370 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Maecix 19, 1861. 
open air. As for sucli a purpose the first Beans are used when 
quite young, each plant will bear from six to ten pods. Some 
people just after the Beans are fairly formed and swelling, but 
quite soft and green, prefer cooking the whole pod, seeds and all, 
like a young Kidney Bean. R. Eisn. 
(To be continued.') 
PECULIAR DISEASE IN GERANIUMS. 
I AM fond of growing Scarlet and Pink Geraniums in pots 
for my greenhouse; but no sooner do they attain a respectable 
size than a peculiar disease makes its appearance at the ends of 
the shoots, the young leaves becoming speckled, and appearing as 
if punctured by an insect. The Lucia rosea kinds are specially 
subject to this calamity—in fact, I fear I must give them up 
altogether. I have tried shifting into poorer soil, but without 
any good effect; also with different composts, but with no 
better result. Can you say what is the cause of this?— •Con¬ 
stant Reader, Glasgow. 
[We can sympathise with you in this matter. We know the 
disease to our cost—the only one that we know of to affect 
Scarlet Geraniums. The cause of it is the attacks of some 
minute insect just as the leaf is unfolding from the bud. Some 
kinds are more liable to the disease than others. Every kind 
which has the sap of Lucia rosea, or that of Baron Hu gel, in its 
tissues is more liable to it than any others; but out of many, 
and those seedlings of a much weaker blood—the blood of 
Harkaway—we have not seen an instance of this malady, so that 
delicacy in habit or constitution has little to do with it. A 
new race of very dwarf and delicate edging Geraniums, called 
Liliputs or Minimums, are entirely free from it in our collection, 
as are all the Nosegays. 
The only remedy is to stop the shoots the moment the first 
leaf is seen affected; and if the plant could then be indulged 
with a little more moist heat, as that for forcing Boses, the cure 
could be easily completed. We saw it by the dozens and scores, in 
a nursery a few years back, and most of the plants had to be 
cut back in May more than one-half the length of the shoots ; 
but, by watching closely, the mere stopping of the shoots will 
do. We have two plants now under that rule, a kind which is 
affected every year. It is the best white-eyed kind we know 
from Baron Hugel and Mrs. Rickets; but from its uniform 
liability to such a malady, we must never let it out of our own 
hands, but keep it for the breed.] 
THE ROOTS OE FRUIT TREES. 
(Continued from 'page 354.) 
In highly cultivated gardens we often see fruit trees growing 
vigorously, producing abundance of watery shoots, which scarcely 
ever ripen, and, consequently, never produce any fruit-buds. 
Many cultivators try to remedy this unfruitful state by severe 
pruning—a course that only increases the evil. If the subsoil 
is day, and that undrained to a sufficient depth, then infallibly 
canker seizes upon the crude shoots, and they perish. I once 
saw a remarkable illustration of this state in the neighbourhood 
®f Leeds, in Yorkshire. I had the place to improve, and I 
observed several large Apple trees on one part of the grounds 
in perfect health, and bearing fine, well-swelled, good fruit; and 
others of the same kind, growing lower down on the same 
ground, diseased, cankered, and half dead. I was curious 
enough to try to find out the reason for this remarkable dis¬ 
crepancy. I had the soil of the part where the healthy trees 
were examined, and the soil where the sickly ones were examined 
also. To all appearance there was no difference, either in quality 
or depth. Digging still deeper, I found the healthy trees were 
growing on a shaly, dry subsoil, whilst the others were planted 
on a clay subsoil undrained. Here was the cause: the trees 
had grown equally well for a few years, but as soon as the roots 
Teached that part that was clay in a wet state, the young shoot 3 
all cankered, and half of them perished. I had these lifted, the 
land drained, and concrete put under each tree. They soon 
showed a favourable result from this labour, and recovered 
health and productiveness. 
Whenever the roots of fruit trees have to seek for food in bad 
subsoils the trees will invariably become sickly: therefore 
attention, to prevent the roots from pushing down into this bad 
substratum, should be given, or they had better not be planted 
at all. It matters not whether the subsoil be wet clay, wet 
sand, or wet gravel, the effect will be the same. If the most 
advanced roots for half the year, or perhaps more in wet 
seasons, reach this wet subsoil, they, instead of healthy nutriment, 
will suck in pernicious food, which will soon render the tree 
unhealthy. Now this disappointing state of the roots might 
undoubtedly be prevented naturally by choosing the position of 
the fruit garden or orchard with a favourable soil and subsoil; 
but that is not always a matter of choice, without going to an 
inconvenient distance from the homestead: therefore the culti¬ 
vator will exercise his judgment, and force, as it were, by art the 
situation he is compelled to adopt to grow his fruit trees 
satisfactorily. 
As I have already shown, I trust, how the roots of the trees 
in a fruit garden on a poor thin soil and bad subsoil may be 
furnished with a pasture to find healthy food, and thus restore 
the trees to health and fruitfulness, I propose now to show how 
the same good effects may be induced on trees growing on a 
deep, rich soil, resting on an unhealthy subsoil, and, con¬ 
sequently, in an unfruitful state, producing annually, indeed, 
abundance of strong young shoots, but no fruit, or, at least, 
next to none. It may be, after two or three dry seasons the 
roots will find some pi’oper nutriment, the wood will be ripened, 
and then, if a favourable spring happens in conjunction after¬ 
wards, the trees may bear a crop of fruit; but in our variable 
climate 3uch a succession of favourable years is an exception, 
not a rule. What we require is a fair average crop every year, 
and unless very severe late frosts occur wo ought to expect 
such a crop. 
The first operation to be performed to bring coarse-growing 
trees into a fruitful state is what all sensible writers on the 
subject recommend (I do but follow in their wake)—and that is, 
let the land be deeply and effectually drained in the same manner 
I described in my last paper on this subject. This being done in 
summer or early autumn, I would then lift the trees one by 
one, preserving all the roots as entire as possible, and under¬ 
neath the soil I would place a layer of concrete formed thus :—• 
Lay first a covering or layer, three inches thick, of small stones, 
brick-ends, or clinkers, making the centre where the trees are to 
stand the highest; roll this smooth, and cover it with a second 
layer of Roman cement and lime. This will set directly, and 
form a mass through which the roots cannot penetrate into the 
bad subsoil below. Then examine the roots, prune clean off all 
that are diseased, and also all such as strike directly downwards. 
The branches might also be conveniently pruned at the same 
tune. Then lay in the space on the top of the concrete a 
covering of good fresh soil, but no dung—I think clung injurious 
to the roots, and more especially the roots of trees bearing stone 
fruit. After that is pressed down by the feet firm, lift up the 
tree, and set it in its place; then spread the roots out equally 
on every side, and cover them with the soil. Then, when all is 
completed, give the soil a good watering—it will settle it much 
firmer than either treading until the feet or pounding with a 
rammer. If the top is heavy, secure it by short stout pegs and 
wire, or tarred rope. This method is far superior to stakes or 
props. See my description of this mode of fastening large trees 
in my last paper. The intelligent planter will easily understand 
that the excessive watering can do no harm to the roots; for the 
concrete, being a kind of underground hillock, throws all the 
superfluous water off at the sides, where it will sink away into 
the drains. The first tree being completed, then take the next 
in hand, and so proceed till all are finished. 
Middling with short, half-rotted dung will be of great service. 
It will keep the frost out of the ground and encourage the roots 
to make fresh growth. During the season of rest they will be 
storing up nourishing sap to feed the buds, and thus cause them 
to break with greater vigour in the spring. When summer ap¬ 
proaches this dung may be gently forked in, leaving the surface 
just rough enough to retain the warm summer’s rain, to open 
the soil and afford easy space for the roots to push their way 
through it. 
The management afterwards is of great importance. The roots 
should by all means be encouraged to keep as near the surface 
as possible: hence, as far as they extend, the spade should 
never be used for deep-rooting vegetables. It should be forked 
over in the autumn and spring, and, if absolutely necessary, light 
crops of shallow-rooted vegetables only grown upon it. By 
using a fine-grained fork and short manure a sufficient quantity 
of earth will be stirred and enriched for such vegetables as 
Lettuces, Turnips, Spinach, and Salads ; whereas, if the spade 
