598 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 23rd, 1885. 
SCOTTISH GARDENING. 
On the publication of the first number of The 
Gardening World in September last, no one was 
more surprised than its Editor at the warmth of the 
reception which it met among practical men in all 
parts of the country, and especially among gardeners 
beyond the Tweed. Congratulatory letters poured in 
from all quarters—some from friends of long standing, 
others from writers unknown to us either by name 
or repute, but all containing expressions of good will 
for the success of our venture, and hailing with 
pleasure, as many put it, the publication of a paper 
“ sound and practical in its teaching from beginning 
to end, at a price that places it within the reach of 
thousands of gardeners whose scanty pay precludes 
the possibility of their obtaining the higher-priced 
periodicals.” Many good friends—known and unknown 
■—have rendered us valuable service in bringing the 
paper under the notice of others interested in garden¬ 
ing pursuits, thus helping us in the most effective 
manner to largely increase its sphere of usefulness, 
and to one and all of them we take this opportunity 
of tendering our grateful and hearty thanks. 
By several esteemed correspondents we have been 
urged to devote some portion of our space weekly to 
Scottish gardening; that is to say, to subjects of a 
practical character and matters of general interest 
in which Scottish gardeners are more interested than, 
by reason of their geographical position, they can 
be expected to be regarding subjects more closely 
identified with the South. In many respects the 
conditions under which our northern friends labour, 
and especially in the all-important matter of climate, 
are widely different from those which obtain in 
the South, and Scottish gardeners do undoubtedly 
labour under a great disadvantage in being unable 
to gain much practical information of a character 
specially applicable to their circumstances, since no 
gardening periodical is now published in that part 
of the realm. To meet this want in some measure, 
we have decided to open our columns in the manner 
suggested, and are gratified to be able to announce 
that in this department we shall have the valued 
assistance of one of the best practical gardeners in the 
country, who has been a contributor to periodical 
horticultural literature for several years, and whose 
familiar initials will doubtless at once be recognized 
by many. Others equally well known to fame have 
kindly promised to contribute articles on subjects 
of general interest to the same department, and we 
shall gladly welcome contributions from other readers 
who may be in possession of useful information bear¬ 
ing on the interesting topics which we hope from time 
to time to introduce for discussion. At the present 
moment a seasonable subject is found by our corre¬ 
spondent in:— 
DISBUDDING FBUIT-TREES. 
There are few who attempt to deny that disbudding 
during the growing season is of much advantage to 
trained fruit-trees, or to others which have to occupy 
a limited space. The extension system is a sound one 
for growing trees vigorous and healthy, but there are 
only a few who can afford to cover an extensive 
amount of wall space with single trees. The chief 
reasons for growing small trees are to enable us to 
obtain a variety of kinds and a succession of fruit, 
lengthening out the season with early and late sorts. 
With trees extended over a large area one must have 
a large supply of fruit all at once, probably accom¬ 
panied with waste, and enjoy but a short season of 
plenty. 
The manipulation of the growths so as to put 
them in their proper positions requires, under the 
usual practice, early and frequent attention. Some 
leave the young wood till it is of considerable length, 
so that it might give shelter to the newly set fruit by 
warding off frosts, and in this there is some amount 
of wisdom. With fruits trained under glass we fail 
to see the propriety of waiting till the growths are of 
much length, or of any length at all. We hold that 
the younger and smaller the buds are when disbudding 
is performed the less likely is the tree to suffer. On 
the other hand, the longer the growths are the more 
likely is the tree to experience a check. 
Our practice (especially -with Peaches, Nectarines! 
Cherries, Plums, and Apricots) under glass, extending 
over a period of more than twenty years, has been to 
pick out the wood buds as soon as they are percepti¬ 
ble, leaving only those which are likely to be of use 
for filling up the vacant spaces on the tree where the 
supply of fruit is to be had. The fruit-bearing shoots 
are stopped just about the length to which they are 
to be cut back next season, and a shoot is left at the 
point of last year’s wood to draw up the sap which 
supplies the fruit of the present season, while another 
shoot is left as near as possible to the base as the 
fruiting one for next season. The method of manag¬ 
ing trees in this way reduces the work to great 
simplicity, and economizes much labour by only 
having shoots tied in which are really wanted, and the 
appearance of the trees is much enhanced by the thin 
orderly appearance of the wood. 
We never could see the propriety of nailing or tying 
in great numbers of growths, which, in a short time, 
have to be removed with the knife. Trees in good 
healthy condition, Peaches especially, may have the 
fruit buds judiciously thinned (we always do it when 
time permits), leaving the best placed buds to set 
fruit, which at the proper time may also require 
thinning. Notwithstanding the bud thinning we 
seldom have to omit fruit thinning too. The fact 
that the best buds are left, those too which are most 
favourably placed where they can expand their 
blossoms to the full, is a guarantee of a good set 
of fruit. 
We are speaking now, of course, of trees with 
ripened growth. Those which are not so ripe should 
have timely attention at the roots, removing tap roots 
and cutting in a few which may be drawing up sap 
in such quantity that creates growth which cannot be 
ripened. I do not remember ever having a scarce 
crop of Peaches which flowered at any period of 
the season, especially in January. We always have 
provided a very firm, w T ell-rammed soil, and lift the 
roots when necessary during summer.— M. T. 
- e_-- •'Vc -0» CT ~ ■ —p — 
THE YELLOW BANKSIAN 
ROSE. 
When looking through the grounds of one of our 
large mansions a few days ago, among many objects 
of interest one of the most attractive was a large 
specimen of the Yellow Banksian Bose, of great age, 
that must have been planted many years ago, as 
could be seen by the size of the trunk; the branches 
had covered a great space of wall, and it was blooming 
very freely indeed. It was in a warm corner, haring 
a south-west aspect, and in such a place it was not to 
be wondered at that this Bose did so well. Its roots 
were evidently in a soil that was thoroughly congenial, 
and I was told that every year saw this fine plant 
laden with blossoms. 
The Banksian Bose is said to be of Chinese origin, 
and it has a very Chinese complexion and constitu¬ 
tion. “ It is almost spineless, very smooth in leaf 
and stem, in growth a climber, blooming most 
profusely, the flowers occurring kqlarge clusters, very 
double, and agreeably scented.” It is some eighty 
years ago since this Rose was first introduced, and it 
was in due time “ dedicated ” to Lady Banks by the 
late Robert Brown, of the British Museum, a botanist 
who did the State some service, and was but poorly 
appreciated in his day. 
A calcareous soil appears to suit this Bose well. In 
some of the south-eastern districts, where the soil 
is of a chalky nature, it can be seen growing in great 
perfection. It is a tender Bose, and therefore it 
should have the protection of a wall, and arid, dry 
warm soil. Mr. William Paul states that it may be 
grown in a soil composed of equal parts of loam, peat, 
and leaf-mould. This Bose requires but little 
pruning; the mere tips of the shoots should be taken off. 
What an amount of lore has gathered about the Bose! 
The “ bed of Boses” is not altogether a poetic fiction. 
In ancient days the Sybarites used to sleep upon 
mattresses that were stuffed with Bose-leaves. A 
similar luxury was afterwards indulged in both in 
Greece and Borne. Men would sit at their meals 
upon cushions, and sleep by night on beds of Roses. 
The tyrant Dionysius had couches stuffed with Boses, 
on which he lounged at his revels. Verres used to 
travel on a litter reclining on a mattress stuffed with 
Boses. He wore, moreover, garlands of Boses round 
his head and neck, and had Bose leaves intertwined 
in a thin net, which was drawn over the litter. It was 
a favourite luxury of Antiochus to sleep in a tent of 
gold and silver on a mattress stuffed with Boses. We 
are wiser in this generation, and utilize our Bose- 
leaves for distilling rose-water and other purposes, 
and our rulers rest and sleep on something more 
luxurious than a “ bed of Boses.”— R. D. 
THE WHITE MARGUERITE. 
A short time ago Mr. Dumper wrote in high terms 
of the value of Chrysanthemum frutescens Etoile d’Or, 
the Golden Marguerite, and I quite agree with him as 
to its usefulness. But I think C. frutescens is equally 
worthy of notice, and perhaps many would give it the 
preference. It certainly possesses one advantage over 
its rival in being more compact in habit of growth, 
and consequently better adapted for growing into 
specimen plants. Well-grown plants of it in 5-in. or 
6-in. pots, when covered with their white starry flowers, 
are really beautiful objects at this season of the year 
for all kinds of decorating, and its flowers are most 
useful, when cut, for using with others to impart 
elegance and grace to the arrangements. 
Cuttings rooted in a handlight early in August, 
and potted on as required in a compost of two parts 
of loam to one of well-rotted manure, will, if well 
attended to, make nice plants by this time next year. 
In potting, the soil should be firmly rammed down, in 
order to secure sturdy growth. The shoots may be 
stopped till the end of December, and after that have 
the flowers picked out till the shoots have become 
strong. Like all other Chrysanthemums, this is a gross 
feeder, and should have an abundance of water as 
soon as it is well-rooted, with an occasional dose of 
soot-water, to give the foliage a deep green hue, and 
manure-water two or three times a week as soon as 
the flower-buds appear. 
After flowering, the plants should be pruned back 
in the same way as a Pelargonium, and as soon as 
young shoots are formed, be planted out in a rich 
border, lifted in September, and grown on in vineries 
or other cool houses during the winter months. 
Treated in this way, they will speedily form fine 
specimen plants, but if large plants are not required 
they can be thrown away after flowering, and fresh 
ones be struck each year.— H. Dunkin. 
THE CULTIVATION OF ORCHIDS. 
(Paper read at the Orchid Conference on May 13 th 
by Mr. James O'Brien. Concluded from p. 583.) 
On Potting Orchids. 
And now it will be well to notice a few matters 
connected with the potting and materials used. For 
growing the epiphytal Orchids in the early days of 
Orchid culture, blocks or logs of wood were largely 
used, with, in many cases, wire baskets for the more 
spreading kinds. These baskets were first made of 
iron wire, but this being found to be objectionable on 
account of its rusting, copper wire was substituted. 
Soon it got found out that Orchid roots and young 
growths did not like metallic substances, and slate 
was employed to make baskets of different shapes, 
which were fitted with wire suspenders. Later on the 
designs were very varied and fanciful, baskets being 
made of scollop-shells, Cocoa-nut husks, rods of Hazel, 
Oak, and Maple, all of which were found objectionable 
for some reason or other. 
During all this time the ordinary flower-pot was 
making way, disguised to meet the case by having 
holes and slits to accommodate the ah' roots. This 
fashion of flower-pot at length became extensively 
used, but as it was alleged against it that it harboured 
insects, it had to give way to the plain, common 
garden pot, which is now doing such great service. 
But I am sure that we have allowed the common 
flower-pot to encroach too far, and that while we beat 
our predecessors with Odontoglossums, Masdevallias, 
and many other things which do perfectly well in pots, 
we have certainly lost ground with Snecolabiums, 
Aerides, and plants of that nature ; so much so, that 
they are but poorly represented in many otherwise good 
collections. My own opinion is that it is solely through 
potting them instead of basketing them, and that in 
pots the chances are against them on many points. 
Their large fleshy roots do not get the air in pots that 
