62 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIIST. 
[February, 
cuttings, in the spring, and planted in the same 
manner as described for those made in tlie fall. 
Wlien the variety is very scarce, then any 
small roots may be used for propagating, but in 
such cases it is best not to attempt it in the open 
ground, but place them in a propagating house. 
Cut the roots into pieces of from one-half to one 
inch long, mix with sand, and place in a warm 
situation, but 
not in so 
Iiigh a tem¬ 
perature as 
to force the 
formation of 
buds. When 
the callus is 
formed, and 
buds begin to 
show them¬ 
selves upon 
the surface, 
which they 
should do in 
four to six 
weeks, place 
them in soil 
composed of 
equal parts of 
leaf mold and 
sand, and in 
a position 
where they 
Avill receive 
a heat of seventy-five to ninety degrees. 
When the plants have made a growth of four 
to si.x inches, tliey may be potted singly, or irlaiit- 
ed out into the open ground, provided the Avea- 
ther is Avarm and there is no danger of their be¬ 
coming cliecked by cold. The blackberry may 
also be propagated from green wood in summer, 
in thb propagating-house, or early in Spring by 
Clottings from plants forced for the purpose. 
The same process used by propagators in mul¬ 
tiplying grapes and other plants from green 
Avood is equally applicable to the blackberry. 
Single bud cuttings may be made of the ma¬ 
ture wood in the fall, always choosing the me¬ 
dium sized branches, and those that have not be¬ 
come very hard; or in other Avords, not fully 
ripe. Plant in boxes or pots, and place in a 
temperature of from 80 to 100 degrees. This is 
not quite so certain a method as the others, still, 
Avith some varieties, very good plants can be 
produced by an experienced propagator. 
Layering the branches in summer is often 
practiced with success, especially Avith some va¬ 
rieties. In making layers, that portion to be 
covered should be siripped of its leaves, and 
then a small incision made on the branch, and 
on the under side, as is usually done Avhen lay¬ 
ering Avoody plants. Root cuttings, hoAvever, 
produce the very best plants, and the number 
that can be made from the roots of one large 
stool, if given proper care, is much greater than 
one would suppose Avho has never trietl it. 
Ways and Means in Pruning. 
Dana’s Hovey Pear.— The London Gar¬ 
dener’s Chronicle gives a description and (very 
poor) figure of this American variety, and says: 
“Its flesh is melting and juicy, its flavor more 
delicious than that of any pear knoAvn, being 
that of the Winter Nelis, with a slight smack of 
the Seckel; its season is December until Janu¬ 
ary. When tills pretty and delicious pear be¬ 
comes known, a dish of them at dessert will be 
as much sought after as a dish of old Golden 
Pippins in the last Century.” 
Notwithstanding the fact that in our notes for 
the month there is ahvays a timely word upon 
all the important operations in the orchard, we 
have many letters asking about pruning, espe¬ 
cially as to the time at Avhich it is to be done. 
It has frequently been stated here that the 
small Avork Avith the knife may be done at any 
time when the AVOod is not frozen; but most 
orchardists consider this as trimming rather than 
pruning, and applying the latter term to the 
removal of large limbs. When limbs of con¬ 
siderable size must be removed, and this too 
often happens, it becomes of importance to do 
it at the season Avhen the tree Avill sustain the 
least injury. Upon this point a variety of opin¬ 
ions have been expressed and diSerent seasons 
advised. Autumn pruning is recommended by 
some, for the reason that the wounds thus made 
in the cqAeration will become dry and the sur¬ 
face of the wood seasoned and secured from 
decay. The majority of good orchardists pre¬ 
fer summer pruning—or that done Avhen the 
tree is accumulating its Avoody deposit. This is 
when the branches of the year have ceased to 
elongate, and the for¬ 
ces of growth are di¬ 
rected to preparing 
for the vegetation of 
another year. At this 
Fig. 2. —BLACKBERRY SHOOT. time the process of 
healing goes on more 
rapidly than at any other, but it has the disad¬ 
vantage of being a season Avhen there is so much 
other AVork to be done that the labor cannot be 
given to the orchard. Another, but a minor 
disadvantage is, that the trees being covered with 
foliage the effect of the removal is not so readily 
observed. Tlie season in which there is most 
leisure, and perhaps the next best to the one last 
mentioned, is after the severity of Avinter is 
over, but before the swelling of the buds indi¬ 
cates the awakening of A'egetation. Though 
late Avinter is not the best season, it is prefera¬ 
ble to do the Avork then than to neglect it alto¬ 
gether. As soon as the tree starts into groAvth 
no wound should be made, as there Avill be a 
disagreeable and injurious out-pouring of sap. 
As to the operation itself, it should be done 
with judgment and care. Cutting aAvay a limb 
without a clear idea of the object to be gained— 
going into a tree Avith an axe and chopping here 
and there, is not prun¬ 
ing, but butcher}”. Hav¬ 
ing determined upon 
the removal of a limb, 
it should be saAved off 
neatl}^ close to the main 
branch. It is not rare to 
see a butt of a foot or 
more in length left by 
the'pruner; this is a most 
mischievous practice, 
as a croAvd of small 
branches will usually 
spring from the base of this stump, as shoAvn 
in the engraving, while the upper end, having 
no supply of sap, Avill decay. Works upon 
orchard culture generally recommend that the 
wound be made no larger than the base of 
the limb removed. In France, where tree cul¬ 
ture is made a profession, the most recent wri¬ 
ters advocate pruning close to the trunk, and 
covering the wound Avith some preparation. 
In France coal-tar is used on all trees except 
stone-fruits—but while Ave mention this as a 
matter of interest, Ave do not advise its use. It 
BAD PRUNING-. 
may be that our coal-tar is different from theirs— 
at all events so much injury has been done to 
plants in this country by the A^arious products 
of coal and petroleum that Ave advise great cau¬ 
tion in their use. Gi’afting Avax, made Avarrn 
enough to apply Avith a brush is cheap, safe, and 
efficacious, as is the shellac and alcohol paint, 
but the materials for this are how very expensive. 
The rough surface left by the saw should be 
smoothed Avith a knife or draAving knife before 
using the Avax. Limbs of considerable size may 
be neatly removed by means of a large, stout, 
and sharp chisel, driven from below by a 
Avooden mallet. 
The Care of Young Trees. 
There would be much less said about pruning 
and much less pruning to be done, Avere it gen¬ 
erally known—and the knowledge acted upon—• 
that we have it in our poAver to form the tree 
Avhile young, and so regulate the young groAvth 
that the removal of large limbs would be a rare 
necessity. The too common method is, to trim 
the trees up, to a small head, at planting, and 
then let them groAV until they come into fruit, 
Avhen it is discovered that pruning is needed, 
and there is a great lopping off of useless limbs, 
that Avith proper treatment Avould never have 
grown. Those who Avill have their trees trim¬ 
med high, doubtless have good reasons for the 
practice, but the best experience teaches that 
loAV headed trees are, other things being equal, 
more exempt from those troubles dependent 
upon climatic influences, than those trained to a 
tall naked trunk. Our iiresent object is not to 
discuss the general subject of pruning young 
trees, but to point out a trouble that often arises 
from alloAving them to have 
their OAvn Avay. We refer to 
the formation of crotches, 
or a division of the trunk in¬ 
to tAvo nearly equal branch¬ 
es, Avliich may again subdi¬ 
vide in a similar manner, and 
thus render the tree liable to 
split. In forming the young 
tree in the nursery this is 
avoided by all intelligent 
growers; but all trees are 
not treated as they should 
be, eA”en in the nurseiy, and Ave often see young 
orchards containing examples of veiy bad man¬ 
agement. When a crotched tree of this kind is 
discovered, it is best to remedy the defect even 
at the considerable sacrifice of one-half of the 
present growth. The manner of treatment is 
to cut away one of the branches that form the 
fork, retaining the one that can be most readily 
brought to the upright position; in removing 
the limb, enough of its base is left to afford a 
support to Avhich the remaining one may be se¬ 
cured, and this is then brought as nearly erect as 
possible and tied to the butt, as in the engraving. 
When the erect position has become established, 
the supporting portion is cut away even Avith 
the trunk; if this be done at the usual season 
of pruning, the wound will soon heal over. 
Early May and Early Richmond Cherry. 
—This popular and early market cherry has also 
been called Kentish. It seems to be established 
that it is a Virginia seedling, long known in the 
State Avhere it originated, as the Early May. 
The elder Prince procured the variety from 
Richmond, Ya., and called it the “Richmond.” 
The Illinois State Hort’l Society, at its recent 
meeting, voted to adopt the name Early May. 
