November 8, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
155 
variety grown. In seasons of plenty they have been 
sold as low as £3 per ton, and other years they have 
made from £35 to £40 per ton. 
The plan adopted is to plant on grass-land, at a 
distance of 22 ft. apart each way. This will give about 
105 trees per acre. Nothing but standards should be 
planted, and they should always have a clear stem of 
6 ft. Before deciding to plant a field, the ground 
selected should be thoroughly drained, as stagnant 
water about the roots would soon prove fatal to the 
trees. In planting young trees a small portion of 
rotted manure may be mixed with the soil if the 
ground is poor, but I never make a point of recom¬ 
mending much manure to be placed in immediate 
contact with the roots while the trees are in a young 
state. I consider it better to merely mulch the trees 
with rotted manure after they become established. In 
planting, the trees should be kept slightly above the 
ground-level, as they are sure to settle down, although 
the ground is made firm, which I should strongly 
recommend. Immediately the trees are planted they 
should be securely staked, and the heads cut close 
back, only leaving two or three eyes on the young 
growths. Established trees should be gone over every 
year, and a certain portion of the small shoots removed, 
so as to keep the centres of the trees clear and open 
for the sun and air to reach every part of the trees. In 
many districts where the Plum flourishes, I am aware 
they are grown much closer, and many growers prefer 
bush trees, but of this style of growing I have had no 
practical experience, and shall pass it over for someone 
who has had experience to take this part of the subject 
up. In the orchards here sheep, calves, and poultry 
are kept, to the mutual benefit of all. 
It sometimes happens that some of the young trees 
will in a few years become “ stunted,” aud hardly make 
any growth, more especially Damsons. My plan with 
such trees is to cut them hard back, almost to the stem ; 
by this means they often start away, and make vigorous 
growth. If the ground is at all poor, it is a good 
plan, before cutting them back, to lightly break up the 
surface all round the trees, say 6 ft. or 7 ft. all round, 
and on this ground spread three or four barrowfuls of 
good manure. If this be done early in the autumn, so 
that the rains can wash the properties of the manure to 
the roots, the trees will start away with fresh vigour, 
and form fine, healthy shoots the first season. I con¬ 
sider the Damson the most profitable for field cultiva¬ 
tion. Next to it comes the Victoria Plum. Many 
acres of Damsons are grown here, and from experience 
I find the Farleigh, or Cluster Damson, is the hardiest 
of all; it will be found fresh and good when other 
varieties of the Damson are completely spoiled by 
frost. The Prune Damson, as grown here, is very late 
and hardy ; the tree is of a spreading habit of growth, 
and the leaves are larger than any other variety I 
know. 
I shall conclude with a few remarks as to the 
marketing of Plums. Next to growing them, this is 
of the most importance to the gardener. How to make 
the best of them ? is the question. 1 have known 
growers who have taken great pains to pack as much 
straw as possible in the bottom of the sieves, so that 
they may have more bulk for market; this, I can assure 
growers, is a mistake. It is also a mistake to select 
the very best samples for the top of the baskets. I 
have been sending Plums to market by the ton for the 
last fifteen years, and my plan is to pack the bulk of 
one uniform quality throughout, and where this is done 
the buyers soon get to know, and purchase accordingly. 
-- 
THE TEA PLANT. 
The term 11 Tea ” is properly restricted to the numerous 
varieties derived from cultivation of the two species of 
Thea—Thea chinensis and Thea assamica. Hybrids of 
various degrees between these two form a great part of 
the plants usually grown. In the Tea-garden the 
plant is kept down to 3 ft. to 6 ft. in height; in a 
state of nature it reaches 30 ft. to 40 ft., with a stem 
1 ft. in diameter. The seed, which is enclosed in a 
hard, round shell, ripens about one year after the 
flower has faded. Planting is done either direct from 
the seed itself, or from nurseries where the young 
plants can be watched carefully and tended until they 
are strong enough to take their places in the plantation. 
"When plants are to be raised direct from seed, the usual 
method is as follows ;—Holes are dug, left for about 
two weeks, and then filled with surface soil. Two or 
three seeds are sown, 6 ins. apart, in each hole, and 
about 1 in. deep, gently pushed down. In each hole 
the best plant is left, the others being transferred to 
vacancies. Tea grows on almost all soils, but one that 
is light, friable and rich is necessary for complete 
success. Oak-bearing land seems to unite all essentials, 
and is much esteemed. Flat land is fair, but 
undoubtedly the best situation is the lower part of a 
slope near a good water supply. As regards the 
number of plants to the acre, close planting is 
recommended, viz., about 4 ft. apart, equivalent to 
2,722 shrubs per acre. On steep slopes the Chinese 
variety may be planted closer—2 ft. by 3| ft., or 6,223 
per acre. A good deal of care must be devoted to 
pruning, with the object of keeping the shrub well 
spread, and at a convenient height for picking. A 
judicious system of manuring nearly doubles the yield 
of Tea, improves its flavour, and increases its strength. 
An excellent manure is bush prunings, weeds, and 
general rubbish. Animal manures require care in 
using. 
To a certain extent, the harder a Tea plant is picked 
the more it becomes stimulated to reproduce new 
shoots in place of those lost. AVhen the season is over 
the Tea bush is 3J ft. to 4 ft. in height, and about 
5 ft. in diameter; by pruning down its height is 
reduced to 2 ft. and its diameter to 3 ft. In this state 
it remains during hybernation. In spring the buds at 
the base of the leaves develop into shoots, the buds of 
which in turn develop themselves in the same way. 
The first shoot from the branch becomes the nucleus of 
subsequent flushes on that part of the bush, and is 
therefore carefully preserved. It is not, however, left 
to grow ad libitum, as its faculty of throwing out new 
shoots is greatly enhanced by nipping off the leaves in 
such a way as to avoid injuring the young buds at their 
bases .—Society of Arts Journal. 
TREATMENT OF NEWLY 
PLANTED FRUIT TREES. 
The treatment newly planted fruit trees receive the season 
after planting, bears a significant part in their after 
success. This is, doubtless, generally understood jn 
varying circumstances and conditions, yet we see (when 
we frequently do not expect it) instances of not only 
neglect, but positive disregard to the formation or the 
adaptation of the trees as fruiting plants of the future. 
It would be invidioirs to presume that where these 
instances are indicated a sheer lack of the requisite 
knowledge is absent. On the contrary it more readily 
occurs under other urgent duties which, though of 
rather secondary importance, have the effect of putting 
many other matters in the shade. This, however, is 
only by the way, and urging the real importance of 
primary consideration being afforded newly planted 
fruit trees, I beg to offer a few observations which I 
hope may assist some, while they may convince others. 
I would not have it inferred, however, that I wish to 
pose as an infallible authority on this particular de¬ 
partment, but submit the following remarks in good 
faith, having practised them successfully myself for 
many years now. 
The pruning of newly planted fruit trees should be 
deferred until all hard frosts are over, which, in the 
majority of seasons, may be by the end of February or 
early in March ; but all should be pruned before any ap¬ 
pearance of growth in the early spring. Hard cutting back 
the first season is, I hope, a tiling of the past, and this 
for various reasons, among which I need hardly point 
out the all-potent fact of their breaking into weakly 
growth, and frequently throwing out numerous useless 
shoots only, entailing watchfulness and time in disbud¬ 
ding at the inevitable expense of the latent energies of 
the trees. The only cutting back I usually perform on 
trees as indicated is shortening the centre shoot or 
header to encourage regular lateral growth to form the 
trees; and this is done according to the strength of 
the tree, at the same time taking into consideration the 
variety and class to which it belongs. It is rather 
amusing to observe some purchase a tree, demanding one 
that has not been cut back, and if so, not more than 
once or twice ; and yet immediately it reaches its des¬ 
tination it must be subjected to cutting hard back. I 
wot there is nothing uncommon in the knife, nor, may 
I say, in the individual who uses it except it may be 
that he supposes himself an adept both in the use of 
this implement and the culture of the tree operated 
upon. Let me assure such an one that there are adepts 
in the nurseries who claim to know a tree, and also how 
the same tree should leave their hands, and be treated 
on arrival, and afterwards. If the cutting back be a 
necessity, why not do so before the plants are packed 
for transit, and thus save a deal of careful tying, and 
no less careful packing? Again, if they are to be cut 
hard back, why train them at all in the nurseries ? 
The more practice I have in fruit-tree planting, the 
more am I convinced of the utter folly of this (to some) 
happy mode of fruit-tree culture. Not only is the 
tree thus subjected to a severe check, but it is valuable 
time lost in throwing its energies away making wood, 
when it ought to be making both wood and buds, or 
natural spurs. Five years ago I required, among other 
trees, two Nectarines, dwarf fan-trained, for planting 
in a Peach house, and ordered them, good healthy 
plants with seven shoots each. I had them planted on 
arrival early in November, and being inside, the 
lead of each was shortened back in January, with a 
view to encourage lateral growth. The trees made 
rapid progress, and each in the first season after 
planting made more than double their previous growth, 
making handsome trees the following autumn. Next 
season they were allowed to bear a few Nectarines 
each, more to determine the genuineness of their 
character, than the use—culinary or otherwise—of the 
fruit. The third season, and ever since, they have 
borne full crops, and having the curiosity to ascertain 
the number of fruits on one of them, during the past 
season I counted fully fifteen dozen, all highly finished 
and fit for table. This is one instance among stone 
fruits, and I will also give one among the common 
hardy fruits, although neither of them form exceptions. 
An Apple, and Pear tree, both bush forms, purchased 
also five years ago, I will cite as instances of non- 
cutting back. The Apple (Eeklinville Seedling) pro¬ 
duced a few fruits annually since planting, and in the 
past season it carried the enormous quantity of five 
dozen large handsome Apples. The Pear (Moorfowl 
Egg) bore a few last year, and during the past season 
had no less than three and a half dozen fruits quite 
characteristic, and has all the appearance of doubling 
that quantity next year. Now these trees, and 
numerous others of the same age, have produced fruit 
since the year after planting—less or more—and I 
venture to assert that had they been subjected to the 
hard cutting back principle they would only have been 
beginning now to yield us any return for our patience. 
It may occur to the votaries of the opposite practice 
that these trees are not furnished with wood to keep on 
producing fruit for any length of time, or that they are 
bare, uncultivated-looking objects ; but such is not the 
case. They are not only furnished, but they are 
handsome trees, in perfect health and symmetry. 
So much for the pruning. We will now consider the 
tying or nailing. This must have very careful attention, 
and should in every instance be accomplished on what 
might be termed the easy principle— i.e., the shoots 
should all be secured in position with due allowance for 
their swelling, and should be inspected at intervals 
during the growing season to see that none are unduly 
tight, and so bruising the shoots. All ligatures should 
be placed in first instance sufficiently easy to admit of a 
shoot of double the girth of the one being secured, as 
it frequently occurs that those of a healthy tree do 
double their girth the first season. 
Disbudding is another matter demanding careful 
consideration if the trees are expected to be a success, 
and thus all useless or awkwardly-placed buds should 
be rubbed off, and any well-placed shoots encouraged, 
giving those nearest the base the preference—in stone 
fruits—aud others accordingly. To fully describe all 
matters in detail pertaining to the different classes of 
fruits would occupy more space than would meet the 
necessities of the subject under notice ; and for this 
reason I must curtail my remarks on disbudding, 
although 1 would like to say a great deal more. 
Crowding of shoots must never be tolerated when 
early results are expected, and hence it is well to select 
only those shoots that will be necessary to maintain the 
equal balancing of the tree. Should any shoot appear 
unduly gross, cut all its leaves across the middle, and 
top it, allowing the others to go on undisturbed ; but 
if it can be spared, it is frequently preferable to remove 
it entirely. The presence of those in quantity may be 
traceable to the roots, although this rarely occurs the 
first season after planting, and when it does occur an 
inspection of the roots should be contemplated forth¬ 
with—even though it should be midsummer—and 
lifting the roots, in short, simply disturbing them, 
will as a rule prove quite ample to produce a check 
at this early stage. Should they be considered best 
left alone under varying conditions, all trees showing 
any tendency to grossness should have timely attention 
in the autumn ; the roots lifted, and all gross ones 
shortened, relaid, and the soil beat in again moderately 
hard. 
