864 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 7,1891. 
item I admit, but it is a form of fruit tree training that looks well in a 
garden. As they do not reach higher than 5 or 6 feet they throw no 
shadow to speak of, and with judicious pruning will yield a fair return 
of fruit. Of course it is not the most profitable form, but in the gardens 
of the rich this is not the first consideration, and there are other places 
where no other form is so well adapted, especially in the small grounds 
of suburban villas, of which we have so many around us. Their price 
varies from 2s. 6d. maidens, to 5s. according to age and number of 
shoots. The summer pruning of espaliers consists in encouraging the ex¬ 
tension of the main laterals, thinning out unnecessary shoots when 
quite young, and breast pruning the remainder in August. Winter 
pruning, if the summ> r work was well done, will consist of little else than 
cutting ofE the extremity of the main laterals, keeping the spurs free 
from each other without crowding, taking care not to cut away any 
young wood that would be likely to form fruit buds. The Apple is 
not so largely used for espaliers as the Pear or Plum, but it will succeed 
and yield fine fruit. I have seen it grown as a Avail fruit, but it does 
better on the espalier than on w'alls. Root-pruning as well as canker I 
deal with sepaiatelj" further on. 
Bush fruits may be planted in the garden or the orchard. The latter is 
the best place for them, but if in the garden the espaliers have to clear 
out, and these then line the sides of the walks instead ; there is certainly 
something noble in an avenue of aa'cII groAA’n fruit trees, more so if well 
loaded with fruit and needing support. In small gardens where space is 
not plentiful and this form is wanted, have trees on the English Paradise, 
but Avhere room is no object employ the free stock. On the Paradise, 
8 or 9 feet apart Avill be ample, while for the more vigorous free stock 
double that distance Avill not be too much. Plant maidens from a good 
and reliable source, true to name and on the proper stock, even 
if the price be a trifle higher. By having maiden trees, the 
gardener has the making of his trees from the start. It is impossible to 
give directions on paper for pruning that aa'ouM apply Avith equal force 
to every individual tree ; every tree should be studied separately. 
There is no greater evil in a garden than the inexperienced appren¬ 
tice who has just been presented with a new knife, and yet I have seen 
valuable fruit trees in quantity entrusted to such hands for pruning. 
I have myself pruned so-called valuable fruit trees in quantity Avhen I 
had not mastered the rudiments sufficiently to make a workmanlike cuts 
Birt that aa'us long ago, since then fruit culture has made great strides 
and I hope to live to see it take rank as one of the great industrie. 
of England. 
To avoid repetition I aaouRI say that in the main the instnretions for 
the pruning of standards also govern bushes to a great extent, making 
allowance of course for the shape of the tree. Keep it well open, 
reduce Aveakly groAvths in summer by cutting them right away, or pinch 
them off when in a young state, only allow the necessary quantity for 
neAv spurs and rencAv old ones. In Avinter the ends of the main branches 
should be just tipped, and the spurs cut in to four or five buds ; every 
branch should be at least a foot distant from the next. By doing this 
we keep the interior of the bush nearly as fruitful as the exterior, 
light and air being the chief factors in producing fruit. If this aa'us 
fully understood and appreciated as it should be AA'e should not have to 
attribute failure to this cause aird to that, such as soil, subsoil, stocks, 
&c. ; AAm should hear less of these excuses. 
Throughout fruit culture there is of course great uncertainty. The 
best of cultivators have to cultivate patience too. Some seasons we 
have abundance of rain with a minimum of sunshine. This is of 
course beyond our control, but we know that the crop of the folloAAung 
season will suffer through the. immaturity of the w'ood made under con¬ 
ditions. Again, rough Avinds and late frosts baffle us, also seasons of 
great drought. We need not complain of our climate for all that. 
Other countries, too, have their drawbacks, but it certainly does seem as 
though there w’ere localities in America where the Apple loves to grow, 
Hoav otherAvise could the American groAA'ers produce such fiuantities as 
they do, and sell in our markets fruit groAAm 4000 miles away cheaper 
than we can afford to sell our owm ? It is a Avork of time, but I believe 
that the day is coming, judging from the signs of the times, AA’hen the 
attention of the country aaTII be concentrated on the possibility of 
raising fruit culture to the rank of a profitable industry that deserves 
encouragement, by keeping on the land more labour, and relieving our 
towns and cities of the enormous pressure of populations, Avith all its 
train of evils. 
I believe there are over 1000 varieties of Apples. To be able to pick 
a good selection out of this vast number is at once perplexing and easy. 
But select how AAm may, AAm should soon find plenty of critics to censure 
our selection on account of the absence of their particular favourites 
from the list. These, I believe, will cover the year round, but if only a 
small number are required then take those marked with an asterisk (*). 
Dessert .—Duke of Devonshire, Fearn’s Pippin, Court Pendfi Plat, Dutch 
Mignonne, Old Nonpareil, Reinette de Canada, Kerry Pippin, Northern 
Spy, Lord Burghley, Cockle Pippin, Early Red Juncating, *Duches 3 
of Oldenburgh. Scarlet Nonpareil, Sturmer Pippin, Ribston Pippin, 
*Cox’s Orange Pippin, Golden Reinette, *King of the Pippins, Red 
Juneating, Irish Peach, *Worce3ter Pearmain, Early Harvest, Margil. 
Culinary .—*Ecklinville Seedling, Annie Elizabeth, *KesAvick Codlin, 
HaAA-thornden, *Lord Suffield, Manks Codlin, Mere de Manage, Winter 
Majetin, Cox’s Pomona, Hoary Morning, Alfriston, *DumeloAv’s Seedling, 
Warner’s King, Small’s Admirable, Bedfordshire Foundling, Cellini, 
Blenheim Pippin, Kentish Fillbasket, *NeAv Hawdhornden, ^Stirling 
CasOe, *Tom Putt, Frogmore Prolific, Striped Beefing, *Alexander, 
(To be coatinued.J 
Events of the Week. —The British Fruit GroAA-ers’ Association 
has a meeting at the Horticultural Club to-day (Thursday) at 5 p.m., 
and the Linnman Society meet at 8 p.m. The Royal Botanic Society 
meet on Saturday, May 9th at 4 P.M. On Monday, May 11th, the 
United Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society’s Committee will 
meet at 8 p.m., and on Tuesday, May 12th, the Royal Horticultural 
Society’s Committees meet in the Drill Hall, James Street, Westminster, 
at twelve noon. 
- The Ceystal Palace Hoeticulthea.l Summer Exhibi- 
TION, AAdiich is alAvays one of the great attractions of the year, will be 
held on Saturday next. May 9th, when the usual substantial prizes for 
specimen plants and cut flowers will be competed for in numerous 
classes. The ShoAV is expected to be fully up to the standard of previous 
years. 
- The weather in the south has been much more season¬ 
able, the rain AAdiich fell on Saturday and Sunday being most Avelcome. 
A rapid advance has been made in the foliation and floAvering of fruit 
and other trees during the past week. Plums and Pears are showing 
extremely well, and Apples also look promising. A Devonshire corre¬ 
spondent says, “The frost has not done anything like the damage here 
that it has about London. Escallonia macrantha is but slightly 
broAvned on the tips of the leaves, Phormium tenax is uninjured, also 
a Cordyline 10 to 12 feet high, but some shrubby Veronicas are killed.” 
Mr. Davies, Mote Park Gardens, Maidstone, writes, “We had some 
rain here at last on Friday, and again on Saturday, 0-24 inch in all, 
but we must be thankful for small mercies. Still the rain could not 
come without frost Avhen everything AA'as AA^et on Saturday night, cutting 
Potatoes that Avere through the soil.” 
- We are desired to state that Messes. Messenger and 
Company, horticultural builders, hot-water engineers, &c., of Lough¬ 
borough, Leicestershire, have taken a London office at 163, Palmerston 
Buildings, Old Broad Street, E.C. 
- April in Stirling has been a cold dry month with a mean 
temperature of 42°. The maximum was 65° on the 17th, the minimum 
20’6° on the 1st. Frost AA'as registered on thirteen nights, amounting 
to 60°. May 1st was a warm night, 46°, but the night of the 2nd left 
the hills AAdiite with snow.—G. McD. 
- Primula capitata. —Reference is made at page 345 of the 
Journal of last Aveek to the hardiness of this plant. In a low lying 
situation in the suburbs of Birmingham, but within the city boundaries, 
a large number of plants of the varieties can noAV be seen in bloom, 
having stood out in the beds and quite unprotected during the winter 
Primula denticulata has also stood the winter safely, planted out. 
on rockAvork in an exposed high situation in the neighbourhood of the 
metropolis of the Midlands. 
- Pansies are late in floAA'ering this year, and the long spell of 
cold AA’inds are producing roughness in the early blooms. It is to be 
hoped that genial Avarm weather Avill soon set in, as the Midland 
Counties Pansy Society’s Exhibition is fixed for June 10th at the 
Central Hall, Birmingham, and prizes for Pansies are specially offered 
at York on June 17th. The display of Pansy blooms increase there year 
by year ; thus giving the Yorkshire and Lancashire growers a good 
opportunity of seeing so many of the new varieties, as some of the 
great groAvers from Scotland attend Avith their seedlings also. 
- PuLMONAEiA OFFICINALIS. —The reason I suppose that this 
old-fashioned LungAvort is not more often seen is because it is thought 
too “common.” In good sized clumps at the front of the shrubbery 
this plant brightens many an otherwise bare spot throughout the month 
of April. We have it growing in masses a yard across. It is perfectly 
hardy, does not need a rich soil to grow in, is easily increased, and is 
certain to produce abundance of red flowers, which change to violet 
afterwards. By dividing the roots at any time, except when in flower, 
a large stock can quickly be raised.—E. 
