84 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 15. 
be taken to leave no bruises on tlie roots, and we in¬ 
variably prune to a bunch of libres, for fear that in 
cutting a naked portion gangrene might ensue, 
through a part of the root dying back. 
Root Pruning the Cherry. —It is seldom that 
this process is required with this tree. In the larger, 
grosser-wooded, and large-leaved section, however, it 
will be needed, as they are rather unmanageable 
characters to dwarf. This, we suppose, has led Mr. 
Rivers to try the Mahaleb as a stock. He is for 
beginning with the root, and a very proper idea too, 
but we do not know how far he has succeeded.* The 
Morelios, the Kentish, and the Dukes, can scarcely 
ever need it, unless under very bad management; 
we therefore need say little more about this family. 
Root Pruning the Apricot. —Overgrown young 
trees of the apricot may be root pruned with advan¬ 
tage; the operation should not, however, be carried 
to an extreme, for, like the peach and nectarine, their 
power of rallying again is not so great as the apple 
and the pear. 
Having now gone over the principal fruits, we 
must close the root pruning question for a little 
while in order to make way for various matters which 
will soon begin to press. Any peculiar cases which 
may occur can be answered in the way of queries; 
and we must here join our friend and coadjutor, Mr. 
Beaton, in requesting that such be couched in few 
words: this is the way to get at the pith of the affair. 
Besides, queries of an ingenious character will hit at 
principles—not mere rules. 
Root-pruning Rule. —It will be asked bv some of 
our amateur friends how far they must cut away 
from the stems of the apples, pears, peaches, &c. If 
we could at once answer this question we should feel 
exceedingly clever, and on the least consideration of 
the case it will be obvious that the extent of root 
pruning must be ever dependent on the amount of 
luxuriance of the tree in question, combined with 
the extent of its vital powers. We will, however, 
endeavour to convey an idea. We would throw all 
our fruit-trees into two classes as to root priming 
affairs, and these we would term the luxuriant and 
the excessively luxuriant. Taking it for granted that 
a tree generally throws out fibres or roots as far as 
the branches extend, we would say form an ideal 
circle to that distance. This done, divide such circle 
into three divisions or subordinate circles. For the 
first class, then, or “ the luxuriant,” cut away one- 
third—of course the outer one; and for the second 
class, or “ excessively luxuriant,” cut away at least 
half of the second circle as well. We now speak 
with reference to the apple; for the pear a greater 
amount of severity may he practised on the one hand, 
and on the other the severity may decline according 
to the order in which we placed them. 
We do not claim any infallibility in such an attempt 
at precision. We hope the good sense of our readers 
will teach them to modify such dry rules by making 
themselves still better acquainted with the laws which 
govern the vegetable kingdom. R. Errington. 
THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 
IIardy Autumnal Flowers. —We resume the notes 
on very late autumnal flower-garden plants. Sweet 
alyssum is just as full and as ga.y as it was at the 
* e !?® ve some cherries on the Mahaleb from Mr. Rivers. They 
are dwarf bushes, and bear weU.—ED. C. G. 
beginning of last June, also as highly-scented as at 
any period during the season. The scent of this old 
annual is overpowering to many people. Being a clear 
white flower, and covering its own foliage, it is one of 
the most accommodating edgings we have—as pure 
white will associate with almost any other colom - . 
There is a variegated form of this plant which is still 
richer as an edging, but as it must be kept by cut¬ 
tings, and have the shelter of a cold frame in hard 
frosty weather, it cannot be so universally used as 
the other, which will preserve itself from year to year 
by self-sown seeds; and if the seedlings are planted in 
little patches six inches apart, and nine or ten inches 
from the edge of a bed or border, it is all that is 
necessary for the whole season, and they will answer 
very well if planted any time before the end of May. 
Neja gracilis is one of those genteel weeds which we 
grow in large flower-gardens for some peculiarity or 
other. It is grown here for its late flowering, and to 
suit very small beds, for which its neat habit of 
growth is well suited, and it does not rise above ten 
or twelve inches high. It is a hardy greenhouse 
or frame plant, with yellow daisy-looking flowers, 
from Mexico about twenty years since—strikes freely 
from cuttings in the spring, and the plants thus raised 
flower the following autumn. It is very suitable to 
those who make use of annuals in May, as it will 
come in time enough after the early annuals are over, 
and, if certain beds were set apart for particular co¬ 
lours, this should follow the Sphenogyne speciosa, the 
gayest of the low yellow annuals. Lupinus Hart- 
wegii is nearly as much in bloom as at any time 
through the season. It is by far the best of all the 
lupins for a large bed, but it is not suited for a small 
one, as it will grow a yard high; it bears the knife, 
however, and may be kept lower than is natural to it. 
The flower-spikes ought to be cut off as soon as one- 
third of the bottom flowers fade. If it is allowed to 
ripen a pod of seeds the plants will look rubbishy 
for the rest of the season. The seeds should be sown 
as early as March, and on a slight hotbed if possible, 
but it will do on a warm south border, and to be 
transplanted any time about the end of May. 
Salvia fulgens .—These red salvias have been very 
lazy this season with me, not flowering till late in 
August; but they have made up for this in October. 
I never saw them finer than they are now, that is 
on the last day of October. There are two forms of 
it, the old green-leaved one and a variegated leaved; 
the height and flowers are the same in both, but the 
variegated one makes the best bed. They are only 
adapted for large beds. The blue salvia patens is 
still as fine as ever; this, also, is only fit for large 
masses, and the white variety of it is also in good 
bloom just now. There is no mistake about this 
being a fine thing, and just such as we wanted for a 
long time, for we have had nothing good for a tall 
white bedder. I have only two plants of this white 
salvia, as, to tell the truth, I have so often burnt 
my fingers with novelties in this line that I was 
rather shy about recommending a large batch of it 
to be brought in last spring, which I now regret, as 
the plant does not propagate well but in the spring. 
Salvia chamcedryoides is also a very useful blue bed¬ 
der, now in full bloom, and has been all the season; 
it is all but hardy, and is well suited for small beds 
and for edging round the salvia patens. In the 
early part of summer this salvia ought to be pegged 
down to the ground, as is often done with the S. 
patens and other plants. Salvia prunelloides is 
another blue one, very dwarf, but only suited for 
patching a mixed border, and it likes a low, damp, 
