60 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Feb. 
Winter Pruning 
Among the operations that the amateur can employ 
an hour or two of the sunny part of the day out of 
doors, is the pruning of the various fruits, such as goose¬ 
berries , currants , grape vines , and apples. Gooseber¬ 
ries fruit from small spurs on the old wood, and on 
the last year’s shoots also. Hence they require only 
the superabundant wood cut out, leaving about an inch 
at the bottom to form the spur ; no branches should 
cross or be closer than nine inches to each other. 
Currants. —The black, bears from the young wood 
only ; hence requires only thinning, and an occasional 
worn out shoot taken out from the bottom, which in¬ 
duces young shoots to start from the same place, and 
so keep the tree young and vigorous. The red currant 
requires differant treatment, as its fruit is borne only 
on small spurs on the old wood. All last year’s wood 
should be cut back to one inch, excepting the leading 
v, shoot on each branch* which may be left from three to 
six inches long, according as it may be wished to in¬ 
crease the size of the bush. It will be found a good 
way in pruning gooseberries or currants, to keep the cen¬ 
ter of the bush entirely open, leaving as many tiers of 
branches around this open space as the size of the tree 
will admit of, by which means a larger space is pre¬ 
sented to the action of the sun and air, materially 
aiding the quality of the fruit. 
Grape Vines. —The sooner they are pruned the 
better. By far too much wood is left in most cases on 
the vine, diminishing the quality of the fruit, and ren¬ 
dering them more susceptible to disease. The leading 
shoots of the vine should be trained straight, whether 
horizontal or perpendicular ; at a distance of eighteen 
inches or two feet apart, cutting off all lateral shoots 
growing from these back to one eye. If the space on 
which the vines are growing is a good height, the best 
way to train the leading shoots is, first to take an hori¬ 
zontal shoot on each side of the main stem, at about 
six inches or a foot from the ground; then from this 
at every 18 inches, (see figure,) start a perpendicular 
shoot to the top of the wall; but if the space is low, a 
better way is to take the first leading shoot perpendic 
ular, and from this start the branches horizontally at 
the same distance apart. This gives the vine a neat 
and tasty appearance and allows the foliage plenty of 
room to expand, without which grapes of first quality 
cannot be expected for any length of time. 
Apples require some little attention in regulating 
the shoots - and keeping the tree compact; all cross 
wood should be taken out, the center kept clear, and 
every branch allowed room to develope its foliage ; the 
superior quality of the fruit will more than repay the 
trouble. Fine fruit must not be expected if the tree is 
a thicket; the only passable fruit will be at the points 
of the shoots; those on the inside will be small and 
colorless. E. S. — 
Fruits Free from Rot. 
I have a tree grafted with Spitzenburghs, the fruit 
of which is much subject to rot. Please inform me 
whether if grafted with other varieties, the fruit will 
be as liable to rot. A. Wanzer. SHerman, Ct. 
As we do not know the cause or character of the rot¬ 
ting described,we can answer only in a general way, by 
observing that the Spitzenburgh is usually not so hardy 
a tree nor sound a fruit as the Rhode Island Greening, 
Roxbury Russet, Baldwin* Peck’s Pleasant, and a few 
others, and therefore there is a probability that re-graft¬ 
ing with these fairer varieties, would effect an improve- 
Flowers for the Shade. 
I should much like to see a list of flowering plants 
that do as well in the shade as in a situation fully ex¬ 
posed to the sun. Jas. Hitchcock. Port Clinton , 
a, Pee, 28. 
There are several flowering plants that do better in 
the shade than when fully exposed, among which are 
those brilliant evergreen shrubs, the Kalmias and Rho¬ 
dodendrons. The Mezercon succeeds best in the shade, 
as well as the Funkia japonica, the gentians, chrysan¬ 
themums, pansies, the periwinkle, gladiolus floribun- 
dus and nataliensis, the Tiger flower, the auriculas, 
cowslips, and the forget-me-not. Most of the Phloxes, 
and Ranunculus do well in the shade, and many bul¬ 
bous plants, as hayicinth, tulips, &c. All our wild 
flowers from the woods will of course succeed; such for 
instance as the Hepatica, Claytonia, Erythronium, Tril¬ 
lium, Lilium philadelphicum, Cypripediums, Orchis 
fimbriata, and Cymbidium. Some evergreens are 
much better grown in the shade; among them the box, 
which is always of a fairer green when sheltered from 
the sun. The English Ivy and the yew are of the same 
class. This list might, doubtless, be greatly enlarged 
by those who have had occasion to grow plants in the 
shade, our experience being quite limited in thisdirec- 
Manure for Fruit Trees. 
Will you be so kind as to inform me what kind of 
manure is best for peach and apple trees, young ones, 
I mean; by doing so I shall take it as a great favor. 
Truly, L. Adams. Neicark, N. J. 
For nearly all localities, nothing will be found better 
than a compost made of turf, stable manure, and a por¬ 
tion of ashes. The turf should constitute one-half or 
two-thirds, and the ashes if fresh,, about a twentieth 
part, or if leached about a twelfth part of the stable 
manure. Bone manure, if accessible, may be added 
in still smaller quantities, but has not been much tried. 
A mixture of loam and peat may be used as a substi¬ 
tute for, or an addition to the turf. The heap should lie 
several months, and be well mixed. If for immediate 
use, rotten manure and ashes in the above proportion, 
will do very well. 
