February 20. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
231 
four score eggs. These crushed now, will save the trees 
from those ruinous depredations which the caterpillars 
commit if left uncontrolled. 
Pears. —As we have to hasten to other important 
subjects shortly, we must draw our “rest-pruning” 
papers to a close. The pruning of the pear, according 
to our practice, has so many features in connexion with 
the apricot and tho plum, that a few hints will suffice. 
Such refer chiefly to trained pears. When we say 
trained, wo except the pyramidal forms, so much and 
deservedly recommended by Mr. Rivers, for general pur¬ 
poses, in our more southern counties; an exception 
more in point of form than as involving any principle. 
In our practice, removing snags is the first point; of 
these there is sure to he plenty, unless the trees are in a 
very humble state. All such may he cut away as sug¬ 
gested for the apricot, leaving of course the base of all 
those which possess symptoms of natural spurs. Those 
which do not, may be cut clear away. And now a 
selection must be made amongst the young spray; the 
shoots of the preceding year which has been reserved. 
Above all fruits the pear has, as we think, the most dis¬ 
tinct character in its young shoots. This is not mani¬ 
fest in every kind alike; but in the majority of cases 
three distinct kinds may be readily discovered on a 
careful examination : when we say kinds, we of course 
mean as to outward appearance. There will be long- 
jointed weak shoots, long-jointed gross shoots, and 
short-jointed compact shoots. 
Now, to those who do not yet comprehend these 
practical marks, wo say, if you feel an interest in the 
subject, just look over your trees, collect a shoot duly re¬ 
presenting each of these classes in the extreme, and 
give them ten minutes close study. In all cases, the 
shorter the joints or internodes, the more fruitful are 
they likely to become in the least time. 
We were examining the wood of various pears this 
very evening, with a view to exhibit the character of the 
three lands of wood (on the average) here alluded to; 
we find that the eyes of long-jointed weak shoots are 
from one-and-half to two inches apart; the long-jointed 
and gross from two to two-and-half, and the short- 
jointed compact shoots average half-an-inch. 
Now, since all practical men have agreed from time 
immemorial as to the varying tendencies of shoots, 
varying so much in character, tho propriety of a care¬ 
ful selection is obvious; and equally plain it is, that 
since “the knowledge of a disease is half its cure,” the 
subject is deserving of a most grave enquiry by those 
who would advance in fruit culture. 
To revert to the digressive point, “ a selection must be 
made.” It will be seen here, that we are advocating the 
tying-down, or otherwise fastening, a succession of 
young shoots annually; such we tie on the principal 
stems or leaders. Most of those which possess the 
short-jointed character before alluded to, may thus be 
treated, taking care that they be not too thick, or the 
intensity of shade will tend to defeat the object. Of 
course all superfluous shoots, although eligible, must be 
pruned clear away. We have mauy trees which have 
been thus treated for years, and on the main stems of 
such may be seen what might be termed bundles of 
spurs of an elongated character; in fact shoots interme¬ 
diate between the natural spur and ordinary wood. 
Such, when two years old, are almost certain to prove 
fruitful. If such are very short-jointed, they may be 
tied or nailed very close together, say half-a-dozen in 
a yard’s length, although we do not confine ourselves to 
any lixed number. No shortening-back of the leading 
shoots is requisite, unless for some specific purpose. 
R. Errington. 
PACKING TREES FOR THE COLONIES. 
We are again pressed for information about the 
transmission of fruit-trees, &c., to New Zealand, Aus¬ 
tralia, and other colonies. “ I am led,” says a corres¬ 
pondent, “ by my connection with these countries, to 
request that you will give the subject your full con¬ 
sideration, and the benefit of it to your subscribers at 
your earliest convenience. I am sure that great 
difference of opinion exists among practical gardeners 
and nurserymen on the subject. My son, who is settled 
in Australia, wrote to me two years ago, requesting me 
to send him the best varieties of pears, apples, plums, 
&c., &c. He directed me to lay the roots on oven-dried 
sand, and to cover each successive layer with the same, 
confining the sand in a close box of rough slabs, with a 
packing of moss, and protecting the spray of the plants 
with splines (small pieces of wood) nailed at intervals, 
so as to admit the air to them. The first nurseryman I 
consulted told me I must reverse this plan, and pack 
the roots in wet moss, shredded fine, and packed as 
close as possible round the roots. A second assured me 
he was in the habit of sending large quantities of fruit- 
trees to New Zealand, and that he sent the roots 
puddled in well-wetted clay. A third said that nothing 
but a Wardian case would secure the plants living 
through their five months’ voyage, and its various 
trials. The expense of this, in my case, and for so 
large a number of plants as I wished to send to my 
son, was out of the question. I must, therefore, choose 
between the wet clay and wet moss, and the dry moss 
and sand. If you can relieve me by your advice, &c., 
n your widely-circulated journal, you will be conferring 
a great boon on me, and others situated as I am, &c.” 
Now, I may affirm with confidence, that there is no 
subject on which we treat in The Cottage Gardener 
of which all of us know less, practically, than this. I 
have myself packed plants for the Cape of Good Hope, 
for India, and to many other foreign parts, and with 
considerable success, but, although I often requested 
special reports on each subject, and on every style of 
packing I adopted, I never could get at the whole truth, 
at least not so far as to warrant me to prefer this or 
that mode of packing as the best, and it would appear, 
from the privacy of English firms, who import largely 
from the most distant parts, that there is a kind of 
rivalry among them, if not a jealousy, as to wdio is to be 
the most successful in the race, so that we are not very 
likely to be much assisted in our present enquiry from 
this source. Yet the experience of foreign settlers, who 
receive consignments of plants, and that from these 
firms, if we could but get hold of it, would be far more 
valuable than our best-laid schemes grounded on theory, 
or even on our own knowledge of the requirements of 
plants under the particular circumstances. 
Mr. Fortune, who was sent out to China, first by the 
London Horticultural Society, and afterwards by the 
East India Company, took out with him a great number 
of plants, and also brought home with him, and sent 
before him, a still greater number in very good preserva¬ 
tion, and his experience in packing and shipping for dif¬ 
ferent countries is equal to that of any of our best 
private collectors abroad. He is the only one that I 
know of, who has written a minute account of all his 
plans under the most recent improvements; and every 
one who is interested in the subject ought to read his 
accounts, which are published in the journal of the 
Horticultural Society, particularly in a paper in the vol. 
for 1817, page 115. The only drawback in his expe¬ 
rience, for general purposes, is, that the whole is on the 
Wardian principle, and, therefore, too costly for most 
people, as our correspondent says. In a thoroughly 
close Wardian case, according to Mr. Fortune’s expe¬ 
rience, not a drop of water is lost from here to China. 
