252 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 23, K89, 
which he recommends tried more than thirty years since, and I 
could not see that the trees gained the slightest benefit from the 
shoots being left their full length the first year, but the reverse. I 
think it is a waste of time and of energy allowing young trees to 
stand unpruned the first year. They make small weakly growths 
at the top of the shoot 0 , which are of no use whatever in forming 
a tree, and at the end of the year will require to be pruned back to 
where they should have been cut at first to form a permanent 
frame of strong healthy well ripened wood for the further develop¬ 
ment and building up of the trees, whether they be standards, 
pyramids, or for training on walls. 
I have planted some hundreds of young Apple trees in different 
parts of the country, both north and south, and my practice has 
always been to cut them back according to the strength of the 
shoot, and to a good leaf bud, the first year, when they produce (in 
the case of maidens) from three to four strong healthy shoots 
2 feet or more in length, which form the base or frame of the tree, 
according to the style or method adopted in training. A good start 
in fruit-growing, as well as in anything else, is half the battle, and 
I consider it a waste of time and of labour to plant stunted sickly 
trees which require, to stand for a year in the “ hospital ” before 
anything can be done with them in the shape of training. No fruit 
trees should be planted but those of the best quality, which have 
good roots and well ripened shoots, and can be pruned as soon as 
planted.—A. Pettigrew, Castle Gardens , Cardiff. 
SEASONABLE HINTS ON FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
The month of April is both a busy and an enjoyable month for the 
cultivator of florists’ flowers. He looks for some of his favourites to 
reward him for his care and attention, while others demand his active 
supervision and handling, without which he cannot hope to have either 
pleasure with them as a grower or success with them as an exhibitor 
Amongst those flowers which he hopes to reward him for his care he 
will give I he foremost place to the Auricula. 
Auriculas. — These will now be throwing up their trusses, and as 
far as I can judge from my own small collection, the season is likely to 
he a favourable one, and we may hope for a different display at the 
Exhibition of the National Auricula Society to that of last year. 
The trusses seem full and the foliage fine. I am not an advocate for 
large trusses, as the pips must then be crowded together, and so shall, 
as they deveiope, thin them out. The orthodox number that the older 
florists left in a truss was seven, and I believe that will after all be a far 
more pleasing object than one of twelve or thirteen all huddled together. 
The exhibitor will be on the watch to see what plants will require to be 
forwarded and what to be retarded, and will be up to various “ dodges ” 
to carry out bis plans. Not being an exhibitor now, I am free to treat 
my plants according to , their own sweet will. Should, however, we be 
favoured with more sunshine than we have had of late, I shall throv 
some light covering over my lights, so as to keep them longer in flower. 
On reading the notes of Mr. Horner and “ J. M.” with regard to the best 
plan for a beginner to pursue, whether to get a collection of the kinds 
now grown, or only to get a few of the very best, and then trust to seed¬ 
saving and growing seedlings, I am of opinion that “ baith’s best.” I 
have never attempted to raise seedlings, and am too old now to think of 
it ; but if anyone is ambitious on that point why cannot he allocate 
one frame to a few of the very best, for the purpose of saving seed ? and 
besides that, growing a good number of varieties, which, although they 
may lack some of. the points of excellence dear to a florist, are yet very 
beautiful. Moreover, when we see bow very little has been done, even 
by our best florists, an amateur may prefer to “ enter on other men’s 
labours.” But, after all, there is an amount of unsatisfactoriness about 
it which detracts from its pleasure. A man may rejoice in what he has 
raised, but how many years must elapse before others can share his 
enjoyment! They are slow to increase, and a'though there is a little 
band of brothers who exchange amongst themselves, yet it is years 
.before those outside that favoured circle are able to obtain the plants, 
and then at a price which no one who is not an exhibitor would care 
to give. 
Carnations and Picotees.— An important time for these charming 
flowers, for those who grow them in pots will now be busy in the operation 
of potting from the small pots in which they have been wintered. On 
turning out mine I found them to be perfectly free of spot and with 
abundance of roots. My compost has been ready mixed for some 
time, and has been laid out under a glass roof, but freely exposed to 
sun and wind, but protected from rain. It is now consequently in a 
delightful state, handling freely, and not sticky. The operation of 
potting has been frequently described, but there are two points which 
should always be borne in mind. The first is never to sift your soil; 
chop it, break it up with the hand, but never put it through a sieve, 
using the rougher pieces to place over the drainage, which should 
consist of about 2 inches of clean pieces of broken pots ; another is 
to pot firmly. I use a small wooden rammer for the purpose of making 
the soil thoroughly firm. The plants should be placed in the soil and 
then the space around them filled up. I place a small stick to each 
plant, for which the blooming one will be substituted by-anl-by. The 
pots, when finished, are placed under this glass shed, some straw'hurdlcs 
are placed round it, high enough to protect from wind and frost, but 
not too high to prevent free access of air all round. Here they will' be 
left until all fear of spring frost is over, when they will be removed 
into the open. 
Gladioli.— Truly a busy time with the growers of these beautiful 
autumn flowers. I have just gone over my bulbs, and am thoroughly 
satisfied with their condition ; they have kept well, and the only 
question will be whether in consequence of the cold and cheerless 
summer they will have been sufficiently matured. Before planting I 
have gone through my bulbs and have cut a goodly number of them in 
halves. I do not think that leaving them for a week or ten days after 
this operation would injure them, but I plant them, if possible, soon 
after cutting them. Happily in our more favoured climate we do not 
find the preparations which your correspondent, Mr. Beckwith, seems to* 
find necessary in Darlington. I simply draw a drill the length of the 
bed, place the bulbs in it about 6 inches apart, place some road grit or 
coarse charcoal round'the bulbs, and then cover in. When this is done- 
they will be about 4 inches deep, which I believe to be about as good a 
depth as any. In cutting the bulbs of the American seedlings, which T 
spoke as having been sent to me for trial, I find in one or two cases, 
precisely the same symptoms of disease that I have noticed both in the- 
English and French bulbs. When one contrasts the planting season 
now with that of last year, one cannot but be hopeful. We have none- 
of the snow and miserable weather we had then, and it has bee a. 
pleasure instead of a trouble to plant. 
Pansies. —Here again the grower will be looking for a reward for 
his pains. With out-of-doors Pansies I have nothing to do, but I should 
think from what I see of other things slugs and snails must have a lively 
time. Mine are in pots and are all Fancies, for although long am 
admirer of the Show varieties, yet the Fancies are so much more robust 
and are so readily propagated that, independently of their varied and 
attiactive colours, they have a great claim on the florist. They are now 
coming into bloom, and will fill up the gap occasioned by the Hyacinths- 
going out of flower. They will now simply require to have the pots- 
kept clear of weeds, and the flowering stems tied to slender stakes. 
Tulips. - There is some talk of a revival of the taste for these flowers 
—a taste which has never been absent from the north, but which has 
almost perished in the south. The roots must have passed through the 
winter well, and my small bed looks flourishing. When the weather 
permits the surface will be gently forked over, which is called here¬ 
abouts “ pittering ” the ground. 
Boses. —Now will be a busy time. I have just taken oil the long 
litter which has made that part of my garden look more like a farm¬ 
yard than a garden. The long has been carted away to the lower part of 
the garden, where it is made into a heap for growing Vegetable Marrows 
on, while the very short is worked into the ground. Pruning will now 
be the most necessary and important matter to be attended to, and all' 
the various theories as to it will be put into practice. There is one- 
thing that I am pretty sure of, that hard pruning must be the order of 
the day this year, for the wood seems to have been pretty badly bit by 
the frost. Tea Roses will not require pruning until next month.— 
D„ Deal. 
PEACH BUDS FALLING. 
Like “Utilitarian,” we have to lament the falling ofE of a great 
number of buds this season in our early house. We have only two 
Peach houses, but until this season have bad no difficulty in sup¬ 
plying a continuance of fruit from about the middle of May till the 
fruit on the outside walls is ripe. We depend upon Alexander and 
Hale’s Early, the former ripening its fruit in about fifteen weeks from 
starting, for our first supply. These are followed by Crimson Galande- 
and Noblesse, the other varieties being Sea Eagle and Princess of Wales.. 
The treatment the trees received in 1888 was identical with that accorded 
in previous seasons ; the trees made fine, firm, short-jointed wood, and 
to all appearance gave every indication of producing a good crop this- 
season. Crimson Galande had not looked so healthy as the rest, so we 
decided to lift it, which we did as soon as the fruit was gathered, with 
this result, that it has not dropped a bud this season, and is now 
carrying the best crop. Alexander and Hale’s Early cast nearly the- 
whole of their fruit buds ; I do not think we shall get above a couple- 
of dishes from each tree. Noblesse cast nearly one-half, Princess of 
Wales about the same, Sea Eagle and Crimson Galande both carrying 
fine crops. The last three are on the back wall, the former on a 
curvilinear trellis. Our second house, like the first, has a fixed roof,,, 
so that the treatment it receives is similar to the Early, excepting' 
of course, that there is very little forcing. The whole of the trees in 
this house are now a mass of bloom. I do not think we have lost a 
bud. It is difficult to arrive at any conclusion as to wby the buds have- 
fallen. 
I quite agree with the theory that insufficiency of moisture at the 
roots has a great deal to do wich buds falling ; at the same time, I 
know of instances in which an excess of moisture has been blamed for 
the same results. I have also heard it advanced that a too early 
development of the buds is a fruitful cause of their falling. This I 
cannot understand, for in our own case the roots of the houses- 
being fixtures we are unable to advance or retard the finishing of the 
trees according to the season. At the end of the season, of 1887 our 
trees were in a more advanced state and better ripened than they 
were at a corresponding period in 1888 ; ?.nd yet we had no cause to 
grumble last season at our supply. I am inclined to- think that after 
all that skilled cultivators can do Nature will assert herself, and trees 
