May 20, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
413 
form the principal bearing wood on pot-grown trees, Pots or 
tubs should not rest on the borders, but be stood on bricks, so> 
that the roots of the trees do not root into other material. As 
regards thinning of the fruits, this should be done piecemeal, 
similar to disbudding and pinching of the shoots; but on the 
other hand, do not allow the tree to waste its energy on fruits 
that must Eventually come off, and, fur the”, do not over-crop. 
All tlmse fruits given above need thinning when thickly set, 
the cultivator alone determining the amount each tree can 
carry. 
Ripe Grapes. —Maintain a little warmth in the pipes during 
the night, to prevent the temperature falling below 60 deg., 
damping the borders, paths, etc., twice daily in bright weather, 
and ventilate freely. Although less root watering will be 
necessary, test them eveiy week, as dryness at the root causes 
the berries to shrivel. Jambs Mayjce. 
liicton Gardens, Devonshire. 
Hardy Trees and Shrubs. 
Magnolia obovata.—There are many very handsome de¬ 
ciduous shrubs which flower during the present month, but few 
which excel this fine species, and it deserves more extended 
cult nation than at present. There are several names under 
which it is known, the- most common being purpurea, and, as 
this indicates, the flowers are purple. • They are also large and 
very sweetly scented, which is particularly noticeable during 
the evening, and being produced freely, a good-sized specimen 
is a conspicuous object when standing out before the other 
occupants of the shrubbery. It continues in flower for a long 
period, and, unlike many other members of this family, is not 
injured by spring frosts, which in some cases greatly mar the 
beauty of the flowers. The large, dark-green foliage is also 
showy when the blossoms have faded. This Magnolia prefers 
a deep, fairly good loam, and it can be transplanted success¬ 
fully when not too large. 
Piptanthus nepalensis, generally known as the Evergreen 
Laburnum, is looked upon as only being sufficiently hardy for 
growing in the open in the warmest parts of the country, and 
this is the case where it is grown in bush form, but when given 
the protection of a wall facing south it succeeds well in" this 
locality and only needs protection in very sharp winters. At 
the present time this Piptanthus is quite.one of the showiest 
of wall shrubs, and where a- warn position can be found is 
worthy of inclusion in all collections. It grows freely in any 
good, well-drained soil, and produces its pale yellow flowers 
very plentifully on shoots of the current year’s growth. The 
chirk green glossy foliage is also very ornamental. This shrub 
needs little pruning, and if the growths are kept tied or nailed 
in, will soon cover considerable space. 
Shrubs for Bare Places —The planting of shrubs in dry 
places, such as under large trees, is a subject that might be 
given far more attention in gardens than it now receives, and 
the numerous varieties which are suitable for the purpose could 
be more largely used for the clothing of unsightly spots where 
it is often thought nothing would grow. This is, perhaps, 
owing to the fact that many are not acquainted with shrubs 
which thrive under such treatment, I have before mentioned 
the Aucubas as being among the most suitable, and they are 
undoubtedly the best of tall shrubs for dry ground in shade. 
The commoner Rhododendrons are of great value, providing 
chalk does not exist in the soil in large quantities. In such a 
position they grow and flower freely, which renders them 
excellent for the woodland, and they are not injured by name. 
Ruscus aculeatus, the Butcher’s Broom, is a native shrub, 
and when carrying its bright red berries in quantity is very 
ornamental. This is a good shrub for planting round the base 
of large Oaks, Elms, etc. : for no matter how dry the soil it 
will flourish. It should be planted moderately thickly, beiim 
of stiff, upright growth. 
Ruscus Hypoglossus is of shorter growth, and the dark 
green foliage is veiy interesting, as the flowers are produced on 
the under-side of the leaves. 
Beiberis Aquiloltum i« well known as one of our m<-i ~| 
spring-flowering shrubs, but it might with advantage be more 
largely used for the above purpose. When this shrub become - 
at all leggy it can be pruned hard to the ground in the autumn, 
and will answer well to such treatment. 
Gaultheria Shallon is one of the most ornamental, and in 
shade reaches about 1 2 in. in height. It has dark green foliage 
and quantities of showy white flowers suffused with pink. This 
succeeds best in a peaty soil. 
Where one wishes to cover a considerable space with some 
dwarf subject there is nothing better than the Vincas, all of 
them being veiy fast growers, and the variegated forms are 
especially attractive. The same may be said of the common 
Ivies, which can in many cases be mixed with the Vincas if one 
wishes for variety. Ivy can also be planted between such us 
the Aucubas if one wishes to cover the ground. When plant¬ 
ing the above subjects, the only attention necessary is to give 
them a thorough watering, after which the drip from the over¬ 
hanging branches will be sufficient. A. E. Thatcher. 
Aldenham House Gardens, Elstree. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Work now is most pressing in this department and very 
much depends as to circumstances and locality as to the order 
in which it should lie done, but every effort should be made to 
get in the various crops and pay strict attention to others 
which are more advanced, so that no- break in the supply of 
well-grown vegetables is likely to occur. I have always made 
it a rule to sow small quantities frequently and in various parts 
of the garden of those subjects which are somewhat unreliable, 
rather than depend on one or two large breadths. 
Hoeing.—I ant a great believer in keeping this valuable tool 
at work as much as possible, not only for the sake of extermin¬ 
ating weeds, which, of course, is of the utmost importance, but 
there are few growing crops which are not distinctly benefited 
by having the surface soil constantly stirred either with a draw 
or Dutch hoe-, and the same rule applies on all kinds of land. 
Thinning the Crops —I venture to say that there are far 
more failures among vegetables owing to overcrowding than 
fiorn any other cause, and especially does this relate to such 
as Peas and Beans of all kinds. Turnips, Lettuce, Onions, 
1 arsley and Parsnips. Though it is sometimes advisable to 
sew thickly, it is more necessary to thin early. Far heavier 
crops and of better quality are assured from Peas and Beans 
v lien plenty of room is allowed than is generally the case when 
sown and left to remain thick. It is quite unreasonable to 
expect these to- yield at all satisfactorily when permitted to 
remain oftentimes as thick as Mustard and Cress. Peas should 
never be- thicker than from 3 in. to 6 in. apart, and especially 
those intended for late supplies, and the larger and more robust 
should be allowed a distance of 6 in. to 10 in., and Runner 
Beans of all kinds from 10 in. to 15 in. These should be 
thinned to this distance when the staking is done. Smaller 
seeds, such as Turnips, Carrots, Parsnips, Beetroot and Lettuce 
should be thinned at two or three different times, but in no 
case should the seedlings be- allowed to become drawn. Onions 
are, perhaps, one of the most- precarious crops when 
sown and grown under the old methods of cultivation, as the 
Onion fly is frequently responsible for ruining acres, and it is 
well to leave these- fully as thick again as they should be till 
quite the middle of June. Fortunately, by sowing under ffiass 
and planting out, this trouble is avoided, or practically so, a 
very much heavier crop of far better quality is assured, and 
this plan has everything to commend it. 
Celery.—Providing all has gone well with the seed which 
was sown about the middle of February, the plants will be 
stout, sturdy, well hardened, and lit for planting out in nicely 
prepared trenches, and the sooner, the better, as these will have 
everything to gain by it and nothing to lose. 
The day before doing so carefully examine the plants, and 
if infested with green fly, as they frequently are at this season, 
