382 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[September 18 . 
obstructions. In a young tree the proportion of what 
is technically termed “ sap-wood,” is immense, and the 
fluids must ascend with a freedom very different to that 
of aged trees. Hence a greater amount of self-restoring 
power,—hence a less amount of suffering,—and hence 
more innate energy, to withstand the attacks of insect 
tribes, which, it is well known, much more readily attach 
themselves to delicate subjects than those which are 
robust, and for pretty obvious reasons. 
Any one, then, having trees of some age, or bulk, to 
remove during the ensuing rest-season, will do well to 
open a trench around the trees immediately, unless 
such trees have a crop of fruit on them of any great 
consequence. The trees will flag slightly, perhaps, but 
this is of no consequence; in many cases, a positive 
advantage, as tending to a more fruitful ripening of the 
wood. This trench must be opened precisely at the 
point where the operation would be performed in the 
ordinary process of removal, and it may remain open 
until the tree is to be removed, which may be in the 
very end of October. The excavation must be as deep 
as any side-root extends, or a little deeper, and every 
root cut away, paring the ends with a sharp knife, and 
taking care to cut just where a tuft of fibres exists. 
This we consider important, for it is a long time before 
thick roots in naked parts emit such fibres, and some, if 
of much age, scarcely ever; the sure consequence of which 
is a decay, if not a positive disease in the part, which, 
doubtless, has a tendency to extend upwards, and, per¬ 
haps, to corrupt the juices of the tree. This done, we 
advise, as a compensation, a liberal watering of liquid- 
manure ; and, indeed, it will be good practice to apply 
several inches in depth of half-decayed manure. This 
will serve a double purpose,—that of inducing the for¬ 
mation of surface fibres, and of arresting the departure 
of the accumulated ground heat. 
It is well known that the earth begins, at a certain 
period, to repay the heat it had accumulated from the air, 
and although this does not commence in a fixed way at 
any precise period, yet we think that after the middle of 
August a gradual decrease may be counted on. Of course, 
if it be possible to arrest this ground-heat, the proceeding 
will -b‘e in favour of a speedy granulation of the wounded 
parts, and if this does not produce a fresh net-work of 
autumnal fibres, it will, at least, throw the roots in a 
position to produce them early in the spring. The 
surface-fibres, moreover, beneath the coating of mulch, 
will be by no means inactive; here thousands of mouths 
will be excited, and, we may as well add, thousands 
created. 
Thus may every tree that has to be removed be 
served, for even the small ones will be benefited by it. 
In the meantime, proper preparations may be made for 
the l’eception of the tree; holes may in a few weeks be 
excavated, and a substratum of hard material provided. 
The procuring of soils may at once proceed, according 
to former advice, which we need not repeat here. 
Whilst on this topic we may as well advert once 
more to autumn root-pruning, in order to facilitate the 
ripening of the wood, and tame undue luxuriance in 
gross trees. It has before been observed, that this 
proceeding, the preparation of trees for transplanting, 
and the putting out cuttings of various fruits, all pro¬ 
ceed on a close identity of principles, viz., the promotion 
of the solidification of the wood, termed “ ripening,” or 
I the excitement of a granular process betimes, paving 
the way to abundance of early fibres. 
In the next place, we beg to remind our readers that 
by the time these observations become print, it will be 
time to commence Fig stopping; the reasons for this 
have been stated repeatedly; but, like other repetitions 
which we feel obliged to submit to, this may have its 
use as a reminder. Besides, as The Cottage Gar- 
i dener is not always confined to the same set of readers, 
and the fresh recruits may not have access to the earlier 
numbers, it becomes a duty so to do. The fig, as is 
well known, is not indigenous to Britain, it comes from 
warmer and more cloudless climes. Our summers, there¬ 
fore, are not long enough to enable the tree to complete 
its elaboration; much of the later growth is, therefore, 
of so spongy a character as to have a tendency, in the 
ensuing spring, simply to enlarge the fabric of the 
tree. Now, this is by no means desirable; the tree is but 
too apt to over-reach its bounds. Besides, immature 
growths are not so hardy as those of a mature character, 
and the power of enduring a hard frost is at all times a 
consideration. Now, by a timely stopping of the points 
of the young shoots, especially such as are robust in 
character, both purposes are effected, and, in addition, 
the points of many of the shoots become studded with 
embryo fruits, which being decidedly organised as such, 
and placed beyond the reach of any metamorphosis, are 
just of the kind to produce an early crop in the ensuing 
year. The stopping consists in merely pinching or 
squeezing the extreme points of the shoots, and with 
regard to most kinds this may be done very early in 
September. At the same time, all late or succulent 
growths should be stripped clear away, in order to let 
the sun shine on the fruitful shoots. No practice is 
worse than allowing such shoots to be shaded by their 
rampant neighbours ; indeed, the solar light must now 
be brought to bear on every leaf of the shoots to be 
relied on, and the wall must be allowed to become 
heated by the immediate action of the sun. By such 
means, and such only, can the thorough maturity of the 
fig be carried out. Exceptions there are, we are aware; 
very hot summers may save the operator this trouble, 
and in our more southern counties, such as Sussex, 
nothing of the kind is needed: we, however, have to 
shape our remarks for the United Kingdom. 
E. Errington. 
THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 
A Geranium Wall .—When I sat down to write my 
last week’s letter, I had no intention of broaching the 
subject about sheltered walls to grow the different sorts 
of summer-flowering geraniums against, but two or three 
other projects were striving for the mastery at the same 
time, and this fancy had the best of it, so out with it I 
must, although in doing so I may have done injustice 
to it for want of a good explanatory introduction or 
preface. Some may suppose that the subject occurred 
to me only at the moment, and that, without much con¬ 
sideration 1 let it loose for a chance shot; but that is 
certainly not the case. I have thought of it over and 
over again for these six years back; I have also ex¬ 
plained it to others, in conversation, and among the 
rest, to the Honourable Lady Middleton, who highly 
approves of it; indeed, 1 never met with any one who 
did not agree with me that such a wall might be made 
one of the most beautiful and novel features in a flower- 
garden. 
There were several specimens of geraniums trained 
against a large conservatory wall here, which were 
planted from time to time to fill the bottom of the wall, 
or the sides of some of the panels or divisions of the 
wall, while the more permanent plants were too young to 
cover the spaces intended for them ; and some of these 
geraniums still remain, although not done justice to, 
as they are looked on as temporary helps only, although 
they have assumed a character which puts it beyond 
all doubt, that if a good border were made for them, 
and planted with nothing else but geraniums, a scene 
might be got up at once most gay, most interesting, 
and, withal, a very marked novelty. Besides, for many 
years, and until Mr. Barry came and knocked down 
the old terrace walls about the mansion, to get in more 
