272 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 4 , 1889 . 
of sturdy, short-jointed, thoroughly solidified and matured shoots 
of medium length, and with fibry and well-branched roots, ought 
not to be pruned, but carefully planted, duly staked, and carefully 
tended. Given these, I do not think he would object to Mr. 
Bunyard’s dictum, “ No Apple should be pruned the first year of 
planting.” I would go further, and insist that no knife or pruning 
implement should be used afterwards, except for removing growths 
crossing or likely to cross each other, to insure an open, evenly 
balanced, symmetrical head ; and then, rooting medium and climatic 
conditions being favourable, the trees may be expected to go on 
increasing in size and usefulness to the planter. Apple and Pear 
should be treatfd on similar lines to the bush and other trees, made 
to lift with roots adequate to the maintenance of the head, and 
secure its speedy re-establishment.—G. Abbey. 
During the past ten years it has fallen to my lot to plant 
several hundreds of fruit trees, but I will only allude to those in the 
garden now under my charge. In the first place I think Mr. Wright 
is in error when he says that the trees would not make such free 
growth if not pruned till the season after planting as they would if 
pruned the same season as planting. The increased quantity of 
young roots would account for this. I do not think there need be 
any fear of the trees dying or receiving serious injury if not pruned, 
if they weie health}' and well rooted, at least such as a careful 
nurseryman jealous of his reputation would send out. The fruit 
garden here is about two and a half acres in extent, and the trees 
were planted in rows on the market growers’ principle— i.e., rows 
of standards and bushes, with Gooseberries and Currants between. 
The standards were planted in the spring previous to my taking 
charge, hut vere not pruned in the manner mentioned by Mr. 
Wright, but merely had the tips taken from the strong shoots ; the 
consequence was fruit buds formed along the shoots, but with very 
little wood growth. Now, to have allowed these shoots to remain 
would have jerpordised the future form of the tree, as the future 
growth would have been very unevenly balanced, so we shortened 
all the shoots boldly back into the two-year-old wood, and all the 
trees made free and strong growth, and also formed good heads. It 
was the strong rcot hold which had caused this. Query, Would 
recently planted trees form such heads the first season if pruned ? 
Would they have done so if planted in October? —A. Young, 
Ablcrley Hall Gardens. 
I have planted many thousands of trees for market, and our 
practice is to do what pruning is necessary the first year, and after¬ 
wards only to take out a few shoots that would cross other branches 
if they were left to extend. I think our trees will compare favour¬ 
ably with any others in the district, both for fruitfulness and also 
for growth. My reason for pruning the first year is the same as 
stated in Mr. Wright’s article on page 229 : —namely, to maintain 
the balance between the roots and branches. When trees are 
obtained from nurseries several years old, the roots are usually 
very much cut, and if the top is large it is too much for the roots 
to sustain in a healthy condition, so we shorten the tops propor¬ 
tionately to the roots soon after planting. I now plant maidens 
(one-year-old trees) or trees at most only two years old, as such 
trees usually have their roots nearly entire, and the tops do not 
require shortening. I have found that by the time trees come into 
profitable bearing, maidens are quite as large as trees three or four 
years old when planted, and the growth of them is much healthier, 
not having received a check such as the older trees did. With 
Raspberries, I have found that if the canes are not cut hard back 
the first year, that the growth is small and weakly, and the plantation 
does nothing for several years. 
Fruit trees when planted as maidens require scarcely any pruning 
or training the first year or afterwards, f( r from the upright centre 
stem the shoots naturally grow in the right places if there be air 
and light all round. The more a tree is pruned the more it requires 
pruning, for pruning causes buds at the base of the branch shortened, 
which naturally would turn into fruit spurs, to shoot out strongly, 
many of them where they are not required. These have to be cut 
off again and again, and by much labour and care are transformed 
into fruit spurs long after they would have been so naturally, if 
the branch had been left to extend. 
If fruitfulness is desired the ground round the trees should be 
left undug. Where trees are required to be kept dwarf in small 
gardens it is useless pruning the top with this object, unless the 
roots are pruned also, as it only induces growth. —-Walter Kruse. 
EVENING NOTES. 
Gardeners and Gardeners. — Mr. Dale, in his “Evening Notes,” 
page 108, accuses me of making certain charges, and he states it would 
not be to anyone’s interest to recommend a man to fill a position for 
which he is not fitted. To show the fallacy of that idea I quoted two 
instances which I know to he genuine, without the slightest intention 
of blowing my own trumpet or to reflect on my successor; had I 
intended doing so I should have used names, but I do not wish to he 
so personal. I do not know what important appointment Mr. Dale 
holds, for I cannot find his name in the Directory. Possibly he has 
not a trumpet of his own to blow, or evidently he would sound it, as 
his writings clearly show. Mr. Dale, in his letter, page 213, lays great 
stress on the term “Cabbage growers,” with a knowledge of cows, pigs, 
and poultry, and he goes on to say there are many able men amongst 
them. My intentions were far from attacking such men, for I plainly 
stated men are often recommended to situations “ for which they are 
not fitted the latter part of this sentence is left out of Mr. Dale’s 
quotation. I am pleased to see he agrees with me as to certificates^ 
Until something of the kind is established we shall be overstocked! 
with other than thoroughly practical gardeners.— Alfred Bishop,. 
1 \estley Ilall Gardens. _____ 
If a correspondent and a subscriber of your Journal ventures to- 
put forth anything he thinks an injustice, and is prepared to substan¬ 
tiate his charge, and give an example to prove his case, it shows a want 
of penetration on the part of Mr. Hugh Dale in criticising what was- 
intended only as an illustration. Had Mr. Alfred Bishop stated that he- 
won seventy odd prizes last year, which I know to be a fact, to the- 
detriment of his predecessor, I should have considered Mr. Dale’s remarks 
justified, whereas neither name nor place was given. There are many- 
good fruit growers, &c., I have no doubt in single-handed places, but 
when men fill situations for which they have had no training, who are- 
the sufferers? If Mr. Dale’s hypothesis were correct as to Mr. Bishop’s- 
boasting, then all experiences and illustrations sent to this paper can<. 
come under that heading.— G. Revell. 
Conserving Heat in Hothouses. —During the months of March- 
and April, when easterly winds are prevalent, especially in districts 
where adequate shelter is not provided from the quarter named by hills- 
or belts of trees, forcing operations are sometimes carried on with much 
difficulty. There is additional labour in attending to the fires besides; 
the consumption of extra fuel, which in most gardens is considered to- 
be a serious item. A great deal might be done by conserving the heat.. 
Much depends upon the style of the house, some being warmer than 
others owing to their position and the manner in which they are built. 
Houses which suffer the most from winds are lofty lean-to’s, with a back 
light 3 to 1 feet deep attached, which are built for the admission of 
more light and air, perhaps facing the south, with the end to the east 
and the ridge from 11 to 12 feet high from the floor line. In March or 
April the Vines are in bloom, and the temperature required is not less- 
than 65° at night. It will be found that the pipes must be made very 
hot to keep up the heat- in houses so constructed, as temperatures are- 
much worse to maintain in houses of this class during wiDdy weather 
than in ordinary lean-to’s. Much may be done to conserve the heat by 
filling up all spaces in the back lights where these do not shut close- 
by thrusting in moss or cotton waste. The smallest space between- 
the lights and the rafters will admit some wind, which tends to- 
reduce the temperature. The packing of the lights will make a differ¬ 
ence of at least 5°.—E. 
Perhaps the following receipts may be useful to some gardeners :— 
Cements.—A solution of shellac ia alcohol added to a solution of 
isinglass in proof spirit makes a cement that will resist moisture, and is- 
handy for mending fractured glass. 
Isinglass soaked in water till it swells up and becomes soft is dis¬ 
solved in brandy or in rum, so as to form a strong glue. Two small 
bits of gum galbanum or gum amoniacum are dissolved in 2 ozs. of 
this by trituration, and five or six bits of mastic the size of peas being- 
dissolved in as much alcohol as will render them fluid are to be mixed' 
with this by means of a gentle heat. Keep in a phial closely stopped,, 
and when wanted for use steep in hot water. The above is an old and 
valuable receipt and resists moisture. 
Quicklime mixed with bullocks’ blood is useful for stopping¬ 
leaking taps or joints. Six parts of clay, one of iron filings, and linseed 
oil formed into a thick paste makes a good cement for stopping cracks 
in iron boilers. So does brimstone and plumbago. 
Two ounces of muriate of ammonia, one of flowers of sulphur, and 
sixteen of cast iron filings or borings. Mix well in a mortar and keep- 
dry. When to be used take one part of this mixture, twenty parts of 
clean iron borings or filings, grinding together, mix to a proper consist¬ 
ence, and apply between joints or to cracks on a piece of paper, cloth,, 
or tin. This cement forms into one mass with the iron. 
Boiled linseed oil, litharge, red lead, and white lead mixed together 
and applied as above make a cement that resists boiling water or even- 
a strong pressure of steam. The more of the red lead and the less of' 
white dries sooner. This cement is good too for repairing broken- 
stones. 
In repairing broken pipes near the wall it will be easier done where; 
tying is necessary to use soft wire instead of string. 
Ammonia in Liquid Manure. —I have observed the articles on 
the above complaining of the ammonia adhering to- the sashes of 
vineries. Sulphureted hydrogen combines in equal quantities with 
ammonia, and volatilises readily at a low temperature, and as the 
