May 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
65 
hair, the scrapings from the beard, bones, ordure of 
animals and birds, are all applied to the same pur¬ 
pose.” 
We quote these facts because they shew a whole 
nation alive to the importance of preserving every¬ 
thing that aids in the production of food ; and if they 
were not thus careful, the soil would not be enabled 
to yield sufficient for the nourishment of the people 
—for China is the most populous empire in the 
world. Our countrymen will do well to take a lesson 
from them; and if the household of any cottage 
would be as minutely particular in saving every par¬ 
ticle of refuse for one year, they would do so ever 
after, for they would he convinced of its importance 
by the increased fertility of their garden. 
THE ERUIT-GAKDE N. 
Root Pruning. —It may seem strange to many of 
our readers that we reintroduce this subject at this 
period; nevertheless, we deem it our duty so to do. 
The spring has been so very ungenial, that in all 
probability the general cry will be that the blossom 
of the earlier fruits has set badly. We have passed 
one of the most severe Aprils on record ; and, 
from what we can learn, the severe frosts and snow 
which occurred extended over the entire surface of 
the kingdom. London papers reported Cases of 
extreme severity—as much as 7° or 8° of frost. 
Newcastle-on-Tyne reports were similar; and we can 
bear ample testimony as to the condition of Chester 
and the neighbourhood, for we ourselves registered 
6° of frost, and it was doubtless, on more than one 
occasion, greater. Now, as these throe stations con¬ 
stitute nearly a triangle including a great portion of 
England, the universality of tliis terrible weather is 
a tolerably fair inference. Much havoc must have 
been committed amongst our more tender fruits, 
especially apricots, peaches, plums, pears, and cher¬ 
ries. The consequence of all this is not merely the 
loss of fruit, total or partial; such trees will have 
little or no labour to perform, for such we term a 
cessation from bearing for one season. What, then, 
is the consequence in a future season ? Why, that all 
gross-growing trees will produce more breast wood 
than ever; and then comes a host of queries, of 
course, to The Cottage Gardener, as to what is to 
be done with these unruly subjects ? With regard 
to old trees, or those which have borne heavy crops 
for years, the case is very different—it is a kind of 
vegetable jubilee to them. Indeed, if our gracious 
Creator had not, in his infinite wisdom, laid the 
foundation for the occasional occurrence of what the 
world call “ blights," there can be little doubt that 
the longevity of most of our fruit-trees would be 
much abridged; and not only this, but very much 
of their produce would be of an inferior caste, both 
in size and flavour; therefore, with Pope, let us 
admit that “ partial evil becomes universal good.” 
The reasons, then, for introducing the subject 
now, is to show that something may be done, by 
anticipation, towards the productions of another 
year. We have several times root-pruned fruit-trees, 
under similar circumstances, during the last twenty 
years; and, when judiciously performed, it has 
always answered the point we intended. Indeed, we 
may boldly appeal to many of our readers whether 
they have not, before now, removed a pear-tree out 
of season, as it is the usage to say, perhaps at the 
end of April; and whether they have not, occa¬ 
sionally, been surprised to find blossom-buds on 
such a subject in the ensuing autumn, when, perhaps, 
it never produced one before? and all this in con¬ 
sequence of what we must, in an off-hand way, term 
abuse. 
Those who have gross and barren trees, therefore, 
may fearlessly apply the horticultural lancet, even at 
this period. We would not prune back so severely 
as we would in the end of October. It is better, at 
this period, to be rather more moderate ; and, instead 
of pruning so much of the extremities of the roots 
away, to leave 'the trench open for a few weeks, in 
order to check them by drought. This is by far a 
more legitimate course than root-pruning. Indeed, 
the forming a deep trench round a gross tree, and 
suffering it to remain open most of the summer, 
would generally go far towards taming the most 
robust of our fruit-trees, and would not unfrequently 
supersede the necessity of more severe operations, 
especially if a hot and dry summer occurred. It 
would be tantamount to planting the tree on a 
hillock, totally elevated above the ground level, the 
effects of which arc well known, and not yet suffi¬ 
ciently appreciated in our northern counties, or in 
the moist climate of Ireland, and the chilly one of 
some parts of Scotland. The only thing that tells 
against this course is the untidy appearance of such 
excavations: we, therefore, dare only recommend 
this course in the ordinary orchard. 
We have before treated of the general maxims or 
principles of disbudding, as applicable, in the main 
features, to most of our trained fruit-trees in com¬ 
mon ; we now deem it necessary to handle each 
family of fruits in detail, as every one possesses 
some slight peculiarity. We thus hope to bring 
good fruit culture home to every man’s door in due 
time, and make every point as familiar as household 
stuff; and if we should live half-a-score years longer, 
it is not improbable that what-appears at present 
erudite or obscure, will be familiar to the cottage 
urchin of those days. 
Disbudding the Plum. —We commence our de¬ 
tails with this fruit on account of several queries 
recently addressed to us, and which we hope to 
answer in the course of our remarks. On referring 
to page 156 (No. 15), it will be found that we alluded 
to the vast difference in habit of growth between 
different sorts of plums. Thus—the Washington, 
the Magnum-bonum, the Jefferson, and suchlike, 
are managed with much difficulty in a trained state, 
unless some special means are taken to dwarf them. 
Our platforms will assuredly accomplish all this in 
the most faithful way, provided the points be duly 
carried out. We have, however, another duty to 
perform, and which must by no means be lost sight 
of. The great majority of the readers of The Cot¬ 
tage Gardener have to deal with established trees ; 
established, in the main, on principles averse to the 
objects here proposed. There are other kinds of 
plums which require a more generous soil—of such 
are the Greengage, the Royale Hatiwe, Coe’s Golden 
Drop, Morocco, Precoce de Tours, Imperatrice, &c. 
To commence with the grosser kinds: —these, hi a 
trained state, will begin to make very coarse shoots, 
from various parts of the tree, towards the end of 
May ; and means must be taken to equalise the sap, 
