100 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 18, 1858. 
formed : tlie sulphur especially ; this, unless rendered 
very dry by an oven, or otherwise, will not readily 
ascend into the various portions of the bushes ; and, of 
course, on its nice divisibility, economy, as well as 
efficiency, much depends. 
The operator, in delivering it out, cannot keep his 
hand too low, for the rogues, in the main, may be 
found much on the back of the foliage. It requires, 
too, a plucky character to perform the operation : 
those clumsy fellows who do not know, or w r ho do not 
! care, that they have a wrist joint, and another at the 
elbows, are not fit for this procedure. It requires a 
I sharp jerk with the hand—the sharper the better; and 
I the man who applies it must not care about his com¬ 
plexion, for half an hour: better to be rendered some¬ 
what obscure, by this affair, than by the blowing up of 
a powder magazine at Lucknow. E. Eekington. 
j PECULIAR NOTIONS ABOUT PRUNING 
FRUIT TREES, AND OTHER MATTERS. 
Diveesities of opinion have, from time imme¬ 
morial, existed amongst all classes ; and so generally 
i is this approved of, that those who strictly adhere to 
well-established hnodes and maxims, are very often 
stigmatised as being prejudiced in their ideas. And 
as this class comprises a large number of the un¬ 
lettered working population, who steadily move on in 
the same way their forefathers did, it might be worth 
while inquiring, whether prejudice was confined to 
them or not; and as much of the material wealth of 
| the country passes in some way or other through their 
hands, a cursory view of some of their notions may, 
! perhaps, establish the fact, that after all they are 
much nearer the truth than many that would be 
teachers ; and, supposing they were to take the learned 
classes to task, that the latter would be obliged to 
admit of many serious errors they had made. A few 
years ago, a large portion of the educated classes in 
this country believed in mesmeric influences, and 
lectures and other demonstrations nearly elevated 
the trick into the dignity of a science. Some of its 
advocates went a step farther than that, and not con¬ 
tent with the influence the invisible spirit seemed to 
exercise over animate bodies, they transferred it to 
bodies of other kinds, and hats, tables, and other 
things, were said to be all possessed with the invisible 
spirit of locomotion. This latter doctrine certainly 
! gained more disciples than the first, and “ table turn¬ 
ing ” was more fashionable than billiards or bagatelle; 
and, though some shook their heads and wondered, 
there were more believers in this affair than thought 
it prudent to, admit it, after the bubble had burst. 
W orking men s inability to give a reason for the course 
they pursue, in their avocations, was not worse than 
this, as they might be unable to express the reason 
why, though they perfectly comprehended its bearing. ' 
Now, in practice we often see this exemplified; some 
one court mg popularity advances something or other 
very plausible, and dishes it up with “facts and 
I figures ” (these useful ingredients in financial cookery), 
and tor a tune the thing takes, whether it bo a manure j 
or a medicine. J ohn Hull will not have it unless it is 
paraded before him with great display, and though 
disappointed in the result, the next applicant for his 
favour is equally likely to be patronised, provided he I 
be only extravagant enough in his pretensions. This 
digression on social customs has, perhaps, little to do 
with the subject-matter of this paper; but it is here 
giv en to exemplify the versatility oi many of our actions, 
and to account for the diversity of opinions that now 
exist on one of the most important branches of horti¬ 
culture—fruit growing. 
Only a few years ago, the universally - received 
opinions of all fruit growers, was, that all deciduous 
fruit trees ought to have a considerable space of 
I ground to grow on, and their roots allowed to ramify 
in whatever direction Nature inclined them. This 
idea, with but little variation, was indorsed as patent 
for many generations ; while fruiting plants of humble 
growth—as the Pine and the Melon, were to be dealt 
with as circumstances admitted. The Pine, more 
especially, being always grown in pots. This state of 
I things has, however, been attempted to be upset by some 
! revolutionists, who tell us we are all wrong, that our 
Pears, Plums, and Peaches ought to be grown in pots, 
and our Pines planted out into a proper border. This 
reversal of existing things has not, however, been 
generally received, and some of its advocates are 
abandoning their ideas, or modifying them so as to 
suit other things. Orchard houses now are widely 
different from what they were first set forth to be. 
Trees in pots were found not to bear so well as trees i 
planted in the ground, consequently, to transfer them 
there was said not to alter the name of the house, but j 
it certainly very much alters the condition of the tree 
operated upon, and is, in fact, a return to old-estab¬ 
lished rules again. 
—_ # # o i 
Leaving it for others to determine how far the term 
Orchard house ought to be applied, let us take a glance j 
at the treatment out-door fruits often receive, and j 
notice the different views thereon. Standard Apple, ! 
Pear, Plum, or Cherry trees, are planted indiscri- | 
minately on some grounds, where the fruit is wanted 
for the use of the family, but in some others, where 
a profit is expected, some attention is paid to the 
probability o± success; and, in the latter case, the 
general defect in the management will be found in 
omitting to do certain work that ought to be done, 
rather than in doing what is absolutely wrong ; but it 
sometimes happens, the will-be-doing-man of business 
is the offender. Pruning, or dressing, is carried to 
excess, and lack of success is the result; for instance— 
let us look at extremely neat and close-pruned trees, 
they bear little or nothing. I can point to about 
twenty umbrella-trained Pear trees of good kinds that 
have not, during the last ten years, averaged a produce 
of half-a-dozen Pears each, although the soil and other 
circumstances seemed to favour their well-being. Still 
it is an admitted fact, that more or less cutting or 
pruning is required, to make a tree fruitful; but the j 
amount, as well as the mode of doing it, arc sources 
of much discussion. 
I think I have before stated in these pages, that the i 
opinion of many fruit growers in this neighbourhood ! 
is, that the climate or season (in this particular neigh- | 
bouihoocl at least) has undergone some change, Avhich ' 
is detrimental to the fruit crop, and their assertions 
are, in a great measure corroborated by the fact of the 
crops of the last ten years, or more, being inferior to 
any similar period, of which any account has reached 
us. To combat this evil, some new and hardier va¬ 
rieties ol fruit have been brought into cultivation, 
ana some old ones abandoned. This is more especially 
the case with Apples. Hut the result is, that some ex¬ 
tensive orchards which ought to have been in full 
bearing now, are being destroyed, and but few new 
plantations made. This state of things, however, does 
not alter the pruning of existing orchards, where they • 
are said to require it; and a few points of the practice 
here adopted may be serviceable. 
Very old Apple and Pear trees, even when fruitful, 
are impatient ot the knife; the general feeling amongst 
fruit growers being that they v T ill not endure much 
amputation. This opinion seems to be often confirmed 
by piactice, for we often see old thick-set mossy- 
headed trees not much improved by a severe cutting ; 
