172 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
Maich  1,  1900. 
proper  time  is  quicker  of  accomplishment  than  if  postponed.  It  is 
quite  a  common  custom  to  leave  certain  work,  such  for  example  as  Box 
trimming,  to  the  second  or  third  year  in  order  to  save  labour.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  the  practice  is  followed  by  an  increase  of  labour.  A 
properly  kept  edging  demanding  annually  little  attention  in  com¬ 
parison  with  that  w'hich  has  gone  wild  for  two  year--. 
In  no  part  of  outdoor  gardening,  is  the  value  of  system  more 
apparent  than  iii  the  care  of  flowers  in  borders  or  in  beds.  It  is  very 
generally  thought  that  the  only  method  possible  to  pursue  in  order  to 
furnish  borders  to  overflowing,  and  to  allow  the  plants  to  fill  every 
inch  of  space,  is  to  leave  them  to  themselves.  To  do  so  is,  however, 
to  court  defeat,  and  to  increase  labour  afterwards  trying  to  put  matters 
right.  I  have  followed  a  systematic  method  of  examining  all  outdoor 
arrangements  at  short  intervals,  with  the  result  that  the  end  in  view 
has  been  secured  with  an  expenditure  of  the  minimum  of  labour,  and 
the  flowers  themselves  to  ordinary  appearances  exhibit  no  signs  of 
having  been  touched.  When  allowed  to  grow  practically  wild  it 
becomes,  long  before  the  end  of  the  season,  a  struggle  for  existence 
with  the  plants,  and  no  end  of  work,  unsatisfactory  at  the  best,  to 
render  things  less  chaotic.  My  first  lesson  as  to  the  value  of  oft 
repeated  attentiisu  to  flowers  was  derived  from  a  clever  suburban 
gardener,  who  at  the  time  when  carpet  bedding  was  at  the  zenith  of 
popularity  produced  perfect  examples  of  that  style.  I  remarked  to 
him  on  the  labour  involved  in  keeping  in  such  perfect  order  so  many 
beds  and  borders  ps  he  had  in  his  care,  and  he  assured  me  that 
he  himself  overtook  all  the  labour,  which  was  confined  to  two  hours 
weekly  on*one  morning  before  breakfast. 
One  of  my  cans  is  to  impress  on  young  men  the  immense  amount 
of  labour  they  w'ould  save  themselves  by  sponging  or  otherwise 
cleansing  plants  which  are  subject  to  insect  infection,  but  few  of  them 
spontaneously  attend  to  this  necessary  work,  but  must  be  specially 
instructed  to  do  it. 
The  above  are  instances  illustrative  of  methods  at  once  rapid  in 
execution,  and  resulting  in  the  best  efiFects.  Theie  are,  however, 
other  routine  practices  which  may  be  too  quickly  done  to  yield  ultimate 
satisfaction.  A  common  case  is  that  of  digging — one  of  the  ordinary 
operations  of  gardening  that  is  becomirig  a  lost  art.  With  scarcely 
an  exception,  young  men  in  carrying  out  this  important  work  insert 
the  spade  at  an  angle,  turn  the  soil  upside  down,  and  then  proceed  to 
do  the  same  with  the  next  spadeful.  I  admit  that  this  method  permits 
a  garden  to  be  got  over  in  a  shorter  space  of  time  than  by  the  older 
way  of  inserting  the  tool  as  nearly  as  possible  perpendicularly,  and 
finishing  the  operation  by  smashing  any  clods  in  the  furrow.  The 
latter  method,  however,  repays  itself  by  a  deeper  soil,  better  cultivated, 
less  affected  by  weather,  and  certainly  more  fertile — the  very  reason 
for  the  operation. 
One  of  the  greatest  aids  to  the  smooth  running  of  a  garden  is  the 
capacity  to  determine  the  most  suitable  time  for  performing  work ;  and 
on  the  other  hand,  when  it  is  possible  to  diverge  from  cut-and-dry 
practices.  Sowing  and  planting  at  the  times  best  suited  for  particular 
crops  are  most  important,  and  much  time  may  be  lost  in  rectifying 
mistakes  of  this  nature.  Such,  for  example,  as  sowing  winter  crops  so 
early  as  to  require  an  intermediate  transplanting;  or  in  the  case  of 
flowers,  such  as  Asters,  Marigolds  or  Stocks,  making  a  mistake  of  the 
same  nature,  with  consequent  pricking-out  and  attention,  that  sowing 
at  a  later  date  would  have  rendered  unnecessary. 
In  the  same  way  one  may  often  diverge  considerably  from  the 
beaten  track  if  ultimately  the  result  shall  work  out  equally  well.  In 
this  way  shrubberies,  hedges,  and  edgings  may  often  be  managed 
successfully  by  working  them  up  at  odd  times  when  other  work 
cannot  be  carried  out.  Even  that  all-important  operation,  the  planting 
of  the  summer  flower  garden,  an  incubus  to  many  hard-working  men, 
loses  much  of  its  terror  if,  instead  of  attacking  it  with  all  forces  till 
it  is  overcome,  we  take  it  in  detail  and  as  plants  are  ready,  the  hardier 
first;  we  select  suitable  opportunities,  a  day,  or  even  half  a  day,  at  a 
time,  extending  over  several  weeks,  till  all  are  in  place.  This  method^ 
while  it  lessens — nay,  dissipates — worry,  allows  us  to  carry  forward 
other  necessary  work  as  well,  without  causing  neglect  to  the  flowers. 
Perhaps,  however,  the]  greatest  [sourcej  of  waste,  or,  on  the  other' 
hand,  of  working  force,  is  the  management  of  workmen.  Scarcely 
any, workman  possesses  adaptability,  or,  in  popular  parlance,  sees  an  icch 
before  his  nose.  Hence  arises  the  necessity  of  the  head  to  be 
constantly  watchful  that  the  proper  men  are  detailed  to  particular 
jobs,  that  rapid  or  perfect  methods  are  adopted,  and  suitable  numbers 
to]carry  out  an  operation  are  selected.  Jethro  Tull’s  opinion  that  all 
workmen  were  rogues  at  labour  is  incorrect.  Generally  they  take  fa 
pleasure  in  work  if  it  is  interesting,  and  to  most  men  it  is  possible  to 
impart  ia  feeling  of  interest  by  getting  him  to  think  he  is  occupied 
in  an  important  operation,  and  that  you  expect  him  to  carry  it  out- 
well  and  effectively. — B. 
BUD-DROPPING  IN  PEACHES. 
In  some  seasons  there  is  much  trouble  given  by  the  wholesale¬ 
dropping  of  the  buds  of  Peach  and  Nectarine  trees  at  the  time  when 
the  sap  becomes  active  and  the  consequent  swelling  of  the  bud  com-- 
mences.  This,  of  course,  varies  with  the  forced  and  natural  growth 
of  the  trees,  but  bud-dropping  is  sometimes  known  in  each  case. 
Last  summer  and  autumn  was  of  such  a  trop’cal  nature  that  there 
was  often  a  shortness  of  water,  and  the  trees  suffered  from  the 
restricted  supply,  as  it  was  impo.-sible  to  give  the  usual  ]ieriodical 
soakings.  This  was  so  in  my  case,  and  I  should  not  have  been  sur¬ 
prised  had  bud-casting  become  a  prominent  failing  this  year,  when  on 
the  verge  of  starting  into  bud-growth.  It  ia  therefore  gratifying  to 
find  that  such  anticij'ations  are  not  being  reali-ed,  for  both  early,  mid¬ 
season,  and  late  trees  showed  little  tendency  to  do  this,  or,  at  any  rate, 
not  more  than  happens  in  ordinary  seasons. 
The  season  was  remarkable  for  the  extent  of  drought  and  its  effect 
on  vegetation  generally,  and  Peach  trees,  both  indoors  and  on  open 
walls,  suffered  more  or  less  ia  accordance  with  the  facilities  afforded 
the  garden  in  its  water  supply.  There  w'ere  cases  where  almost  every 
drop  used  had  to  be  carted  from  some  distant  spring,  and  to  expect 
that  a  large  extent  of  fruit  houses  and  outdoor  trees  could  be  given 
their  usual  supply  would  be  as  unreasonable  as  it  would  be  impossible,, 
when  so  many  other  demands  are  made  on  the  supply  available. 
Some  seasons  when  there  is  a  continued  spell  of  tropical  summer' 
weather  the  earlier  trees  become  what  is  termed  over-matured,  and 
this  has  been  set  down  as  a  cause  for  the  premature  fall  of  the  buds  in- 
the  early  spring. 
Such  experiences  and  results  tend  to  overthrow  the  views  one  is 
inclined  to  take  up,  and  explode  little  theories  that  gather  in  the 
mind.  There  must  be  reasons  for  such  erratic  actions  on  the  part  of 
trees,  but  to  the  average  gardener  they  are  not  easy  of  solution.  In 
my  own  case  I  felt  certain  that  trouble  was  in  store  from  the  know¬ 
ledge  of  the  fact  that  a  diminished  water  supply  at  a  critical  time  ia. 
ordinarily  the  precursor  of  bud-dropping  in  due  season.  There  •were 
in  last  year  all  the  needful  attributes  for  bringing  about  this  undesired 
failing,  which  make  one  ask  the  question  why  is  it  not  so  ?  There 
must  have  been  something  sustaining  them.  In  older  trees  the  roots . 
penetrating  deeply  into  the  border  would  be  some  help ;  but  what  of 
the  spider-infested  foliage  ?  These  destroyers  of  healthy  leafage  were 
much  in  evidence  last  summer,  and  were  with  much  difiBculty  held  in; 
check,  and  too  often  the  early  fall  of  the  leaf  was  an  inevitable  resulk 
of  their  presence. 
Herein  was  found  another  reason  for  expected  trouble,  which, 
happily,  has  not  been  realised ;  and  why  ?  Is  it  because  their 
principal  functions  were  complete  early,  or  did  the  late  autumn 
watering  make  good  their  earlier  deficiences  even  without  leaves.. 
The  case  gives  rise  to  deeper  thought  the  more  one  dwells  upon  it^ 
but  it  might  prove  a  fatal  mistake  to  rely  on  the  experience  gained 
and  to  relax  one’s  efforts  in  future  seasons  by  reason  of  favourable 
results  gained  in  the  face  of  such  unintelligible  elements.  It  would, 
be  interesting  if  other  readers  gave  their  experience  bearing  on  the 
prospects  of  the  buds  following  such  a  trying  season  as  that  of  1899,, 
when  there  was  a  dearth  of  ■vi^ater  and  a  wealth  cf  red  spider. — W.  S.. 
