322 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 23, 1892. 
it under the following headings : — Propagation, Soil 
and Situation, Pruning and Training, General^ Treat¬ 
ment, Varieties, Gathering and Storing, Enemies. 
Propagation. 
Apples can be increased by several methods, the 
most important are grafting and budding. Increasing 
from cuttings and layers are sometimes adopted, but 
not generally. Seed is largely sown to obtain stocks 
on which to work improved and well-known sorts. 
It is also sown with a view to obtain new varieties. 
Budding is most generally practised by the trade 
growers, as it possesses several distinct advantages ; 
especially is it suitable for propagating new varieties, 
as a plant can be obtained from every well-matured 
bud. It has also the advantage of being performed 
in the summer, when other work is not not so pressing; 
and if any fail to take they can be grafted in the 
following spring. The chief points to be observed in 
budding are to have the scions and stocks in good 
working order. In preparing the buds the wood 
should come out clean, without injuring the bud in 
the least. The bark of the stock should lift freely 
when the handle of the knife is inserted, and the 
whole when bound up must be air-tight. 
Grafting is a very ready and sure method of propa¬ 
gation, and it is especially useful in renovating old 
trees or worthless varieties, which can be headed 
down and grafted with improved ones. There are 
several forms of grafting, but the one known as 
tongue grafting is the most useful for young trees 
and wedge grafting for old specimens. The essentia 
points in grafting are to get the cambium layers of 
the stock and scions together, they must fit on 
one side of the stock at least or no union will be 
formed. The cuts should be clean, and bound up 
before they get time to dry. The graft should be 
kept moist and air-tight — by some of the several 
waxes or clays—until the union is formed. 
Layering comes next in importance, and is largely 
adopted for raising stocks, as by this method any 
particular variety can be had true. I have found 
that the best layers are produced from the shoots in¬ 
serted about three or four inches deep. The layers 
are slightly tongued, and an opening made in the 
soil to receive them. They should be cut down to 
about three eyes when inserted, and strong stocks 
will be formed by the following autumn. 
Cuttings are not generally employed, and success 
with them has been very varied. This is undoubt¬ 
edly the oldest method of propagation, but it is 
almost abandoned now. Ih fact raising from cut¬ 
tings would not pay, as it would be impossible for 
nurserymen to execute the orders entrusted to them 
if this slow process were adopted, hence the quicke 
and if carefully done, the more successful methods 
of grafting and budding now universally followed. 
Stocks. 
There are a great number of different stocks, and 
they exercise a great influence on the trees worked 
upon them. Sufficient attention is not paid by all 
gardeners to the stocks on which their trees are, and 
serious mistakes sometimes follow by trying to train 
a tree to a form for which the stock is not suited. 
An extensive trial was made in the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society’s Gardens some years ago with stocks; 
eighteen different stocks were collected and grafted 
with Blenheim Orange. Three years after grafting 
several of the trees flowered ; the flowers were counted 
for five succeeding years, and the result carefully 
noted. The French Paradise and the Doucin were 
the most productive, whilst some produced no 
flowers at all. The French Paradise is very dwarf¬ 
ing and liable to canker; it should only be used 
where very dwarf trees are required. The Doucin is 
the most serviceable of all, as it combines a moderate 
growth with fruitfulness. The Crab, or Free Stock, 
is the one best adapted for orchard trees or where 
there is plenty of head room, as it is a strong grower 
and capable of carrying a large tree. 
Soil and Situation. 
Apples will grow in almost any well-drained soil of 
moderate depth ; in small gardens there is some¬ 
times very little choice, but if there is any scope in 
this way choose a good yellow loam of fair depth. 
If Potatos, Cabbage, etc., do well there is little fear 
that Apples will thrive. If the ground has a slight 
slope towards the south or south east it will be an 
advantage. Choose a dry position in preference to a 
low damp one, as spring frosts are generally more 
severe in low lying places. Strong winds must 
be guarded against ; if there is no existing shelter, 
planting must be resorted to. 
Having fixed on suitable ground the first operation 
would be to put it in order for planting. This like 
most others operations pays for being done well at 
first, by thorough jtrenching. It should be broken 
up to a depth of about 2 ft.; 'if the sub-soil is of astiff 
clayey nature, do not bring it to the top, but break it 
up with a pick and leave it in the bottom. This is 
best done in early autumn, so that the weather can 
sweeten and pulverise it. If the soil is poor, advan¬ 
tage should be taken of the trenching to thoroughly 
mix some good farm-yard manure with it, being 
careful however not to make it too rich ; as trees 
generally grow strong enough at first, it is better 
applied later, on the surface. If the soil is stiff, wood 
ashes or lime rubble should be applied. Of course if 
the ground is wet, attention must be paid to draining. 
Have a leader running along the lowest part of the 
ground, and let all the other drains that may 
be required in the plantation be conducted into it. 
This should be seen to before any attempt is made at 
trenching the ground. The depth of the drains will 
be guided by the nature of the soil. 
The best time to plant is in the autumn just 
before the leaves fall. 
Great care should be exercised in planting, as 
the success of a tree almost wholly depends on how 
it is planted. The roots should be examined and any 
injured ones removed, shortening back the long bare 
ones and those having a downward tendency. The 
holes should be wide enough to receive the roots to 
their full length, and be moderately firm in the bot¬ 
tom ; care should be taken not to plant too deeply, 
as it is a great mistake to entirely remove the roots 
from air and light. The old soil mark on the stem 
should be the guide. Fine soil should be worked in 
between the roots as planting goes on. The upper¬ 
most roots should be raised by the hand to allow the 
soil to get between them as planting proceeds ; the 
soil should be made firm, but not trampled too hard. 
All trees should be firmly staked when planted, but 
not tied permanently until they have settled down. 
Pruning and Training. 
These are so closely allied that they may be treated 
under one heading. A great diversity of opinion 
exists as to the pruning of Apple trees, but I prefer 
to allow them as near as possible unrestricted growth. 
The object of pruning is to get a desired form of tree 
and to assist nature in the production of superior 
fruit. Whatever form of tree is decided upon it 
should have a clean stem of about one foot. 
Ornamental training is not so much practised in 
the case of the Apple as with some of our other 
fruits. If maidens are planted in the autumn they 
should be cut back rather severely jin the spring. 
For bush or standard trees the forms which we 
recommend three branches are best to lay the foun¬ 
dation with, any surplus ones should be cut clean 
out, the remaining three should be shortened to 
about 6in., the uppermost bud pointing outward. 
From each of these two or three shoots will come, 
any that incline to the centre of the tree, or across 
another, should be removed. If the remainder are 
too close to allow the foliage full exposure thin them 
out; in the winter pruming they must be shortened 
again, but not so severely as the previous year. As 
the tree advances in age, less shortening will be re¬ 
quired, more attention being paid to thinning out ; 
always keep the centre open and the branches 
sufficiently far apart to allow the foliage and spurs 
full exposure to the sun. 
Some varieties require-a little different treatment 
to others ; the habit of the tree should always be 
looked at first ; upright growers should be made to 
spread out as much as possible, and drooping varie¬ 
ties helped up. Very prolific varieties, such as Lord 
Suffield and Stirling Castle, should be watched very 
carefully, as if the points are not taken out to en¬ 
courage the production of wood they form all fruit 
bud. 
Especially is this the case when they are worked 
on a dwarfing stock, they almost kill themselves with 
fruiting. Root pruning is of great service where the 
trees are growing too strong ; it is generally tap roots 
which cause the mischief, therefore they should be 
got at and cut through. 
Apples may be trained to any desired form. In 
Scotland the choice dessert varieties are grown on 
walls as cordons, espaliers, and fan trained ; but in 
this neighbourhood wall space is too valuable for 
Apples when they can be had in such perfection 
from the open quarters. The only other form I 
recommend is horizontal cordons, as edgings to the 
fruit quarters. They must be on the Paradise stock. 
A maiden should be cut down to near the required 
height, and two eyes selected as nearly opposite as 
possible ; the shoots from these should be trained to 
a stout wire, and any eyes w hich break below.- should 
be rubbed off. The strength of the grow th must 
regulate the length retained each year (the stronger 
the growth the longer it must be left); it should not 
exceed iS ins., for spurs will not form the whole 
length. All laterals should be stopped to about five 
or six eyes whenever the growth is about finished 
for the year. The stopping should not be done too 
soon as that would cause a second growth, which is 
worse than useless. In the winter these laterals must 
be shortened to two or three buds, to form spurs. 
(To be continued.) 
_ ♦ _ 
CHRYSANTHEMUM 
NOTES. 
“ What is a reflexed Chrysanthemum ? 
The remarks of “ An Exhibitor ” at page 295, seem 
to me to render this question a greater puzzle than 
ever. Why some societies should recognise certain 
varieties of undoubtedly Japanese origin as reflexed, 
and not other varieties is very hard to understand, 
and shows how hard upon bona fide exhibitors 
diverse judgments may be. Thus I find in numerous 
cases Amy Furze is admitted amongst the ordinary 
11 reflexed ” flowers. Every one admits that itisquite 
as good a reflexed as are the Christines, and perhaps 
a better one. It would never be put into a stand 
of Japanese reflexed, because it is too small com¬ 
paratively, and there are so many of the true 
Japanese form the which are so much finer. Then 
its seems as if the true crimson Cullingfordi, which 
is of true Japanese blood, is universally admitted 
amongst the ordinary reflexed, and certainly much 
to the gain of the section. Well, if Cullingfordi, why 
not Amy Furze ? Who can give a logical reason why 
one should be admitted and the other excluded. 
“ Exhibitor " complains that whilst a competitor 
at Sheffield staged four out of six Japanese reflexed 
and was placed first, he was second with but one 
Japanese reflexed, because he had Cullingfordi. 
Perhaps the National Chrysanthemum Society 
authorises Cullingfordi to be shown as an ordinary 
reflexed; if so, why not Amy Furze ? The admission 
in the one case and rejection in the other seems to 
be arbitrary. The ordinary reflexed class is of such 
limited nature that authorities should be only too 
pleased to assist in its extension, and the value of 
such forms as Cullingfordi and Amy Furze is shown 
by the fact that whenever allowed they are almost 
always included. Why, even with these two in¬ 
cluded, and Dr. Sharp, King of Crimsons, Chevalier 
Domage, Distinction, Cloth of Gold, Golden 
Christine, Miss Forsyth, Pink Christine, Peach 
Christine, and Phidias, there are hardly any left fit 
for exhibition. — Chrysanth. 
-■» t 
SERVICEABLE FLOWERS. 
• 
There are a great many flowers cultivated under 
glass that are well worthy of the trouble taken with 
them, but the really serviceable kinds are by no 
means numerous. What is principally wanted now- 
a-days are flowers that will travel well and also keep 
fresh for some time in a cut state ; but the list of 
these might be added to with advantage. In the 
autumn and early winter months we have to largely 
depend upon Chrysanthemums, and there is sufficient 
variety in these to please most tastes. Yet there is 
such a thing as having too much of the Chrysanthe¬ 
mum, and especially the heavy specimen blooms ; 
and gardeners will do well to turn their attention 
more to the growth of the smaller varieties, including 
Pompons. Those two excellent late reflexed sorts 
Golden Gem and Boule de Neige ought to be more 
grown for the midwinter displays, even if at the 
expense of larger forms. By way of affording a relief 
to Chrysanthemums, it is advisable to grow a con¬ 
siderable number of zonal Pelargoniums, both single 
and double flowering. The former are particularly 
serviceable for vases and table decoration up to 
Christmas, while the semi-doubles, notably Guillon 
Mangilli, F. V. Raspail, Earl of Beaconsfield, James 
Vick, La Cygne, Heroine, Bruant, Mme. Thibaut, 
can be had in bloom all the year round. In many 
cases a warm airy house might with advantage be 
devoted principally or solely to the semi-doubles, 
these affording abundance of serviceable flowers, 
