FERNERY AQUARIUM. 
The cross marks show where the winter’s pruning 
may take place. 
The trees may now go to their final destination if 
requisite, or they may remain another year or two if 
desirable. In the ensuing summer they will, to use 
a gardening phrase, “make a deal of wood;” and as 
pruning is still an important affair, I must beg to say a 
little about it for the sake of young beginners. 
The whole business with the pyramidal tree is to 
take care that the branches are regularly developed as 
the leading shoot proceeds upwards ; and to accomplish 
this the latter must be shortened less or more annually, 
in order to produce the desired effect. The whole, when 
complete, must be pyramidal; and the branches as they 
proceed must be occasionally shortened to that end, and 
also to cause them to develope spurs, or the rudiments 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, December 28, 1850. 205 ' 
pruning knife, to determine as to what form he wishes 
the tree ultimately to assume. If for any mode of 
training against a wall or trellis, he had better cut the 
shoot down to within about nine or ten inches of its 
junction with the stock; but if for a pyramid it may 
be shortened only a few inches—just as much pruued 
away as appears immature. If the grafted Pear possesses 
side shoots, as shown in the sketch, and which is some¬ 
times the case, about four inches of these may be left 
at pruning time. During another summer these will 
become nice young trees, and fit for transplanting ;. that 
for training against a wall or trellis having several 
shoots on each side ; that for a pyramid the same, with 
a nice central leading shoot in addition. They will be 
nearly as follows :— 
of them. Such a tree, when complete, may be from six 
to nine feet in height, according to the fancy of the 
cultivator; and the loiver tier of branches may extend j 
from two to four feet, according to the object in view, ; 
tapering to a point at tbe top. It will be observed 
that I have marked the pruning point of the central t 
shoot of the wall Pear by the letter a, and this with a 
view to produce a liberal amount of shoots for the 
ensuing year’s choice, when the tree will be nearly full: 
tbe requisite number of shoots to form future branches ; 
will be produced, or nearly so. 
Pears are trained in a variety of ways, as all know ; 
and, of course, the future form and character of the tree 
must be, in some degree, given during what may be 
called the nursery management. To go through every 
form, and to offer sketches of them, would be to make a 
book. From what has been here stated with regard to 
the pyramidal and fan modes of training, our readers 
will readily be able, with some slight modifications, to 
carry out their views as to any mode of training, bearing 
in mind that an ample production of young shoots to 
select from must be obtained whilst the tree is young, 
by shortening back, or, as I have termed it before, by 
nursery shoots. R. Errington. 
Procure two propagating glasses, the one ten inches and 
the other nine inches in diameter. Invert the larger on a 
stand of turned wood or a saucer of sand. Cut three pieces 
of zinc of an $ shape, and hang them over the edge of the 
glass, the bottom of which must be covered to a depth of 
two inches with well-washed river-sand. Fill with water, 
and introduce the weeds and fish. 
A thin flower-glass standing in the sand forms a sup¬ 
port for a saucer of Ferns. Cover with the smaller bell- 
glass, its edges resting in the zinc supports. A very amusing 
and instructive ornament is thus completed at a cost of five 
shillings.— E. A. Copland, Bellejield. 
