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THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 11, 1892. 
ummer Pruning.— The excellent paper 
on this subject contributed by Mr. A. 
Young at the meeting on Tuesday of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, will, it is 
hoped, serve to draw attention to garden 
work which is in its highest sense technical 
and yet experimental. It is of course 
accepted practice that certain classes of 
trees or bushes or other forms of vegeta¬ 
tion should be subjected to summer prun¬ 
ing. But then this form of pruning 
differs so materially from winter pruning 
in this, that one takes place whilst the tree 
or other object operated upon is at rest, 
whilst in the other case the object is in 
active life, and the pruning is intended to 
operate on the object in some direction 
almost immediately. 
Practically we prune in the summer first, 
although not the most important, to give 
to the remaining wood light and air, so 
that it may ripen or mature. But the 
specific object of summer pruning is, 
in checking growth development in one 
and a comparatively useless direction to, as 
it were, compel the creation of buds 
capable eventually of producing fruit in 
another direction. Practically we place 
the sap power of a tree or bush under 
restraint and compel it to form naturally, 
yet almost artificially, formations that 
would not be performed were the sap left 
to its own natural will. We refer to 
summer pruning chiefly in relation to hard- 
wooded fruit trees, but we are constantly 
summer pruning Vines, Cucumbers, 
Melons, Tomatos, and many other things 
which would only be satisfactorily fruitful 
when so pruned. 
That in relation to hard-wooded trees 
we might carry on summer pruning much 
farther than we do there car, be no doubt. 
It is a practice, even by high-class 
professional gardeners, often more preached 
about than practised, hence the winter 
pruning often becomes a serious matter 
simply because the summer pruning has 
not been properly performed. Trees are 
required to produce fruit rather than barren 
wood, and all good pruning is presumably 
directed to secure that end. 
omatos. —We have been gratified to read 
in one of our daily contemporaries an 
authoritative statement with respect to the 
assumed outbreak of disease amongst the 
Tomato plants in the Canary Islands, 
which should materially serve to allay 
apprehension amongst growers of this 
valuable esculent at home. It would 
appear that, although the Canary Islands 
are situate on the African coast, yet they 
do not always escape frosts, and the Islands 
having had to suffer from what is in that 
mild climate comparatively severe frosts, 
the Tomato plants were so much injured 
that after-effects have led to the conclusion 
that they had been attacked by disease— 
hence the alarm. 
Now it maybe to growers of Tomatos at 
home of little moment whether the Canary 
Islands Tomato plants suffer from frost or 
other ills. Very much depends upon the 
breadth of thought shown here. But there 
can be no doubt whatever but that our home 
growers feel great concern with regard to 
the report to which we have referred, 
because were Tomatos even so' remote as 
the Canary Islands being devastated by 
disease there would be no certainty that 
our home crops would long escape. It is 
true that we have at times had to suffer 
from moderate disease attacks, but these 
have been rather local than general, and 
have not appreciably affected the supply 
of Tomatos in the market. 
Did our plants suffer as severely as 
Potato plants often suffer the result would 
be almost absolute ruin to the crop, because 
fruits and foliage always suffer together. 
In our case freedom from disease amongst 
Tomatos is even of greater importance 
than is the case in warm climates, because 
we are dependent for our chief home grown 
crop upon plants grown under' glass, thus 
rendering their production very costly. 
That even glass houses are not always 
preventitives of the disease we know full 
well, but then it is comparatively under 
control in such case. Undoubtedly it 
would be a serious misfortune both to 
growers and consumers did our Tomato 
crops suffer from disease, and we earnestly 
hope that from such misfortune w T e may be 
spared. 
f oosEBERRiES,—Is it not an old tradition 
that we have Gooseberry pies, pud¬ 
dings, or fools at Whitsuntide. When that 
moveable festival falls early it goes hard 
with the pies, etc. When, as this year, it 
falls late it finds the green acid fruits, if not 
so very abundant, at least fairly? fine, and of 
the exact needful quality. Hence there 
have been plenty of Gooseberry puddings 
and similar toothsome diet this season 
already. In many cases the Gooseberry 
bushes suffer much from frosts during 
the spring, when, just as the bushes are 
bursting into leaf, two or three severe white 
frosts come and not only check growth but 
almost kill it. Then the bushes meet with a 
reverse from which it is hard to recover. 
Then, even if they escape such a disaster, 
the birds literally? often play old gooseberry 
with the buds, and the bushes later wear a 
barren forlorn aspect, and if this evil be 
surmounted, then the late frosts often do 
serious injury to the young fruits when in 
the flowering stage. What wonder then that 
the culture of even such hardy fruits as are 
Gooseberries is found attended with some 
disappointment; and yet, on the other hand, 
it is a fact that hardly any other variety of 
hardy fruit is so largely grown or found on 
the whole to be so profitable. That is 
good, because we could ill dispense with 
our Gooseberry pies and puddings, and it 
is pleasant to find that after all the culture 
of the fruit brings grist to the mill. 
We have many uses for Gooseberries in 
the green state, even perhaps more than 
when ripe. They make us pies, they make 
capital jam, they are readily preserved 
whole in bottles for use during the winter. 
Then when ripe they form a delicious dessert 
fruit. That we can thus gather them green 
enables growers to relieve their bushes of 
heavy crops and also to give them a long 
market season. We can grow Gooseberries 
as well-kept and pruned bushes, as dense 
thick unkempt bushes, as cordons or trellis 
trees, and we have fully ioo sorts we may 
select from to suit all tastes and fancies— 
what wonder then that the Gooseberry is 
such a popular fruit. 
-- 
The International Horticultural Exhibition, and 
Wild West entertainment, drew no less than 43,646 
persons to Earl's Court on Monday. 
The Flower Sermon. —The Church of St. Katherine 
Cree, in the City, was well filled on Tuesday evening, 
on the occasion of the fortieth flower sermon by the 
Rector, the Rev. Dr. Whittemore. This annual 
sermon on a floral subject is the outcome of a 
suggestion made to him thirty-nine years ago by 
some young friends, and many flower sermons are 
now preached, not only in churches and chapels 
throughout England, but also in Australia, Africa, 
and other parts of the world. To Dr. Whittemore 
the anniversary must have many associations. The 
hymns sung included two out of a large number 
written for these occasions by a hand that writes no 
more ; and the bouquet upon the pulpit was the gift 
of a friend who has never failed from the first to 
send one, though she now lives a long way from 
London. There were present, as usual, children from 
the Aldgate Ward school and the Sailors' Orphan 
school, Dock Street. Dr. Whittemore took his text 
from Jeremiah viii. 32, “ Is there no Balm in 
Gilead ? ” 
The Neill Prize. —At a meeting of the council of 
the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, held on 
the 1st inst., the Neill Prize for the biennial period 
1890-1892, value £yj 10s., was awarded to Mr. John 
Paterson, late gardener at Millbank, Edinburgh. Mr. 
Paterson was for many years one of the most famous 
cultivators of plants in Scotland, and until the 
dispersion last autumn of the famous Millbank 
collection, was, perhaps, the most constant and most 
successful exhibitor at the Royal Caledonian 
Society's shows. The compliment now paid him by 
the Society was well deserved 
Protherod & fvorris v. the Anguloa Cricket Club.— 
The third annual cricket match between the firms of 
Messrs. Protheroe & Morris, of Cheapside, and 
Messrs. Sander & Co., of St Albans, took place at 
the Essex County Grounds, at Leyton, on the 1st 
inst , when the auctioneers beat the Orchid men by 
an innings, 172 runs, and 2 wickets. Last year the 
Anguloas won by one run. For the winning team 
this year Mr. G. P. Stanley made 97, Mr. T. A. 
Morris, 58, and Mr. G. Clarke, not out, 40. 
Luncheon and tea were provided in the pavilion by 
Messrs. Protheroe & Morris, who were heartily 
thanked by the players for their hospitality. 
Gardeners' Orphan Fund. —At a meeting of the 
committee held on the 3rd inst., Mr. W. Marshall in 
the chair, the following resolutions were passed 
unanimously: (1) “ The committee of the Gardeners' 
Orphan Fund have learned with deep regret of the 
death of Lady Goldsmid, and desire to express their 
sense of the kindly interest taken in the Fund bj? her 
Ladyship, as was particularly shown by her attend¬ 
ance at the floral fetes in aid of the Fund held in 
the Wholesale Flower Market, Covent Garden. The 
committee tender to their president, Sir Julian 
Goldsmid, and the members of his family their 
sincere condolence and respectful s) mpathy under 
the great bereavement they have sustained.” (2) 
‘‘That this committee express to Sir James White- 
head, Bart., their high appreciation of the great 
service he rendered to the Fund by taking the chair 
at the recent annual dinner, and for his exertions in 
securing such a highly satisfactory subscription list. 
The committee also desire to tender their hearty 
thanks to Sir James for his eminent services thus 
rendered to the Fund, and they have the gratification 
of placing on record their sense of the unprecedented 
success which marked the new departure in the 
matter of the annual dinner.” (3) “ This committee, 
in recording their sense of the marked success which 
attended the celebration of the recent annual dinner 
of the Fund, desire to express their hearty thanks to 
their chairman, Mr. William Marshall, their hon. 
secretary, Mr. A. F. Barron, and to Mr. B. Wynne, 
for arranging the details of the dinner and carrying 
them out in so highly satisfactory a manner ; also to 
those friends who supplied flowers, and who so kindly 
assisted in decorating the dinner tables.” The hon. 
secretary reported that since the previous meeting, in 
addition to the handsome contributions received at 
the annual dinner, he had received the following 
sums : - Ealing District Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society, £10 ; Manchester Local Committee 
(result of concert at Altrincham), /20 ; Mr. John 
Wills, a birthday offering, £\o 10s. ; Miss Gibbons, 
Birmingham (result of a private appeal to fifty 
friends), £5 ; Tadcaster Paxton Society, £1. 
THE COCKCHAFER. 
This troublesome insect is also known as the may- 
bug, and its appearance may be looked for at this 
season of the year. Time was when I have seen them 
quite plentiful in the suburbs of London on a 
summer evening, putting in appearance just as dusk 
commences, and gathering about the foliage of the 
trees it frequents. When I was a schoolboy, and 
living close to the sea coast in the south of England, 
there would be swarms of cockchafers at the end of 
May and early in June; and they would gather on 
the Hornbeam and Beech hedgerows planted for 
shelter on the nursery where I was born. Then the 
labourers would place garden mats on the ground by 
the sides of the hedges, shake the chafers on to them, 
and turn them into a water barrow partly filled with 
lime water for the purpose of destroying them. In 
this way thousands were captured, and had they not 
been sharply looked after they wmuld no doubt have 
