January 25, 1908. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
S 3 
One is pleased to note the formation 
of that which should prove an important 
society—the “Midland Counties’ Sweet 
Pea Society.” Shows will be held annu¬ 
ally in different towns, the first being 
on the 29th of July next at Wolverhamp¬ 
ton. 
The North Lonsdale Rose Society is 
The Flower Garden. 
The time passes very quickly, too quickly 
for the busy gardener, as he can rarely get 
all the work done that he plans. In the 
autumn and winter there are some jobs that 
may be put off for a few days; in the spring 
and summer one can rarely do this without 
B A 
some harm resulting. So that it is a wise 
plan to push forward the most important 
work now, and then be at liberty to do all 
the necessary work every week later on. The 
days will soon be longer, and thus enable 
one to get more work done. 
The Herbaceous Border. 
No part of the flower garden shows the 
bad results of neglect sooner than the her¬ 
baceous border. It does not mattgj how 
neatly and well a border of this kind be 
planted, it will soon become a wilderness if 
the plants are allowed to remain for a con¬ 
siderable time without being lifted and re¬ 
planted, or the straggling portions of clumps 
taken up, as the roots and suckers of some 
clumps—those of the more robust-growing 
kinds—enter the clumps of weaker-growing 
ones and rob them of nourishment. 
Moreover, the inside portion of such 
plants as Michaelmas Daisies and herbace¬ 
ous Phloxes exhaust the nutriment contained 
in the soil and then only produce weakly 
stems. All such clumps should be forthwith 
lifted, divided, and replanted in a judicious 
manner. The sketch shows a large cluster 
of roots. Take away the soil from around 
the roots on one side, then drive in the spade 
on the other side, as shown at B, and de¬ 
noted by. the line, and so lift the clumps. 
A shows how to divide the cluster of roots 
with the aid of a strong garden fork—not 
a spade. After well manuring and digging 
the soil, replant some of the strongest roots. 
The weaker portions of rare kinds should 
be replanted in good ground in a reserve 
horde’-- where they will grow stronger and 
also, as is usual, making a great feature 
of Sweet Peas at its annual show at 
Ulverston. Readers who would like to 
see an exhibition of the finest Sweet Peas, 
but who are unable to come to London to 
do so, should make a point of visiting 
some important provincial show. 
G. F. Drayson. 
give a nice supply of flowers for cutting. 
Do this work while the soil is dry and tne 
weather open. 
Composts for Seedlings. 
During bad weather, when it is not possi¬ 
ble to attend to outdoor work, prepare several 
heaps of compost in readiness for pricking 
out seedlings in a few weeks time. Fibrous 
loam should be pulled into pieces with the 
hands, and if wireworms be found in it, 
destroy them. Sift some of the loam, plac¬ 
ing the fibrous portion in one heap and the 
fine in another. Likewise treat a portion 
of the leaf heap, and keep the different in¬ 
gredients in a cool shed. 
Boxes. 
Examine the store of boxes and replace 
rotten bottoms with sound boards. Paint 
the insides of all old boxes with petroleum 
Fruit Garden. How to -prune Pear trees. 
to destroy any fungus growth. Make new 
boxes according to requirements, and store 
them all in a dry place. It is wonderful 
how quickly the work of transplanting seed¬ 
lings may be done when the proper time 
comes if both boxes and composts are ready 
for immediate use. 
The Fruit Garden. 
Pruning Pear Trees. 
If a bush Pear tree be properly pruned 
it will bear as much fruit as a large standard 
tree which is never pruned. The latter only 
bears fruit on the outer branches, because 
the inside ones are overcrowded and do not 
get much sunshine. But the branches of 
bush-shaped Pear trees bear fruit nearly 
their whole length under a good system of 
summer pinching and winter pruning. 
Many amateurs have not room in their gar¬ 
dens for large standard trees, and so bush¬ 
shaped ones are the most suitable. 
The sketch shows how each long branch 
should be treated. As a rule there are 
several plump fruit buds on each spur. The 
side shoot A should be cut off at the dark 
line, and also any young shoots which have 
grown since the summer pruning was done, 
such, for instance, as those shown at B. 
Some spurs may not bear many fruit buds, 
then it would be advisable to prune the side 
branch a little higher up, as shown at C. 
Bush trees which have been neglected as 
regards pruning will have too many 
branches, some of them crossing others. 
Here it will be necessary to cut out such 
surplus branches altogether. Though the 
branches may appear to be far enough apart 
at the present time, they will certainly be 
overcrowded in summer when in full leaf, 
and we want the sun to shine on all parts 
of the tree during that season in order to 
obtain ripe wood and plump fruit buds. 
The leading shoot at the end of each main 
branch should be pruned back to about nine 
inches from its base. The same remarks 
apply to Pear trees trained to walls. 
Pruning Old Black Currant Bushes. 
Unlike the Red and White Currants, the 
Black variety bears its fruit mainly on the 
young wood. So that all the oldest wood 
should be freely cut out. Very old speci¬ 
mens are greatlv improved in strength and 
value by a judicious use of the knife on the 
old wood. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Levelling Uneven Ground. 
There is no time as good as the present 
for levelling plots of ground which are un¬ 
even. This work may be done while en¬ 
gaged in trenching. Open out a trench at 
the lowest end, or side of the plot, and wheel 
the soil to the highest point. Then trench 
the soil at least two feet deep, throwing up 
the loam higher than it was originally a 
few inches, more or less, according to the 
degree of unevenness, and finishing at the 
highest point, which should be left a few 
inches lower. The soil first taken out will 
be at hand for filling in the last trench. 
Kitchen Garden, i. Forced Seakale roots. 
Keep the subsoil below, but break it up 
thoroughly and mix the manure with the top 
soil, but keep it several inches below the 
surface. 
