248 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 19, 1896. 
JINTS FOR WMATEURS. 
Pruning. — With so much mild and open weather 
favouring us, a start should be made without delay 
upon the pruning of the fruit trees of which all 
gardens of any size are well nigh sure to contain a 
few examples. It is not desirable to prune in frosty 
weather when the wood is frozen. Also wet weather 
will prove a great hindrance to operations, more 
especially when the soil is heavy in character, for to 
tread upon such a soil in wet weather is not only 
exceedingly uncomfortable, but is attended with 
more or less injury to the soil itself. 
The Pruner’s Stock-in-trade is not a very exten¬ 
sive one as far as tools go. First and foremost, a 
good strong knife is needed, with a blade capable of 
receiving a keen edge. The steel should net be too 
soft, or the knife will require continual sharpening. 
On the other hand, if it is too hard the twisting that 
the blade is sure to experience in a greater or less 
degree will chip pieces out of it until a hybrid com¬ 
pound of knife and saw is the result, a tool with 
which it is impossible to make a clean cut either 
with ease or certainty. The make of knife stamped 
“ Saynor ” is the one generally favourved by 
gardeners. The blades are inserted in strong horn 
hafts, which afford an excellent grip for the hand, a 
matter that is of the utmost importance. These 
knives combine the qualities of strength, durability, 
and efficiency in the highest degree. 
A small hand saw will be necessary for severing 
any large branches which have to be removed for any 
reason or other, and which would be too stout for the 
knife to deal effectually with. 
It may be of service here to make mention of those 
handy little contrivances known as secateurs. Some 
gardeners use them instead of a knife, and they 
certainly have this great advantage that they work 
much more speedily. In establishments where there 
is a lot of pruning to be got over, this gain in time is 
a very material consideration. It is a moot point, 
however, whether, the cuts made by secateurs are so 
clean and satisfactory as those made by a knife. No 
matter how delicately and well the blades may be 
adjusted there must be a little bruising of the wood. 
The point is, therefore, whether such bruising is of 
sufficient importance as a drawback to counter¬ 
balance the advantage gained in time. We scarcely 
think it is, as we have used secateurs for pruning 
hardy fruits and fruit trees under glass without any 
ill effects being apparent, either in the health of the 
tree or the weight of the crops. 
The reason why we have recommended the knife 
to amateurs is chiefly on account of its cheapness, as 
good secuteurs cost more than a good knife, and 
sooner get out of order, whereas a knife may be 
sharpened at any time and is always ready for use 
when wanted. 
So much for edge tools—now for the means of 
reaching the trees. Thanks to our great fruit 
nurserymen, it is possible to have fruiting trees of 
Apples, Pears, etc., quite dwarf with regard to 
stature, so much so in fact that a man of ordinary 
height can reach to the top of them quite comfortably 
standing on the ground. For the larger pyramidal 
trees, a pair of steps is necessary. These can be 
shifted round the tree as required, and the dressing 
done by the operator without any bruising or break¬ 
ing of the branches which would be sure to result in 
some measure if ladders were used. For wall trees 
an ordinary light ladder should be used furnished at 
the top with two iron horns about i ft. in length. 
By this means the ladder will be kept clear of the 
branches. 
In addition to the tools the operator must possess 
some amount of experience. Pruning does not 
consist in cutting off a few branches at random, or of 
cutting about a tree or bush with the same idea as 
that with which George Washington hacked away at 
his father's Cherry tree—merely for the sake of 
having something to do. The operator must work 
with definite aims in view the first one of course being 
to get fruit—for without such an end being attained 
the tree is a failure— and the second symmetry of 
proportion. These two ideas are not irreconcilable, 
that is to say, it is possible to have a fruitful tree that 
is at the same time shapely and well-proportioned, 
and thus the would-be pruner must calculate whether 
these ends would be better served by removing wholly 
or partially any branch or branches, than they would 
if those branches were left, and he must act 
accordingly. 
What may be termed the object of pruning is to so 
regulate the course of the sap that it shall be diverted 
into those parts of the tree in which it will be of 
most value, either to encourage the formation of fresh 
wood to take the place of any that may have died 
away or to assist in the development of fruit buds 
upon wood that is alre ady there. 
All the branches of a tree do not naturally grow 
with the same strength, but some of them will start 
away with great vigour, and appropriate nutriment 
which ought to go to the building up of other 
branches. If such proceedings were allowed to go 
on unchecked, we should not only get unshapely 
trees, but we should find a few rank shoots on the 
one hand which would be unfruitful by reason of 
their very grossness of growth, whilst on the other 
hand there would be weak unhealthy branches, that 
would be too starved and puny to do anything except 
eke out a miserable existence. 
By regulating the size of the branches the sap 
becomes evenly distributed over the whole of the 
tree, and the two extremes of grossness and starva¬ 
tion are avoided. 
In addition to this there is light and air to be 
thought about. Both of these are of vast importance 
to the fruitfulness of a tree. Most trees make far 
more wood than is necessary. Consequently it is 
the place of the pruner to remove any shoots that 
can be dispensed with, thereby giving those that are 
left more room, and more light and air, thus 
increasing their chances of healthy maturity, with a 
more satisfactory fulfilment of the duties that 
maturity entails,—viz., fruit bearing. 
The foregoing are only a few general remarks upon 
the principles of pruning. An intelligent practitioner, 
whether professional or amateur, should make him¬ 
self acquainted with them first of all. But this is 
only the elementary stage. Afterwards it is necessary 
to know how to apply these rules and principles in 
the cases of the various kinds of fruit trees which find 
a place in our gardens. Thus a Peach tree will need 
different treatment from an Apple. Again, the various 
systems of training which are applied to Apple trees 
must decide exactly bow and and to what extent the 
knife is to be applied. Consequently, practical 
acquaintance with these systems is necessary. 
We shall from time to time in the columns of 
" Hints ” give a few detailed instructions of how to 
deal with the commoner kinds of fruit, and trust that 
they may be of service to those of our readers who 
want to prune their trees but do not exactly know how. 
The Gooseberry. —This is perhaps the commonest 
of our hardy fruits, and it is the one that has usually 
to put up with the greatest amount of ill treatment. 
Some of us have lively recollection of how we were 
first set to practice pruning on a Gooseberry bush — to 
the no small disfigurement of the bush, be it said. 
Many people are inclined to grumble at the task of 
picking Gooseberries, which, sooth to say, is anything 
but an easy or a pleasant one, where they have been 
neglected until they present the appearance of an 
almost impenetrable thicket of thorns, but a good 
deal of this difficulty might be obviated if proper 
attentions were given. There are the two systems 
of training, the first as bushes, the second as wall 
trees. 
Bushes.—These require a clean stem free from 
suckers for at least 4 in. above the ground, to 
admit of the ground beneath being hosd and 
cleaned occasionally. Any shoots that are observed 
to be springing from this part, therefore, should be 
rubbed clean out. In order to obtain plenty of fiae 
fruit regularly each year it is requisite to keep up a 
supply of strong, healthy, young wood. Old wood 
does not produce good fruit, and therefore should be 
consistently removed to make place for that of 
younger growth. A judicious thinning out of the 
growths should next be given, and finally those 
shoots that are to be left should be shortened back 
far enough to keep the bush within proper limits. It 
is not advisable to shorten back too far in 
localities where sparrows and other birds peck out 
the buds to any extent, otherwise the cultivator will 
find that between the knife and the birds he has no 
fruit all. Generally speaking a good shoot may be 
left at two thirds of its original length, the remaining 
third being cut neatly off. In the centre of the trees 
will likely be observed some strong sucker-like 
growths standing straight up. These should be 
rubbed clean out, as they will not bear fruit, and will 
moreover, crowd up the centre of the bush and keep 
the light from the other branches. The aim of the 
pruner should be to keep the centre of the bush 
clear, to obtain a hemispherical outline for the 
branches, and above all to studiously avoid over¬ 
crowding. — 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 communicatio?is to appear on this page should write 
"Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Tomatos not Ripening. —There is evidently nothing 
the matter with the health of your plants, Joe. The 
time of the year is accountable for the slowness with 
which the fruits ripen. You would hasten the 
process by cutting off the forwardest fruits and 
placing them on a shelf in the kitchen, but you would 
sacrifice a good deal of the flavour by so doing, and, 
as a rule, winter Tomatos have very little of this to 
spare. We should not advise you to give stronger 
doses of chemical manure, for their application 
would be attended with a good deal of danger. 
Violets in Pots. —Do not attempt to force your 
plants to any extent, or you will not be pleased with 
the result by any means, A. B. Too much heat will 
cause thin, flimsy foliage, and poor washed-out 
flowers with scarcely any scent. A temperature of 
about 45 0 Fahr. by night, rising to 50° by day might 
be safely given, and the plants will soon come into 
bloom. The nutriment in the soil will be quite 
sufficient for the plants yet. To give liquid manure 
would be almost sure to cause them to damp off. 
White Lilac.—If the plants are placed in a state 
of semi-darkness just as the flowers are beginning to 
open you will find that the pink shade will be 
bleached out of them and they will be a pure white. 
We have tried the plan with success, Amateur, when 
white flowers have been wanted for any special 
function. The darkness must not be too intense, or 
the flowers will damp instead of opening. A twilight 
will answer the purpose, such as that found in a 
warm, dimly-lighted cellar. 
Standard Apples.—All the pruning your tree will 
require, Reader, is the cutting out of any branches 
that may be crossing each other, also the removal of 
any dead or cankered branches. Dress the wounds 
with gas tar. 
Faulty Chinese Primulas. —From what you say, 
IF., Penge, you have over-watered your Primulas. 
This will cause the leaves to turn yellow, and go 
off in the manner you speak of. Give less water, and 
withhold all manurial stimulants for a while. Put 
on a little fire-heat, and give more air in the middle 
of the day. 
Hoya carnosa will not want any water for the 
next two or three months, J.J. 
Temperature for Yinery. —As your vines are now 
at rest they must not be excited by anything. A 
temperature of about 408 by night will suit them 
well enough, indeed they will take no harm if the 
frost is just excluded. Where the vinery is a green¬ 
house as well, the temperature has to be kept up for 
the sake ofjhe other plants, but in any case it should 
not be allowed to rise above 45 0 by night. 
Clay’s Fertiliser. —We prefer dissolving this in 
water to sprinkling it on the surface of the soil in 
the powder form, C. D. When applied in the latter 
way the delicate roots near the surface are apt to get 
burnt, and more harm than good is done. 
Red Spider on Peaches. —If you wish to escape 
another visitation of this pest next year, Arthur 
Arnold, you must begin your precaution now. First 
of all prune your trees, and then wash all the older 
and rougher wood several times with a strong 
solution of Gishurst Compound. Work this well into 
the crevices of the bark by means of a long-haired 
brush. You will thus be able to start the next 
season with a clean bill of health, when it will rest 
with you, by keeping the tree well washed with the 
syringe, to prevent the spider from ever getting such 
a hold again. 
Barking Yines. —Some of your readers may be 
interested to know that in my vinery I have not 
" barked ” a single cane for the last six years, and I 
have never been troubled with mealy bug.— J., 
Streatliam. 
[A place like this where mealy bug comes not, and 
the Vines are at peace, is a horticultural paradise. 
Are there any more of them about ?— Ed.] 
