy seeks to work havoc among our late flowers. Boreas seems 
to take pleasure in levelling to the ground our tall plants, and even 
our Crocuses and Colchicums are not safe from his rude breath. 
The stoutest stakes well driven into the ground too often prove 
powerless to uphold tall Asters and Chrysanthemums. In this 
light soil the stakes are shaken until they become loose, and the 
plant they are intended to support finds its stake affords but little 
aid. A few days’ absence from home allowed the enemy full scope, 
and on my return I found some of my flowers in all manner of 
positions—some bent gracefully, others were at an angle which 
would have made the leaning tower of Pisa tremble for its laurels, 
while others (too proud to stoop or too weak to contend) grovelled 
in what should have been the dust, but was only damp earth. 
Fortunately some of these flowers seem to have a toughness of 
stem quite valuable, and a little work soon set them to rights. But 
after all, what is there to write of now ? The dwarfer plants have 
mostly ceased to produce their flowers, Hypericum reptans being 
perhaps the best among the few alpines in flower. There is a 
charm about the bright green carpet of leaves formed by this little 
plant which endears it to me ; but to see it bearing profusely its 
pretty yellow flowers about an inch across—yellow above and buff 
beneath—makes it doubly dear. Another long bloomer is Poten- 
tilla nepalensis, a plant which sends out long trailing stems, which 
produce bright cherry red flowers in great numbers for some 
months. 
Bulbous plants still help to give variety to the garden. Lilium 
auratum is still in flower, but from its magnificent flowers it is a 
long stretch to look to the Crocuses and Colchicums. Crocus 
speciosus is now past, but its fine dark variety C. s. transylvanicus is 
still in flower, while C. nudiflorus and C. zonatus are blooming 
away. C. Boryi is going to disappoint me this year, but some 
others are coming rapidly forward. The double white Colchicum 
is very fine at present, and another pale but little species, C. Berto- 
loni, is in bloom with a few others. Some bulbs of Hyacinthus 
azureus (Muscari) obtained last month have chosen to flower just 
now instead of waiting until their normal time, January or 
February. Newly purchased bulbs of many kinds which have been 
lifted and dried frequently act in this erratic manner. This 
Muscari, or Hyacinth, for it is known by both names, is a very 
pretty little flower, of a colour which is well described by the 
specific name azureus. It is a little disappointing, however, to 
