THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 31, 1858. 
343 
matured, as the sun and air will have readier access 
to, and more power over them. 
I have said that, in general, this practice is to be 
preferred. In forcing, and sometimes, also, on the 
open wall, with such kinds as the French Mignonnes, 
and some other few instances, I have found nice grown 
fruitful shoots, that had no wood-buds, but the strong 
one at the point, and a cluster at the base. Stopping 
such shoots late in.autumn, or stopping or cutting 
them back in spring, will be apt to give a fruitful 
shoot, without any growth at its point. Even upon 
these, the fruit will often swell as Avell as when there 
are leaves at the point, to draw up nourishment; but 
the experiment is one to be avoided rather than tried. 
In such cases, then, the wood should be left its whole 
length, even at the spring pruning. When the ter¬ 
minal bud is growing freely, its point may be nipped 
out; and, as in such cases there is generally a cluster 
of buds at the base, one of these, as it expands, must 
be chosen for the succession, or bearing shoot for the 
following year. Where trees are still too thick with 
young wood, no time should be lost in thinning and 
stopping. 
FRUIT DROPPING. 
During the present season, there have been great 
complaints of this. I almost wish some of mine had 
dropped, as now, when swelling freely, they are 
thicker than they ought to be. I have seldom had 
fruit drop. I think it must be owing to the following 
practice :—In June or July (I refer to outdoor trees), 
the border, for three or four feet in width, is forked 
slightly over. If dry, it is watered, and then covered 
with an inch or so of half-decayed leaves, which keeps 
excessive heat out and moisture in. So far as I am 
aware, Mr. Errington is the only gardening writer 
who has drawn prominent attention to the fact, that 
such mulching should only be applied after the sun 
has well warmed the earth. Judging from practice 
and observation, I have no hesitation in subscribing 
to the soundness of such deductions. R, Fish. 
FORM AND OUTLINE OF CERTAIN OLD 
SHRUBS, EVERGREENS, &c. 
Without affecting the powers of the painter, 
perhaps I may be permitted to point out the peculiar 
character possessed by some of our old evergreens, 
shrubs , &c.,—with reference to their aptitude or 
eligibility in adorning ornamental grounds, as we 
commonly find them. 
As for Crystal Palaces, they need no reminders; 
their style and aim being peculiar, they do not fall in 
with general English gardening. People whom I 
sometimes converse with say, when they see a good 
thing,—“ Oh, but you should observe how they do 
those things at the Crystal Palace, at the Duke of 
A.’s, and the Marquis of B.’s !” But, if good old 
English gardening is, with any sense or consistency, 
to be compared with those beautiful un-English places 
or palaces, surely the comparison is invidious and 
devoid of sense. 
Therefore, it is by no means fair to compare an or¬ 
dinary garden—albeit possessing good features—with 
those superb affairs, on which no expense has been 
spared. Nevertheless, we still find many excellent 
features in the “mansion-homes of England,” if I may 
take a liberty with Mrs. Hemans’ poetry. 
I will pursue no classification, but merely advert to 
such as fall in my way. First, then, the old Cedar of 
Lebanon ; not a shrub, however, but a real tree. 
What is its style and outline!—what words can ex¬ 
press it!—dignified, massive, graceful! How important 
this tree anywhere, but especially in the vicinity of 
architectural matters. Then, by contrast, let us look 
at the old Lombardy Poplar. I am aware that painters 
do not scatter the form of this tree over their pieces 
at random ; but there are cases w T hcn, for the sake of 
powerful contrast, they are fain to seek its aid. But 
we must not be strictly confined to the laws of a 
picture, however correct the principles. Let us re¬ 
member this one thing,—all important,—that we 
cannot walk “ in and out, and round about,” as 
Swain, the Manchester poet, says ; we cannot walk 
about the picture as we walk about the pleasure ground, 
every step bringing fresh associations ; and surely 
this is a reason for departing occasionally from the 
painter’s ideas. This, indeed, is an important con¬ 
sideration at all times ; and thus we find that persons 
imbued with good taste and some experience do not 
choose to judge from one spot, nor yet a second; 
but pace up and down, considering the bearing of 
this or that alteration from various points of view. 
Although the Lombardy Poplar, as used for con¬ 
trast of form, against flat or horizontal lines, is of 
much value, yet it is a meddler with landscape, and 
cannot be allowed to spring up anywhere: it needs 
placing, if I may so term it. 
But let us consider the old Holly, of time-honoured 
memory. Setting aside Christmas associations, what 
a fine thing an old Holly tree is, or a huge Holly 
bush, if you will. Most of our readers have seen a 
huge woodland Holly, bold in outline, massive, dark, 
and rich,—a match for the most imperious storm. 
On seeing such, we feel assured that a century would 
be no particular consideration witli such a fine old 
fellow. And of what importance in our parks and 
shrubberies, as also for field hedges ! Take, indeed, the 
Holly from the pleasure grounds of Britain, and one- 
half their dignity is destroyed at once. 
Another fine and most elegant evergreen I may point 
to, the Hemlock Spruce, or Abies Canadensis. No tree 
can boast of more grace and elegance than this; it 
is one huge waving plume, from the summit to the 
very turf. It delights in a damp and partially shaded 
situation, and loves a soil somewhat unctuous and 
adhesive,—if of a dark character so much the better. 
The deciduous Cypress, too, is a most elegant tree, 
when in foliage, although when in a deciduous state it 
is a most pitiful affair ; but there is an airy elegance 
about the foliage which few other shrubs possess. It 
is more like some Tree Fern than any other shrub. 
And the old Stag’s-horn Sumach, is a fine figure of a 
tree, when it has attained any size : the foliage is 
boldly pinnated, and the marking of the whole outline 
very sharp and lively. The blossom, moreover, has 
a very handsome effect; and it is a free bloomer when 
of a little age. 
The Red Cedar is a fine tree, of the spiry, or 
what may, perhaps, be called the columnar class. 
We have one in these grounds some thirty feet in 
height, clothed from the soil to the summit, and as 
compact as a column: a finer object can scarcely be 
seen. About twenty-eight years since, I planted one 
in a dell, near to a Cedar of Lebanon, of a century’s 
standing, in order to produce contrast, by the per¬ 
pendicular as opposed to the horizontal. The effect 
has always been much admired. Those who have gone 
down by water to Richmond, from London, may have 
noticed the fine effect produced in front of certain 
villas, by the Lombardy Poplar, another spiry form, 
being placed near to the Cedar of Lebanon, as an 
associate. 
The old China Arbor vitai has a most dignified 
effect when it attains some size, and is grown compact. 
But, both with this and the Red Cedar, the snow is 
apt to make sad havoc, when they get old. The Ilex 
