58 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
best for decoration, both the foliage and flowers being good, and the habit 
fine. The corolla is rosy purple. 
24. Prince Alfred .—This also is a splendid Fuchsia, a most profuse 
bloomer, and a strong grower, so that it requires to be well stopped when 
in a young state. p -d 
A FEW REMARKS ON PRUNING CONIFERS. 
There are many persons who think that Conifers ought not to be 
pruned at all; and when planted for timber, when length and size of bole 
are the chief objects to be obtained, they are quite right in this opinion; 
but when planted for ornament, especially in pleasure grounds, where they 
are so immediately and constantly under the eye, then a certain amount of 
pruning is indispensably necessary, as trees of beautiful form and develop¬ 
ment are then the principal desiderata. 
By way of appendix to my remarks on Conifers in the January and 
February Numbers of the Florist and Pomologist, I will now offer a few 
observations on this subject. From a successful operation performed on a 
Cedar of Lebanon something more than eighteen years ago, I have been 
led to pay great attention to this matter. This Cedar was a poor, miserable, 
stunted specimen, which few persons would have hesitated to stub up at 
once; but I determined to give it a chance. I pruned the branches well, 
thinning them out considerably, and did not merely confine the thinning to 
the main branches, but also thinned out well the small spray on the 
branches. The tree had no lead, neither had it had one for some few years 
previous. It had abundance of roots, so that I had little doubt that the 
pruning I gave it would force the whole of the nourishing fluid into the 
smaller number of buds left, and that one would soon form a leading 
shoot, or that I could easily select one shoot for a lead. The result ex¬ 
ceeded my expectations, it soon pushed forth a good leader ; and the tree 
has since continued to flourish with renewed energy, and is now a hand¬ 
some specimen. 
In general, Conifers, when properly attended to from a young state, 
require very little knife-pruning, the forefinger and thumb will in most 
cases do all that is necessary, but unfortunately they are not always pro¬ 
perly attended to in the nurseries, and hence, when they come into the 
hands of planters, recourse is had to the knife to put them into form, espe¬ 
cially to shorten loose straggling branches, which give the tree greater bulk 
without adding to the beauty of their form. The Cedar of Lebanon requires 
a good deal of attention, as the young shoots in seasons like the last grow 
late, and, being unripened, are apt to get killed by the severe frosts of 
winter, as has been the case this season. The young growth in spring often¬ 
times suffers also from late frost. Should the leader get killed, by a little 
timely attention another may be soon established. The Atlas Cedar is every 
■way hardier than the Cedar of Lebanon, and requires little more pruning 
than merely pinching the ends off any straggling shoots, so as to keep the 
plants in nice form. The Deodar requires a good deal of attention, when 
in a young state, to get into a handsome form. The first specimen of it 
that I planted here seventeen years ago was very bushy and strong, but had 
no proper lead. It was left to grow untouched for three or four years, until 
it got well established, and then I pruned it well in, retaining the best shoot 
for a leader. The principal supply of nutriment being directed into this 
