172 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 21,18S6. 
APPLE ROUNDWAY MAGNUM BONUM FOR DESSERT. 
Some time ago Mr. George Bunyard expressed his opinion on this 
Apple, and it was very laudatory. He described it as the best of all 
winter dessert Apples, having regard to its size, tenderness of flesh, sweet¬ 
ness, and flavour. Mr. Bunyard recently sent us a few fruits of this 
Apple, and though they are not handsome in appearance, we have none to 
equal them in quality at the present time. We append a description of 
the Roundway Magnum Bonum from the “ Fruit Manual : ”—“ Fruit, 
large ; ovate, angular on the sides, having five prominent ribs, which 
extend into the basin of the eye and form ridges round the crown. 
Skin, lemon yellow, with a few broad broken streaks of pale crimson on 
one side ; it is here and there marked with several russet patches. Eye, 
half open, with flat convergent segments that are reflexed at the tips, 
and set in a narrow basin. Stamens, basal; tube, conical. Stalk, about 
half an inch long, very stout, and inserted in a pretty deep cavity. 
Flesh, yellowish white, tender, crisp, very juicy, and with a fine aroma. 
Cells, obovate; axile. A first-rate culinary or dessert Apple, very solid and 
heavy for its size ; in use till April without shrivelling. This was raised 
at Roundway Park, near Devizes, and was first exhibited at the Royal 
Horticultural Society in 1864, when it received a first-class certificate.” 
Mr. Bunyard at the same time sent a fruit of a new Australian 
Apple Duke of York—a tender-fleshed culinary Apple, of good size, 
faultless in symmetry, aad very handsome. This variety, we believe, 
is being increased at Maidstone, as likely to become a popular favourite. 
WOKH^oi^WEEK.. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Pruning- Cob ITuts and Filberts. — Young Suckers 
planted in the autumn having one strong stem only may have that 
reduced to a length of 18 inches. Six of the upper buds, if as many 
push strongly, should be selected and trained outwards to form a good 
preliminary groundwork for a well-shaped bush. Plants of more 
weakly habit may only have three shoots reserved, these being the 
strongest and best placed towards the upper part of the shortened 
stem. Train the shoots round a hoop placed in the centre, which will 
press them outwards and give the desirable cup-shaped form of bush, 
the growths being secured at equal distances apart. At the next 
winter pruning each shoot must be pruned back to a length of 4 inches, 
and two growths afterwards encouraged from each. In the case of 
plants starting with three shoots, the following year they will have 
six, the next twelve, enough to form main branches for an ordinary 
sized bush 5 or 6 feet in height. The pruning during the extension of 
the branches consists of annually shortening the leaders to strengthen the 
main branches and induce the formation of side shoots for fruiting. 
Pruning Established Bushes. — When the branches have 
extended as far as desirable the leaders must be shortened closely each 
year at the winter pruning, and any that produce very strong leading 
shoots should have these topped in the summer. The side shoots are 
managed variously. Some may be cut back to two or three buds, these 
giving successional shoots which, if not growing too strongly, assume 
a fruitful character, blossom buds forming at the extremities both on 
these and shorter twiggy growths, also spurs. Shoots that produce 
numbers of catkins or male blossoms must be left freely distributed over 
the trees, but if such are not plentiful procure catkins from other Nut 
trees or the common Hazel, and hang them over the female blossoms to 
aid fertilisation. 
Time to Prune. —The proper time to prune Cob Nuts and Filberts 
varies aecording to the season. If early the staminate blossom buds 
may appear prominent at the end of January and during February, but 
March is the proper month. Fruit buds are easily recognisable from 
wood buds by reason of their scaly character, and as they become 
fully developed the crimson styles protrude from the flowers. The 
blossoms or catkins are very conspicuous and develop first. They are 
pendulous in habit and brush-like in appearance, shedding when shaken 
a quantity of pale yellow pollen, which it is important should reach the 
fully formed fruit blossoms. This is the best time to prune, as no 
mistake can be made, and long side shoots or laterals may be pruned to 
blossom buds. 
General Pruning. —Many Nut trees are not grown on the restrictive 
method, and with these it will be advisable to regulate the growth so as to 
admit light and air freely to every branch. Old, useless growth must be 
removed, weakly and crowded wood or spurs cut or thinned out. On 
severely pruned branches spurs often extend too far; these should be 
reduced in length, a few every year. The old bearing wood of the 
previous year may be freely shortened back. Old exhausted branches 
sometimes need renewing, and this can readily be accomplished by 
reserving a promising growth near the base, training and pruning this 
several years if necessary before cutting out the old one. Large over¬ 
grown bushes may be reduced in height when desired by shortening to 
well situated lower growths, Remove suckers where they appear 
between the bushes. 
Prunlner Outdoor Fig- Trees.— Fig trees on outside walls, pro¬ 
tected by mats or dry fern from the severity of the weather, may be 
gradually uncovered after the frost. Cut any decayed or injured wood 
away before training. Fasten the main branches to the wall or trellis, 
distributing them equally. Lay in all the best placed young growths of 
the previous summer’s formation, leaving them unshortened. Those not 
well placed, and apparently superfluous, cut out entirely. 
Completing Pruning and Regulating Wall Trees. —The con¬ 
clusion of this work should be hastened, as buds will shortly be actively 
swelling. Worn out or useless branches are best cut out before fresh 
growth commences. Their removal causes a gap, or several bare spaces, 
which must be filled up by re-arranging the remaining branches. Take 
the opportunity of thinning out crowded wood at the same time. All 
wall trees are apparently thinly trained at this season, being leafless, but 
with many formally trained examples the branches are really too close. 
With espaliers, cordons, bush trees, and pyramids a good distance for the 
mains is a foot. For Gooseberries and Currants on walls 8 or 9 inches. 
As a rule it is better to have the branches too thinly disposed than the 
opposite. 
Training Toung Trees. —Wall trees planted in autumn and 
temporarily fastened to the wall to allow the newly moved soil to subside 
and the trees along with it, may now be permanently secured, the 
required pruning back of the branches being carried out as the buds 
swell. 
Disposal of Prunlngs. —The end of the winter pruning season 
affords a good opportunity for clearing away and burning the accumu¬ 
lated trimmings from trees and bushes. The ashes and charcoal 
resulting are admirably suited for mixing with the compost for top¬ 
dressing borders, or they may be utilised when preparing the ground for 
a fresh plantation of fruit trees, and a quantity can be incorporated with 
the material used for spreading among the roots when laying them out 
in the process of planting. Roots take readily to wood ashes, and as they 
contain potash most fruit trees are benefited by the use of them in the soil. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and IVectarlnes. — Earliest Forced House. —This may 
'ne a structure containing trees of the second early or midseason varieties 
of Peaches and Nectarines, such as Hales’ Early, Stirling Castle, and 
Royal George Peaches, Hunt’s Tawny, Lord Napier, and Elruge 
Nectarines, which, started in December, will not ripen their fruit until 
May ; or a house occupied by the very early varieties, such as Alexander, 
Waterloo, and Early Louise Peaches, Early Rivers and Advance 
Nectarines, that started at the same time will ripen their fruit in April. 
The trees must be syringed every morning and afternoon during sunny 
weather to check red spider. If, however, the weather be dull the 
syringing must be practised early in the afternoon, so that the trees may 
become fairly dry before night, or if that does not take place the 
afternoon syringing ought to be dispensed with, damping the paths and 
borders instead, as keeping the trees dripping with water through the 
night causes weak growth and thin foliage. 
Water inside borders as required, using liquid manure, which will 
assist the trees in swelling the fruit, especially in the case of weakly 
trees long subjected to forcing. Healthy trees will not require any 
active stimulants, excessive vigour being unfavourable to the fruit 
safely passing the stoning process. Such trees will be assisted by a 
dressing of basic slag phosphate, using about 4 ozs. per square yard, and 
washing-in with water. When the fruit is about the size of small 
marbles thinning may proceed, the growths up to this not being over¬ 
burdened by a superfluous number of fruits beyond those required for 
choice being made, as thinning should commence when the fruit is 
about the size of horse beans, then leaving two or three of the best in 
promise and place on a bearing shoot, in all cases removing a few fruits 
only at a time, and reserving the requisite number for the crop, with a 
margin for contingencies. Continue disbudding, taking care to leave a 
growth at the base of each bearing branch, and another at its extremity, 
or at least level with the fruit. The shoots retained for attracting the 
sap to and supporting the fruit should be stopped at the third leaf, but 
the basal shoots must be trained to take the place of those now bearing 
fruit. The shoots on extensions must be left at 12 to 15 inches 
distance apart to form the bearing wood of the future and for framing 
the trees. Crowding the growths is a great mistake, therefore permit 
only those to remain for which there is room, each having full exposure 
to light and air, seeking to maintain an equal balance of growth 
throughout the trees, and effecting its solidification by judicious ventila¬ 
tion. This must be carefully done in severe weather, avoiding currents 
of cold air, always ventilating early and closing in the afternoon, so as 
to enclose a moderate amount of sun heat. 
Seco7id Early House. —Trees started in January have the flowering 
somewhat prolonged in consequence of the severe weather, and fertilising 
may still be practised, brushing the flowers, or distributing the pollen by 
shaking the trellis. Admit air on favourable occasions, freely when the 
external air is mild, avoiding cold currents in severe weather, and pro¬ 
vide a little ventilation constantly at the top of the house. The night 
temperature should be maintained at 50°, and 5° less on cold nights, 55? 
by day artificially, and 60° to 65° from sun heat, not allowing a rise to 
65° without a free circulation of air. Syringe the trees when the flowers 
fade, but only moderately, as excessive moisture facilitates wood growth 
more than the development of the fruit. The moisture will assist the 
fruit to throw off the remains of the flowers. In dull weather a genial 
condition of the atmosphere may be secured by damping the surfaces 
rather than the trees in the morning and early afternoon, an occasional 
syringing early in the day sufiQcing to keep red spider in check. 
