August 2 9) 1908 THE GARDENING WORLD. 563 
TREES AND SHRUBS. 
$155. Pruning Evergreen Shrubs. 
Kindly inform me how I should prune 
thplopappus and Veronica? (A Many 
Dears’ Subscriber, Yorks.) 
We have separated the evergreen from the 
leciduous shrubs in dealing with them, as 
hey are not quite on the same level in their 
equipments. Indeed, it very largely de- 
jends upon the object in view as to the 
mining you should give either evergreen 
>r deciduous shrubs. In most cases ever¬ 
greens do not require pruning unless you 
lesire to restrict or reduce their size or to 
irune them into some particular shape. 
Oiplopappus chrysophylla forms a close 
labited bushy plant, densely covered with 
ts ^mall evergreen leaves that are yellow 
m the under surface. If that is the plant 
/ou mean, then we say it rarely requires 
iruning if it is grown as a bush in the open. 
\11 that would be necessary would be to 
•horten back any straggling shoot that might 
ie spoiling the symmetry of the bush. If 
t is planted against a wall, then all you 
lave to do is to lay in the main branches, 
acking them up the wall as straight and 
jerpendicular as possible. Just suffi¬ 
cient of them should be laid in to 
cover the space, and if any branches re¬ 
gain that cannot find space on the wall they 
nay be cut away. The question of pruning 
hem on a wall resolves itself into covering 
he available space with the leading 
jranches and cutting away the remainder 
hat cannot be accommodated on the wall, 
fou do not tell us the name of the Veronica 
o which you refer. Presumably it is V. 
fraversii, and that does not require prun- 
ng, unless it is getting too large or un- 
hapely. If it is a bush in the open all you 
an do is to shorten back any straggling 
hoot that may exist. If the plant is really 
00 large for" the space at command, then 
t requires cutting back, and that would al- 
Qost certainly spoil your chances of flowers 
or one year at least. The beginning of 
Vpril would be a good time to do it, but 
f you cut it back, then you would lose the 
lowers for a season. If you delayed the 
>peration of cutting back till after it had 
lowered then you would be unable to get 
lowers in the following season. The bush 
lowers in July and August, as a rule, so 
hat if you wait till the flowers have gone 
>ast and then cut it back the young growths 
vould not have sufficient time to get pro- 
>erly matured for flowering in the follow- 
ng year. _You will thus see that you must 
lave some really definite object in view, 
itherwise pruning is undesirable and unne¬ 
cessary with this plant. 
■156. Pruning Deciduous Trees and 
Shrubs. 
Would you kindly inform me how to prune 
’orsythia, Golden Elm, and Hypericum 
noserdanum. (A Many Years’ Subscriber, 
forks.) 
Forsythia viridissima does not require 
nuch pruning unless it is getting strag- 
;ling. As it flowers in April, you could 
hen cut the shoots of the previous year back 
or half or three parts of their length. The 
houng growths would then have plenty of 
ime to get matured before the end of the 
eason. If you refer to Forsythia suspensa, 
vhich produces long, drooping branches, 
hen there is much more need for pruning 
han in the case of the other one. It all de- 
lends, however, upon the support it has, or 
f it is a bush in the open. If nailed against 
1 wall, all that you need do is to wait until 
he plant has done flowering in April, and 
hen prune away the young shoots of the 
uevious year back to one or two buds at the 
ase. . If this is done immediately after 
lowering, i.t will have plenty of time to 
nature shoots for next year’s flowering. If 
you have room for extension of the plant 
on a wall the leading shoots need only have 
about one-third cut off the tip and the re¬ 
mainder nailed in. If the plant is grown 
as a bush in the open it may be treated in a 
variety of ways. One method is to cut back 
all the branches (after flowering) till the 
shrub assumes quite a dwarf and stumpy ap¬ 
pearance. During the season it makes strong 
growth, and all these shoots produce flowers 
in the following April along their whole 
length if they have been properly ripened. 
We should not advocate cutting this plant 
so hard back. A bush of it left nearly in 
its natural form is much more graceful than 
one that has been very hard cut back. You 
thus see it very largely depends upon the 
object you have in view as to the method 
and manner of pruning. The only thing 
you have to remember is to wait until the 
plants have finished flowering in April be¬ 
fore pruning. The Golden Elm only re¬ 
quires to be cut into shape or some particu¬ 
lar shape which you may desire. We should 
prefer allowing it to assume its natural 
habit of growth and merely shorten those 
shoots that arp taking the lead and giving 
the tree a straggling appearance. On an¬ 
other occasion we should be pleased to know 
your intention as to these trees and shrubs. 
We could then give you the proper answer 
directly. Hypericum moserianum if planted 
out of doors should be allowed to stand in 
its natural form until spring. About the 
end of March all the shoots will have died 
back near the base. All you have to do then 
is to cut away the dead portion of the shoots, 
so as to make short work of it, simply cut¬ 
ting all the shoots back and within an inch 
or so of the base, and as the weather gets 
finer the plant will shoot out again from 
the base. 
VEGETABLES. 
3157. Black Fly on Runner Beans. 
My Runner Beans have got badly infested 
with black fly. Is it possible to eradicate 
them without using soft soap,- tobacco 
water, sulphur, or anything else of that sort 
that would give the Beans a bad flavour in 
my opinion? They are very unsightly, and 
make some of the pods quite dirty. (Runner 
Bean, Kent.) 
Clean water would be the best antidote to 
this pest if applied rather forcibly by means 
of a syringe, the garden engine, or a hose, 
whichever you may have at command. By 
applying the water forcibly you knock 
down the insects and at the same time clean 
the foliage and the pods of the Beans. 
Aphides increase chiefly during dry times, 
and more especially in the early part of the 
year, when the plants which afford them 
food are young, sappy and tender. If 
water is applied with force and sufficiently 
often no particular insecticide will be neces¬ 
sary in the case of Runner Beans. 
315 8. Leaves of Runner Beans Spotted. 
Enclosed I send you some leaves of my 
Runner Beans, which are getting spotted and 
sickly looking. Can you please say what is 
the matter with them? (W. Butler, Lancs.) 
Your Beans are being attacked with red 
spider on account of the heat and long con¬ 
tinued dry weather. If the soil is light or 
if the Beans have been planted in a situation 
that is particularly sheltered by means of a 
wall, a fence or trees, they would be more 
inclined to get into this particular condi¬ 
tion. The heat, dry weather and shelter en¬ 
able red spider to increase rapidly. You 
can, however, get over the difficulty if the 
damage has not gone on too long. Loosen 
the soil about the plants, use a mulching of 
manure or grass, and then water the Beans 
at intervals of some days, giving them a good 
soaking each time. It would also destroy 
the red spider if this water was applied to 
the foliage with considerable force. This 
will depend upon what machine or tool you 
may have at command. The thing to remem¬ 
ber is that the foliage should be well wetted 
on several consecutive evenings, and that the 
roots should also have a good supply of 
water. 
3159. Watercress Without Running 
Water. 
Some time ago I read in your journal that 
Watercress could be had without running 
water, or, indeed, any water at all, but 1 
cannot lay my hand on that article, and 
should be obliged if you would let me know 
how to get Watercress. (M. KlNNEAR, Yorks.) 
We daresay we understand what you mean, 
although you say without any water at all. 
You mean that neither a stream, pool or 
pond is necessary for the production of 
Watercress. Anyone who has a garden and 
a cold frame or two can have Watercress. 
In the summer time, of course, the frame 
would be better stood in a half shady situa¬ 
tion, well exposed to light, hut shaded from 
direct sunshine. Make up a light compost 
of loam, leaf mould and sand, and even a 
little well-decayed manure in it would do no 
harm. Press this soil down rather firmly 
till you have something like 6 in. in depth 
all over the frame. Sow \Yatercress seeds 
rather thinly and cover lightly with the 
same kind of compost. Keep the frame 
closed to induce the plants to germinate. 
When watering becomes necessary that 
should be done with a rosed watering pot. 
The seedlings will come along, making nice 
little plants, and as soon as the stems are 
long enough you can commence cutting for 
use. If you do not cut too close to the 
ground' they should sprout out again, pro¬ 
ducing a second crop. After the seedlings 
are germinated it would be well to give ven¬ 
tilation. During wet or showery times the 
lights might be left off altogether with ad¬ 
vantage. 
3160. Puddling: the Roots of Cabbages. 
I have been told that dipping the roots of 
Cabbages and Cauliflowers in a mixture of 
lime, soot and clay is a good remedy against 
club-root. If this is done before planting, 
the roots will not become knotted. Your 
opinion about this would much oblige. (A 
Novice, Sussex.) 
Puddling the roots would be no preven¬ 
tive to the club-roct. otherwise known as 
anbury disease. It rr.ay be a slight preven¬ 
tive in the case of the Turnip gall weevil 
(Ceutorhynchus sulcicollis), which forms 
small knots on the roots in which the 
grub lives. The only advantage it would 
have would be to deter the mother flies from 
laying their eggs on or near the main 
roots of such things as Cabbage's and Cauli¬ 
flowers. Even although you were to pud¬ 
dle the roots, younger ones would soon 
grow beyond the material used for puddling. 
A better plan is to get your ground into 
very good tilth, and this is done by trench¬ 
ing in the autumn and giving the ground a 
good dressing of gas lime. In the cash of 
Cabbages and Cauliflowers in the ground 
being clubbed, the best plan is to dig them 
up carefully befrre you begin trenching. 
Every knotted piece of root possible should 
be collected and the whole lot burned. Gas 
lime would have little effect in destroying 
spores in the interior of such large knots. 
They should never be buried in the ground. 
Vegetable ground should be trenched every 
second year at least, and by manuring it at 
the same time you keep it up to its standard 
of fertility, while it also keeps fungoid ene¬ 
mies in check. 
3161. Tomatos with Black Stripe. 
I am sending a Tomato for inspection. 
'Could you tell me what the spots are and 
what is the cause of it. I am informed it is 
