374 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 9, 1901. 
PRUNING TREES AND SHRUBS. 
At the Chiswick Gardeners' Mutual Improvement 
Society, on Thursday, the last day of January, 
Mr. W. Dallimore, foreman of the Temperate House, 
Kew, read a paper on the pruning of trees and 
shrubs. There was a crowded attendance in the 
Council room of the old gardens, and at the conclu¬ 
sion of Mr. Dallimore’s exposition, the remarks and 
signs of approval showed how much bis effort had 
been appreciated. Tne essayist at the outset asked 
the questions, What should be pruned ? What 
method should be adopted ; and When ought pruning 
to be performed ? ” Under these questions he divi¬ 
ded his paper. The practice of pruning was defined 
as being " a separation or deletion of certain parts of 
trees or shrubs to allow the building up of others." 
The practice of pruning is unfortunately not well 
understood by gardeners. As a general rule a tree 
or shrub should be pruned from the top downwards, 
the branches either being bodily removed or 
shortened back. In the case of forest trees the cut 
or severance should be parallel with the trunk. No 
snags should ever be left, and all exposed surfaces 
left after pruning should be coated with Stockholm 
tar. The various tools used were enumerated, in¬ 
cluding a selection of saws, standard pruners, steps, 
ropes, and tackle. The pruning of forest trees is 
quite as important an operation as the pruning of 
fruit trees. 
In Germany the close planting system of forest¬ 
ers results in a course of natural pruning, yielding 
beautifully tall and straight-boiled trees, every inch 
of whose timber can be relied upon. It sometimes 
happens that timber merchants in this country 
refuse to buy pruned trees on the ground that such 
trees are liable to be diseased. The idea should 
never arise, however, if due care has been taken to 
cover the cut surfaces. A strong leader should 
always be maintained above the lower branches. 
Young trees, especially deformed young trees, require 
surgical treatment quite as much as a deformed 
child ; and if properly attended they will outgrow 
their deformity. 
As to the time of pruning it matters little when it 
is performed so long as it is not done during the 
weeks when the pressure of sap is ascending in 
spring. Otherwise pruning can be done in summer, 
autumn, or winter. Conifers rarely require pruning. 
Young species of Abies after having been grafted and 
having taken to the stock, should be qut hard back. 
The best of the leading shoots should then be selected, 
the others being removed. What can be done 
in the way of renovating poor specimens has been 
well shown at Kew. A Turkey Oak with six leads 
had five of these removed, and now is developing a 
strong, straight leader. An American Oak with a 
wide, fiat head, was reduced to a width of 16 ft., and 
shows now a normal development. In another case 
the decayed part of the stem of a Liquidambar was 
thoroughly cleaned, and had the hole plastered up. 
The decay appears to have gone no further, Speak¬ 
ing of shrubs, Mr. Dallimore recommended thinniog 
rather than hard pruning. Specimens of good and 
bad examples of pruning were shown. Many of the 
members took an active part in the discussion, and 
before leaving a hearty vote of thanks was accorded 
o Mr. Dallimore. 
—- 
“JOURNEYMEN” 
If this discussion, going on in The Gardening 
World, on their grievances helps to attract young 
gardeners to read The Gardening World regularly 
it will have done immense good. It has always been 
a cheap pennyworth, but it was never so valuable or 
interesting as now. The little wrinkles and hints on 
the management of the most useful plants, &c., in 
those articles for competition each week are well 
worth the price of the paper itself; and especially to 
journeymen who wish to gain all the knowledge they 
can, whether they nay be in large or small places. 
Your correspondent, "Young Gardener,” says that 
probationers in large places are trained by better 
men than if in small ones. I would ask him first to 
define large and small places. I know several places 
that would seem small to " Nil Desperandum,” too, 
but the head gardeners there have from /8o to/ioo 
a year, and their assistants are also well paid. I 
know also large ones of the "Duke of Cider" sort 
that have much smaller wages, and I hold that good 
Scottish gardeners invariably look to the “ £ s. d.," 
therefore the moderate s’zed places are filled with 
men as well qualified as those in large ones. These 
men must produce a succession of as good crops as 
those in the large places ; while the latter have the 
more experienced journeymen to depend upon. “ Mr. 
Blair’s" last letter is simply a current of common 
sense.— J. C. Dick, Champfleurie, Linlithgow. 
--I-- 
GLADIOLUS THE BRIDE. 
I find this beautiful little bulb one of the very best 
I have ever grown, and have at the present time two 
boxes of it in flower, its pure white spikes of flowers 
and clear green foliage contrasting well together. 
The best way I find to cultivate it is to pot the first 
batch the second week in August. For soil I use 
two parts leaf and one-third turf loam with a small 
addition of coarse sand, giving it the same tempera¬ 
ture as Freesiarefracta. It will come into flower, and 
will form a most useful addition to the greenhouse or 
conservatory.— John Ford, 5, May's Villas, Sidcup, 
Kent. 
—- —g— ——- 
BORONIAS 
Make another class of greenhouse shrubs which are 
very often not in the list of many. Their culture is 
very simple, in fact it may be classed with Epacris 
as far as that goes. The flowers are produced in the 
early spring and summer. Prune into shape after 
flowering. They may stand from June to September 
in a shaded corner outside. Do not expose to the full 
rays of the sun, or a plant of disfigured beauty will 
be the verdict. In spring, some extra heat is 
essential to open the flowers if dull weather con¬ 
tinues for a time. Propagation can be effected by 
cuttings of half-ripened wood inserted in a pot of 
sandy soil, under a bell glass in a temperature of 50°. 
In this state keep the glass free of moisture. Pot 
the rooted cuttings in peat and silver sand. Pinch 
according to the style of plant desired. B. elatior 
is the hardiest variety and also very showy. 
Flowers terminal and in clusters along the shoot. 
B. megastigma is not so decorative, but is a slender 
plant with flowers borne in clusters giving off a 
most agreeable aroma. They are all noted for 
their fragrance. Of other species B. pinnata, B. 
serrulata and B. denticulata are more or less named 
after the shape of the leaves.— Adam V. Main, Colt- 
ness Gardens, Wishaw. 
TO CATCH WIREWORM. 
The season will soon be upon us when these 
destructive pests will begin their work of annoyance 
to the gardener. While some soils are nearly free 
from them others are quite the opposite. However 
careful we are in picking them out, still some escape 
our notice. No doubt most gardeners have seen the 
effects of their presence in a Carnation border or pot, 
as they seem to be very food of the roots of these 
plants. They are also at home in a border of Melons, 
Cucumbers or Tomatos, where they seem to enjoy 
themselves. The plants become sickly looking and 
flag just as if they had become dry at the root. Of 
course they get a drink which is one for the lads who 
are busy at the vital parts of the plant; and very 
soon you will have the trouble of taking the whole 
houseful to the manure heap if these fellows are not 
arrested when their presence is detected. Obtain 
some oil cake and break it into pieces about the size 
of a hen’s egg. Sink these about 4 in. into the 
border and cover up. Then examine every morning 
and you will get a surprise, because they seem to 
like it and in a short time your borders will be clear. 
But, of course, keep a little bit in constant use and 
give it an occasional look. Scrape them off into 
boiling water, or “kill ’em” in some manner.— 
James Reid, Montrose Gardens, Donnybrook, Co. Dublin. 
---*—- 
THE ASTER BORDER. 
We have now arrived at a time when the Asters 
can be cut down, and the stakes and tops taken 
away if not already done. If it is intended for the 
border to be trenched, the plants should be taken 
up with the labels securely attached and heeled in. 
The rubbish can then be burnt on the border which 
will make good ash for trenching in, should the soil 
be at all stiff. The trenching can now be done, add¬ 
ing plenty of good farm-yard manure, and if this 
operation is carried out every two or three years, the 
plants will be greatly benefitted, and more so if 
they are annually divided up into small pieces. 
The Asters are this year starting away into new 
growth very early, and the sooner the replanting is 
accomplished the better will be the results in the 
autumn. A very much bolder display is made by 
planting the more showy varieties in groups, these 
will include: Asteroides, L P. Childs, Top Sawyer, 
Mrs. T. F. Raynor, John Wood, Arcturus, Shortii, 
Nancy, White Spray, and Robert Parker, amODg 
the taller ones. Some of the best dwarf varieties for 
massing are the cordifolius, ericoides, diffusus, and 
vimineus types, turbinellus and its white variety 
albus, Coombe Fishacre, the Amellus section, 
dumosus, acris, and ita taller variety dracunculoides, 
and Claudis.— A. Thatcher, Aldenham, Elstree. 
THE GARDENING CRAFT. 
Than that of the observant gardeners, what craft 
more demands the pleasant conception of Nature’s 
most beautiful pictures? Nature is indisputably 
supreme in wild effect and in descriptive outlining, 
displaying at all times the exquisite charms of posi¬ 
tive informality. It is the gardener’s duty—nay, 
privilege—often to attempt the imitation of such 
scenes in much smaller space, perhaps in a few acres 
of home ground, or perhaps the dejected corner of a 
half-acre garden. His previous knowledge of the 
mechanical part of the operations necessary in re¬ 
moving an undesired height existing at the very spot 
a pond shall be, or filling one or a series of hollows, 
existing where his finished work shall see an eleva¬ 
ted rugged erection of rock work, is simple enough 
yet requires forethought. Draining must be accomp¬ 
lished in such a manner that the lowest part of his 
completed work is kept dry. Work well planned is 
half finished. Such forethought is productive of 
many beautiful mental conceptions, and in the 
winter of the mess-maker’s confusion the true 
gardener is experiencing the most glorious panorama 
of Nature’s capabilities. Beautiful are the ver¬ 
dant leafy scenes of summer, when millions of 
flowers perfume the air, feed the bees, and provide 
cover for the feathered songsters’ fledglings. But in 
summer there are also growing weeds, stealing birds 
(bothy innocents included), swelling fruits," burning" 
houses, growing grass, and parching soil, which keep 
the gardener’s energies stretched to breaking pitch, 
and makes him breathe inaudibly— 
Now is the winter of our pure content 
Made burning summer with its sweat and work. 
— H. H. Gibson, The Gardens. Glencairn, Belfast. 
FRUIT UNDER SUSS. 
Early Pot Vines.—Now that the bunches of fruit 
on early forced pot Vines are swelling up, a consider¬ 
able amount of watchfulness is demanded. A few 
weeks ago the night temperature was advisably 
lowered to 50°, but now this should not fill 
below 6o p if possible. A rise up to 70° during the 
day may be allowed. Where secondary or succes¬ 
sive batches are in pots and are about to flover, the 
air may be kept drier. In severe weather the roof 
of the forcing pits should be covered during the 
night and a part of the morning with mats to save hard 
firing. Even when one is firing steadily and strongly 
the heat, especially on cold breezy days, passes out 
of the houses very quickly. The mats upon the 
roofs conserve a large share of the heat, and the 
trouble required is well repaid. Stop all sub¬ 
laterals as they appear and the fruit-beariog shoots 
should also be pinched at two leaves beyond a bunch. 
The fermenting matter will now be gradually losing 
most of its heat, and where it is desirable to con 
tinue the bottom heat (ihe season being yet early) 
fresh additions should be added. The Vines them¬ 
selves and all surface spaces should be dewed over 
once or twice a day. The soil or parts near the 
pipes should be kept well damped. 
Whenever the bunches have been thinned I would 
advise a bi-weekly watering with Thomson’s manure, 
using a teaspoenful to the gallon of tepid water ; or 
it may be given in the form of a top-dressing. 
Vines may now be propagated from eyes or 
cuttiDgs, preferably the former. 
Permanent Early Vines require practically 
the same attention just now as the pot Vines do. I 
have previously pointed out the. good effects of care¬ 
ful watering, and have insisted on making sure that 
the soil really needed water before the latter is given. 
A little more foliage and lateral growth may be 
allowed on Vines in borders, for their root system is 
greater and requires a larger amount of leaves to 
