224 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 9, 1E86. 
must be apart to accomplish this end if (he trees were not subjected to a 
periodical system of root-pruning and judicious summer pinching. 
Trees that are neither root-pruned occasionally nor have their shoots 
regulated in summer are to be found in both large, moderate, and 
small gardens. They are certainly stumped back in winter, only to 
grow with greater vigour and energy the succeeding summer. This 
system is followed year by year as if it was the true road to success. 
It is the very opposite, for such treatment will not bring a crop of 
fine fruit, and in a few years the trees are ruined, or partially so, by the 
treatment to which they have been subjected. To be short, the tree is 
each year wasting its energies on the production of wood that is cut 
away in winter and burned, and which eventually'predisposes the tree 
to canker and other diseases. 
It has been argued again and again in support of such treatment 
that the labour and time at disposal are insufficient to carry out 
effectually any other system. Such excuses carry with them but 
little weight, for the enormous amount of pruning required during the 
short days of winter takes up more time than a judicious system of 
summer pinching and root-pruning. The last system results in 
perfectly healthy trees that are in condition every season to bear a 
crop of fine fruit, weather permitting, while the others are in the very 
opposite state. 
Every tree, whether grown as a bush or pyramid, or upon a wall, and 
whatever mode of training is adopted, the branches should be suffi¬ 
ciently far apart to admit every ray of light with a corresponding 
amount of air penetrating to them ; then, and only then, may success 
be anticipated in this changeable climate of ours. 
Hard pruning in winter is the source of many evils, and it would 
be better to dispense with the knife altogether than continue its use 
to the extent that is practised in too many instances. Perfect fruit 
buds are not the result of cutting back trees severely in winter- 
neither are they formed with freedom on gross luxuriant trees, the re, 
suit of youth and rich heavily manured soil that generally surrounds 
them in private gardens. Fiuit buds are the result of arrested growth, 
which is proved, if a simple instance may be taken, by lifting or 
digging round the roots of a tree in autumn and winter. This 
certainly brings the growth of the tree to a standstill for the time 
being, and results in wood the following season of a smaller kind, 
yet firmer, and of a more solid nature that is in autumn studded with 
fruit buds. Better had the knife be dispensed with, and the growth 
of the trees regulated in winter by root-pruning them diiectly they 
display signs of luxuriance. This will seldom be the case if properly 
managed, for the crop of fruit will sufficiently regulate the growth of 
the trees, unless unfavourable springs prevent the trees carrying their 
usual crop for two or three years in succession. The lateral growths 
would need due attention to stopping and the breaking out of lateral 
-and sub-lateral growths as they appear. In the majority of cases after 
the shoots have been once stopped an intelligent boy can do the work 
for the remainder of the season as well as a man. 
Trees can be managed on this principle without a knife, and 
would be in ten times better condition for bearing fruit than by its 
injudicious use. The knife, however, is a useful instrument when 
properly applied to fruit trees, and if they are managed on the right 
principle at the roots in winter and the growths during summer there 
is but little to be done during the cold sunless days of winter when 
pruning is not one of the most agreeable occupations. 
The present weather is just what we require for perfecting hardy 
fruit and fruit buds. Trees that are crowded on the principle de¬ 
scribed should have their main branches thinned without delay in 
preference to allowing them to remain untouched until the winter. 
Hot only should the main branches be thinned, but lateral growths 
should be shortened back to within 4 inches of the main branches, and 
those at the extremity to the same distance, unless the extension of the 
tree is requisite. In this case they may be left 9 inches or 1 foot, or 
even longer, as the case may be. By such a course of treatment’ if 
genial weather follows, many of the fruit bu ’s, if any exist, will de- 
velope wonderfully, and with the aid of root-pruning in early autumn 
or winter a crop or partial crop of fruit may be insured another 
year. 
Many trees that are in a suitable condition of vigour and were 
stopped at the time pointed out will have the lower portion of these 
shoots bristling wilh fruit buds. This will be especially noticeable with 
Plums, Cherries, Apricots, and many Pears, while thrse that are not 
fully developed will be on the last named and upon Apples after the 
following season’s growth. Many of the latter produce them freely 
enough on the current season’s wood. When the shools are stopped 
early in the season they require repinching a second time, and the sub 
laterals breaking out at this season of the year. By clearing out the 
small young shoots that have started away since they were last 
stopped, light and air is not only admitted to the branches and fruit 
buds, but the fruit is exposed to the sun, which will colour it wonder¬ 
fully in its last stages of development. This is not all. T he re¬ 
sources of the tree are devoted to the development of the fruit and 
^he perfection of the fruit buds for the following season instead of 
spending its energies on useless wood that will only be cut away later 
in the season. With trees in the best possible fruiting condition 
they will only need pinching once in the season, and then the sub¬ 
laterals breaking out at this season ; but with more vigorous trees it 
will be necessary to go over them the number of times stated. All 
useless growing shoots on Peaches, Apricots, Plums, and Cherries on 
walls should also be removed. There is no fear of the main or lower 
buds bursting again after this date ; but with trees carrying no fruit 
and in very luxuriant condition this may be the case, but no harm will 
result if stopped at the distance from the main stem that has been 
pointed out. 
Morello Cherries on north and other walls need attention now the 
fruit has been gathered. If properly disbudded and the shoots 
thinned early in the season the wood that has borne the fruit only will 
need removing, as well as any shoots that are likely to crowd the 
trees. If this work is done and care exercised in laying in the young 
wood for next year, little pruning will be needed in winter, and the 
work of nailing will be reduced to a minimum. Winter attention 
will consist in looking over the trees and the removal of any bare 
shoots, for this is always necessary in order to keep the trees furnished 
from the base to the top of the wall. These, as well as the other 
fruit trees that have been enumerated, pay abundantly for the labour 
bestowed upon them at this season of the year. It is only by atten¬ 
tion to judicious stopping and thinning of the shoots during the 
summer and early autumn, and root-pruning in winter to arrest the 
luxuriance of trees, that real success with hardy fruit trees can be 
attained. —Scientia. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND THEIR CULTURE. 
(Continued from page 200.) 
DRESSING- THE BLOOMS. 
“ Dressing ” is a term used by growers of Chrysanthemums for 
exhibition ; it means arranging the florets evenly and straight, each 
one having an inclination towards the centre of the bloom. Occa¬ 
sionally the florets are so close together in places that some will be 
crossed, others create deformities, commonly known to growers as 
ribs. Oftentimes some of the florets reflex instead of incurve; 
these should be turned back so that they assume their proper 
character. Some varieties produce “ eyes,” which means a large 
patch in the centre of the flower full of seed ; such defects should 
be filled up when it is possible. Much has been written against 
this so-called dressing by a certain class of critics, who profess to 
admire flowers unadorned and presented in a natural manner as 
growing on the plants. Such critics have possibly not had much 
close experience with blooms of the incurved section. So long as 
nothing but legitimate means are employed to improve the appear¬ 
ance of Chrysanthemums there is no firm ground for objection to 
dressing, and opponents of the practice have only to attend a large 
Chrysanthemum show, stand near a box of highly finished blooms, 
and hear the words of praise applied to them from the Chrysanthe¬ 
mum-loving public who know and appreciate good specimens when 
seen, then change the position and remain for an equal length of 
time opposite a stand of blooms “ staged as grown,” and they will soon 
learn which finds the most favour. Is it not often a case of “ sour 
Grapes ” with decriers of dressing ? Be this as it may, it is certain 
that a person wishing to gain success with cut blooms at an exhibi¬ 
tion stands but a poor chance of gaining even a third prize if he 
stages blooms as grown, without any manipulation of the florets. 
There is no comparison in the appearance of two blooms, one with¬ 
out any dressing and the other with the florets neatly arranged. 
The globular form so much admired in incurved blooms cannot be 
had without time being bestowed in removing inequalities. Those 
plants which receive correct attention during growth produce 
flowers which require far less dressing than those on plants imper¬ 
fectly managed. If any dishonest practices are employed, such as 
inserting portions of other flowers of the same variety, fixing them 
into position by the aid of gum, then the sooner dressing is extinct 
the better, but I do not think such means are employed in these 
days to “ improve ” the blooms. 
When the blooms are about half developed some growers apply 
supports made from cardboard cut circular in form with a slit 
half way across to admit of the support passing the stem under the 
flower. Those supports are intended to preserve the form of the 
lower petals, and preventing them falling out of place. This 
method does not find ready acceptance with me, as I think it favours 
damping by excluding the air ; and, moreover, it diminishes the 
depth of the blooms by preventing the lower florets falling below 
the guard. A much better method than the preceding one is to 
hang the blooms downward when they are about half expanded ; 
this is best done by releasing the stems from the stakes, when the 
weight of the flower will in most instances bring it down to the 
