318 
THE POTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 3D, 1859. 
kind or variety ; were sown and planted out again on 
borders in a different place, under the impression that 
the same colours would be equally distinct in lines ; but 
the result has been, though these borders are a dazzling 
spectacle in bright sun, all the care of separating the 
seeds and separating the plants has gone for little or 
nothing, as hardly one row or part of a row has come 
true to the anticipated colour. So thoroughly do flies, bees, 
and breezes hybridise and mix them, that, knowing the 
care exercised in the present instance, I could hardly 
expect to see a desired colour reproduced truly, unless 
the plants grew at a considerable distance from any other 
variety. Even then a gauze net over them would almost 
be essential. Seedsmen may, therefore, send out often 
different colours from that they themselves anticipate, 
even when exercising more than ordinary care. 
ZINNIAS. 
I introduce these too-neglected beauties, for what can 
be more rich and beautiful, either in a bed or a flower- 
glass, than the brightest colours of these flowers, for 
showing the same fact ? Last season I had many extra 
fine blooms of various shades of scarlet, white, yellow, 
and violet or purple. These were saved and marked for 
seed. The seed was kept in separate bags, sown accord¬ 
ingly, and the plants turned out into beds carefully, so 
as to present rows of contrasting or shading of colours. 
I might have saved myself all the bother, mixed all the 
seed together, and then taken the plants as they came. 
I then could not have had more thoroughly mixed beds 
than I now possess ; with many line flowers, it is true, but 
such a hodge-podge as to delight those only who look 
upon mixture as synonymous with variety. Some good 
folk mix and mingle so much artificially, that they seem 
cpiite astonished if a friend should hint that this mixing 
produces sameness and not variety. If the rows in the 
present case had been of different colours, there would 
have been more than mixture—viz., variety and evidence 
of design. I fear, that as in the Portulaccas, we shall 
never be sure of securing the desired quality and colour 
in a flower from its seeds, unless the plant is removed to 
a distance from all others, or kept from being hybridised 
with other pollen. 
Most varieties of flowers raised from seed require this 
care, and some more than others. There is a small dwarf 
orange Marigold, a good substitute in some cases for 
Calceolarias, that almost always comes true in habit and 
colour from seed. I have saved seed from the most 
beautiful Trench and African Marigold flowers, and have 
had a good portion of single and semi-double flowers in 
the seedlings, especially if any inferior flowers were 
allowed to remain at all near them. Success will be more 
certain when every secondary or inferior flower is re¬ 
moved as soon as it opens. It. Fish. 
FRUITS IN GENERAL: THEIR POSITION IN 
SEPTEMBER, 
This is a most important month, both as concerns the 
produce of the present year and that of succeeding crops ; 
and although we have all been somewhat disheartened as 
to certain crops of the present year, we must still hope 
on, even as our ancestors did in their day. 
If we cannot always wage war successfully against in¬ 
clement springs, we can, at least, put in requisition all 
those modes of practice which, being based on a know¬ 
ledge of Nature’s laws, can alone be depended on. 
The remarks I intend to offer will refer principally to 
trained trees. It is quite unnecessary here to go farther. 
Any principle which will apply to trained trees will 
apply, in degree, to the most ordinary standard or espa¬ 
lier, modified, of course, by degrees of hardihood, modes 
of training, &c. 
One of the first objects to be considered at this month 
is the ripening of the wood; a second is the equalisation 
of the sap, so as to produce a due equilibrium in the trees ; 
and lastly, to accommodate fruits hastening towards 
ripening. 
And let not the ripening of the wood be deemed a 
mere cuckoo-cry because it is brought forward almost > 
periodically. It is of so much importance in the eyes of 
those who try to remind the less-informed, that they feel 
it a duty to keep the subject alive; and such must be the j 
.case until these principles are, to all concerned, familiar 
as “household wmrds.” On this thorough consolidation 
depend the health, character, and utility of tender fruits. 
And what does all this mean ? Why, that the tree has 
been treated according to its requirements, that by the 
fall of the leaf all Nature’s processes have been fully 
carried out—nothing left in arrears. As there happen to 
be many late growths in fruit trees of healthy habits, it 
becomes us so to control these as to sustain a proper 
equilibrium in the trees. This we call equalising the sap. 
Then we have to consider the immense value of a free 
access of sunshine to the would-be fruit-blossoms of the 
succeeding year. I begin to think that we have hitherto 
underrated the importance of this matter ; and that the 
various processes of disbudding, stopping, &c., might be 
carried still further without in any way deranging the 
system of the tree. As for being so nervous about in¬ 
cipient fruit-buds losing their balance and “ going to ; 
wood,” wdiy I can only say it is a somewhat morbid 
fancy. Certainly, in very gross trees we may meet with ] 
such things ; but sorry is the condition of that operator 
who is afraid to act in the face of this bugbear. Such j 
forget that, admitting this trivial affair, we obtain an , 
equivalent of ten times the value. I have a lot of Pears | 
which, having a thin crop, have been in the' habit since ] 
May of producing much spray. I have had this stripped j 
away entirely,or nearly so,this season; and on examination ■ 
I find the fruit-buds exceedingly profuse, and in a most j 
decided and advanced condition. Besides this, we want 
some sunlight to the fruit. This is admitted on all sides, j 
So that here we have four or five reasons of high con- j 
sideration for securing sunlight and subduing grossness, i 
The reasons against such are as nothing in the scale ; 
certainly must be allowed no preponderance. I may now 
point to a few T of our fruits by way of illustration. 
The Peach and Nectaeine.— Of what possible benefit , 
can it be that so many shoots are usually nailed to the I 
wall during summer, as is the practice with many P Some 
cannot find pluck enough to do away with supernume- ! 
raries. Where rods or young shoots are required as 
leaders, or to fill given spaces, by all means let them be 
reserved. The rest, as I have before suggested, may be I 
cut back to about three leaves. This, of course, is ap- , 
proaching a spur-system ; but I have tried it for two or 
three years, and feel assured that it is the best plan of 
all others, for cool climates at least. Of course there will 
have been a liberal disbudding in spring ; and where there I 
is a profusion of shoots, and the disbudding is duly per¬ 
formed, the rest during summer may be fairly pinched 
back. Such spurs on growing trees will, of course, pro- j 
duce bunches of small spray afterwards; and this must 
be closely pinched early in September; after which, little 
more will be produced. But what about the terminal 
points of such trees ? These may all be pinched on the 
spray, merely removing the growing points. In all cases 
of pinching, however, let this be an exception:—where- j 
ever any shoots are poor or show leanness, pinch not, ] 
but suffer spray and all to grow to the end. 
The Apeicot. —The habit differs much from the Peach, 
and a somewhat different handling is required. One 
thing may be observed, that complete sunlight from mid¬ 
summer until October is indispensable in securing the 
organisation of perfect blossoms for tire ensuing year. 
Pinching back of fruit-spray must, therefore, be con¬ 
stantly resorted to. But with regard to the leading 
shoots a different policy should be observed. These 
