i-Tll 8, T«'. 1 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
275 
receive a severe pruninu yearly to secure a strong growth and 
abundance of flowers. The chief business of the pruner will be to 
ascertain when the pruning must be done, whether before or after 
the flowering period, as ignorance on this point may lead to the loss 
of a whole season’s crop and other serious consequences. I was 
•called in last summer by an amateur to give my advice respecting 
a Marechal Xiel Rose that had become very unsatisfactory. lie 
had planted it in a well prepared border in his greenhouse five years 
ago, and the first year it completely filled his house with long 
healthy shoots, and the following spring it rewarded him with a 
•splendid crop of good blooms. This stroke of success naturally 
heightened his ambition, and as he had made a good round sum of 
his blooms, he decided it would pay him to give up his greenhouse 
■entirely to them. His house had already become crowded with 
■shoots, and he saw that something must be done to give them more 
room, and not knowing how to proceed he sought the advice of a 
florist, who told him that “he must never, on any account, prune a 
3rar(?chal Xiel Rose, or it would never flower.” The amateur, 
believing this statement, and determined not to be defeated, re¬ 
moved the gable end of his house and added a new length equal to 
the first, with the intention of covering its roof with the Rose 
shoots. In a paper like this Journal it is scarcely necessary to say 
that the man was sadly disappointed, and too late he discovered 
"that he had been “sold.” For the last two years the plant had 
only shown a few yellow sickly buds that fell off without opening. 
1 told him how we managed ours, and advised him to do likewise— 
namely, to select the best main branch, and carry it horizontally 
along the bottom of his house, and from this branch, at about 
15 inches apart, to train strong shoots to the top of the house, and 
to be very careful to keep them tied straight up so as to prevent any 
of the eyes breaking. In the spring, before starting the plants, 
these shoots are taken from the vertical position and retied in an 
oblique manner, so as to induce all the eyes to break the entire 
length of the shoot. When the shoots have done flowering they 
are boldly cut back to one or two eyes at the main horizontal 
branch. The above is a case in point of loss and disappointment 
through not knowing how and when to use the knife. 
Before commencing to prune any plant let us have a clear idea 
of what is the object in view. If we are pruning for shape, let us 
endeavour to picture how the plant will appear when its growth is 
finished, and then cut accordingly. If flowers are our aim, then 
we should know whether the plant flowers best on strong, mode¬ 
rate, or weak shoots ; also we must know whether it flowers on 
ttie current or previous year’s growth ; and finally, if we are pruning 
<o obtain fruit, we must take not only the branch but the root into 
consideration, and even individual varieties of the same fruit may 
require different pruning. We cannot expect to exhaust this im¬ 
portant subject in a short paper like this, but enough has been 
written to show the necessity and advantage of a good general 
knowledge of plants and trees in order to use the knife with credit 
«nd profit. To secure this desirable end, young gardeners would 
be well repaid by mastering at least the elements of vegetable 
physiology and collateral subjects, as it would save them from many 
■doubts and mistakes, and supply them with the “why” and “where¬ 
fore ” certain work is done.—J. H. W. 
CULTURE OF SEAKALE—HOW TO PROCURE 
A SUPPLY FROM SIX TO SEVEX MOXTHS. 
We often have useful articles written by practical gardeners 
on the Journal about growing and forcing this winter vegetable, 
Lut there usually seems to be something wanting to complete the 
^instructions for growing it to the best advantage for ensuring the 
longest succession. 
In referring only to the beginning of this year I find three 
notices of Seakale forcing—the first on January 2nd, page 3, by 
iMr. G. Hilton, recommending forcing it in champagne boxes on 
the top of boilers. I think any place is preferable to that where 
there is heat to about 56° or 60°, as under stages or in Mushroom 
houses. Many other places could be found equally as well suited, 
'll eluding unused cellars, and much more useful than the above 
is a large bacon box. Before using ihe bacon boxes I fit four 
pieces of wood on the sides about 4 inches from the top (the 
inside) of the box, and after the crowns are planted firm and 
watered and left a day or two to dry, the space of 4 inches or so 
..at the top of the box is filled with dry grass, hay, or dry litter, 
-which keeps it airtight and prevents the Seakale turning green 
•or a bad colour. The boxes are sound and strong, and can be had for 
•about Is. deep enough for about 18 inches of heating materials 
■such as hot manure, -short horse droppings, leaves, or cocoanut 
flbre. It helps to keep the Seakale moist, for if placed on a damp 
(base it will only need one good watering when first planted. If 
the heat is from 55° to 65°, the Seakale will be fit for cutting for 
table in si.x weeks, and later on in four weeks. In this Journal on 
January 30th, page 89, was an article by Mr. A. Thoburn, which 
was very good as far as it went, and applicable when the weather is 
favourable outside ; but how would it be when we have from 
8° to 20° of frost ? A further supply could be had from February to 
the end of March, or the second week in April if a backward spring. 
It may also be forced in the old-fashioned way with proper Seakale 
pots and leaves or manure, but care should be taken not to have 
the manure hot enough to scald the crowns, as described by Mr. 
A. Thoburn. 
From April to the end of May cover the crowns with shingly 
pebbles or fine gravel, and cover the hillocks with manure. These, 
if the crowns are strong, give the finest Kale of the season. 
After that time the green seedy shoots of the plants, if cut just 
before they open when about 1 foot high, and if the weather has 
been warm and showery, are a good substitute for Asparagus ; but 
if the weather has been cold and dry, these will not be worth the 
trouble of cutting on account of their bitter taste when cooked. 
Respecting Seakale being bitter I always think that it is either 
due to its being kept in too dry an atmosphere, or its not growing 
fast enough. I have never heard any complaints when it is grown 
under favourable conditions. 
Those who have not grown the “ Lily White” variety, as it is 
mostly called, should start at once, as I find that a great improve¬ 
ment on the old purple-tipped both in appearance and quality. 
This kind if forced well comes out quite white. The seed is offered 
in nearly every catalogue. A pint or quart will cover a large space 
of ground if sown carefully in rows about 18 inches apart, and 
dropping two or three seeds every 12 inches you can make sure of 
one good plant in each space if the seed is good. With attention 
during the season to hoeing, there will be some strong crowns 
for forcing. These if wanted for Xovember should be taken 
up about the second or third week in September or the be¬ 
ginning of October, and laid in some rather dry soil for three or 
four weeks to allow the leaves to part freely from the crowns 
before planting in the boxes for forcing. Before these are placed 
in they should have the roots shortened, and all the strongest saved, 
and sets made for next year’s supply. These should be made at 
the same time as cut off. as it is often very difficult to tell the top 
from the bottom if left till afterwards. I find a good way to 
distinguish the sets is to cut the top end square and the bottom on 
the slant, and at the same time to reject all damaged or worm or 
grub-eaten parts, and save nothing but clean pieces for planting. 
Lay these in shallow boxes of dry sand till spring, and if kept 
moist enough to prevent their shrivelling they will be found to be 
callused over by planting time. Plant in rows 12 to 18 inches 
apart, and from 6 to 12 inches between the sets according to their 
size. The earliest forced crowns if examined carefully and treated 
the same way as for the sets make good plants for forcing next 
year. 
I find Seakale will not succeed if planted on the same ground 
every year, and if fresh ground is well trenched the plants will 
well repay for the extra care and trouble. A slight sprinkling of 
salt once or twice during the season will greatly assist the growth, 
as well as afford a check to weeds.—G. E., near Warwick. 
NOTES ON FRUIT TREES—APPLES. 
(^Continued from page 269.') 
L.rRGE Culture or Trees on Cr.vi! Stocks. 
Espaliers. — Early : Royal Codlin. Midseason : Yorkshire 
Beauty, Alfriston, Beauty of Kent, Emperor Alexander, Golden 
Noble, Warner’s King, Lord Derby, Hormead Pearmain, Tower of 
Glamis, Melrose, The Queen, and Sandringham must not be 
excluded. Late : Bramley’s Seedling, Annie Elizabeth, Rymer, 
Hambledon Deux Ans. 
For Walls or Fences .—Beauty of Kent, Emperor Alexander, 
Hollandbury,Peasgood’s Nonesuch,Castle Major, Lord Derby, Y’’ork- 
shire Beauty, Melrose, Warner’s King, Lane’s Prince Albert, The 
Queen, Sandringham. For low walls or fences they must be grown 
on Paradise stocks. Grown on east to south and westerly 
aspects these varieties will afford magnificent fruit, and will be the 
talk of the kitchen if allowed to go there for any purpose beyond 
baking, and the marvel of the street if they make their appearance 
in fruiterers’ shop windows. 
Standards .—Early ; Keswick Codlin, Cellini, Ecklinville Seed¬ 
ling. Midseason : Alfriston, Beauty of Kent (does not succeed on 
heavy wet soils), Castle Major (similar remarks apply to this as the 
preceding). Emperor Alexander, Golden Noble, Nelson Codlin, 
Yorkshire Beauty, Lord Derby, Tower of Glamis, Bedfordshire 
Foundling, Yorkshire Greening. Loddington may be put in the 
