May 30, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
469 
in ;?OTing trees that are likely to produce very strong wood, which 
does not as a rule give the best results, it allows more outlets for 
the sap. 
In conclusion, a word about disbudding young trees. I have seen 
cases in which too many branches have radiated from the centre of the 
tree, and so closely together that no young growths could scarcely be laid 
in between them. This is a mistake that can very easily be made, unless 
attention is given to training when the tree is quite young. The 
branches may be trained closely together at first, but in a year or two the 
wood should be laid-in in such a way that some of the smaller branches 
may be removed and cut off close to the stem ; the growths on these can 
be stopped at the third or fourth leaf, and a few more may be allowed 
on branches that it is intended should remain to take the place of the 
temporary ones when the latter are cut away. As the tree increases 
in size subsidiary branches should be trained from the main one, and in 
such a way that they will not be less than 1 foot apart.—J. S, Upex. 
LINARIA MACEDONICA. 
The correspondent who sends flowers of this plant will be glad to 
know that many species of Linarias, or Toad-flax as they are often 
called, make charming plants when grown in pots for a cool house. The 
genus being a large one, including both hardy herbaceous and annual 
kinds, it is rather difficult to make a selection ; but L. macedonica 
(fig. 82) is highly ornamental, and might be used with good effect. It 
commences to bloom in early spring, and continues for a long time. 
Like most of the Linarias it is of easy culture, requiring only some rich 
soil and a light position in a cool house or frame. It freely reproduces 
itself from seeds, growing about 18 inches high, and flowers profusely 
in a short time. The flowers are of a bright orange colour and very 
attractive. 
IN A SCOTTISH MANSE GARDEN. 
1 AM writing this article for the Journal of Horticulture on the 20th 
of May, a day which last year was fatal to the hopes of horticulturists, 
and especially of rosarians in many regions where plants were much 
exposed. What a contrast we have been experiencing to-day. To sit in 
this garden beneath the lustrous leaves of the wide-spreading Sycamore, 
and contemplate the glories of the early summer flowers—the classic 
Narcissus, the Viola, the Myosotis, and fragrant Auricula ; while the 
odour of the Sweet Briar ever and anon comes floating to my conscious¬ 
ness is surely the purtst and sweetest experience that mortal man can 
know. What affluence of blossom there is on the Apple, the Pear, the 
Cherry, and the Plum ! Conspicuous among these are the Morello 
Cherries, which look as if they were covered with a shower of snow. 
On such a day as this I feel inclined to echo in my heart those beautiful 
words of Alexander Smith, one of the truest poets and most thoughtful 
essayists that Scotland has produced— 
“ Daisies are white upon the churchyard sod, 
Sweet thoughts ths clouds lean down and give. 
The world is very lovely. 0, my God, 
I thank Thee that I live I” 
Though this memorable day, now fading into twilight to the music 
of the merle and the passionate thrush, has been one of the most beau¬ 
tiful within the range of my remembrance, its immediate predecessors 
have not been equally blessed with brightness and peace. North¬ 
easterly winds have ot late been our frequent experience, too often 
touched at night with the bitterness and stern severity of frost. As a 
natural consequence, that interesting transformation has been in my 
garden very seriously affected—the development of the flowers into the 
embryonic fruit. The Early Rivers, Black Eagle, and Werder’s Cherries 
have suffered most because more greatly exposed than others to the 
northern blast. For these at least a more benignant atmosphere has 
come too late. But, on the other hand, the Pitmaston Duchess and Early 
Crawford Pears (the latter of which is preferred by Dr. Hogg to Citron 
des Carmes) the stately Czar and Early Rivers Plums, and most of the 
Apple trees have providentially escaped. It is quite possible that the 
imperfect evolution of the Cherries I have mentioned, and their mani¬ 
fest susceptibility to adverse atmospheric influences, may be to a large 
extent attributable to the fact of their somewhat recent introduction. 
When more strongly established they will doubtless exhibit greater 
hardiness of constitution and more absolute assurance of productive 
strength. 
Rose trees are fully a fortnight later than they were last year. The 
earliest here will be Rosa Harrisoni, the Austrian and Persian Yellows, 
the Penzance Briars. Gloire de Dijon, A. K. Williams, Crimson Bedder, 
Gustave Piganeau, Souvenir d’un Ami, Anna Olivier, White Lady, and 
Margaret Dickson. All of these will be in bloom this summer before 
Marbcbal Niel, usually the earliest variety in my garden. Though 
growing on the south wall this grandest of Noisettes has been at least a 
month later than usual in unfolding its delicate virginal leaves. On 
the other hand, and as if by way of compensation, the Oriental Lilies are 
farther advanced than ever I have seen them at this period of the year. 
This is especially true of auratum, excelsum, candidum, chalcedonicum, 
Szovitzianum ; speciosum Kraefzeri, Henryi, and giganteum, of which 
the laet-ment'oned Lily has a stem 8 inches in circumference, and is 
making magnificent growth. It would be worth growing if only for its 
foliage, which is exquisite in shape and exceedingly effective, more 
glittering than that of Aralia Sieboldi. 
This is the result of my horticultural observations, that late flowers 
are early, and early flowers are late. For example, I have had during 
the last three weeks a unique combination ; the Queen of Spain Daffodil 
and Narcissus poeticus blooming side by side. The Snowdrop and the 
British single Daffodil were also for some time contemporaneous this 
year. Violas are later, and Aquilegias somewhat earlier than usual; 
A. coerulea hybrida is already in flower, and glandulosa, chrysantha, 
canadensis, and californica are rapidly preparing to follow in its train. 
There are few herbaceous flowers more impressive than these. I recom¬ 
mend them as admirable substitutes for Orchids, to those who cannot 
FIG. 82.—LINAEIA MACEDONICA. 
afford the expense inseparable from the cultivation of the latter 
aristocratic flowers. They would, I doubt not, be equally admired were 
they only as rare. 
I should perhaps have mentioned in previous contributions that I am 
greatly interested in the open-air culture of the Magnolia, of which I 
possess the following varieties hypoleuca, purpurea, Watsoni, stellata, 
parviflora, purpurea, Lenne, Soulangeana nigra, macrophylla, and the 
famous conspicua, perhaps of all these the most universally known. 
Though natives of Japan and South America, they are of sufficiently 
vigorous constitution, only requiring, when grown in our gardens, a 
sheltered situation, southern exposure, and a moderately fertile soil. 
They are sometimes cultivated in shrubberies with considerable success, 
but when hemmed in on every side by Azaleas and Rhododendrons, as 
they almost invariably are in such a position, they have not an equally 
commanding effect. Here they are grown on a long open border, 
protected by a lofty hedge of Hawthorns from the northern winds, 
where, alternating along its whole length with Japanese Lilies, and 
overlooked by lines of Noisette Roses, which scale the south wall, they 
find themselves naturally, to use the language of Herbert Spencer, in 
correspondence with their environments, 
