NOTES AND GLEANINGS FROM FOREIGN EXCHANGES.

SUMMER-PINCHING, OR STOPPING THE GROWING-SHOOTS OF FRUIT-Trees. - This all-important operation in fruit-cultivation now requires attention. It is a practice which has often been advocated in your columns in a very clear and able manner by Mr. Rivers and others; and my only reason or excuse for adverting to it here is, that frequently in the pressure of other work, at this season, it is apt to be delayed and forgotten until too late. Trees grow so fast at this season, that, if not seen to for a week or so, one is astounded at the progress they have made; and then the knife has to be used so unmercifully, that no wonder the trees suffer through it. And again: a good thing cannot be too often repeated. It is well, I think, to give frequent reminders of all important operations in their due season in horticultural journals.

The time for pinching the growing shoots of fruit-trees-apples, pears, plums, cherries, apricots, and I may include peaches, although these last require somewhat special treatment, excepting in the case of orchard-house, bush, and pyramid trees is now at hand; and, if success is expected to attend the operation, constant supervision is now necessary.

The advantages of a correct system of pinching are obvious to every one. The work is easy and simple; and, if done now, little or no pruning will be required in winter. By closely following it up, the vigor of the tree may be moderated and regulated, so as to make every part fruitful alike; and, with few exceptions, the most stubborn trees may be made fruitful by this simple operation. All cannot be treated exactly alike. Some are of more robust growth than others, and consequently require a little more liberty of action; and a more frequent application of the process is necessary than with slower-growing trees. No exact rule of procedure can, therefore, well be laid down: very much must necessarily be left to the operator's discretion. The operation should be performed when the shoots are young and tender, when they will readily snap off with the fingers.

All formally-trained trees, whether on walls or in the open quarter, must be kept in trim by the use of the thumb and finger at all events; and the principal rule to bear in mind is this: Pinch the strongest shoots first, and only these, which are, in general, situated at the top of the tree; then, in the course of four or five days, repeat the operation with the next strongest lower down, and so on in succession until all have been done; and then begin at the top again, and so on as required. Never denude the tree of a great quantity of foliage at any one time, as, by so doing, a check is given which might prove injurious. Pinch the most vigorous portions of the tree the hardest, and allow the weaker to grow a little longer. Thus the shoots at the top of a pear-tree on a wall should be pinched to two or three eyes, while at the bottom of the wall they should be allowed five or six. This should be the rule; and, by adopting it, uniformity of action throughout the tree will be secured, and a regular crop of fruit.

HOW TO PACK FLOWERS FOR A JOURNEY.-The enclosed sketches represent two tin boxes for the safe conveyance of cut-flowers. It is rather vexing to see flowers mauled in the way we sometimes do see them, after the greatest care has been bestowed upon their cultivation. However, it has become such a worn-out subject as not to require any further comment; and, with the hope that my contrivances may have a little novelty and usefulness in them, I will proceed to describe them. Fig. 1 is a round tin box, ten inches by eight: the

FIG. I.

O

FIG. 2.

lid fits over, and can be secured by a peg or padlock. There are six small holes in a circle round the handle on the lid. The tray, Fig. 2, has an aperture in its centre for the stem of a bouquet to pass through. There are two upright pieces of tin an inch wide soldered on the rim, and long enough to press against the

lid, as shown at A, in Fig. 3, after the bouquet has been fixed in the tray by means of the two pins shown underneath. These upright pieces serve as handles to place it in the box upon the brackets, as at B; and it is quite immovable when the lid is made fast. I put a little water in, and so keep the stems moist in their compartment, and the flowers dry in theirs. I have on several occasions sent flowers so packed from hence to Hamburg, which have arrived, to all appearance, as fresh as when gathered. It is a useful box for small articles of apparel or refreshment.

Fig. 4 is a box for camellias. This need not be more than four or five inches deep. Fig. 5 represents the tray within the box: the tin uprights at A press

FIG. 4

PIG. 5.

against the lid, and the tray is held down quite firm by it. Fig. 6 is the tray, which is pierced like a colander, through which is laced flat elastic braid. I lift the braid with a peg, which is larger than the flower-stem, or with a piece of bent wire: the stems being introduced, the elastic holds them quite fast. By

FIG. 6.

first filling the tray, and then placing it within the box, a great deal of unnecessary fumbling is avoided. I generally pillow each flower with wadding. A deeper box might be used, and tray upon tray. The boxes are japanned outside, and painted inside. Price 35. and 4s. 6d. — G. Dunford, Gardener, Manor House, Long Eaton, Derbyshire, in Gardener's Magazine.

A SELECTION OF FIFTY COOL ORCHIDS. -Barkeria Lindleyanum, B. Skinneri, Brassavola glauca, Brassia verrucosa, Cattleya citrina (this does best fastened to a block, and suspended with the foliage downwards, as it grows in its native habitat on the under side of branches of large trees), C. Mossiæ, C. Trianoi, Coelogyne cristata, C. speciosa, Cymbidium giganteum, Cypripedium insigne, C. venustum, Dendrobium chrysanthemum, D. heterocarpum, D. nobile, D. specio

sum, Epidendrum atropurpureum, E. erubescens, E. macrochilum, E. vitellinum, Lælia acuminata, L. albida, L. autumnalis, L. majalis, L. superbiens, Lycaste aromatica, L. cruenta, L. Skinneri, Maxillaria Harrisonii, Odontoglossum Cervantesii, O. citrosmum, O. grande, O. Insleayii, O. maculatum, O. nebulosum, O. pulchellum, O. Rossii, Oncidium crispum, O. flexuosum, O. leucochilum, O. pulvinatum, Pleoine maculata, Sophronitis cernua, S. grandiflora, Stanhopea insignis, S. oculata, S. Wardii, Trichopilia tortilis, Zygopetalum crinitum, Z. Mackayii. - Floral World.

A BRILLIANT FLOWER-BED. - Select or make a small isolated bed in some spot fully exposed to the sun, and let it contain fine sandy peat, or fine sandy soil of any other kind; and let it be well drained, of course; and place a few rustic stones round the margin and through the bed, half or more buried in the soil, so that the whole will be elevated a little above the grass level. Over the bed, beside the stones, &c., plant a few, a select few, of the best dwarf sedums and saxifrages of the incrusted section; and perhaps, if you are fond of them, a few of the very choicest spring bulbs,—such, for instance, as that little Siberian exquisite Puschkinia scilloides, —just to vary the bed a little at all points, and give it unsurpassed charms in spring. But, for the brilliancy and chief beauty, you must have a number of plants of a very beautiful hardy perennial, Calandrinia umbellata. Make the groundwork of your bed of these, and put a few good specimens on the little elevations about the highest points and tiny rocks in your little bed. Plant in spring, give a good soaking of water in dry weather, and wait for the result. The Calandrinia is a continuously-blooming plant; and when it begins to flower, if well grown, you may expect a display of the purest magenta-colored flowers for many weeks. - O'Shane, in Floral World.

ANNUALS WITH RED FLOWERS FOR CLUMPING. - The pretty "Rose of Heaven" (Agrostemma cœli-rosa) makes a fine clump, sown rather thick: the plant grows a foot high; and there are several varieties entered in seed catalogues, the best being hybrida flore pleno, which has double flowers. Crimson candytuft, or Iberis umbellata, is a fine annual, which lasts long in bloom if sown in autumn, but will make a good display if sown in March. Silene armeria, or Lobel's catchfly, produces abundance of pretty corymbs of rose-colored flowers. Clarkia elegans is well known: it thrives best in poor soil, and lasts longer in bloom if sown in autumn; but it may be sown now in any kind of soil, and will in due time make a beautiful display. The double Clarkias are rubbish. Dianthus chinensis, the Indian pink, must not be sown in the open border until April, but blooms earlier and finer if sown on a hotbed in March. All the varieties named in catalogues are good, and may be purchased with perfect safety. Saponaria calabrica is a lovely little rosy-flowered plant, which flowers all the summer long: it is useful for any bed or border, or even for an edging to a bed; but the flowers are so small, that it produces no effect at a distance. Silene pendula makes a charming clump of bright magenta or pink. Viscaria oculata is an elegant plant, with rosy flowers: all the varieties of this are good.— Floral World.

NEW PLANTS.

Passiflora glauca (Gard. Chron., 1867, 1070). — Passifloraceæ. An aborescent species from New Grenada, with fine large glaucous-green foliage. The flowers are white, succeeded by medium-sized fruit, which is bright yellow when ripe. Will probably do well in a cool greenhouse.

Cypripedium Stonei, var. Platynævium (Gard. Chron., 1867, p. 1118). — Orchidaceae. A fine variety of this well-known species, with long and beautifullyspotted petals.

Acer Frederici Gulielmi (Rev. Hort., 1867, t. maple, of a slender growth and spreading habit.

391). — A beautiful Japanese

-

The leaves, when young, are

of a brownish-red, which changes, when older, to a greenish-red, sometimes streaked with rose and white.

Acer ornatum (Rev. Hort., 1867, 391).. A beautiful deciduous tree, with feathery branches, bearing the leaves on slender petioles. Their divisions are deeply cut, with toothed segments of a dull red, and afterwards becoming greenish-red. It appears to be the same as the plant with the inconveniently lengthy name of A. palmatum dissectum foliis pinnatifidis roseo-pictis. Native of Japan. Clematis Davidiana (Rev. Hort., 1867, 90). — Ranunculaceæ. A desirable and show hardy perennial, growing about two feet and a half high, bearing blue tubulose flowers, which are mostly produced in clusters. The more numerous flowers render it superior to C. tubulosa, to which it is allied. Native of China. Lilium auratum rubrum (Rev. Hort., 1867, 371). — Liliaceæ. A charming variety of this noblest of all lilies, differing from the ordinary form in having the band of golden yellow on each petal exchanged for a similar band of a rosy red.

Lilium pseudo-tigrinum (Rev. Hort., 1867, 411). — A very pretty hardy bulb, quite distinct from L. tigrinum, growing about three feet high, with linear leaves, and solitary flowers of a dull red color, dotted with small dark-brown spots.

Rhus Osbecki (Rev. Hort., 1867, 111). — Anacardiaceæ. An elegant shrub, of spreading, branching habit, with smooth bark and large leaves.

Anthurium Geitnerianum (Gartenflora, t. 540). Orontiaceæ. A stove perennial, with dark-green leaves on long petioles, and a spadix, with green leathery spathe, supported on a long scape.

Clerodendron serotinum (Rev. Hort., 1867, 351). —Verbenaceæ. A branched, vigorous-habited greenhouse or half-hardy shrub, suitable for the summer garden. The flowers are sweet-scented, pure white, with an angular rose-colored calyx, and are produced in large panicles a foot or more across.

Oncidium macropus (Gard. Chron., 1868, 125).- Orchidaceæ. The bulbs of this species are similar to O. macranthum, and the flowers yellow, with blotches and bars over the surface; of little value to cultivators.

Oncidium Porrigens (Gard. Chron., 1868, p. 125). — Orchidaceæ. A species of no merit. Sepals and petals brown; lips cinnamon.

Acacia Ausfeldii (Gartenflora, t. 550). Leguminosa. A greenhouse evergreen shrub, with linear phyllodes, and axillary peduncles bearing many-flowered capitules of yellow blossoms. Native of Australia.

Prunus Padum (Neerl. Plant., t. 48). - Rosacea. An early-flowering plum, with large semi-double flowers, white, or more or less tinted with rose.