Qctoter 23, 1890. ] 
851 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
is light and dry they should be budded on the Pear stock, as this is 
a stronger and deeper rooter than the Quince. The latter is the 
best for cold and wet soils. Cordon trees are easily raised by 
planting the stocks and budding them close to the ground in July 
or August ; they may also be purchased as one year old or “ maiden 
trees ” at 8s. to 12s. per dozen. They should be planted about 
2 feet apart, and trained diagonally—that is, at an angle of 45°, 
which may be found a simple way. If the wall or fence is 
10 feet high take a piece of string 35 feet long, tie one end to the 
stem of the tree close to the ground, then take the string straight 
•up the face of the wall to a nail at the top. This should be per¬ 
fectly upright like a mason’s plumb line. Next take the string 
■after securing to the nail straight along to the top of the wall 
10 feet to the right, and fasten to another nail ; then bring the end 
back to the stem of the tree, and tie it where the other end is tied. 
This last piece will run at a true angle of 45°, and a piece of 
chalk drawn along it on the wall will show where the stem of 
the tree is to be nailed. Having one stem nailed in its place 
the others may easily be got right by keeping each one the same 
distance all the way up the wall from the one before it. During 
the second year’s growth from the bud another shoot may be 
trained to the wall, starting on the upper side of the main stem, 
about 1 or 1^ foot from the ground, and training it in the same way, 
so as to form two main stems to each tree 1 foot apart. The 
wall or fence will thus eventually be covered with branches 
1 foot apart from each other. The stems should not be bent on 
one side during the first two years from the bud, and only partly so 
the third year, as they do not grow so freely when trained in this 
w ay, which is the reason why they are treated thus, as the sap by 
this means is kept from flowing so freely to the top of the tree. 
Pruning of these cordon trees is very simple, and consists in 
shortening the side shoots to 3 inches in length early in August to 
strengthen the buds at the base, and at the winter pruning cutting 
still farther back to about 1^ inch. The leading shoot must 
always be left full length, and secured by nails and shreds to keep 
it straight until the winter, and then about one-third of its length 
may be cut off until the tree reaches the top of the wall, when 
the points may be cut back like the side shoots. 
Varieties. 
Peaches. —Early Alexander for earliest crop ; ripens in the 
midland districts third week in July. Dymond for midseason ; 
Princess of Wales for late crops. In very cold districts the latter 
should not be planted. 
Apricots. —Where Apricots do well in the neighbourhood 
Moorpark is the best variety to plant, but if they die off suddenly, 
as they do in many places, a hardier variety, such as Hemskirk or 
Breda, should be grown. 
Cherries. —The old Morello is the variety that pays best. 
Plums. —Victoria is the most profitable kind. 
Pears. —Early, Williams’ Bon Chretien ; midseason, Marie 
Sjouise and Pitmaston Duchess.—W. H. Divers. 
(To be continued.] 
PROFITABLE FLOWER CULTURE. 
Indian Azaleas. 
Where there is a good local demand for cut flowers these 
Azaleas pay well, and may be said to be indispensable, this being 
more especially the case with both single and double white varieties. 
The good old Fielder’s White, and the still more common Alba are 
•of excellent -service, either when forced or allowed to flower 
naturally, and all who hold large plants of these should take good 
care of them. We have frequently cut flowers to the value of 15s. 
from moderately large freely grown plants of the latter, it being 
in great demand for memorial wreaths and crosses. Lady Polti- 
rnore, a much newer single white variety, is also of free growth, 
forces well, and is one of the best that can be selected. As a 
rule, however, the double or semi-double whites are the most 
serviceable, and should be the most extensively grown. These, in 
addition to being in demand for bouquets, wreaths, and crosses, are 
also largely used for church decoration at the principal festivals, 
and we have frequently sold enough flowers from plants the same 
season they are bought in to pay for the same. Deutsche Perle is 
perhaps the most valuable Indian Azalea in cultivation, this re¬ 
markably precocious double white variety generally commencing 
to produce flowers in October or early in November, and continues 
to yield more for at least three months longer. A moderately 
large stock of plants very gently forced in succession would afford 
a good supply of flowers throughout the winter, finishing well 
at Easter. This, theD, should be the most extensively grown, but 
there are a few others that are also well worthy of a place in a 
limited collection. Bernard Andreas alba is an exceptionally find 
double white, and good alike for midseason and late flowering. It 
grows strongly, and never fails to set buds plentifully. A. Borsig is 
another good white, and possesses the additional charm of being 
sweet scented. Much the same description applies to Raphael, and 
if a good late double white form is desired it will be found in the 
very floriferous Souvenir de Prince Albert alba. 
The greater number of these Azaleas are imported from Holland, 
the Dutch growers apparently being able to supply the British 
trade far more cheaply than the plants can be raised in this coun¬ 
try. None that I have yet had under my hands the same season 
they were received in this country had their pots well filled with 
roots ; in fact, I believe most of them are either newly potted 
from beds of peaty soil, or are lifted and sent across without 
being potted at all. Cinder these circumstances they require to be 
very carefully watered, the plants being in very light spongy 
material, drying very quickly, and more often than not get too 
little, rather than too much, water. Kept in a uniformly moist 
state at the roots, and in a warm greenhouse, they rarely fail to 
flower well, and during the growing season well fill the soil with 
roots. The best time for repotting Azaleas generally is just when 
they are growing strongly in the spring or early summer months, 
this being when root action also is most briskly going on. But if 
this is the best time for repotting, it does not follow it cannot be 
done with safety at any other time of the year. On the contrary, 
rather than the plants, whether large or small, should be in a sour 
state at the roots, this usually resulting either from overpotting, 
unsuitable compost, defective drainage, or worms in the soil, 1 
would turn them out of the pots, prick away the worst of the soil, 
and repot whenever they are found in this bid condition. This 
drastic proceeding might hasten the death of some of the most 
neglected plants, but would undoubtedly save the life of the rest. 
Azaleas, in common with all other hard wooded plants, can be, and 
ought to be, kept in comparative small pots, large shifts in 
particular being always avoided, and above all clean, well-drained 
pots should be used. If very light fibrous loam is available, one 
portion of this may be used to three parts of good fibrous peat and 
one of the best sifted leaf soil, fine charcoal and silver sand being 
also freely added. In our case the loam is of a heavy or clayey 
nature, and consequently not a particle of it is used for Azaleas. 
One inch of space between the old ball of soil and roots and the 
pot is ample, and in this the fresh compost ought to be packed or 
rammed as firmly as possible, good space being allowed on the 
surface to hold water, too little water after repotting frequently 
leading to the ruin of the plants. As before stated, if the old soil 
is in a sour state, much of it is picked away from the roots, but 
when the balls are closely occupied by healthy roots, it is advisable 
to just loosen these only with a pointed stick. 
Good care ought always to be taken of Azaleas after the 
flowering and during the growing period, whether they have been 
repotted or not. They should where possible have the benefit 
of gentle heat, and be syringed frequently. They also require 
a certain amount of shade, rolled glass suiting them well. A vinery 
being gently forced or kept say at about 55° to 60° in the night 
time, and from 10° to 15° higher during the day, will always be 
found a good position for the larger plants especially, these being 
stood either or boards, slates, or inverted flower pots. Nor ought 
the cultivator to be in a great hurry to clear the houses of Azaleas, 
thousands of plants being annually injured beyond recovery owing 
to the reckless manner in which they are bundled out into the 
open air. If they must be turned out the least that can be done 
is to wait till the buds are well set and plenty of fresh root fibres 
are formed. In our case the plants are never outside the houses, 
and they all flower remarkably well in spite of the severe pruning 
they have when the flowers are cut every season. Some old 
plants about 5 feet high have for the past three years been kept 
near the back wall of a late vinery, and these flower astonishingly 
well, a long succession of bloom being had from them. At the 
present time they are well set with buds, and the bulk of these will 
without any further trouble on our part be expanded at Easter. 
There is really no reason why back walls of vineries should not be 
clothed with Azaleas, the roots being confined to narrow peat 
borders. Those who must turn out their stock of plants into the 
open every summer should at least avoid setting them on a cold 
moist base of any kind, this in addition to being prejudicial to 
a healthy root action being nearly always attended by a plentiful 
stock of worms, and which quickly clog the drainage and sour the 
soil. They ought, therefore, to be blocked up in some way, 
boards, flower pots, and bricks all being a va'table for the purpose. 
The plants must also have an awning of some kind of shading 
material strongly fixed above them, and be housed before cold 
autumnal weather sets in. Retarding can be more safely and 
effectively accomplished in cool airy houses than in the open, and 
everything, therefore, points to the advisability of keeping the- 
