224 
JOURN-AL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
Mf rch 14,1896. 
entire year, and to keep down insect pests tke plant must be 
frequently sponged. 
Another large Angr^cum in bloom now is A. eburneum. It is 
a large strong-growing plant, with thick, leathery, strap-shaped 
leaves. The flowers, although not as large as some of the other 
species, are produced plentifully on nearly erect flower spikes. The 
petals and sepals are narrow and green, and the lip cordate and pure 
white. The flowers are very fragrant, and last for nearly two 
months. It requires the same treatment as A. sesquipedale. It 
was introduced from Madagascar in 1826.— Robert Cameron (in 
“ Garden and Forest ”). 
EXPERIENCE IN SUMMER ROOT-PRUNING. 
I FEEL sure that it would be interesting to readers of the 
Journal of Horticulture to learn on what grounds the local 
gardeners and amateurs at their meeting (see page 183) arrived at 
this strange conclusion—“root-prune in the summer if you wish to 
kill your trees.” I have read papers on this subject at horticultural 
improvement associations several times during the last fifteen 
years—at Edinburgh twice, and the enthusiastic savants of the 
North discussed the matter freely, but none of them, with the 
sweeping confidence of the Society indicated, volunteered to 
denounce the practice. I have had much to do with horticultural 
societies whose object is mutual improvement, and it is surprising 
to note how readily crude and untenable ideas are adduced. The 
question of root-pruning is somewhat vague, but “root destruction ” 
is very different from judicious “lifting and pruning.” In my 
youthful days, when I could not practise as I would, I conceived 
the theories of root-pruning which I have, over a course of thirty 
years, verified by careful practice. After practising root-pruning 
for a number of years, between June and September, I now and 
anon received some censure from the non-experienced in such 
matters, but had my faith in the practice strengthened by reading 
of the methods of a distinguished market grower, who examined 
his trees early in June, mostly Apples, Pears, and Plums, and those 
which showed any tendency to grossness of growth and unfruitful¬ 
ness were manipulated at the roots at once. I never heard of the 
modus operandi which this reputed grower of fine trees and 
immense crops of fine fruit followed, but I did not alter my course 
which I had followed during so many years. If I lifted unfruitful 
tree roois in June it was generally at one side first, examining 
those under the bole of the tree. Any going straight down were 
removed, lime rubbish or some comeatable material was placed to 
prevent further mischief in that direction ; outward growing fibre¬ 
less roots were shortened, and those uncovered were replanted in 
good loam and made firm. Perhaps, when needful, the other side 
of the tree would be treated in the same manner during August. 
No growth was made after this during that season, but the 
wood became firm and spurs were formed; the foliage 
remained late on the branches, and maturation seemed perfected. 
Invariably the crop of the following year was excellent. We 
expect this year of scarcity to have Seaton House, Sandringham 
(also a capital bearer), Northern Greening Apples, and some others 
till May in good condition, from old trees hollow in the trunk, 
some trunks repaired with wood from other trees, rendered dwarf 
by root and top pruning a dozen years ago. The Seaton House 
trees, I believe, were planted during the last century. 
Young trees are root-pruned or lifted, as may be necessary, to 
keep them at the size desired, thus avoiding the use of the knife to 
branches, and having ruthlessly to cut off shoots during the growing 
season, a practice only conducive to canker in fruit trees. My 
earliest experience of root-pruning was in Wiltshire and Suffolk 
while a mere “ fledgling,” but I have since then practised in other 
parts of England and in Scotland. In no case have I seen other 
than the best results from pruning roots as indicated, always gaining 
a season by getting the trees to rest early in autumn, quite re¬ 
cuperated and fruitful the first year. Piecemeal pruning twice or 
thrice is what I have confidence in. 
As to the work being injurious in the long run, I can only say 
that trees which have been operated on many years ago are sound, 
heaUhy, and fruitful now. Some three years ago I saw a number 
of Plums on a wall in one of the largest of English gardens which 
I root-pruned during July, twenty-one ago. They were healthy and 
fruitful ; and to use one other argument, I will refer to Apples, 
Pears, Plums, Cherries, on walls and in the open ground, which were 
root-pruned during summer to keep them to a proper size. 
Reference has been made to them in this and other journals as to 
their productiveness, and I suppose, after being under well known 
skilful management since I left them over a dozen years ago, they 
are )i*Kely to be in good condition now. The first year after the 
trees were planted I unfortunately gave a mulching of well decajed 
manure which had been swept from streets where salt was carted 
daily and dropped about. The manure was stored in quantity 
before my arrival on the place. This gave a severe check to the 
trees. Vines and Peach trees under glass were severely dealt with 
from the same cause. 
The trees started to grow in the garden the second year on 
walls ( which were not quite finished by the builder), all making 
roots long and fibreless, and to counteract this I root-pruned 
moderately during summer and autumn. The fourth year the 
walls were covered with branches. Pyramids and standards were 
also in very promising condition, bearing abundance of fruit. They 
were reported in “ Gardener’s Chronicle ” the fifth season, which 
described them as having the fruit (Pears especially) “hanging 
like ropes of Onions.” Each season they improved to my heart’s 
content. The soil was a strong loam mixed with a quantity of 
marl quite free from manure (except the mulching). In this soil 
I thinned out of the thickets thousands of trees and shrubs to form 
the park and ground establishment, and they all grew in the strong 
soil such as I never had seen plants do before. This was at 
Impney in Worcestershire. I may add that shrubs were also periodi¬ 
cally treated, lifted to keep them dwarf, and I still pursue the 
same course with choice shrubs (to save the use of the knife) 
regardless of dates or seasons.—M. Temple, Carron, Stirlingshire, 
[We commend the above article to our correspondent “H. C.” 
(page 183) as possibly worthy of reading and discussion at a 
meeting of the “ local Gardeners’Society ” with which he is con¬ 
nected. We have seen the trees at Impney, and they have been 
admirably managed from the beginning until now. Instead of 
having been “ killed ” by root-pruning the fruits from them have 
won prizes at some of our best exhibitions. Perhaps “ H. C.” will 
favour us with a note on any further discussion on the subject that 
may ensue at the meeting.] 
ALPINE FLOWERS. 
Making and Planting Rockeries. 
It can hardly be gainsaid that the cultivation of what are 
known as Alpines is largely on the increase. It is doubtful, 
however, if the increased interest taken in these charming flowers 
is at all proportionate to the development of floriculture generally. 
This is to some extent due to the fact that alpine flowers are 
neither so showy individually nor so well adapted for cutting as 
the more striking blooms of larger growth. While this is so it 
is no rare occurrence to see the ranks of growers of alpines 
recruited from the great body of flower lovers by the addition of 
some whose admiration for the subjects of Flora has taught them 
to appreciate the more minute beauty of these alpine flowers. It 
is far more seldom, however, that one sees the alpine grower 
deserting his favourites for more brilliant beauties ; and when 
this takes place we conclude he hss been the victim of some un¬ 
toward circumstances, or that at the outset some initial diflficulties 
have seemed too great to be overcome. 
There is no royal road which leads to success in the cultivation 
of alpines, and each one has to learn for himself the cause of 
failure in his own garden ; but there are certain things which 
inevitably lead to success or failure, and among these may be 
pointed out the construction of the rockwork on which the plants 
aie intended to be grown. It was hopeless to expect the tide of 
favour for alpines to flow rapidly so long as their cultivation was 
almost entirely attempted in pots, but it is to be feared that many 
who experimented with the same plants on rockwork quickly 
discovered that they had only exchanged Scylla for Chary bdis. 
When grown in pots plants which in nature ramble happily over 
stones and send their roots far into the crevices of the rocks were 
“cabin’d, cribb’d, confined” until their life energies became 
exhausted, and they either dwindled away or dragged out a 
mserable existence. Worse, perhaps, was the fate of those 
which were placed on some of the pretentious, or even unpre¬ 
tentious, structures called rockeries which were reared in too many 
gardens. 
Those who are at all familiar with gardening books must have 
seen in some of those published about the middle of this century 
some wonderful rockeries on which plants were expected to live 
and be happy. One must not, however, be too severe on the 
writers of former days, for although such monstro'ities are no 
longer advocated it is only too true that they are frt-quently 
erected. It is difficult for an admirer of these exquisite flowers to 
write calmly about such rockeries as have been referred to, the 
very act of writing seems to make one desirous of giving vent to 
indignation at the folly which condemns so many tieautiful plants 
to an untimely and an unhappy death. Many rockeries have been 
and are built of a pile of stones without a particle ot earth between, 
and only a thin coating on the surface. Others are composed of a 
