November 16, 1907. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
737 
All the free growing species and varieties 
of Clematis delight in rich soil, and stable 
manure, if fairly well fermented before 
being used, will answer the purpose ad¬ 
mirably in soils of a heavy character. Cow 
manure, well fermented or rotted, would be 
more serviceable on soils of a light a.nd 
sandy character. When about to plant Cle¬ 
matis, you should trench the ground or else 
take out holes for each plant 22ft. deep, and 
in returning a portion of the soil use plenty 
of the manure with it, not putting it -in a 
layer, but mixing it with the soil. In after 
years you can use the manure as a top dress¬ 
ing in winter and also in summer, if the 
manure would not be an eyesore in the posi¬ 
tion where the Clematis is situated. 
2370. Branches of Trees. 
The question whether the trunk of a tree 
grows beyond or higher than where its 
branches burst out ha.s been hotly discussed 
in this part of the country lately. One sec¬ 
tion of the community maintains that the 
trunk does not grow higher than the spots 
out of which the branches spring forth, or 
where the trunk forms into a fork. Another 
section maintains that the trunk does grow 
considerably after the bursting out of the 
branches, and Instance that large trees have 
been known to grow after the leaders have 
been knotted. The opinion of some of those 
well acquainted with the growth of trees 
would be much esteemed. (Oak Tree, 
Merionethshire.) 
Individual cases differ; for instance, 
trees isolated from others, either in woods 
or in parks, may branch from the ground 
line upwards. If the main stem above these 
branches continues undivided, then we 
should regard it as the trunk of the tree un¬ 
til it separates into divisions of reasonable 
size. Some trees fork in the early stages 
into two or more leading shoots, and if 
neglected they form so many limbs above the 
trunk. In those cases the trunk would be 
very short, passing then into main divisions 
or limbs, and in the case of very large trees 
some of these limbs are as thick as the trunk 
of a good sized tree. Oaks and Elms are 
very liable to fork near the ground, but that 
is when they are left to their own resources. 
If they were intended for timber trees and 
looked after properly duplicate leaders 
would be removed and the trunk would be 
continued much higher up. This, of course, 
is simply a matter of pruning. Timber trees 
are usually, if not always, planted thickly 
with the object of getting long and straight 
trunks, and this thick planting has the effect 
of destroying all the lower branches. This 
is particularly the case with Conifers, 
such as. Larch, Spruce and Scotch Fir. It 
is the habit of these coniferous trees to grow 
perpendicularly with one trunk and one 
leader, but sometimes the leader gets broken 
by wind or eaten by squirrels. Some of 
these may form a fresh leader, or even seve¬ 
ral leaders, but if the forester looks care¬ 
fully after them, all the leaders would be 
removed except one, so that the trunk would 
be continued above this accidental injury. 
Very often, however, they do not form a 
second leader, and in that case the trunk 
would remain short. We should look at the 
matter in this light, that the trunk would 
continue from the base to the top in the case 
of a Larch or a Fir that has never had its 
leader damaged. In the case of other trees, 
the trunk would extend not merely to the 
first branches, but to the point where the 
trunk practically ceases, giving rise to two 
or more limbs of large size, or certainly 
larger than could be regarded as mere 
branches. It is altogether wrong to consider 
that, a trunk terminates at the point where 
the first branches spring out, because in the 
case of most trees the early branches arise 
on the stem at no great height from the 
ground—it may be a matter of inches. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
2371. Early Flowering Varieties. 
I want to select for next year a large 
variety of showy plants with large flowers 
of a bright yellow, terracotta, bronze, 
mauve, pink, white, etc. They should be 
abundant bearers, compact, upright, bushy, 
long flowering, early and late, and of a 
height, say, 3ft. to 4ft. The price is not so 
much an object as a bold display. Will you 
kindly advise sorts? (Baynton-Taylor, 
Soms.) 
We presume you require Chrysanthemums 
for outdoor culture and blooming in the bor¬ 
ders. We apply the term early flowering 
Chrysanthemums to such, though they bloom 
at any time, from July to October or later, 
according to the variety. Me should not 
include under this term the large flowering 
Japanese and incurved, which are bloomed 
in greenhouses. Plants of this class vary 
from r8in. to 3ft. in height, and only a few 
of them, we think, would reach a height of 
4ft. under good cultivation. Those we have 
selected are large flowering, early varieties. 
If you would like varieties to flower in Au¬ 
gust, you could get Mme. C. Perrier, creamy 
white; Louis Lemaire, rosy bronze; Kitty, 
deep pink; Harvest Home, bronzy red ; Gus¬ 
tave Grunnerwald, pink ; Clara, canary-yel¬ 
low ; and Gerty, salmon-pink. Some of those 
which we place under September may, how¬ 
ever, commence blooming in August in a 
favourable season. Under September we 
- should place Mme. C. Desgranges, white; 
Robbie Burns, cerise; Mine. Marie Masse, 
mauve; Ralph Curtis, creamy white; Harrie, 
bronze-orange ; Goacher’s Crimson ; Tucks- 
wood Early, white; O. J. Quintus, pink; 
White Quintus'; Tuckswood Bronze; Bronze 
Prince, all bronze; Cactus-terracotta; Car¬ 
rie, deep yellow; Crimson Marie Masse, 
bronze ; Enchantress, bronzy salmon ; Horace 
Martin, rich yellow; Mytchett Crimson; 
Mytchett White; Mytchett Pet, chestnut-red ; 
Niina Blick, red-bronze; Paul Valade, cha¬ 
mois; Mrs. A. Thomson, golden-yellow; 
Flame, crimson ; and Market White. Octo¬ 
ber flowering varieties are :—Ryecroft Glory, 
golden-yellow; Autumn Gold, orange and 
gold ; Autumn Tints, rosy buff; Dainty, 
pink; Dandy, bronze; Virginalis, white; 
Pride of Hayes, rose; Emily Grunnerwald, 
bright yellow; Parisiana, white; Etoile 
d’O.r, yellow; Glow, golden-yellow; Hilda 
Blick, rosy red; Mrs. E. V. Freeman, crim¬ 
son ; Mrs. Tom White, crimson; Mytchett 
Beauty, golden-yellow; Nellie Blake, 
bronze; Nellie Brown, orange; Liberty, 
creamy white; Madge Blick, amaranth; 
Meduse, old gold; Mrs. W’ingfield, blush; 
Janie Brown, deep purple; Grenade, orange; 
and Glacier, white. If you get all of the 
above, you will have the cream of a good 
collection. 
VEGETABLES. 
2372. Shallots Rotting 1 . 
Could you tell me the reason why Shallot 
Onions are rotting after they have been har¬ 
vested for a month? I let them run to seed 
before I pulled them up and cut the tops off. 
Is it because they ran to seed, because only 
those have rotted? I pulled Shallots up 
about August 20th. Could you tell me if I 
pulled them up too soon, or ought I to have 
let them run to seed ? I have got them stored 
in a dry room. (C. E. S., Surrey.) 
Shallots that run to seed are of no use for 
storing. Some varieties are more given to 
this than others. The reason for their being 
useless is because the flower stem forms the 
centre of the bulb, which is then played out. 
You have not told us what variety you have. 
The Jersey Shallot produces very large, 
roundish bulbs, but it is very liable to run 
to seed. The Large Red and the common 
Shallot with a long point are better keeping 
varieties, as they are not so prone to seed. 
Wlhen storing them all those that have run 
to seed should be discarded at once, unless 
you can use them while still fresh. W 7 e 
could not tell to a week as to when Shallots 
should be pulled, as it depends upon the 
condition of the bulbs as to maturity. 
W 7 hen the leaves turn yellowish they can be 
pulled, even in July, but the past season 
being so wet and sunless they kepi growing 
longer than usual. It is, therefore, a ques¬ 
tion of watching when the leaves become 
yellow and the bulbs acquire a ripened look. 
2373. Treatment of Rhubarb. 
What is the best way to treat Victoria 
Rhubarb so as to get large stalks? I wish 
to compete at our flower show next year. I 
have had it for some time, but the stalks 
only get half the size they should do. (R. 
A., Birmingham.) 
Rhubarb is a gross feeder, and requires 
liberal treatment to produce stalks of the 
largest size. The -best way to commence a 
plantation is to trench the ground 2^ft. or 
3ft. deep, and to use well decayed farm¬ 
yard manure liberally in different parts of 
the trench, say, beneath the lower spit and 
the top one at least. In planting you should 
give plenty of space between the sets, which 
should consist of healthy young crowns ; 
3^f,t. between the plants and 4ft. between 
the lines would net be tco much. During 
summer the ground should be kept hoed, 
and if at all light it may be mulched wi.h 
manure and a good watering given occa¬ 
sionally in dry weather to encourage strong 
growth. 
FRUIT. 
2374. Training- Currants. 
I have a north wall about 6ft. high that 
I would like to train Red and WTnte C ur- 
rants on. Would you please let me know 
how to train the trees in the young state to 
make them suitable for a wall? I would 
like them well started before I put them on 
the wall. (T. Jamieson, Bucks.) 
The best plan is to commence with cut¬ 
tings i2in. or 34m. long, picking out all 
the buds with your knife except the top 
four. Then insert these cuttings in trenches 
so that there will be a clear 3m. of stem 
between the ground and the buds. During 
the first season these buds will give rise to 
shoots of various lengths, and you can cut 
them back fairly hard to encourage strong 
shoots in the j^ear following. Two of these 
shoots may be allowed to grow straight 
during the season, and in the winter they 
can be bent down right and left from ihe 
main stem until you get sufficient width for 
the production of two shoots from each of 
these primary two. Thus a wall tree would 
be well furnished with four upright stems 
on the wall. You should also manage to 
grow currants on a wall having only two 
stems, which should be bent out at. the base 
and then turned upwards, leaving just suffi¬ 
cient space between them to allow for spurs. 
You can train them on bamboo canes or hazel 
rods. A cross piece will be necessary to fix 
the first two rods in position, and. the others, 
of course, will be trained on upright stakes. 
2375. Pruning Black Currants. 
Will you please tell me how to prune 
Black Currant bushes? I have some from 
last year’s cuttings, with two or three sheets 
about 2ft. long. Will, vou please te.ll me 
how to get these into nice bushes for exhi¬ 
bition fruit? I have just planted some I 
have bought. They appear to have been 
cut at the base and have now some nice 
shoots about 2ft. long. Will you please tell 
me if I must prune these or not, and how I 
must prune next year, and if they fruit on 
two-year-old wood? (Cottager, Staffs.) 
