APRIL. 
99 
been transferred to paper, and the portraits of Little Harry and 
Lady Harding, in the Floral Magazine,” and of Kifleman 
and Pandora in our present number, will express better than 
my words can do, what exquisite varieties they are. Of others 
I have also notes against, and give in order those that seemed 
to me most deserving of notice. 
Ariadne,^ cream and buff*. There was an air of novelty about this, and it 
promised to be free in growth. 
Caractacus, rosy carmine, blush tips ; large and fine flower; will probably 
do better as an exhibition flower than as a specimen. 
Golden Hermine. Those who value the older one will gladly recognise 
in this a valuable sport; the flowers are orange, tipped, as its parent, 
with carmine. 
Little Harry, a beautiful bright yellow, most perfectly incurved, never 
needing to be dressed, and one of the most profuse bloomers possible ; 
the plant, too, is easily grown. Ex. ex. 
Lady Harding, a pretty rosy pink, equally abundant in bloom to the last, 
though larger, and beautifully incurved. Ex. ex. 
Lord Elgin, that indescribable colour, bronzy rose, finely incurved. 
Pandora, deep nankeen, with yellow centre ; fine show flower. Ex. ex. 
PncEBUS, bright orange, not very large, but very free in blooming; later in 
flower than some of the kinds previously named. 
Queen of Whites, large white, and well incurved. 
Rifleman, dark ruby red ; a very noble looking flower, beautifully incurved 
and early flowering. This plate is taken from a very fine specimen. 
Ex. ex. 
Dealy March 23. D. 
PRUNING PEACHES AND NECTARINES. 
Too much is done with the knife and too little with the thumb and 
finger, in managing these as 'well as many other fruit trees. It is 
considered a very clever thing by many fast gardeners to use the knife 
freely, and well thin out their wall trees. Now, having suffered many 
years by allowing my gardener too much license with Saynor, I cannot 
do less than caution my fellow-sufferers in this way (and I know we are 
a numerous class) not to allow their gardeners a knife at all, except it 
be to prune Gooseberry bushes. In fact, I wish the Chancellor of the 
Exchequer would put a tax upon pruning knives; it would yield a good 
sum to the revenue, and save hundreds of Peach trees every year. 
The way I found out that the knife had caused all the evils my trees 
had been subject to for the last 14 years (during which time two series 
of trees had been “ used up,” and a third set were going in the same 
direction), was this:—My gardener left me two years ago, and wishing 
to bring a sharp young fellow who had worked with him for some time 
into his place, I took to the management of my wall trees p7'o. tern .; 
and being a subscriber to the Florist, took lessons from your back 
numbers, wherein thumb pruning is strongly insisted on ; and strictly 
following the plan laid down, I shortly discarded the knife altogether. 
I began my work in April, 1859. My principal Peach trees were 
then four years old, and were already getting naked in the centre and 
