April 2, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
2G3 
fruiting ivith uniformity over the whole surface. To secure such 
trees great care must be taken to prevent a fev strong shoo‘s 
growing vigorously at the expense of weaker ones, and by so 
doing merit the definition of “ robbers ; ” but they are something 
more, for they not only rob the weaker portions of the tree, but 
also by their excessive vigour fail to set fruits themselves. Such 
shoots, ^ if allowed to grow unchecked, become still stronger, 
destroying the balance of the tree, and in time causing many of the 
fruitful branches to die. 
According to my ideas on this subject extension pure and 
simple is rarely, if ever, carried out with Peach trees, but the 
method of training generally acknowledged as the extension 
system is to regulate the excessive vigour in some shoots by 
judicious stopping, and by checking the flow of sap in that 
direction, to force it with greater power into the weaker ones, and 
by thus equalising the sap, render unnecessary the wasteful process 
of cutting away a large portion of young trees at pruning time 
when there is still plenty of vacant space to be covered. If this 
has to be done it is a strong proof that the energies of the trees have 
not been properly directed. Well-balanced shapely trees can only 
be secured by strict attention throughout the growing season, 
beginning with the operation of disbudding, when the strongest 
shoots only should have the young growths removed freely at the 
first disbudding and the weaker ones left untouched for a week 
longer. The larger amount of leafage being thus left on the weak 
shoots Avill have the effect of drawing the sap with greater force 
in that direction ; then by gradually removing the shoots not re¬ 
quired to form fruiting wood, those left will receive, to a certain 
extent, the benefit of the greater force of sap which has been 
diverted from the stronger shoots. This is the first stage towards 
the production of well-balanced trees. 
The next step is to keep a sharp look-out among the young 
shoots left, and wherever they show a tendency to grow much 
stronger than the average size of the shoots, pinch out the points 
at four, five, or six leaves, according as they are more or less strong. 
This will cause them to throw out several laterals. If only one is 
required, select the weakest; but on the upper part of young trees 
where there is room for extension, train in as many as room can be 
found for when disposed about 3 inches apart. After treating 
them in this way it is seldom that leading shoots give much trouble 
by their strong-growing tendencies. Sometimes it happens that 
where branches have been lost in established trees these strong 
shoots prove of great service in filling up vacancies. Where such 
is the case, do not stop them till they have grown to the required 
length, and train in all the laterals which are produced along the 
shoot at intervals of 3 inches. When, after the first pinching, a 
strong shoot still persists in growing too strongly, I find the best 
plan is to cut it back to within a couple of buds of the base and 
then train up the lateral. With trees under glass this late growth 
has plenty of time to ripen, but I do not advise its adoption with 
outdoor trees. If these remarks are acted upon, and other points 
of culture well carried out, no one should have much difficulty in 
overcoming the tendency to produce gross unfruitful shoots which 
young trees exhibit, or of securing good crops of fruit annually.— 
H. Duxiaxh 
FLOWERS FOR CUTTING. 
Hardy Perexnials. 
( Concluded from page 200.") 
The genus Anemone provides a rich harvest of beautiful 
flowers, and A. japonica albi is well known as one of the most 
chaste, but all the forms of A. japonica should be grown. 
A. vitifolia is a good white in much the same way, but I 
imagine it is rather tender, as it has disappeared from our 
collection. The above group flourishes amazingly in a strong 
unctuous loam ; in fact, they assume the qualities of common 
weeds, and a good number of years ago when gathering in from all 
likely quarters the best herbaceous plants I then knew, I had 
this feature of Anemone japonica very forcibly presented. Years 
before I had seen it flourishing by the square yard in an old 
garden, and I took an opportunity to apply for some of what must 
have been a large surplus supply of roots ; but I was met with the 
astounding news that any surplus there might have been had 
disappeared with the original stock, which had been voted so great 
a nuisance that annihilation had been chosen as a remedy. In 
light soils, however, there is not much fear of any such drastic 
measures requiring to be put in operation, as it does not make 
much growth in these. The western cultivated forms are very 
charming, and many of them are dazzling in the brilliancy of their 
colours. The single forms are easily produced from seeds, which 
if sown out of doors in March produce plants which often begin 
to flower the same autumn. Strong soils suit these better than 
those of a light and dry nature. In the fields on the continent, 
where chey grow in a semi-wild condition, the soil is very wet and 
strong. They are strictly perennial in nature, as the plants come 
up year after year, and the roots continue to increase in size. 
A. fulgens is a very brilliant form, and one double variety of this 
is very fine. Unfortunately one does not always get the best. 
A good friend when at Cannes, delighted with the beauty of the 
double forms, kindly sent a box of roots. They were without 
name, but produced some lovely flowers of various shades and 
forms. 
Ranunculuses generally accompany the above. I sometimes 
grow a few, but as a rule have to net in order to keep 
pheasants at bay. They are best purchased anmially, costing, as 
they do, only a few shillings per hundred. Any time from 
November till February does for planting. They are all good 
plants for cutting. Of the border forms I know none of out¬ 
standing merit for cut flowers, though we occasionally employ the 
double kinds. The allied genus Trollius produces flowers, which 
renders them well worth growing. T. europseus and T. asiaticus 
give a fairly good supply. 
Poppies supply the decorator with several distinct forms. 
Poppies are best propagated from seeds, and besides the double 
forms of the annual sorts, which are suitably accommodated in 
cultivated shrubberies, the following are quite indispensable for 
culture in mixed borders :—Papaver crientale, a species which may 
be cut with long stems and employed to give character to mixed 
arrangements in large vases. This is best cut just before the petals 
unfold. They last much longer when so managed. P. bracteatum 
is also very good for the same purpose as the above. The Iceland 
Poppies, P. alpinum and its white, cream, and orange varieties, are 
now so well known that they hardly require recommending. It 
may, however, be noted that strong young seedlings yield much the 
best flowers. They are easily raised either in heat in spring or 
sown later out of doors. These I think are always best when used 
to furnish cylindrical or tumbler-shaped glasses—a dozen to a score 
of blooms set up loosely among the foliage and buds of the Welsh 
Poppy (Meconopsis cambrica). This produces very pretty yellow 
flowers, which droop on the stems. The buds are very useful. 
When once established in a garden with a light soil the stock is 
kept up by self-sown seedlings. Old plants of this form very 
effective border plants, ffinotheia Fraseri and CE Youngi are two 
species of some value. 
Among Mimulus some really good plants are to be found. 
Some varieties were sent me with spotted flowers a few years ago, 
which are as pretty as Gloxinias. On trying them in flat dishes I 
was delighted to find in them some of the best of flowers for this 
purpose. The flowers stand exceedingly well. They are also 
occasionally used on the dining table. I have a^so some hose-in 
hose varieties which are exceedingly good. They are easily in¬ 
creased by division, and should be replanted every year, as the 
soil becomes so quickly exhausted by this flower. 
Tritomas hold a front rank position among autumn flowers. 
They are especially good for church decoration, but are also most 
useful for rooms. T. Uvaria is the most useful for the above ; but 
the exceedingly pretty dwarf coral coloured species, T. corallina 
and T. Macowani, should also be grown. 
Scabiosa caucasica is extremely good cut with long stems, and 
a few put in large vases to lighten the general effect. S. latea 
should also be grown. The first-named, at least, is most readily 
increased by seeds. 
Spiraea provides several species which are of the greatest 
value. S. aruncus is a strong-growing kind, with large branching 
spikes of white bloom ; this is very good. S. palmata 
S. venusta have coloured flowers arranged in cymose form. The 
first-named is good for forcing purposes. S. Ulmaria floie-pleno is 
a really good thing. S. astilboides is a newish form, worth growing ; 
and of allied kinds, Hoteia japonica is so well kriown as a forcing 
subject as to require no further note. Astilbe rivularis, a strong- 
growing species, with large panicles of whitish flowers, is one of 
the best of decorative plants for furnishing the larger sized vases 
or glasses. Tradescantias are of the greatest value on account 
of the distinctly artistic habit of the whole plant. Any or a.l of 
the forms of T. virginica are well worth cultivating. These plants 
prefer a damp rooting medium, but they do fairly well anywhere 
under good culture. 
Hemerocallis in all the species may be grown. The common 
Day Lily (H. flava) is one of our sweetest flowers, and few can 
surpass it in beauty. H. Kwanso is very distinct-looking the 
foliage is fairly good for decorative purposes. Ilelenium pumdam 
is indispensable for all kinds of decorative purposes. Where there 
is room in shrubberies a collection of Helianthus should find a 
place. This is a very useful family, but requires some discretion 
in planting. Chrysocoma lynosyris is most distinct, and of much 
value as a flower which lends character to mixed arrangemeiits in 
