252 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, January 13, 1857. 
Of course, if No. 1 is required to run up for a standard 
the main stem must be left, and the side spray pruned 
away. If No. 2 had only one bud on one side it ought 
to be pruned back a little shorter, in order to secure 
shoots on both sides, so that the advantage of two buds 
or shoots will be tolerably apparent. 
We now come to the second year’s growth from the 
graft and bud, but must first remark that the cultivator 
ought to have made up his mind, at the last pruning 
season, what character he desires his trees to assume. 
If he does not, time will he lost in his proceedings. 
As to those intended for trained espaliers, or, indeed, 
any mode of dwarf training, their young shoots must, 
of course, be led right and left in a manner consistent 
with the ultimate design, albeit temporary expedients 
have to be resorted to. At the end of the second year’s 
growth the young trees will be full of fine shoots; and 
as to dwarf trees for particular modes of training, why 
they will, by a little summer handling, have been 
formed, at least, into what wc may term the skeleton of 
their ultimate character. As for describing the various 
forms they may be made to assume, it is perfectly need¬ 
less, so many modes have sprung into notice of late. I 
must here remark, however, on the character of those 
intended for full-sized standards. Of course, when of 
the desired height, the head must be pruned away; and, 
if the grafts have thrived highly, this will have to be 
done at the second winter’s pruning. Under adverse 
circumstances it may require another season’s growth. 
Such being done, the side spray may be pruned to within 
a couple of buds or eyes of the main stem; and here I 
may remark that the reason for doing so is, that the 
main stem may be strengthened against the wind, &c. 
I believe that this may not be the nurseryman’s general 
practice at present; but it was so forty years since, and, 
doubtless, long before that. There can be no question 
that side growths tend to thicken and solidify stems; 
indeed, the practice of our best timber cultivators tends 
to show this; and it is almost needless to observe that a 
stout and firm-stemmed standard is by far preferable 
to a weak and slender one. 
But the time arrives when such twigs must be re¬ 
moved altogether, and this operation is best performed 
in a progressive way. We may now suppose the 
standard .tree to be about six feet in height, and the 
top having been pruned off, a little head is formed. The 
following may be taken to represent its character:— 
Thus, the shoots marked No. 1 may be cut away close 
to the bole in one season, and those marked No. 2 
treated in a similar way in the succeeding one. 
The tree represented above may now be supposed 
to be about three years old from the graft, and at the 
pruning period the head may be shortened according to 
the lines in the figure. At this period, also, the side 
sprays marked No. 1 may be pruned closely away to the 
bole ; those marked No. 2 may be what is called spurred 
back to about a couple of inches until the succeeding 
pruning period, when they may be entirely pruned away. 
I do not know that I can render the matter more 
clear; for to multiply directions, and to recapitulate, 
but too often perplexes learners. In this case, as in many 
others, simplicity and brevity are best. I may, however, 
offer a few general remarks on matters concerning the 
rearing and well-being of young trees. In the first 
place attention should always be paid to disbudding 
waste spray of whatever kind, whether proceeding from 
the stock or the scion, especially all stock spray spring¬ 
ing below the point of junction; for such is sure to be 
produced. All superfluous stuff of whatever kind should 
be disbudded most perseveringly, in order that the 
whole energies of the stock should be honestly disposed 
of. This proceeding will be a June affair chiefly, for that 
is the time for vigilance in this respect. If, in conse¬ 
quence of this practice, the true shoots become somewhat 
gross, pinching should be had recourse to, not generally, 
hut just as any given shoot needs it. By such means 
the sap may be decoyed in any direction. Another 
point is to take care that the “ snags” left on the stock 
above the budding or grafting point be pared neatly 
away, in order that the healing process, which all trees in 
vigour possess, may have fair play, and that the point 
of junction between the graft or bud and the stock may 
become healed over as early as possible. This in all stone 
fruit is particularly important. Many a fine young tree 
has received an untimely death-stroke through a badly- 
managed wound, and be it remembered that the evil 
is none the less because slow and insidious. 
B. Errington. 
WINDOW GARDENING FOR THE WINTER. 
( Continued from page 235.) 
WINDOW PLANTS FLOWERING IN WINTER. 
I will now mention a few of the plants that may flower 
in windows in winter, reckoning the winter to extend from 
the beginning of November to the end of February, or 
the beginning of March. 
1. Bulbs. —Hyacinths, Narcissus, Jonquils, Tulips, 
Crocuses, Snowdrops, Dog's-tooth Violets, Leucojum ver- 
j nuin, Scillas, &c. The first four should be potted as soon 
in the autumn as possible, and kept in a cool, moist, 
regular-temperatured place until the pots are crammed 
with roots. They may then bo gently forced by being 
placed in a warm kitchen window during the day, and 
| moved to a table near the fire-place at night. A paper fun¬ 
nel placed over them when the flower-stem begins to come 
will cause it to lengthen freely, as mentioned the other 
week for Hyacinths. The others will not stand forcing 
well, but will come freely enough in the window; Cro¬ 
cuses aud Snowdrops, when raised in lumps from the 
garden, after the flower-buds are peeping. Crocuses and 
the hardy early Tulips will make any window gay, and a 
Hyacinth or a Jonquil will make it as sweet as desirable. 
2. Dwarf Herbaceous Plants. —Violets (Neapolitan, 
Tree, and Russian), Mignonette, Musk, Chinese Prim¬ 
roses, Cyclamens, Polyanthus, Anemone, single garden. 
The Violets should be divided into little pieces in April 
or May, planted out in a box or a little border, with east 
or west aspect, in light, rich soil, kept free of weeds and 
runners in summer, and supplied with water when 
wanted, and they will be nice plants for potting to- 
j wards the end of September. The Primulas should be 
sown in May in a pot in the window, aud the pot 
covered with a piece of glass before they are up, air 
then to he given, and the seedlings pricked off one inch 
apart until the leaves meet, when three might be placed 
at equal distances round the side of a four-inch pot, 
