5G4 
JOURNAL  GF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
recember  18,  1S02. 
Pruning. 
Showers  of  leaves  in  many  shades  of  colour,  from  golden  yellow 
to  hues  of  russet  brown,  are  falling  on  lawn  and  meadow,  in  wood 
and  plantation.  The  hedgerows  are  thinning  rapidly,  and  soon 
the  arms  of  the  giant  Elms  and  Oaks  will  be  flung  abi’oad,  bare 
and  devoid  of  their  leafy  mantle.  At  such  a  time  the  gardener 
turns  to  thoughts  of  saw  and  knife,  and  perhaps  also  a  pair  of 
secateurs.  It  is  necessary  that  one  and  all  be  in  readiness  when 
the  time  is  at  hand.  Some  of  us  would  fain  see  a  far  greater 
portion  of  this  work  of  pruning  performed  before  the  foliage 
commences  to  fall,  but  too  well  do  numbers  of  us  know  how 
many  other  things  there  are  that  cry  out  for  attention  when  we 
would  be  pruning  which  cannot  be  left  undone. 
For  several  years  I  have  noted  the  advantage  derived  by  trees 
that  have  been  summer-pruned,  and  have  not  hesitated  to  take 
whole  branches  from  old  basin-shaped  trees,  both  Apples  and 
Pears,  when  in  full  leaf.  A  better  idea  of  space  needed  may  in 
this  way  be  obtained,  far  better  than  when  the  trees  have  lost 
their  foliage,  and  there  is  nothing  but  bare  twigs  ana  stems  for 
the  workman’s  guidance.  As  for  the  dreaded  bleeding  sometimes 
talked  of,  I  have  seen  nothing  to  fear  in  this  direction  from  any 
reasonable  operations  carried  out  in  summer.  This  summer-prun¬ 
ing  has  always  tended  (at  least,  in  my  experience)  to  thoroughly 
ripened  wood  and  highly  coloured  fruit.  It,  of  course,  is  only 
within  the  bounds  of  common  sense  to  expect  such  results,  from 
the  greater  freedom  with  which  sun  and  air  may  thus  exert  their 
genial  influences  on  growth  and  fruit.  Provided  there  is  a  fair 
balance  between  root  and  branch,  and  summer-pruning  is  carried 
out  so  that  the  back  or  basal  buds  are  not  forced  into  incipient 
growths,  that  must  of  necessity  be  insufficiently  ripened,  there 
need  be  little  fear  as  to  crops  if  the  weather  at  blossom  time  be 
at  all  favourable. 
Many  times  I  am  asked :  “  Will  you  come  and  look  at  my 
Plum  tree?”  or,  it  may  be,  “my  Apple  tree?”  Certainly,  one 
is  always  willing  to  oblige  friends  in  these  matters,  but  I  always 
endeavour  to  dissipate  any  mystery  there  may  be  in  the  minds  of 
people  as  to  this  matter-of-fact  operation.  Pruning  seems  to  me 
a  matter  that  calls  for  the  exercise  of  plain  sense  and  decisive 
action  as  much  as,  or  more,  than  any  other  work  a  gardener  has 
to  do.  The  skill  which  comes  from  practice  and  observation,  and 
which  is  requisite  where  large  numbers  of  trees  have'  to  be  dealt 
with,  is  not  so  needful  to  the  amateur  as  may  at  first  sight 
appear.  We  all  know  that  the  branches  of  a  tree  should  be 
disposed  far  enough  apart  for  air  and  sun  to  pass  freely  through 
and  amongst.  With  a  little  thought  it  is  not  a  difficult  matter 
to  steer  a  middle  course  between  the  method  of  him  who  snips 
a  bit  here  and  a  bit  there,  his  trees  ultimately  becoming  a  thicket 
of  unprofitable  growth,  and  he  who  mercilessly  hacks  and  saws, 
leaving  great  jagged  wounds  and  gaps,  thus  utterly  spoiling  the 
contour,  and  even  appearance,  of  bis  trees  and  bushes.  It  should 
be  remembered  always  that  after  pruning  with  a  saw  the  knife 
should  be  brought  into  use  for  paring  and  smoothing  the  rough 
surface  left  by  the  saw  ;  this  is  of  great  assistance  in  healing 
the  sore  place.  In  the  matter  of  thinning  and  opening  the 
centres  pf  trees  which  have  been  for  some  time  neglected  (this, 
of  course,  is  an  operation  more  frequently  needed  by  old  trees), 
it  is  wise  to  give  a  thought  in  the  growing  season  after  they  have 
been  so  treated.  I  have  a  tree  in  mind,  which  two  winters  ago 
was  thinned  out  in  the  manner  so  often  advocated  in  these  pages. 
At  every  place  where  pruning  was  done  there  have  sprung  from 
three  to  half-a-dozen  young  shoots.  Now,  the  last  stage  of  this 
tree  is  worse  than  it  wTas  before.  These  young  shoots  should  have 
been  ruthlessly  torn  from  their  sockets  when  a  few  inches  in 
length,  and  much  trouble  would  have  been  thereby  saved,  besides 
the  benefit  that  would  naturally  have  accrued  to  the  tree. 
I  have  thus  far  spoken  of  outside  work  in  connection  with 
pruning.  I  should  like  to  supplement  these  remarks  with  a  few 
observations  as  to  inside  work  in  relation  to  Vines.  We  may 
see,  in  fact  often  do  see,  old  Vine  rods  spurred  back  year  after 
year  without  the  slightest  attempt  being  made  to  bring  up  young 
canes  from  the  base  of  the  old  ones — a  comparatively  easy  matter. 
Some  few  years  back  a  house  of  Black  Hamburghs  came  under 
my  notice,  in  which  the  Vines  had  been  cut  closely  back  on  the 
one  bud  idea  for  many  seasons.  They  had,  indeed,  become  so 
decrepit  that  they  would  scarcely  produce  Grapes  at  all,  yet  by 
lighter  pruning,  viz.,  shortening  the  laterals  to  where  a  good 
plump  bud  could  be  found,  some  very  fair  bunches  were  pro¬ 
duced  in  the  first  season  by  the  old  stagers.  In  the  meantime 
young  rods  were  started  from  the  base,  and  as  these  attained 
their  full  measure  of  strength  the  old  rods  were  gradually  taken 
out,  the  bottom  spurs  being  first  cut  clean  away.  Proper  treat¬ 
ment  was  meted  out  to  the  roots,  and  in  a  few  seasons  the  re¬ 
generation  of  these  Vines  was  complete.  Many  would  be  inclined 
to  say  :  “  Less  trouble  to  take  them  out  and  replant  new  canes.” 
Except  in  the  case  of  very  old  ATines  I  am  doubtful  if  this  would 
be  true. 
There  is  also  the  matter  of  root-pruning,  which  has  received 
no  lack  of  attention  from  time  to  time  in  the  Journal.  It  must 
ever  be  remembered  that,  prune  we  never  so  well  and  wisely 
the  branches  of  our  trees,  we  but  aggravate  the  evil  of  super¬ 
abundant  growth  if  the  roots  are  too  active  or  are  working  in  an 
unsuitable  medium.  Often  attention  applied  to  the  roots  will 
prevent  in  a  great  measure  the  use  of  the  knife  on  the  upper 
portions  of  fruit  trees. 
In  conclusion,  I  can  only  say  to  the  novice  that  a  knowledge 
of  the  difference  between  wood  and  fruit  buds  must  of  necessity 
be  acquired.  That  some  thought  must  be  bestowed  on  the 
placing  of  the  top  bud,  so  as  to  mark  the  direction  of  the  future 
shoot.  That  strong  growths  should  not  be  pruned  as  severely 
as  weak  ones,  and,  above  all,  sound  common  sense  must  be 
bestowed  on  each  tree  as  to  its  form  and  shape  in  the  time  to 
come.  There  is  nothing,  either  magical,  miraculous,  or  myste¬ 
rious  about  pruning  fruit  trees,  and  this  may  be  discovered  by 
those  who  are  willing  to  give  time  and  labour  in  the  pursuit  of 
experienced  knowledge. — J.  AV. 
- - 
MALMAISON  CARNATIONS. 
The  photograph  of  a  house  of  Malmaison  Carnations  which 
we  reproduce  came  to  us  from  Mr.  G.  H.  Cook,  gardener  at 
Milburn,  Esher,  Surrey,  who  promises  to  detail  his  method  of 
culture  in  a  subsequent  issue.  In  his  first  letter  to  us  he  writes, 
saying  : 
I  am  sorry,  but  the  photo  gives  one  a  very  faint  idea  of 
the  beauty  of  those  blooms  when  this  was  taken.  There  were 
some  600  plants  in  the  house,  bearing  on  an  average  four 
blooms  each,  and  measuring  4in  to  Sin  across.  These  are  the 
favourite  flowers  of  my  employer,  the  Hon.  H.  Bourkes,  and 
consequently  we  make  a  speciality  of  them.  So  far  we  have  had 
excellent  results  from  our  labour.” 
Herbaceous  and  Hardy  Borders. 
Stocktaking. 
Don’t  read  this  if  you  have  up-to-date  hardy  borders — 
the  best  of  everything  in  them,  and  everything  of  the  best. 
“Why  not?”  Well,  given  the  aboye  most  desirable  state 
of  things  in  that  most  desirable  section  of  latter  day  garden¬ 
ing  the  few  hints  proposed  do  not  apply,  for  the  happy  man 
who  has  the  best  can  have  no  better.  Less  blest  ones  may, 
possibly,  dismiss  the  matter  by  saying  they  don’t  want  to 
go  humbugging  around  their  borders  iiist  as  things  are  going 
to  rest,  let  ’em  rest  in  peace.  Precisely  so.  R.I.P.  It  is 
not  the  season  for  dunging  and  delving,  and  worrying  up 
things  that  want  to  rest  ;  but,  mark  you,  it  is  the  time  for 
stocktaking.  Be  in  time  ;  hurry  up  with  a  fistful  of  labels 
ere  things  are  indistinguishable,  and  you  have  to  poke  about 
for  some  precious  bits,  and  “don’t  know  where  ’e  are,” 
perhaps  never  will  know,  only  inasmuch  as  your  destroying 
angel  will  account  for  it  with  “  must  a  got  chucked  out  with 
the  rutjbage,  mister.” 
The  Migration  of  Plants 
It’s  strange  how  good  things  will  disappear.  Stranger 
still,  that  with  all  our  scientific  research  there  is  yet  much 
mystery  about  the  migration  of  plants.  Old  Jack  L - , 
who  was  very  fond  of  “  yarbashus  plants,”  with  all  his 
simple  ignorance  knew  a  good  deal  more  on  that  subject 
than  the  clever  gardener  who  was  his,  as  well  as  the  writer’s 
master,  when  a  lad  ;  so  there  was  many  a  surreptitious  chat 
over  “Pattakees,”  “  Genshers,”  and  “  Penstemmers  ”  ; 
seasoned  by  an  old  traveller’s  tales  about  rare  things  in 
“  furrin’  parts.”  Our  friend  of  early  days  had,  in  his  early 
days,  been  “all  down  the  Merrygeranum  Sea,”  consequently 
had  due  respect  favouring  a  friendliness  which  culminated 
in  "  Come  over  a  Sunday,  lad,  when  m’  darter’s  at  home, 
and  see  my  bit  o’  bloom.”  The  dual  attraction  resulted  in 
the  two  mile  walk  to  old  Jack’s;  tea  with  the  “darter,” 
and  an  inspection  of  the  “  yarbashus  ”  beauties  in  the  homely 
cottage  garden.  Strange,  passing  strange,  but  there  were 
just  such  things  in  it  as  had  disappeared  from  the  Hall 
