1022 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
December 17, 1904. 
should be. We find out this when tying the tree again to the 
trellis, and this is a good guide as to whether enough wood 
ha® been removed. The pruner must consider what wood to 
take out—useless wood, of course—to give the tree a fair 
chance. Here again we sieie long lengths oif fruitless wood left 
with a short growth made last season, at the top, the result of 
adding annual growth year after year, until it reaches the top 
of the trellis. This is one bad point out of many. A tree has 
a certain amount of work to do ; too much ends in a great 
disappointment to the gardener in the future. . More often 
than not it is overpowered by leaving, as I have said,, too much 
wood, consequently the support goes to maintain this, instead 
of equalising the wood, and for a fair crop of fruit. I have 
followed practical men, or rather considered sol at various 
times, tying trees after having 'been pruned. Needless to 
say, there was not space enough left for the foliage to develop, 
still less room, or none at all, for thei next season’s growth to 
he tied in, and yet they expect this to ripen and carry a, heavy 
crop the following season. This is but one' method of consider¬ 
able importance in pruning. Others go to 1 prove satisfactory 
results or otherwise, such as spur pruning on other kinds of 
fruit trees, frequently overlooked or neglected. 
X. Y. Z. 
The Cupressus. 
The approach of winter naturally turns our attention from 
the past glow of summer flowers to the more quiet though 
no less stately Conifers. It is to that particular genus, the 
Cupressus, that the following remarks are devoted. Some of 
the various types are regarded by certain people 1 , as stiff and 
wanting grace in general contour. That may be to some 
extent, but such stiffness is but one of Nature’s modes of 
acquiring variation and harmony, and to omit it would be 
similar to leaving out several of the harsher notes in some 
inspiring melody. 
Not intending to' deal with an entire collection of Cypress 
tree®, I may, as Mark Antony put® it, but, “ tell you that 
which you yourselves do know ” ; nevertheless, lovers, of this 
class of trees will not, I hope, object to> the telling of an old 
story over again. 
Cupressus nootkatensis, commonly known asi Tbujopsis 
borealis, is one of the most graceful. The natural propensity 
of the branches to droop, especially when in a young state, 
adds greatly to its charm. It is a, quick grower, and attains 
a height of from 80 ft, to 100 ft. The varieties lutea, and 
argentea, make fine specimens. C. maerocarpa,, sometimes 
named C. lambertiana, doe® well, I believe, near the sea,, and 
i® one of the best. C. lawsomana, is not only most superb, 
including its numerous varieties, but is also' quite hardy. The 
variety erecta viridis is very distinct. Now, this type is one 
of those so*-called stiff forms. The regular and oloseebranched 
system displays no apparent beauty to some individuals. But 
place it in front of taller Conifers, and behind such subjects 
as dwarf Retinosporas, or, better still, place single tree® here 
and there through the rock garden, and no one with half an 
eye to beauty can designate a flaw against its favour. The 
variety compacta, is another, but has more droop on the end 
of the branchlets. The beautiful lutea revert® more to the 
habit, of lawsoniana. Its colour, as that of the Golden Yews, 
is in itself an advocate of its excellence. Yariegata is a 
variety which in a, poor soil throws out young growths that 
are nearly white ; while, in a, richer medium, it appears suscep¬ 
tible to return in a marked degree to’ the original green, 
Fraseri, though commoner than those forms of lawsoniana 
already mentioned, is meritorious from its usefulness. A 
rampant grower, like the type, it is adaptable for shrubbery 
use as well as for the lawn. 
C. obtusa and C. pisifera must not be forgotten. They are 
also known as Retinoispora®. 
Like most other Conifers, the Cupressus succeeds in a well- 
drained soil. It is a, reasonable plan to earth them up with 
good soil when they reach a height of 6 ft., both for the sake 
of nourishment and to steady them during gales'. Shelter 
from north and east winds, although not always compulsory, is 
always ai boon and a blessing. 
Pruning should be resorted to in the event of any becoming 
unshapely, and where large specimens are desired a good 
“ leader ” should always be kept at the apex of each tree. 
The present is probably the best time to prune. When cutting 
off limbs, these should be cut close to the trunk, and no 
stump left sticking out, which prevents the healing over of 
the wound. It is also advisable to paint over the wounds 
with coal tar, which not only prevents the entrance of moisture, 
hut also fungoid parasites and detrimental insects. 
James P. Dickson. 
Gloxinias. 
Gloxinias can with care be flowered in a most 'Satisfactory 
way within six months from the date of sowing the seed. One 
great advantage to be obtained from seedlings is the many 
varieties of colour if obtained from a good strain. There are 
distinct type® of Gloxinia, the drooping, horizontal, and the 
erect sections, the first-named being the oldest strain. Hie 
horizontal and erect 'sections display their flowers to more ad¬ 
vantage than the drooping class. Many admire the foliage of 
the Gloxinia, and if well grown; they produce grand leaves which 
turn downwards and inwards so as to almost hide the pot, 
having an extremely ornamental appearance. By careful man¬ 
agement it is possible to have them in bloom the year through. 
To have ai display at Christmas, seed should he sown in June, 
and a further sowing in January or early in February should 
produce plants to flower almost every month of the year. 
The soil most suited to Gloxinias is a light porous compost 
of fibrous loam or leaf mould mixed with peat, and silver 
sand in equal parts'. The pot® must he thoroughly cleansed; 
some prefer new one®, which should be well soaked in, water 
if used. Care should be taken to havei a good free drainage. 
Fill with the soil to within half an inch of the top, sow thinly 
and slightly cover the seed with very fine soil. Place the 
pot® in; a warm, moist position, carefully shading from the 
sun. A light sprinkling of waller daily will he necessary. 
When the young plants are' large enough for shifting, lift them 
from the seed-pot by the aid of ai pointed stick so a® to least 
disturb the rest, and prick off into large 60’s, in which the 
soil has a Ante surface. Follow tbisi proces® as plants are 
ready. When potting, allow the leaves to rest, on the soil, 
but avoid covering the heart®. On warm days give air on 
the leeward ®ide of the house briefly at first, and increase the 
time asi the flowering period approaches. A clear space 
between each plant i® necessary to prevent the leaves from 
'meeting. The final shift, should be into 48’s, unless extra fine 
plants are required. An occasional dose of weak manure water 
will prove beneficial, taking care that the foliage is not wetted. 
A moist atmosphere with the temperature at about 60 deg. 
to 65 deg. greatly facilitates the growth of Gloxinias. With 
care they may be well grown in either greenhousia or pit® 
heated by hot water. When the flowers 'begin to expand 
manure-water should be discontinued. The plants love shade 
and at no time should suffer from drought. Storing Gloxinias 
for their season of rest should be carefully attended to, as 
losses frequently occur during this stage. 
S'. Ottaway. 
Alyth Fecit Culture. —Very large extensions are to be made 
to the area under fruit at Alyth, Perthshire. Mr. Charles 
Samson, Sidlaw View, has purchased the field to the east of 
Viewfield from Messrs, and Miss Duncan, and is arranging to 
lay it out in Raspberries immediately. The field extends to 
about 10g acres. Mr. G. Christie, New Alyth, is also to lay 
out 4g acres at the cross-roads, and others who are to do the 
same are Mr. J. White, Meigle Road, lg acre; Mr. J. Shaw, 
Meigle Road, lg acre; and Mr. James Hill, Viewfield, 2 acres. 
In addition to this, Major Wedderburn-Ogilvie is to lay out a 
further 18 acres close to Jordanstone Station, as an instalment 
of the scheme for establishing a large fruit farm on the Ruthven 
Estate. From this it will be seen that no less than 38g acres 
are to be added to the area under fruit round Alyth during the 
present season. 
