884 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 15, 1896 
HINTS FOR AMATEURS. 
Pruning. 
The Plum.— Next to the Apple the Plum is one of 
the most important of our hardy fruits. For kitchen 
purposes it is admirable, and finds great favour in all 
quarters, whilst there is no more delicious fruit that 
finds its way to the table than some of the finer 
dessert varieties, Gages, etc. We have heard over 
and over again that Plums do not pay to grow, and 
that even if the trees bear heavy crops, the prices 
obtained for them are anything but remunerative- 
Whether this be the case or no, the fact remains the 
same, viz.—that thousands of trees are planted each 
year, and the fruit they bear eagerly plucked. 
Standards. —These are excellent for planting in 
the open ground, whether singly or in numbers to 
form orchards. A standard Plum has this quality 
that should recommend it very strongly to the notice 
of amateurs who have the room to spare to plant this 
kind of tree, viz.—that once it has got a fair start, and 
is properly established in its new quarters, it requires 
but very little looking after, at least, so far as the 
use of the pruning knife goes. A stem clear of 
branches for at least six feet in height will be 
required, as this allows of the ground being cropped 
close up to the tree. A word of caution here may be 
of service, however. The roots of the Plum have a 
natural tendency to run close to the surface, and, 
therefore, if the ground shaded by its branches is to be 
cropped, digging must be performed systematically 
and regularly from the commencement, otherwise 
the higher strata of soil soon become filled with 
roots, and an application of the spade, when this is 
the case, would certainly kill these roots and just as 
certainly cause the tree itself to sustain a severe 
check. 
If the branches of the trees get at all crowded, 
thinning out must be resorted to, so that those re¬ 
maining may receive the necessary amount of light and 
air. In this case, as in that of the other hardy fruits 
we have previously dealt with, we might parody the 
old saw that “ too many cooks spoil the broth," by 
saying that “too many branches spoil the tree,” and 
for why ? simply because they spoil each other. In 
young trees vigorous shoots will often be observed 
growing out from the centre. We had occasion to 
refer to the influence these would have upon the 
fertility of the tree bearing them when treating of 
standard Apples, and the remarks then made 
concerning the latter subject will apply here 
equally well. These strong young shoots should 
be checked by pinching, at an early stage of their 
existence in order to distribute the flow of sap more 
evenly amongst other more serviceable branches. 
Besides the thinning out of branches when the heads 
become too crowded, any dead boughs or snags that 
are observed must also be taken clean out, as these 
latter, if allowed to remain, although they do not 
appropriate any portion of the vital sap, yet afford a 
harbour for all sorts and conditions of insects whose 
special object in life appears to be to plague the 
Plum. 
Wall Trees.— Some of the finest dessert fruit is 
obtained from trees trained to east, west, or north 
walls, the last-mentioned aspect being generally 
utilised for late varieties such as Coe's Golden Drop, 
Ickworth Imperatrice, Guthrie’s Late, etc. 
Fan-trained.— This, taking all things into con¬ 
sideration, is the best method of training for Plums 
growing against walls, unless they are of exceedingly 
low stature. The Plum has one disadvantage 
attaching to it which does not affect the Apple and 
the Pear, viz., a great tendency for whole branches 
to die clean away. We cannot now go into the 
probable reasons for the trees behaving in this 
regrettable manner. It must suffice for the present 
to say that they do. The system of fan-training is 
one, therefore, that particularly recommends itself, 
as it allows of gaps caused by the dying away of 
branches in the manner suggested being made good 
much more quickly than they could in trees of other 
shapes. 
The fruit is borne upon short spurs which appear 
in greater or less quantities along branches of from 
one to three years’ growth. The aim, therefore, 
should be to get a number of such fertile spurs 
equally distributed along the whole length of the 
branches. The main branches of a fan-shaped tree 
must be allowed plenty of room, distributing them 
evenly over the space at disposal, and not allowing 
one to cross the other. Any old or weakly-looking 
ones should be cut clean out, so as to leave all the 
room for the younger growths. A clean cut must be 
made in all cases, and to obtain this a sharp knife 
must be used, for bruised or broken shoots and 
jagged cuts are almost sure to cause gumming. 
Along the upper side of the main growths a number 
of strong young shoots will push during the 
summer. These must be stopped by pinching them 
under the sixth leaf. The check thus given induces the 
formation of fruit buds at the base instead of the wood 
buds which would have taken their places had the 
shoot been suffered to grow on as it liked through the 
whole of the growing season. At the winter pruning 
these young twigs must be shortened back close to 
the base. If they have been very strong it may be 
that wood buds will have been formed after all, in 
spite of the slight check of the summer stopping. In 
this case, one or two weaker shoots will push during 
the forthcoming spring. If these are pinched in their 
turn, however, under the fifth or sixth leaf, the desired 
end will be gained by next winter, viz.—the produc¬ 
tion of fruit buds at their bases. 
The spurs themselves may also need a little atten¬ 
tion. It will be necessary to cut them back if they have 
become loDg and straggling, and have grown out too 
far from the wall. It is advisable, however, to allow 
the spurs on the lower portion of the tree to become 
somewhat longer than those in the upper, for if they 
are all allowed to grow to an equal length and 
to bear an equal quantity of foliage, the sap, having 
a natural tendency to rise to the highest portions, 
will be drawn past the lower branches, and 
fruit buds will not be formed, or, at least produced 
only in limited quantities. It often happens that the 
branches in the centre of the tree are apt to grow too 
vigorously, and thus to rob other portions. This 
tendency can only be checked by summer pinching, 
as it is impossible to attain it by training them in a 
less upright position on account of the shoots below 
them, which would thereby become too much 
crowded, whilst the centre of the tree would be 
marked by an unsightly gap. 
Horizontal-trained trees. —These will come in 
very handy for planting against walls that are not 
high enough to accommodate the fan-shaped trees 
nicely. Their winter pruning is exceedingly simple, 
and consists in cutting back close to the base 
shoots lateral to the main branches which have been 
pinched during the preceding summer, and cutting 
out weakly and unripe growths. This can easily be 
done without damage being sustained by the fruiting 
spurs in any way. 
Oblique Cordons.— Occasionally this form of 
training is adopted where the walls are of sufficient 
height to warrant it. Excellent results are obtained, 
however, if proper attention is given. The summer 
pruning is the most important item, as the tendency 
of this kind of tree is to make excessive growth, and 
this has to be kept in check by careful pinching of 
the young shoots early in the season.— Rex. 
-- 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
Anyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
"Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Replies.—The plant of which you send us a specimen, 
Enrique, is Pleroma, perhaps better known in gardens 
under the name of Lasiandra macrantha floribunda. 
It is one of the handsomest flowering plants we have 
suitable for an ordinary greenhouse or conservatory. 
It commences to flower when quite small, and may 
thus be grown as an ordinary pot plant, as well as 
utilised as a climber for adorning rafters or pillars. 
M. T. complains that gardeners, when asked for 
advice about various plants, are very fond of saying 
Oh! a greenhouse, or a stove temperature will suit 
them, as the case may be. He wants to know exactly 
what greenhouse and stove temperatures mean. An 
ordinary greenhouse is usually a house that is kept 
quite cool during the summer months, and sufficient 
artificial heat given in the winter to keep it between 
40° and 5o c Fahr., of course rising a few degrees 
higher than this during sunny days. A stove 
possesses a temperature of about Co c by night during 
the winter, and not less than 65° to 70' during the 
summer, with a proportionate rise by day. An 
intermediate house tells its own tale with regard to 
temperature. It forms a link, between the stove and 
greenhouse. For your house, S. Emble, we should 
advise a temperature of 45 : by night, rising to 50° by 
day, and 55 if the sun is bright. This will be quite 
warm enough for plants which are forced into flower, 
as if more heat is given the blooms will soon fall 
You must likewise give as much air as you can 
without causing draughts. 
As herbaceous Calceolarias come nicely under the 
heading of greenhouse plants we will here try to give 
C. Kingston the information he is in search of regard¬ 
ing them. If the plants have filled their present pots 
with roots they may be given a shift as soon as he 
likes. If, on the other hand, they have not done so, 
potting may be left for awhile longer. By no means 
attempt to carry out the idea of trying to hasten 
their growth by applying artificial heat (except of 
course to exclude severe frost), else there will be a 
case very much like “the dog and the bone"—in try¬ 
ing to do too much all will be lost. Calceolarias 
hate fire heat—if a plant can be said to hate anything. 
A good potting compost will consist of two parts of 
turfy loam to one of dried cow manure, with sand. 
We should not advise you to make the compost quite 
so heavy as this for your Fuchsias when you pot 
them, Rob. Try equal parts of loam, leaf soil, and 
cow manure. 
So you want to increase your stock of Fuchsias, 
Oxonian, do you ? Nothing is easier ! CuttiDgs strike 
very readily, especially at this time of the year, and 
abundance of these can soon be obtained from the 
old plants. These latter should be pruned slightly 
and introduced into a gentle heat, when they will 
soon start into growth. 
Tuberous Begonias may be raised from seed and 
the plants flowered in one year, G. Davidson, but we 
are afraid that with the limited conveniences at your 
disposal you will not be able to do this. You say 
you doubt your skill, but as one never kn ows what 
can be done until they try, it is no use to worry about 
that. If the plants are to flower the same year the 
seed should be sown about the middle of February, 
in a brisk heat, and the seedlings pricked off as soon 
as they are large enough to handle. As you have 
not the means at hand to give the seed sufficient heat 
to induce germination it will be of no use your 
sowing now. Wait a few months and then sow. It 
will come up freely then in an ordinary frame, 
although you must not expect these late seedliogs to 
flower until next year. Whilst treating of sowing 
seed we are reminded that B. C. is asking about 
raising Asparagus from seed. He asks if this is the 
usual method of getting a stock, and wbat time 
must elapse between the date of sowing and the time 
when the plants will become strong enough to 
produce good heads for cutting. Seed should be 
sown in carefully-prepared soil in March or early in 
April, and the seedlings thinned out before they have 
begun to crowd each other. For the formation of 
permanent beds three-year-old plants are the best f 
although two-year-old may be used if desired. As a 
rule Asparagus is fairly free from the attacks of 
insects, although the Asparagus beetle (Cricoceris 
asparagi) occasionally causes trouble. The best 
remedy in this case is to sprinkle the beds with soot, 
which, whilst being perfectly safe to use, is also very 
effectual in causing the beetle to “ shift.IT Powdered 
white Hellebore is also used, but this is too expensive 
a remedy 7 to recommend itself to the majority of 
amateurs. 
It is astonishing to what a number of uses soot can 
be applied, and seeing that it is such an invaluable 
article, and withal so easily obtained, we should 
sfrongly advise anyone who has a garden or who 
grows plants in pots to keep a supply always in 
stock. Just now it will come in very handy for dustiDg 
over Gooseberry bushes to keep off feathered visitants 
from picking out the buds. Lime may also be 
employed for a like purpose. Mayhap the poet 
would tell us that it is cruel to kill the pretty birds 
which sing so sweetly all day long (aye, and spoil our 
Gooseberry bushes into the bargain, prosaic gardeners 
such as ourselves may retort). 
You are perfectly correct in saying that bullfinches 
do a great deal of mischief in this way, Etonian, but 
you are a little out in your supposition that they are 
the only sinners in bud-spoiling. Far from it ! The 
common sparrow is as wickedly inclined as its 
neighbour, and, as a Yankee would say, a “ sight " 
more numerous, as well as cheeky. \ ou may be able 
to frighten a bullfinch by shouting at him, but we 
never heard of the person yet who succeeded in 
scaring a sparrow for very long. We therefore 
warn Etonian not to waste his breath in trying it. 
