July 14, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
721 
was Clause 5, which made the measure retrospective 
without qualification. Its place was taken by one 
declaring that if the tenant of a market garden has 
planted fruit trees, Strawberry plants, or Asparagus 
within three years prior to the passing of this Bill, 
and shall not more than six months after the 
measure comes into force, give written notice of the 
planting to the landlord or agent, he shall be entitled 
to compensation for it. An amendment, defining 
the manner in which compensation shall be paid for 
the improvements in market gardens on Crown lands 
having been agreed to, the Bill was sent back to the 
House. 
Scottish Horticultural Association.—At the monthly 
meeting of this organisation, held on the 3rd inst., at 
5, St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Mr. M. Todd, 
vice-president, in the chair. A paper by Mr. E. 
Waller, embodying the " Diary of a Horticultural 
Journey from England to Valencia,” was read by 
the assistant secretary, Mr. Murray. The author, 
after commenting on the flat districts of France and 
their products, alluded more particularly to the 
cultivation of the Orange in the great plain of 
Valencia, where the finest Oranges in Spain were 
produced in enormous quantities, and pointed out 
that the land, which was of a heavy clayey nature, 
was watered from the surrounding rivers at the 
expense of the Government, to whom the fruit 
farmers paid a stipulated rent. This system of 
irrigation, it was observed, was introduced into the 
plain in question by the Moors, and it still continued 
to give the utmost satisfaction. The communication 
further described the methods of gathering, selecting, 
and packing the fruit for export to the British 
market. In the course of a discussion which 
followed, the Chairman and Mr. Mackenzie, 
Warriston Nurseries, emphasised the necessity there 
was for improvement in the system of packing fruit 
carried on by British horticulturists. The exhibits 
of the evening consisted of a collection of shrubs, 
etc., grown in the open in the north of Ireland, and 
sent by Mr. R. Bell, Baron’s Court, in evidence of 
the mildness of the climate. In remarking favour, 
ably on the exhibits, Mr. Grieve, Pilrig Park 
Nursery, strongly advocated a much more extensive 
cultivation of shrubs than now prevailed. 
- ^ - 
TUNBRIDGE WELLS FLOWER SHOW. 
The thirty-sixth annual show of this Society was 
held in the great hall and grounds adjoining the 
Calverley Hotel on Wednesday, July 4th, and for 
the first time for several years the day was fine, so 
that visitors were able to enjoy themselves. The 
chief feature, as at most of such shows, was the 
groups arranged for effect, of which there were eight 
lots set up. The one that in our opinion looked 
best was that which was awarded the second prize, 
the first prize lot being sadly overdone with flower¬ 
ing plants. One lot was disqualified on account of 
cut flowers and foliage being introduced. Zonal 
Pelargoniums were very good, and the same exhibitor 
took first prize in both classes. Stove and green¬ 
house plants were not up to the mark, though those 
shown by Mr. Pope contained a very well-grown 
piece of Cycas revoluta. Fuchsias, except those 
awarded the first prize, were not up to the mark ; 
neither were Caladiums or Ferns. Fruit, with the 
exception of Grapes and Tomatos, was short, this 
being particularly noticeable in the class for Straw¬ 
berries. There was no competition in the collections 
of fruit, the lot shown by Mr. Earl taking first prize. 
Black Grapes were fairly good, and here Mr. Earl 
was again first in both classes. White Grapes for 
the most part were not ripe, neither were they well 
represented. Tomatos were a good lot, especially 
those exhibited by Mr. Harvey, which took first 
prize. Cut flowers were fairly well represented, 
Mr. J. Chalton being first both for a collection of 
herbaceous kinds and for a wreath, while Mr. 
Portnell and Mr. Newman took those for bouquets 
and stove and greenhouse flowers. For forty-eight 
Roses the first prize went to Mr. Mount, of Canter¬ 
bury. Vegetables were not well shown; Mr. 
Friend, however, took first for a collection. Amongst 
the numerous exhibits not for competition was a fine 
table of Carnations from Messrs. W. Cutbush & 
Son, Highgate, which attracted great attention. 
Let us hope that after such a fine day the Society’s 
financial position has much improved, as they have 
bad serious drawbacks for several years. 
THE SUMMER PRUNING 
OF FRUIT TREES. 
The importance of summer pruning can hardly be 
over-estimated, whether the trees are trained to 
walls, espalier fashion, pyramids, or bushes, because 
the well-being of the trees and the character of the 
crop borne by them is to a great extent influenced 
by the amount of skill and care expended on this 
operation. Fruit trees of whatever description 
when left to themselves generally get into an over¬ 
crowded condition, leading to the production of 
much weakly growth which never gets properly 
matured, and the production of fruiting wood on 
such trees may almost be called accidental, for no 
one who allows his trees to get into this overcrowded 
state has a fair right to expect anything approaching 
a decent crop, 
It is quite true that owing to a fortitious com¬ 
bination of circumstances trees in the condition 
indicated will sometimes present their owners with 
a fair crop of fruit, but this must be looked forward 
to by them as a matter which can only be of occa¬ 
sional occurrence. But the aim of good cultivation 
is to secure an even return for the labour expended 
year by year, and one of the most essential condi¬ 
tions to secure that end is the proper carrying out 
of the requisite amount of summer pruning. In 
this instance we will confine our remarks to Apples, 
Pears, and Plums, as these are all grown in most 
gardens in the form of pyramids, espaliers, bushes, 
or on walls, and in very many instances these 
annually produce a great deal of young wood repre¬ 
senting a large leaf surface, which gives an impetus 
to the root action, and causes them when under 
some conditions to strike down deeply into the sub¬ 
soil away from the beneficial influences of light and 
air, possibly to meet with elements detrimental to 
their well-being and favourable to the production of 
canker. 
To the latter cause the failure of many fruit trees 
that once promised well is attributable, yet which, 
had their roots been kept near the surface by 
mulching, and over-exuberant growth kept in check 
by proper attention to summer pruning, might 
possibly have been saved. Root pruning, too, which 
sometimes becomes a necessity, may not have to be 
resorted to so frequently where summer pruning is 
carefully attended to, because the trees will, by it, 
be preserved in a prolific fruit-bearing condition. 
It is unfortunate that very many employed in 
gardens have not had the training or experience to 
enable them to handle fruit trees in a satisfactory 
manner. When this is found to be the case it is 
far better to call in extra assistance for this particu¬ 
lar work, and pay someone who can be depended 
upon an advanced price, as this is one of the finer 
gardening operations which require for their satis¬ 
factory performance intelligence and experience that 
may be wanting in the labour at hand. 
There is a danger in over-pruning as well as in 
letting the trees grow wild, and to steer a free course 
between these two extremes some forethought and 
experience is most necessary. Besides, trees differ 
very considerably as to the freeness with which they 
make fresh growth, and the character of the soil and 
situation, and the nature of the stock they are 
worked upon all have a tendency to produce varied 
results in the same variety. Different varieties of 
the same fruits also vary considerably in the amount 
of fresh growth annually produced. All these con¬ 
siderations will govern to some extent the way in 
which summer pruning is carried out. In some 
instances very little is required, while in others the 
prunings from a particular tree will, from their bulk, 
often surprise those well accustomed to the work. 
Again, there is a wide difference in the time at 
which growth commences, so that no hard and fast 
line can be laid down as to the time at which 
summer pruning is to be commenced. Those that 
are the earliest to commence growth necessarily 
require to be taken in hand before the later ones. 
A few leading principles may be laid down for the 
guidince of those who wish to make a beginning at 
this work. Generally speaking, a commencement 
should be made at the top of the tree, leaving the 
leaders longer than the side shoots, which should be 
cut back to four or five good leaves. The pruning 
ought to be divided into three periods, doing one- 
third at a time at intervals of from ten to twelve 
days, beginning at the top of the tree, then doing 
the centre, and finishing off at the lower part. The 
rational of this practice is based on the well-known 
fact that the sap of a tree flows more freely in a 
vertical direction than horizontally, so that by 
pruning the top first the flow of the sap is for a time 
directed to the unpruned branches, serving to build 
up and strengthen them to an extent they otherwise 
could not be ; and again, it has a tendency to pro¬ 
duce that uniformity of growth over the tree which 
it should be the cultivator’s aim to secure, and 
without which a well-balanced fruitful tree is an 
impossibility. 
It will often be found that in old Pear trees a 
multiplicity of shoots will grow from almost the 
same point; these should in most cases be reduced 
to one, the rest being cut clean out, or the trees will 
soon get into an overcrowded condition. Instances 
of this may frequently be met with where, from 
neglect in this particular, considerable portions of 
some fine old and healthy trees have become un¬ 
fruitful, because the abundance of these watery 
growths have obstructed both light and air, and 
rendered what should be fruit-bearing spurs too 
weakly for the production of those plump flower 
buds which alone are the harbingers of the coming 
crop of fruit. It maybe further observed that when 
once trees are brought into a good fruit-bearing con¬ 
dition they do not. as it were, waste their energies 
in the production of much surplus wood, and the 
annual production of a crop of fruit checking undue 
luxuriance of growth, a most marked difference is 
observable in the wood growth of a fruitful and un¬ 
fruitful tree. The full play of light and air round 
the main branches which summer pruning ensures 
also assists largely in the formation of short spurs 
from which fruit buds are developed. The summer 
management of fruit trees gives ample scope for a 
man to display his abilities and intelligence.— 
IK. B. G. 
- - 
HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS IN 
FLOWER. 
Lilium croceum.— The flowers of this Lily are 
smaller than those of L. dahuricum, and although 
not so glaring they are more refined in appearance. 
The stems usually attain a height of 2 ft., bearing a 
deltoid raceme of widely funnel-shaped flowers on 
the top. The blooms are orange with small crimson 
spots, or, as some would describe them, golden- 
yellow tinted with scarlet. When once established 
in moderately good garden soil the species thrives 
and flowers regularly every year, and is very effective 
when in bloom. 
Oenothera speciosa.— Of the numerous perennial 
species of Oenothera or Evening Primroses, that 
under notice is a choice and showy one with large 
white flowers tinted with primrose in the centre. 
The leaves are gray and coarsely toothed. Not 
only is it a perennial, but it has the habit of throw¬ 
ing out long underground rhizomes or stem.s, which 
may come up at some distance from the plant. 
There is, therefore, no difficulty in securing any 
number of young plants, while the old ones may be 
kept in check by forking up and removing the 
suckers. 
Pentstemon glaber. —The flowers of the 
ordinary wild type are so large that one is rather 
surprised they have not been utilised for hybridisa¬ 
tion in order to furnish a new race of garden Pent, 
stemons. The stems are about 15 in. high, and bear 
a dense, one-sided panicle of large, pale purple 
flowers that are tinted more or less with deep sky- 
blue in their earlier stages; and this hue is longest 
retained by the lobes of the corolla, producing a very 
pleasing effect. Propagation may easily be effected 
by cuttings of the flowerless shoots. 
Epilobium augustifolium flore albo. —It fre¬ 
quently happens that varieties with white flowers 
are inferior in value to the type from a decorative 
point of view, but the old-fashioned garden plant, 
whether an improvement upon the type or not, is 
certainly very choice, either as a border plant or for 
naturalising in the wild garden. The flowers are 
pure white, chaste, and borne in long racemes that 
continue to elongate and expand their blossoms for 
a long time, and a large number of them are expanded 
at the same time. The stems usually attain a height 
of 4 ft. or 5 ft., according to the fertility of the soil 
and the vigour of the plant. 
Alyssum argenteum. —The more common A. 
sixatile blooms in spring, but that under notice 
forms a succession as it gets to its best about mid¬ 
summer or soon after. It grows about 15 in. high 
