84 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 29, 1886. 
Hogg, for at Northampton Hr. Cornfield had snch a large 
and excellent collection that he challenged all England to 
surpass him ; and Mr. J Knight of Chelsea is reported to 
have said that he might challenge all Europe. There were 
also a Mr. Woollard at Ipswich, and a Mr. Weltjie at Ham¬ 
mersmith, who had gained some fame as cultivators, and 
who took prominent places at the chief shows. The rapidity 
with which the varieties were being increased is indicated by 
the fact that a Paddington catalogue of 1827 enumerates 
700 forms, the majority of which are now lost, or only a very 
small per-centage can be found in collections. 
A rather important event, as bearing on what may be 
termed the modern history of the Carnation, occurred in 
1832, for in that year the late Mr. Charles Turner, then only 
a lad fourteen years of age, secured his first prize for Pinks, 
and this induced him to turn his attention to a family of 
plants that in subsequent years he did so much to improve 
and popularise. One result of these efforts was that a Show 
wa3 held at Slough in July, 1850, the National Carnation 
and Picotee Society was instituted, and a second Show was 
held the same year at Derby. The annual exhibitions held 
since that date at which Messrs. Turner, Douglas, and 
Dodwell became such successful competitors, have served to 
maintain the popularity of the flowers, for though the number 
of florist competitors does not increase, the amateur cultivators 
advance steadily, and they value these shows as fixing a 
standard of quality and as a direction to them in their efforts 
to develope the best characters of the flowers.—A mateur. 
THINNING THE FRUIT CROPS. 
There would appear to be extra heavy crops of some fruits this 
season, and more especially Pears and Plums. It seems to me there 
are really too many of the former, not only for the good of the trees, 
but also for the good of the owners where these market all or a 
certain proportion of the crops. A heavy crop of fruit exhausts the 
trees more than we sometimes anticipate, and the consequence is a 
failure in the next, and it may be following seasons. We had a few 
trees which perfected an extra quantity of fruit last season, but 
although these bloomed freely, more so in fact than others near them 
which bore few or no fruit last year, yet they have completely failed 
to set any fruit worth preserving. The bloom was imperfectly 
formed, hence the failure to set. I find that there is every prospect 
of abundance of Pear and Apple blossom next season, but in order 
that this bloom shall be of a nature likely, weather permitting, to set 
properly, we must see that the trees are not unduly weakened at the 
present time. Apples will not require much thinning, the only note¬ 
worthy exception being the invaluable Lord Suffield ; but the case is 
very different with the Pears, as the crops of these are simply 
enormous. It is true if the trees are left to themselves a certain 
amount of natural thinning will take place, and with orchard trees 
this may be the only course open, but it is a “ bad business ” to 
weaken trained trees to such an extent as this. 
It has been remarked in my hearing, “I wonder if Iggulden 
practises what he preaches ?” Well, I admit I have not thinned 
crops of choice fruit under glass nearly so much as I ought, but I am 
not making this mistake with the Pear and Plum trees, for at least 
t.vo-thirds of the fruit of the former have in many instances been re¬ 
moved. A quantity are cut away every time I pass by the trees, and 
that too after a thinning given when all the lateral growths were 
shortened to about 5 inches of the main branches. Nearly every 
cluster of two or three is reduced to one fruit, and even then there are 
too manj' on such sorts as Williams’ Bon Chretien, Beurre d'Amanlis, 
Beurre Diel, Beurre Clairgeau, Easter Beurre, Doytnn4 du Comic9, 
Doyenne Boussoch, Marie Louise, Pitmaston Duchess, Duchesse 
d’Angouleme, Glou Monjeau, Ne plus Meuris, General Todleben, and 
other large or medium-sized varieties which are generally of poor 
quality unless fully developed. Not merely is it necessary to thin 
out the Pears freely in order to prevent an undue exhaustion of the 
t ees, but this thinning must be resorted to if the crops are to be of 
any marketable value. The market will be flooded with inferior 
poduce, much of which will be almost given away, at any rate so far 
as the growers are concerned, and it is only the very prime 
s miples that will sell at a fair rate. This alone ought to induce 
many to thin their crops who are usually very careless in the matter. 
Young trees, again, that have been planted recently ought not to be 
cropped this season, or if any fruits are left on them they should be 
only sufficient to test the sort. Let them grow vigorously, and 
thereby lay the foundation for future profitable bearing. One of the 
best gardeners in the country recently told me in a conversation 
about fruit trees that he was never in a hurry to crop them. “ Let 
them grow,” he remarked, “ th-y will become fruitful enough by the 
time they have arrived at something near their natural size.” He 
finds that if the knife is not too freely used there is little or no 
necessity to severely root-prune the trees with a view of causing them 
to be fruitful. Boot pruned trees are wonderfully fruitful this 
season, but as might be expected they are making little or no growth, 
and unless the crops are severely thinned out a check will be given to 
the trees from which they may never recover. Stunted pigmies are 
of but little service, and overworked large trees in the long run are 
not nearly so profitable as those that are cropped judiciously. 
Plums are very heavily laden with fruit, such free-bearing sorts 
as Victoria, Magnum Bonum, Washington, Rivers’ Prolific, Orleans, 
and Goliath being much too plentiful ; while the Green Gages, Jeffer¬ 
son, Coe’s Golden Drop, and Kirke’s, are all carrying good crops. On 
some of the farmers’ houses in this neighbourhood there are some 
very fine Plum trees, but nothing I can say to persuade the owners to 
thin the crops has much effect ; yet, unless they are freely thinned, 
the fruit will be small and poor in quality. A Plum cannot be too 
large, as the finer they are, according to the respective sorts, the 
richer they are. If all are allowed to ripen that the trees can support 
only a very few of the fruit will be of a presentable size and quality, 
and the tree’s attempt to perfect such heavy crops is bound to 
materially weaken them. The market growers thin their crops when 
the green fruit is large enough for tarts and other purposes, and 
many tons of green fruit will this season find their way into the 
markets. It does not follow that if the thinnings cannot be sold that 
it does not pay to thin out, but on the contrary it is the surest plan of 
securing plenty of fine produce of the best description for either home 
use or for sale.—W. Iggulden. 
CUTTING ASPARAGUS. 
My first brief note on this subject does not appear to have been 
sufficient for “A Thinker,” and I am asked to “Try again.” Well, 
anything to oblige. There is no question of other growths springmg 
from the same crowns if the first heads are cut, nor is there any 
doubt of other growths appearing if the first are not cut. It is the 
same whether there is cutting or no cutting. The heads or growths 
are produced successionally up to a certain time, and we get from the 
same crown or stool a number of growths without any cutting what¬ 
ever. By cutting the first heads other growths are produced more 
quickly than if the first were retained. Are these other growths 
likely to get even stronger than the originals would if they were left 
unchecked ? The growths rise in priority of their formation. The 
first growths are fruitful (make a note of the fact, Mr. Thinker), the 
later growths are less fruitful or sterile ; but the early growths or 
heads are of consequence for cutting. Suppose, however, the first 
growth is weak, it may be a seedling, a weak plant that produces it. 
It makes a poor growth without seeding. Cut off its head. _ It will 
only take support from the other growth. Put on your thinking cap 
Mr. Thinker, and tell us what you think about that phase ol the 
subject. I see the fruit bud question is uppermost in his mind. I 
may tell him the “ cut in ” on that subject is in the hands of the 
Editors, and has been for some days, awaiting publication. To 
resume. The first growth of Asparagus is weak. Leave it. Another 
growth will follow, and be much stronger. Why ? Did you ever 
raise Asparagus from seed, Mr. Thinker ? It only sent up a tiny 
thread like head ; it grew larger, and formed a lovely spray. Did you 
cut its tiny head off ? No, otherwise you would not have seen the 
beautiful spray. Yet before summer is out the tiny thing has pushed 
other shoots as strong again as itself. It has formed buds at its 
base, the soil is good, and the buds cannot wait until another year. 
The first growth ought to be cut away if the other growth gets 
stronger without it. You do not do that, however, nor cut any 
“ grass ” the following year. How is this ? 
The growths of seedling Asparagus are not cut at all in the first, 
the second, and very often third year, and in the fourth the plants 
have, by retaining all growths, sufficient strength for forcing or 
giving heads fit for cutting. Oh ! but had the first growths been cut 
in the second and third years would not the grass have been much 
stronger in the fourth ? How many beds have been ruined by too 
early cutting of the grass ? If any are cut at all it is the first heads, 
so that others do not get any larger for it. Then have you never had 
the first heads cut off by frost or damaged, if not broken off, in 
transplanting. Yes, many times in a forty-years experience, and the 
plants always made a strong second growth and did well afterwards. 
The plants made the strongest growth after the weather became warm ; 
therefore the first growth cut gave a much stronger aftergrowth than 
when the first growths were allowed to remain. We have seen that 
it does not answer with young Asparagus wanted to get strong as 
soon as possible, and yet it answers with frosted or transplanted. 
