114 
JOURNAL OF EORTIGULFURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ August 5, 1886. 
such favourable conditions as these there will, no doubt, be an excellent 
exhibition of amateur horticultural productions, 
- Value op the Olive Tree.—A gentleman, says the San 
Francisco Herald, has recently collected 12,000 cuttings of the Olive tree 
for planting. The Olive is most successfully grown from cuttings, and 
the 12,000 will make a fine grove. When set in an orchard in the usual 
form they will cover 100 acres. An Olive tree when ten years old is 
estimated to be worth 10 dollars, and a grove of 100 acres, or 12,000 trees, 
will aggregate a value of 120,000 dollars. These are estimates made upon 
the value and profits made upon Olive trees in Santa Barbara, and single 
trees elsewhere. The Olive grows well throughout this region, and the 
demand for its fruit and oil is good and increasing. 
ROOT-PRUNING PEAR TREES. 
We some time ago received a small pamphlet of thirty-one pages 
from the pen of Mr. Robert Smith, Yalding, Kent, a very successful fruit 
grower, describing his practice of growing Peaches, Nectarines, and Pears 
on open walls. A letter from a correspondent who desires “ practical 
hints ” on root-pruning Pear trees, suggests to us the citation of a portion 
of the chapter on that subject. It will be seen that the author’s practice 
not only rendered the trees fruitful, but cured them of canker. His 
teachings on Peach culture are sound and good. 
On root-pruning Pear trees to induce fruitfulness, Mr. Smith 
observes :— 
“ This operation consists in shortening, more or less, the roots of a tree. 
Its immediate effect is a reduction of the supply of nourishment, and con¬ 
sequently a less rapid development of woody shoo's, within certain limits; 
for if root-pruning is practis-d too severely a general debility will result, 
and the tree, however pre disposed by the operation to produce buds, is 
unable to bring fruit to maturity. It is advantageous to have the principal 
feeders of the tree near the surface. Take for example a tree planted 
against a wall and in a rich border ; left to nature it would grow perpen¬ 
dicularly, and throw out most of its branches near the top of the wall, 
while, its roots would extend horizontally, tap roots vertically, and the 
principal feeders would be found near the outer limits of the border. Root- 
pruning induces fibrous roots ; cutting coarse roots that have a tendency to 
extend themselves a long way from the bole will cause fibres ; to promote 
this is the object of root-pruning. 
“I was led to root-prune a ‘ Beurre Ranee’ Pear tree on a south wall 
“ ere a l ar ge tree, with sev- n tiers of branches, S3 feet long, in 1880. This 
tree was not fertile for many years. It made so much breastwood every 
year that the tree seemed determined to grow wood and nothing else. I 
took to summer-pruning it, and that helped a little to get the tree into a 
bearing state, but even then I found that the fruit cracked and blistered, 
and not a clean one was to be had from the tree. Under these circumstances 
I determined to examine the roots, which I did in the autumn of 1880, when 
1 found it had three large tap-roots. I had pieces cut out of these, two 
measuring inches, and the oilier 1J inch in diameter. These pieces were 
cut out sufficiently long to admit of half a brick being put into their places, 
instead of putting the old soil back I had fresh put in, then the tree was 
mulched with good rotten dung, and a good watering settled the soil round 
the roots. In the following year we had t°n dozen well-ripened and good- 
flavoured fruit from this tree ; and the second year, after tap-root-pruning, 
we had twenty dozen splendid Pears, and it has gone on bearing every year 
there were over thirty dozen grand specimens, and in the 
Hardy h rurt Competitions, open to all England, at South Kensington, in the 
autumn of 1885, the first prize for 1 Beurrb Ranee’ Pears was awarded to 
my fruit. This success should tempt others to follow my example, as I 
cannot heq thinking there are many old Pear trees about the country that 
might be made profitable by tap-root-pruning. 
‘‘ Although most gardeners know the good results that arise from careful 
root-pruning, judging from the majority of gardens which we see from time 
to time, it is not half carried out, as is evidenced by the mass of breast- 
wood or the paucity of fruit on the extremities of the branches. -The best 
results are probably obtained by preparing a year previously in the case of 
wall trees and two years before in the case of espaliers. In the former the 
roots are certainly confined by the wall, while the latter have the power of 
teeding themselves on all sides; and if the roots are shortened on the face 
ot the tree one year, the next season the back can be operated on, and so 
treated it will feel no check. Fertility will thus be induced, and the fruit 
also gains in quality. The warmth of the surface soil will greatly benefit 
the newly-formed roots, which should be protected and encouraged by 
summer mulching with good rotten dung and leaf soil-leaf soil put over 
the dung. 
There is scarcely a Pear tree in these gardens but what has been root- 
pruned, or bodily transferred, after preparation, to more suitable sites, and 
all ot them have done well ever since. I had a large Pear tree of 1 Marie 
Louise transferred from a north to a south wall, without any preparation, 
four years ago last November ; it did not fruit on the north site. This has 
borne most excellent fruit, very clean and handsome. The First Prize open 
to all England, at South Kensington, in the autumn of 1885, was awarded 
to fruit taken from this tree ; and the press took notice of this dish by 
saying—-‘A very handsome dish of “ Marie Louise ” Pears from the Gardens, 
Hen ward, which took first honours.’ 
“ I have had many Pear trees cankered badly, but by carefully lifting 
and planting again on the same site, with fresh soil, I have cured it—that 
is, the trees have outgrown it, so to speak. The fresh soil has given new 
life and vigour to the trees operated upon, and the new growth has r.ot yet 
shown any tendency to canker. 
c ? urse root-pruning wants doing well, and should be carried out in 
a thorough manner, and the operators want to be interested in their work. 
Any rough-and-ready manner will not answer, nor because the employer 
wishes it done. The gardener should feel satisfied that it would be the best 
to be done with unfruitful trees. The soil taken out in the operation should 
be wheeled away, that would give more room for the workmen to work up 
under the tree’s roots, as it requires a large opening to come at the tap-roots 
of large trees. It is of great importance in commencing to start imme¬ 
diately after breakfast-time, so that it might be completed before dinner, 
because it is of the utmost importance that the roots should not be left 
uncovered longer than is necessary for the operation. Having a large open 
space about the tree’s roots, the workman will require a large chisel and 
mallet, and if the tap-root is very large, a pruning saw. The American saw 
is a most handy implement for this work, as I have found from experience. 
This saw will cut through a large root very speedily ; I have very easily cut 
through a tap-root 3£ inches diameter. I make two cuts thus— ^ taking 
the pieces away. These pieces I cut sufficiently large to admit of half a 
brick being put into their place. This is of more importance than it appears 
at first sight. If no tap-roots are found, and the tree has made a quantity 
of breastwood year after year, giving no fiuit, it will be well to cut pieces 
out of the two largest roots found, and shorten a few of the smaller ones ; 
this will cause fibres to form very readily if the tree is healthy. On trans¬ 
planting tree3 two or three years after they were thus operated upon I have 
found a grand lot of good fibres. Trees carefully transplanted, however 
large, will do well the first year. I have on a south wall a large ‘ Chau- 
montel,’-twenty years old, transplanted last autumn, and at the present time 
(8th of April), it is as forward in bud as any other trees. This is only one 
instance out of many carried out here, for if a tree does not bear fruit I 
examine the roots in November to try and find out the cause. If I decide 
not to cut the roots I should have fresh soil to fill in with, instead of putting 
that back which came out when examining the roots. Fresh soil does a 
great deal of good, it gives a start to the tree, even if nothing more is 
done. 
“ I am writing from experience the satisfactory results obtained here 
from root-pruning for the last six years. It is so marked that I consider 
it worth publicity. The fruit is improved in size aud flavour in a wonderful 
degree. 
“ To give my readers some idea of the size of the trees bodily transferred 
to other sites, I may mention two horizontal-trained trees that were moved 
in the autumn of 1884—one, ‘ Pitmaston Duchess,’ the other, ‘ Williams’ 
Bon Chretien.’ One had nine tiers of branches, the other eight; the 
branches were 16 feet long. These trees were too large to get through the 
doorway of the garden wall, consequently had to be got over the wall by a 
staff of men. These trees were prepared two years before by root-pruning 
and giving of new soil, and are now looking as though they had been in 
their present places for many years, and show great promise of fruiting this 
season, having a full crop of bold bloom bunches. This says much for root- 
pruning and preparing of fruit trees, and removing to more suitable sites, 
after very dry summers, as 1884-5 proved to be.” 
We have seen the fruit grown by Mr. R. Smith, and it was very superior 
in size and quality. The pamphlet is published by Simpkin, Marshall 
and C Stationers’ Hall Court. 
FUCHSIA MADAME TIIIBAUT. 
Amongst a collection of Fuchsias growing for testing the merits 
of old and new varieties in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, Chiswick, earlier in the season, Madame Thibaut was so conspicuous 
that we procured the top of a dowering stem for engraving. Our artist 
was instructed to represent it as exactly as possible, both as regards the 
number, size, and arrangement of the flowers, so as to show the character 
of the variety and its adaptability for decorative purposes. This Fuchsia 
was raised by M. Lemoine and is new ; it is in all probability destined to 
become popular as a conservatory and “ market plant,” this la9t being the 
best test of the merits of a variety for home decoration. Madame Thibaut 
is a sturdy, upright, vigorous grower, and will not readily lend itself to 
the twisting and bending that is adopted by fl rral milliners in producin' 
plants as if cast in a mould and nearly as smooth as sugar loaves. Let 
it be well grown anl assume its natural habit, and it will be regarded as 
an acquisition when associated with other plants for producing a pleasing 
effect in rooms, greenhouses, or conservatories, or wherever attractive 
arrangements may be desired in the summer months. There are many 
varieties of Fuchsias with more symmetrical and perfectly formed 
flowers, but we have seen none to surpass and few equal Madame Thibaut 
for sturdiness of growth with floriferousn s ss. It is a dark Fuchsia, the 
prevailing colour being red, tube and sepa’s crimson, corolla reddish 
vermilion. 
WIRRAL ROSE SHOW. 
The Wirral Rose Show has gone through many vicissitudes, commencing 
at the Birkenhead side of the Mersey, where its exhibitions, although 
excellent in the number and quality, failed to attract the general public in 
sufficient numbers. It was then removed to Liverpool, in the hope that an 
extended patronage would be given to it. The maguificent Hall, St. George’s, 
grand in itself, has about the worst light for Rose shows that can be con¬ 
ceived ; and notwithstanding increased efforts the Exhibition failed to 
attract. Indeed Liverpool does not seem to value flower shows, if we may 
judge from the spl ndid failure of the Royal Horticultural Society this year. 
It was then removed b >ck to Birkenhead, and has been held for the last two 
years in Hamilton Square, and I believe with much better financial results. 
There was one thing the Committee have, amidst all these changes, been 
very persist mt iu—they have always managed to get wet days for tliir 
