184 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER 
July 
Now, when the conditions under which the roots are 
situated are taken into consideration, who can expect 
tig. b to continue for years in as healthful a condi¬ 
tion as fig. a. Indeed, if such were the case, the 
ample directions given by all men of first-rate prac¬ 
tice, to take every precaution in avoiding deleterious 
subsoils, would at once be overruled; and trees might 
be stuck in anywhere and anyhow, without the 
slightest pains. The unfortunate subject, fig. b, may 
indeed continue to grow for many years, hut the con¬ 
sequences will he that the tree will be altogether 
thrown into a false position—the elaborations will be 
altogether defective. The tree will, perhaps, blossom 
freely through sheer poverty or the inability to “run 
to wood,” as gardeners term it; hut depend upon it 
much of the blossom will be defective. 
We cannot, like oiu friend Mr. Beaton, in his ex¬ 
ceedingly interesting paper on Hybridizing, p. 143, 
urge so minute an examination of the component 
parts of the flower as he has done, but this we may 
say, that in matters of this kind we have in scores 
of cases found either no pistils at all or the same in 
the utmost state of decrepitude, in fact a withered 
abortion. Our readers will, no doubt, understand 
that by the pistils we mean the female organ of the 
flower, the little white column which stands up in the 
very centre of the blossom, and the agency of which 
is to convey the fertilising pollen or male dust down 
to the incipient embryo fruit or germ; or, as Mr. 
Beaton terms it, in the strict language of botanists, 
“the pericarp.” Well, then, it must be remembered 
that these pistils have a most important and exces¬ 
sively delicate office to perform; and are exquisitely 
endowed, both structurally and physically, in order 
to carry out the great end of nature, that constant 
reproduction which, through all ages, keeps our air- 
suspended hall clothed with verdure and fruits. 
Nature has also endowed this organ with a termi¬ 
nating point, termed the stigma. This has, or should 
have, a viscid matter exuding at the point, in order 
to catch the pollen which flies off at random with 
every puff of wind. If, then, this viscid matter is 
absent through poverty of sap or the decrepitude of 
age, success is impossible. We have thus shewn 
what consequences may ensue through maltreat¬ 
ment; no doubt many more occur of which we are, 
in the present imperfect state of science, totally ig¬ 
norant. 
Persons, somehow, get an idea that pruning is to 
accomplish wonders in such a case; and one will 
show how he pruned half way down, and another at 
least three parts. But of what avail can scientific 
manipulations about the branches of the tree be 
when all is constantly wrong at its root? 
Some old trees are great q>ets with certain persons, 
and no wonder: who does not look with something 
almost amounting to veneration on the fine old jar¬ 
gonelle at the chimney end, from which they re¬ 
member receiving so many luscious treats in their 
childhood, and about which their father was so 
proud, and over which he took so much pains? To 
see such a pet continuing still to produce shoots one 
season, to canker in the next, is indeed grievous; 
and the mind of the owner is kept in a painful sus¬ 
pense for several years, as to whether to cut it down 
and plant anew. Here, however, the dread of wait¬ 
ing some four or five years before fruit is produced 
deters the proprietor, and he continues to try nos ■ 
trums year after year, generally to end in failure. 
We have not space in this paper to offer special 
advice on this head, but we do intend to take the case 
of petted old fruit-trees in hand, and to offer some 
wholesome advice ; for these cases are by no means 
all incurable. Much may he done even when things 
look desperate; much more, however, by anticipation 
—by beginning to operate with the very first symp¬ 
toms of decay. 
It may here be observed, that in the case of fig. b, the 
deep roots extending into the subsoil must be cut 
away or extracted from the had position they are in. 
Such cutting away, nevertheless, must not be done 
without some previous preparation; and in future 
papers we shall, for the sake of simplicity, in treating 
this subject, refer to the two figures here given. 
As one preliminary step at this period, we would 
say, lay a compost, half manure and half turfy soil, 
which has been well blended for a twelvemonth, if 
possible, over the surface of the roots, extending 
from the bole nearly as far as the branches extend. 
This compost may be six inches deep, and a good 
watering with liquid manure occasionally will he a 
boon; the object being to do away with spade culture, 
if any, and to induce fresh fibrous surface roots to 
he produced, before cutting away the tap roots in the 
subsoil. R. Errington. 
THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 
Hardy Aquatics.—A correspondent has made some 
inquiries about these very interesting and ornamental 
plants. In answer to him, we might content ourselves 
by referring him to what we have already written upon 
the subject at p. 108, vol. i. of this work, but as we 
there only somewhat briefly touched upon it, we shall 
now return to the subject, first describing the habi¬ 
tations suitable for them, the way to form them, and 
the culture they require, concluding with a select list 
of the most beautiful species. If a query arise as to 
the usefulness of such a subject or such plants in the 
amateur or cottager's garden, we reply that the greater 
the number of objects of interest and beauty in a 
garden of moderate dimensions, the more likely that 
garden is to increase a love of it in the mind of the 
possessor; and the more the love of the simple plea¬ 
sures of gardening is ingrafted into the mind, the less 
power over it will the too common pursuits of low, 
degrading, falsely called pleasures have. 
Situation .—We say, then, to the lovers of garden¬ 
ing, cultivate those really beautiful plants—hardy 
aquatics. They require a proper situation and ele¬ 
ment to grow them in. Choose the lowest part of 
your garden; dig out the soil or clay to a moderate 
depth; you may make use of this to form a small 
eminence, and on this eminence place a seat, plant¬ 
ing it with shrubs or trees; and on one side of it you 
may have a rockery, a cave, a grotto, or simply only 
a rising ground to vary tire surface of the garden or 
lawn; or it may be carted away at once if you do not 
think pi-oper to make use of it for these purposes. 
The Aquarium (place for water plants) may either 
he of a regular form, as a circle or oval, or irregular, 
which latter we prefer, with a bay in one part, a jut¬ 
ting promontory in another, a shelving shore here, 
and a steep bank covered with shrubs at another 
point. However small the piece of water may he, a 
little good taste and judicious management will have 
the best effect. Having formed the shape by digging 
out the soil to the required depth, from two to three 
feet, the next point is to make it hold water. There 
is nothing better than clay for this purpose ; it will 
require preparing to make it retentive of water. Take 
a small portion, say a harrow-load, and chop it into 
small pieces with a sharp spade. If it be dry, add a 
