July THE COTTAGE 
is deposited, should be regulated by the length of 
the root of the plant to be cultivated, and the just¬ 
ness of this will be appreciated from the facts, that 
in deep, poor, siliceous soils we have traced the roots 
of trees from twelve to fourteen feet perpendicular 
without reaching their termination; those of the 
Canada thistle to seven feet; common fern to eight 
feet; wheat, thirty inches; oats, twenty-four inches; 
potatoes, eighteen inches; onions, twenty inches; 
carrots, parsnips, and beet, two feet. An extensive 
strawberry cultivator also tells us that he trenches 
his beds three feet deep, and has found the roots of 
the British Queen go down the entire depth. 
The subject grows upon us, hut we will conclude 
our observations in a future Number. 
In our next number, without any increase of price, 
we shall commence our promised permanent adop¬ 
tion of sixteen pages instead of twelve pages, as 
at present. The Stove department has been en¬ 
trusted to one of our most skilful gardeners, and 
we hope that he will begin his essays at the same 
time. 
THE ERUIT-GARDEN. 
The Importance of Light to Fruit-trees. —The 
beneficial influence of a free admission of light to 
all parts of a fruit-tree are mostly admitted in the 
aggregate, but still not justly appreciated in the 
detail. It has become quite fashionable, during the 
last twenty years, to talk of the vast influence which 
this element has over vegetation, yet we still find 
gardens—the majority we fear—in which, during the 
prime of summer, the fruit-trees are smothered with 
young spray, and that, too, at the very period when 
solar light, acting freely on the leaves of those por¬ 
tions of the tree considered permanent, is indeed 
alone beneficial. At the close of the year everybody 
begins to think of pruning, at least as soon as the 
leaf has fallen; and then, when light is no longer of 
service, every pains will be taken to remove useless 
spray, and to prepare for another smothering or 
choking'course, which the absence of summer prun¬ 
ing is sure to produce. Now, why is such a course 
pursued ? A niggardly economy, we doubt not, will 
be found to he at the bottom of the whole affair as 
to many persons, who, not having either time or in¬ 
clination themselves to perform these operations, are 
yet able to employ a person to do it for them. We 
have, in our day, repeatedly known a whole garden 
of trained fruit-trees completely spoiled as to the 
prospect of well organized buds for the ensuing crop, 
or of a fruitful habit in ensuing years, through a 
fortnight’s neglect during the months of June and 
July. Only let this be duly considered, and it will 
at once be seen where the error lies. A fortnight’s 
labour in this respect need only cost the amateur, or 
persons living at ease (with a nice little garden, 
containing, in general, a little of everything which 
is truly good in the horticultural way), about the 
sum of two pounds maximum; and we should be 
glad to know who would thus wish to render nuga¬ 
tory the efforts of preceding seasons ? Nor is this 
GARDENER. 173 
all: the prospective profit and loss must be taken 
into consideration. Many gardens of this calibre 
have a nice wall or paling around them, and con¬ 
tain, perhaps, nearly an acre of ground set out in 
lines of fruit-trees, marginal espaliers, trees under a 
dwarfing system, together with rows of useful bush 
fruit. Now, if there be any truth in the principle 
which we must endeavour constantly to keep before 
our readers, viz., that light is the prime agent in pro¬ 
ducing fruitful ha,bits, where can be the gain in such 
a garden, provided we can prove that every tree in it 
is suffering every day, for many weeks, through the 
deprivation of this wondrous element ? Surely forty 
shillings would be well expended in this way, taking 
a mere profit and loss view of the affair. 
There is another point, however, equally important, 
in which to view this sad matter. We all know with 
what ardour a new garden is first enclosed, especially 
by one who never enjoyed the luxury—for such we 
must term it, and such it is, unless engaged through 
the medium of a merely mercenary spirit. Mighty 
prospects seem in store, when the proprietor, avail¬ 
ing himself of the advanced knowledge of the times 
he lives in, follows principles instead of mere tra¬ 
ditional rule. First-rate gardeners, perhaps, are 
consulted ; trenching, the providing against perni¬ 
cious subsoils, thorough drainage, &c., are had 
recourse to—all tolerably expensive processes, aud 
full of promise. Valuable kinds of fruit-trees, of 
course, are purchased of the nurseryman, and some 
other expenses incurred in providing composts, 
mulchings, labels, &c. Surely, after all these prepa¬ 
rations, a systematic mode of procedure should be 
followed up, and by no means be frustrated in the 
very prime of the season (when every glimpse of 
sunshine produces its corresponding amount of effect 
on fruit-trees) for the sake of a few days’ labour. 
We shall not offer any excuse for thus endeavour¬ 
ing to throw light on a subject hitherto somewhat 
obscured. Of course we do not suppose that all 
are thus circumstanced—we know many who form 
honourable exceptions. We have, however, said 
this much in order to prove that labour at proper 
periods, rightly directed, will assuredly repay the 
necessary cost; and to assist the proprietor of a 
little garden in “rightly directing” such labour is a 
province which The Cottage Gardener delights in, 
being at once its duty and its interest. The earlier 
portion of July should be occupied in a very close 
examination of all fruit-trees, especially fancy or 
trained kinds; and much of the waste shoots trimmed 
away, or, in cases of doubt, pinched back. 
The Raspberry. —Some of the suckers will by 
this period have become very luxuriant, and some 
show a disposition to branch laterally: the latter, 
notwithstanding their strength, are not such good 
bearers in the ensuing year as those of a medium 
character. When there is sufficient of the good 
suckers to any given stool, these rampant ones had 
better be cut down to the ground, for drawing them 
away by the root will disturb the other roots in their 
neighbourhood too much. Those not yet branched, 
and which are overtopping their stakes, may have 
the point pinched off in a fortnight or so. 
Double-bearing or Autumn Raspberries. —The 
true bearing suckers will soon be manifest by the 
blossom-buds appearing. As soon as these can be 
distinguished the barren ones may he drawn away 
or cut down—this operation may in general he 
carried out by the latter end of July. They should 
by all means be watered in dry weather; indeed, a 
little liquid manure would be of immense benefit, 
