rbariatlfttrf. 
INJUDICIOUS PRUNING. 
Under this head our correspondent, J. 
Wilkinson, protests against the too com¬ 
mon practice of removing all the lower, 
trailing limbs from ornamental trees. He 
says:—“ I have semi a number of the finest 
specimen trees in this region denuded in 
tliis manner, and their usual beauty utter¬ 
ly destroyed. 1 recently saw a fine old 
beech, which stood isolated on a beautifully 
rounded and thickly swarded knoll, which 
I had passed scores of times in the past 
twenty years, and had even turned about in 
my carriage to admire this model, patri¬ 
archal specimen of a growth of two cen¬ 
turies or more, with its immense, beauliTully 
rounded head, of some eighty feet, diameter, 
and thickly wooded and foliaged, pendant 
limbs trailing on all sides to the ground, 
and lo! some novice had bared its knotty 
trunk to the bight of twenty feet or more. 
My regret at the loss to such a venerable 
and colossal old land mark, was so intense, 
that I stopped and inquired at a cottage 
near, who was the “woodman” who, in 
these modern days, needed to be implored 
to “ spare such a tree," and learned that a 
man who styled himself ft gardener (and 
landscape gardener of course), had thus 
trimmed the old tree, as he said, “ becuse 
'twas so inconvenient to mow under the 
limbs, and there was a winter's wood in 
them low, worthless limbs.” 1 inquired of 
the nativity of this remarkable utilitarian, 
and learned that his grandmother was an 
Irishman, and tho neighbors called his em¬ 
ployer “ Mr. Shoddy.” In reply I only 
asked, “What more corthl we expect?” I 
have improved and planted lawns for gen¬ 
tlemen who, had they possessed such a tree, 
would not have had it so destroyed for thou¬ 
sands of dollars. 
It is a very common practice to cut away, 
ami thus destroy the beauty of very line 
trees by removing the lower limbs — that 
were rather low. I have for years practiced 
a means of correcting the growth of trees of 
this character, where it was necessary to re¬ 
move tho limbs or change their tendency to 
weep or trail too much, by propping up 
stu-.h limbs, while ! lashed or stayed them 
with strong cords or ropes if the limbs were 
large. I use short, pieces of laths, placing 
them under and around the limb and trunk 
where the lashings bear, which effectually 
prevent the cord from girdling the bark. 
The knot in the end most accessible should 
he tied in a manner that it may be easily un¬ 
tied ; for in sixty or ninety days after the 
limbs have been raised or lashed as hard as 
the wood would hear without fracturing, it, 
will he found that the limbs, still too low, 
may be-raised as much as they were at first, 
without injury, and with about the same 
ease. They tnay not only he raised in this 
manner, but the limbs may be lashed or 
trained laterally, so that instead of crowding 
one limb into another they may be made to 
fill open spaces, and thus greatly improve 
the symmetry and balance of the head. 
'flie best knot into which to tie a rope or 
cord around a limb is the “ timber hitch,” 
No. :18 in your illustrated chapter on knots, 
in Rural New-Yorker of Nov. 20, 1870, 
page Sol. The author of that article had cer¬ 
tainly a very knot ty subject, for 1 know not of 
a knot which he does not so intelligibly de¬ 
scribe and explain that one cannot make a 
mistake in any knot, except the matrimonial 
knot, which knot, I doubt not, many of 
your readers would like much to know how 
to tie so that even divorce could not untie 
the knot; while doubtless others again 
would not like a knot that cannot he untied 
at pleasure, which seems to be a quality in 
knots of not any secondary importance in 
the art of knot making, which, may it not 
«>nly be said, is an art, if not a. science. 
Knots in ropes arc very well; but not a knot 
on a tree, or it will not lie the tree for me. 
The truth of the maxim, “as the twig is 
bent the tree is inclined,” is powerfully illus¬ 
trated in the mode of training growth that. 1 
have recommended. Fruit trees may be 
greatly improved by this system of training. 
No fruit tree should be propped to enable it 
to support an excessive burden of fruit; it is 
much preferable to remove a portion of the 
fi'uit in the early stages of its growth. 
*-***- 
ARBORIOULTURAL NOTES. 
Hedges in Kalians. 
The Legislature of Kansas passed a bill 
giving an annual bounty of two dollars upon 
every forty rods of Osage or hawthorn fence 
planted within leu years of the passage of 
the act; the bounty to commence as soon 
as said fence shall be declared a lawful 
lenco, the bounty to continue for eight years 
the county or township assessor to be the 
judge of the merits of the fence. This law 
applies to all hedges already planted, but 
not come to maturity; provided, that no 
bounty shall be paid until a majority of the 
citizens of any county shall have voted in 
favor of the above law; and provided far¬ 
ther, that upon a petition signed by one- 
third of the legal voters of the county being 
presented to the county hoard, they shall, at 
a general election for county or township 
officers,submit the question to the voters of 
the county, and if a majority decide in favor 
of the law, the county commissioners shall 
declare said law in full force and effect, and 
stale the day in which it shall take effect. 
Ashes mill Mnlt for Pitting. 
Some time since, I saw in some paper that 
salt and ashes, put on and around the roots 
of plum trees, would cause the. trees to pro¬ 
duce more proliflcally, and would prevent 
the fruit from prematurely dropping. Will 
not the mixture kill the tree, when brought 
into contact with the roots?—C., Warrens- 
burg, Mo. 
One pint of salt and a peck lo half a 
bushel of ashes, scattered over the soil 
around a plum tree, will do no harm, and 
is likely to do much good. If a large quan¬ 
tity of salt, say two or three quarts, were 
put directly on the bare roots, it might kill 
the tree; but the same quantity, if scattered 
over the surface, extending as far as the 
ends of the branches of a large tree, would 
not be likely to do injury, although it is 
neither necessary or advisable to use so large 
a dose at one lime. 
jl onto logical. 
P0M0L0GI0AL GOSSIP. 
Mummer ICoxc Apple. 
I saw, somewhere last winter, favorable 
mention made of the Summer Rose apple. 
Can you tell mo anything about it, ami 
where it originated? — A Young Fruit 
Grower. 
Downing calls it a very pretty and very 
excellent apple, highly esteemed as a dessert 
fruit. Tree moderately vigorous and pro¬ 
ductive.” We happen lo have on hand an 
engraving of it, from a drawing by F. R. 
Elliott, im(l give the following as his de¬ 
scription of fruit and tree: 
Synonyma. —Woolman’s Harvest, Lippin- 
cott. 
Fra#.—Size, below medium; form, round¬ 
ish, flattened, regular; color, glossy pale yel¬ 
low, blotched and splashed, and streaked 
with two shades of rich red, few minute 
dots; stem, varying from stout to slender; 
cavity, narrow, pretty deep ; calyx, with re¬ 
curved segments partially or quite closed; 
basin, broad, open, pretty deep, slightly fur¬ 
rowed ; flesh, fine grained, white, tender, 
crisp, juicy, sprightly, agreeable, sub-acid ; 
core, medium to large ; seeds, abundant, 
short, plump, full, round, ovate ; season, 
July and August, 
Tree. —A vigorous, healthy grower, with 
short, jointed, stout shoots, forming a small 
or medium sized orchard tree, with an irreg¬ 
ularspreading head; very productive. Orig¬ 
inated in New Jersey. 
Bench IMtiina uikI Mulberries. 
1. I wish to make an inquiry through 
your paper. In White’s “ Gardening for 
the South,” the “Sea, or Early Purple 
Plum,” is spoken of Can you, or any of 
your readers, inform me where I could get 
some of this variety? I cannot find it in 
any Catalogue of fruit, either North or South. I 
3. Can you tell mo why the common Mul¬ 
berry will sometimes quit bearing when it- 
has borne for two or three years—and is 
there a remedy?— Dick Godson, Sherman., 
Texas. 
1. The “ Sea or Beacli Plum,” (Primus 
mmUma), is seldom cultivated in nurseries, 
although we think it worthy of more atten¬ 
tion than it, has heretofore received. It is a 
handsome shrub, growing five to eight feet 
high, hearing small, round, purple fruit, cov¬ 
ered with a whitish bloom. The fruit has a 
pleasant favor, and is esteemed by many 
families for preserving. We have often 
heard it assorted that this species of plum 
would not thrive except near lhe sea shore; 
but ibis is an error, for it has been found 
growing wild in tho interior of the country, 
and we have cultivated it. in our garden for 
several years, and the trees bear an abun¬ 
dant crop annually. Seedlings and hybrids 
might, he produced if some of our horticul¬ 
turists would take bold of this long neglect¬ 
ed fruit ami conduct a series of experiments 
for this purpose. 
2. We cupnot tell why a Mulberry tree 
should cease bearing unless the tree is dis¬ 
eased or frosts kill the blossoms. 
Hot lensteiii Apple. 
Under this name of Hottcnslein, we have 
long been familiar with one of the best 
apples grown. It has somewhat the char¬ 
acteristics of tho Northern Spy. Though 
supposing it to be a native of Northeastern 
Pennsylvania, we were unable to get at its 
history. Recently we discovered its where¬ 
abouts, and have been favored with the fol¬ 
lowing memorandum by a Correspondent: 
“ The apple you have reference to originated 
in Berks county, Pa. The original tree, a 
seedling, was owned by a man living in 
Kntztown, Pa., about ninety or a hundred 
years ago, by name Lipdert, after whom 
the apple was named with us; and it ap¬ 
pears that those persons who obtained the 
grafts from us gave the name of Holtenslein. 
The apple is an excellent one. The tree 
with us is about sixty years old, and bears 
regular crops of large and excellent fruit.”— 
Gardeners' Monthly. 
MANAGEMENT 0E DAHLIAS. 
Will some one tell me how to manage my 
Dahlias?- a. f. h. 
We will suppose that you have procured 
young Daldia plants from a florist or mir- 
ic Hi mu art. 
GRAFTING THE GRAPH 
Nothing is more important to the owners 
of vineyards, and indeed to any one, who 
has large vines of any kind he wishes to 
- .. . - 
Wm 
f 
% 
il s-S 
■//4r 
* 1 , I . viz:— S. peniayynia, which has of late years ^ 
been Cultivated to some extent in our North- (t ''ll £ 111 PtV| rfr 
w ern nurseries. Both species are elegant • j.’: -- * 
~ ~ ■ —. — - - _ . —— shrubs, and not surpassed in beauty by any -- - ° 
MANAGEMENT 0E DAHLIAS. of our more costly importations. The She- GRAFTING THE GRAPE 
- artias are not readily propagated, aud the iva " c tmArL, 
Dahlias?-” VS? te “ ,ue l,OW to manage my "! W plaut8 tli ® cu11 , l ° transplant, except Nothing is more important to the owners 
We will suppose that you have procured two'reasons'diftt we | 1, lliaps is 1,11 ll “ he " f vineyards, and indeed to any one, who 
youn'F Dahlia plants from a florist or uur- 1 U lbat seldom see them has large vines of any kind he wishes to 
1 1 ° , a uoi st oi uur am0D90Ur m0 re common ornamental shrubs, change than to know how to vi.,e< 
seryman. It they are in pots, turn them __ lul,u u> Kno " ,K)W to giatt vines. 
out, carefully preserving the hall of earth Gcrniitmu tm<i Uaueyancide. For it is not strange that In the excitement 
about their roots. Plant in good, rich soil, 1. Can you tell me what is destroying my vineyard planting, the owner finds her has 
placing the roots a little deeper than they geranium leaves? (Leaf No. 1) I have ex- not the best varieties; or that disease attacks 
a variety that was healthy when he put liis 
vines out; or that better kinds be seeded 
and he wauls to change to them. Several 
Tr _ r _r - V ’ P eiso118 seem to have solved the principle on 
-—- ^ ^ which the late success in grafting depends; 
js" 2 ’ “V^Vl for of all uncertain things, a lew years ago, 
V -n\ V ) -\ I J VrV Tl- V was grafting any grnpe vino, while now suc- 
£ _ \\ cess, not failure is the rule. That success 
X ' ) ^ seems to be founded on the principle of nice 
r \\ <x iW ^ adaptation of the cion to the slock which, us 
V l s v J \\ /4( \ a statement, is, at least, two thousand years 
/ y df V- V'/ \ old. But this adaptation consists rather in t he 
■{ \ j AW I way it is done. One man, years ago, cut 
l y ) J ~~ V \ obliquely into the stock with a common hut. 
y ^ \ thick hand saw, and fitted in the cion without 
splitting the Stock; ho clamm girrit. success 
_ pliancea about the cions ami stocks, f 
THK SUMMER ROSE apple. apprehend that the appliances are of little 
were in the pots. Plant a good, strong stake amined it very closely, and cannot find an value, only us they keep cion and stock in 
by the side of each, amt wbeu the stems are insect on it. 0. Also, what is the name of an even temperature and moisture; and 
high enough, tie them up with bass or some the plant to which the small leaf belongs. It while they allow the necessary escape of the 
other kind of coarse strings. Keep the soil is a slender, hard wood climber. I send two excessive flow of sap, they favor the reten- 
cuUivated about the plants during summer, leaves off the same plant,—L izzie Everton, tionof the mucilage in the sap, so that there 
and if the weather is very dry give plenty Des Moines , Iowa, is soon formed the essential callus about 
of water or, wlmt is better, cover the surface T, rK geranium leaves look as though they Gie cion. But he these matters as they may, 
)ly 
THK STJTVT. MKR ROSE 
other kind of coarse strings. Keep the soil 
cultivated about the plants during summer, 
and if the weather is very dry give plenty 
of water or, what is belter, cover the surface 
of the soil two inches deep with freshly-cut 
grass, as a mulch. During the hot weather, 
place a barrel in some dry place imkIci - 
cover, and into it put dry sand, whenever a 
little can he saved from the road or else¬ 
where. This Hand is to he used next winter 
for packing away your Dahlia roots, and the 
more thoroughly can he dried the better. 
Next fall, after Dm frost has killed the 
Dahlia leaves, dig up the tubers, being care¬ 
ful not to break them apart; cut off the 
is soon formed the essential callus about 
the cion. But he these matters as I hey may, 
had been blistered with hot water. Perhaps tlie f,lcl 1‘Ciliainti we have successful methods 
this has been done by sprinkling them when of grafting, aud the change of a vineyard or 
fully exposed to the direct rays of the sun. 
We have often seen these delicate leaved 
single vim: to a new kind or kinds is both 
easy and readily made, and it is one of the 
stems, leaving about six inches of the base sufficiently long for even this beautiful hardy 
attached lo the tubers, which should bo I pi :l nt. 
plants injured in this way. We cannot say m < wl ‘ valued of the later improvements in 
positively as this is the cause of the spots w ' ntl culture. 
upon the leaves you send, although they 1,1 ilU om ’ S™P e regions there are large 
have that appe irnnon numbers of acres being now yearly grafted, 
2. The name of the climbing plant is ,m( ' "'Hi admirable success, it. lakes, in 
Japan yellow variegated leaved honeysuckle favorable circumstances, t wo years to make 
{Lonicera hrarhypoda ’iurca redimlata) a name the change. He is unfortunate who cannot 
placed under cover and in a warm place, ' 7 
where the earth attached lo them wdl dry .. r ,, ,, .. r , 
„ ... . t, , , .« Mrs. J. G. P. writes:—“I hog you will 
so that it can ho readily shaken oil. I ,, .. L 
. , •, i . . - . , tell me the name of this flower. It grows 
Now take a wide box, about a foot deep, 1 , , , ... 
... , ... , ‘ on a shrub about five leet lngh,wilhsomc- 
and into it. place the bunches of tubers, close , . , . . , .... 
* ' what pendant branches. I he name ot the 
together; then till all the interstices with the . * , T , . , 
, ” , , . . ■ plant is given above. It is sometimes called 
dry sand previously prepared lor this pur- V, . r . , 
* ... . Corcnorus Japonica, but incorreclly. 
pose. Cover not only tlie roots, but a greater _J__ 
portion of the stem. A dry, warm cellar is a New Use for oia Buibn. 
the safest place tQ keep the tubers; hut the During a recent visit to a most delightful 
box should not be placed on the cellar hot.- garden, I got a hint of a use for old bulbs, 
tom, but elevated a few inches or feet. Un¬ 
less tin' cellar is very damp or cold, the 
tubers will not require any farther attention 
until spring. About a month before plant- 
In all our grape regions there are large 
numbers of acres being now yearly grafted, 
and wlt.fi admirable success, it 'lakes, in 
favorable circumstances, two years to make 
the change. He is unfortunate who cannot 
change a vineyard in three years by proper 
grafting. 
The Waller (lriti*e. 
Whether this is a hybrid, as has been 
stated, or not, one thing is certain, it makes 
one of the best wine flavoring grapes we 
have. Both Iona and Walter are being now 
sought for their sugar and mild flavor, to 
mix with Catawba, and other grapes, lo 
produce fine wines. I am no advocate of 
wine drinking, nor even of the too prevalent 
use in sickness. As a physician, the least 
amount of medicine, wine, or alcohol I can 
use the better; and I am surprised often, as 
one educated soundly in the regular profes¬ 
sion, how little l can use, and my patients 
ing time examine them, and if no sprouts place; and, further, that all tho best early 
which may interest many of our readers. It use the hotter; and I am surprised often, as 
must l>c remarked, first, that there are sever- one educated soundly in the regular profes- 
al extensive runs of holly and thorn fences, sion, how little 1 can use, and my patients 
and a few bits of half wild scenery in the do well, hotter than under lull doses. Yet 
have appeared, sprinkle the sand with tepid 
water; this will hasten the development of 
buds. Sometimes it is advisable to bring 
the tubers into a warm room, in order to 
hasten the sprouts. When the time arrives 
for planting, take out the clump of tubers, 
and divide them, by splitting the stems, into 
flowering bulbs arc grown in exhibition stylo 
good wines better be had if any at all. 
Walter is also a beautiful grape and an 
for the conservatory. It. is the gardener's excellent table grape, hardy and u vigorous 
rule to buy every year for this purpose, and 
it is his rule also not to destroy a single bulb. 
He disposes of them in a short and summary 
manner. When they have done blooming, 
they are transferred lo spare pits for the ad¬ 
os many pieces us possible, and leave a lmd vantage of a little shelter, and of course they 
attached to each tuber. The buds are always get a little water occasionally. As soon as 
formed near to, or just at, the place where 
the tuber is joined lo the main stem. Every 
bud, with even a small portion of a tuber at¬ 
tached, will make a strong, blooming plant 
in a few months. The culture should be the 
mild weather occurs in the early part of 
April, they are all planted out in front of the 
green fences and in the borders and odd 
nooks of the wilder parts of the garden. The 
process of planting consists in opening holes 
same as the year previous and already de- and turning out the ball complete, without 
scribed. Florisls, and others who have 
green-houses, start their dahlias early in 
February, and then propagate by green cut¬ 
tings, which strike readily and make good 
plants in a few weeks. But the amateur 
will succeed equally as well, and multiply 
his stock rapidly, by following the plan we 
have given, ami which has been our prac¬ 
tice for many years. 
-- 
FL0RI0ULTURAL NOTES. 
Mtnaviin. Virgiuica. 
By ibis mail I send you specimens of a 
flower lately found in our woods; no one 
here seems to know the common or genuine 
name. It grows on a shrub not very tall, 
and with flat lateral branches, the flowers 
slicking close to tile upper side of the limb. 
It grows on the bluffs near our swamps, is 
rare, but occasionally quite abundant.— Mrs. 
\Y. H. Coit, May mile, 8. 0. 
even removing the crocks from it. The re¬ 
sult is that wherever you go in the spring of 
the year about this place, you see thousands 
of snowdrops, crocuses, tulips, hyacinths and 
other equally beautiful flowers as they open 
in succession, and in a majority of cases they 
are really lino in quality, Ihe crocuses and 
tulips especially. If a great heap of cut flow¬ 
ers is wanted, there is no difficulty in obtain¬ 
ing them, and 1 was informed that a very 
grower. It is being diffused, and will, wo 
believe, grow more and more in the acreage 
now being freely put out. 
Tin: C'i'otou and Menu mi tin (tropes. 
T think the public are daily growing in 
their estimate of these two valuable grapes. 
One is a white grape, fair in size and beau¬ 
tiful in appearance. The other a dark 
grape. Esteem seems to be had most for 
the white, grape, because we have but few 
white American grapes of much value. The 
Cuyahoga is unripe; tho Martha somewhat 
foxy; the Rebecca one of the most misera¬ 
ble growers in existence. So of all our 
native white grapes; their aroma, habits or 
flavors are exceptionable. But Dr. Under¬ 
hill’s grope seems to be not subject to any 
of these evils. Give it a wide and fair trial. 
Certain it is that some of the best experts in 
American varieties speak well of it. 
Wyohiiiiu: Ut'il. 
Tuts is a red grape, and one of the earliest 
1 hr mime of Die shiut* ishtuaitut Vi) fftni- eeivert, but no plants inclosed. Send 
lea. There is also another native species, and vve will endeavor to name tbetn. 
- would not take this excellent grape mid nd- 
Drabo tVtiatV’-“ Fourteen'! ” inquiry is re- ; jmd p „fc it in the reach of all our 
eeived, but no plants inclosed, bond specimens 1 - , 1 ,, T m t» 
grape dealers. 
S. J. Parker, 2d. D. 
great cut is made every year for the dressing on the list of American seedlings. None of 
of the parish church at Easier. The bulbs tbe great grape growers have ever taken this 
are not the only things that are naturalized in band, propagated and diffused it by their 
In this way, for Lhebanks and boundary lines over wrought advertisements, and hence it 
are smothered with violets, primroses, sev- Stand® comparatively unknown. Lera ihan 
erul varieties of narcissus, and other equally two thousand vines in all have ever been 
desirable hardy plants, all of which have propagated. Its claims to public favor are, 
been turned out of pots when done with, tl |flt it is as hardy as the Delaware, much 
instead of consigning them, as is usually larger and sweeter, and ripens in the latter 
done, to tho muck heap.— Gardeners' May- part of August. Ir, is a great pity that some 
aeine. one who lias lime and tbe means to do it. 
