Miniature Fruit Garden ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY 3 1924 074 175 856 Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924074175856 CULTUEE OF FRUIT TREES PRINTED ET SPOTTISWOODB AND CO., NEW-STRKBT SQUAEB LONDON THE MINIATURE FEUIT GAEDEN AND MODERN OECHAED OK THE CULTUEE of PYRAMIDAL AND BUSH FRUIT TREES WITH V INSTRUCTIONS FOR ROOT-PRUNING ETC. Mel. Truly, Sir, a fair garden ! here have you governed nature by your art ; your ordered ranks o£ fruitful trees are thankful for your care, and for your reward give you of their best HoBT. You do me too much honour, friend I (Old Play) Insere, Daphni, piros, carpent tua poma nepotra— Virg. Eel. ix BY THOMAS RIVEES and T. FEANCIS EIVEES TWENTIETH EDITION^ '«*' <^c^ * [*i-l SR AR Y* LONDON "*'"- *>"-"T V, \VSj' LONGMANS, GEEEN, AND CO. AND NEW TOEK : 15 BAST le* STREET 1891 All rtahts reserved ^6 PEEFACE The publication of the twentieth edition is a satisfac- tory proof of the successful application of the rules laid down in the preceding editions. I am happy to think that the work has contributed to the pleasure of many by drawing their attention to the fact that fruit trees may be cultivated in a smaller space than was formerly supposed to be possible,, and I hope that with the spread of knowledge the pleasure and profit derived from the cultivation of small fruit trees may be ex- tended to many cottage gardens in England. I may here remark that apples on the Paradise stock are especially suited for cottagers. With a good selection of trees on this stock, the cottage may compete successfully at autumnal shows with the garden of the mansion, and in certain situations, well selected,, the fine varieties of Belgian and French pears — peculiarly the property of skilful and wealthy horticulturists — will, by attention to the simple rules given in this work, be exhibited by the humble but triumphant cottager. VI PEEFACE I cannot — and it is not a matter of regret — add anything new. Trees do not change their nature, and the rules for their cultivation in one year, if sound, must be the same in all succeeding years. I have endeavoured to point out a method of making condensed orchards on a system which I believe to be sound, as it is no theory but practice. I can only hope that the present edition may deserve the same success that has' hitherto attended all the previous editions. T. Feancis Rivees. OctoUr 1891. PREFACE TO THE SIXTEENTH EDITION By Thomas Rivees In giving the seventeenth thousand of my little book to the public, I trust I may be allowed to express my pleasure and gratitude for its success — perfectly un- precedented in books devoted to horticulture. The reception given to it by those numerous and increasing horticultural amateurs who seem to love to devote their leisure to the culture of fruit and fruit trees has been to me a source of much pleasure. For thirty years and more have I watched the growth of this taste in England, and more particularly in those who garden with their own hands and heads ; it is such men that form the true vanguard of fruit culturists, for they almost invariably improve on any suggestion given by a writer ; and, if I wanted them, I could fill a volume with letters from clever amateurs who have given new ideas, always suggestive if not always practicable. As a prominent but not new feature in this enlarged edition, I may refer to the management, and above all the protection, of low lateral cordon fruit trees. I VlII HIEFACE TO THE SIXTEENTH EDITION have also pointed out more forcibly than in former editions the capability of growing choice pears and apples on any low cheap walls, and also against walls in kitchen gardens not fully furnished with trees — in short, in all bare spaces so often found between wall trees in old gardens. These methods of culti- vating choice pears and the finer kinds of Atnerican apples are worthy of much more attention than they have hitherto received. The method of cultivating plums as vertical single cordons has been practised here for some fev/ years ; it is original, highly worthy of attention, and may be made a profitable venture, not only for the amateur but for the market gardener. The management of those charming structures, ground vineries, is in this edition more fully gone into than before ; in short, all the modes of culture hitherto recommended have been revised and made as perfect as practice can make them, for it must be recollected that all the modes of culture here recommended have been well tested, and no foreign practice recommended till found adapted to our wet English climate, the mean temperature of which is just about two degrees too low for the choice kinds of fruits to ripen without assistance. Septamher 1870. INTBODVCTION TO THE FIRST EDITION By Thomas Rivers My attention was drawn to the benefits fruit trees derive from root-pruning and frequent removal about the year 1810. I was then a youth, with a most active fruit-appe- tite, and if a tree bearing superior fruit could be discovered in my father's orchard I was very constant in my visits to it. In those days there was in the old nursery, first cropped with trees by my grandfather about the middle of last century, a 'quarter' — i.e., a piece of ground devoted to the reception of refuse trees — of such trees as were too small or weak for customers ; so that in taking up trees for orders during the winter they were left, and, in spring, all taken up and transplanted to the ' hospital quarter,' as the labourers called it. The trees in this quarter were taken up, often annually, and planted nearer together, on the same piece of ground. This old nursery consisted of about eight acres, the soil of a deep reddish loam, inclining to clay, in which fruit trees flourished and grew vigorously. I soon found that it w^ but of little use to look among the young free-growing trees for fruit, but among the re- fuse trees, and to the 'hospital quarter' I was indebted for many a fruit-feast — such Ribston Pippins ! such Golden Pippins ! X INTEODUCTION Wken I came to a thinking age, I becarae anxious to know why those refuse trees never made strong vigorous shoots, like those growing in their own immediate neigh- bourhood, and yet nearly always bore good crops of fruit. Many years elapsed before I saw 'the reason .why,' and long afterwards I was advised by a friend, a P.H.S., to write a crude, short paper on the subject, and send it to be read at a meeting of the Horticultural Society : this paper is published in their 'Transactions.' I had then practised it several years ; so that I may now claim a little attention, if the old adage that ' practice makes per- fect ' be worthy of notice. This little work is not designed for the gardens and gardeners of the wealthy and great, but for those who take a personal interest in fruit-tree culture, and who look on their garden as a never-failing source of amusement. In some few favoured districts, fruit trees, without any extra care in planting and after-management, will bear good crops, and remain healthy for many years. It is not so in gardens with unfavourable soils : and they are greatly in the majority. It is to those possessing such, and more particularly to the possessors of small gardens, that the directions here given may prove of value. The object constantly had in view is to make fruit trees healthy and fruitful, by keeping their roots near the surface. The root- pruning and biennial or occasional removal, so earnestly recommended, are the proper means to bring about these results, as they place the roots within the influence of the sun and air. The ground over the roots of garden trees as ' generally cultivated is dug once or twice a year, so that every surface-fibre is destroyed and the larger roots driven downwards ; they, consequently, imbibe crude, watery sap, which leads to much apparent luxuriance in the trees. This, in the end, is fatal to their well-doing, for the vigorous shoots made annually are seldom or never ripened INTRODUCTION xi sufficiently to form blossom-buds. Canker then comes on, and although the trees do not die, they rarely give fruit, and in a few years become victims of ^bad culture, existing in a sort of living death. There is, perhaps, no fruit tree that claims or deserves our attention equal to a pear. How delicious is a fine melt- ing pear all the winter months ! and to what a lengthened period in the spring may they be brought to table ! Till lately, Beurr^ Ranee has been our best spring pear ; but this is a most uncertain variety, rarely keeping till the end of May, and often ripening in January and February. The Belgian pears, raised many years since by the late Major Esperen, and more recently by Monsieur Gr^goire, are likely for the present to be the most valuable for pro- longing the season of rich melting pears ; and of these Josephine de Malines and Bergamotte d'Esperen are espe- cially deserving of notice ; they have the excellent quality of ripening slowly. But improvement will, I have no doubt, yet take place ; for pears are so easily raised from seed, and so soon brought into bearing by grafting or budding them on the quince stock, that new and valuable late pears will soon be as plentiful as new roses. In the following pages it will be seen that I strongly advocate the .culture of pyramidal fruit trees. This is no new idea with me. I have paid many visits to the Conti- nental gardens during the greater portion of my active life in business, and have always admired their pyramidal trees when well managed, and I have for many years cultivated them for my amusement ; but, owing to a seeming preju- dice against them amongst some English gardeners, I was for some time deterred from recommending them, for I thought that men older than myself must know better ; and when I heard some of our market-gardeners and large fruit growers in the neighbourhood of London scoflF at pears grafted on the quince stock as giving fruit of a very XU INTEODUCTION inferior flavour, I concluded, like an Englishman, that the foreigners were very ignorant, and very far behind us in the culture of fruit trees. It was only by repeated visits to foreign gardens that this prejudice was dispelled. I felt convinced that our neighbours excelled us in the management of fruit trees adapted to the open borders of our gardens. I have there- fore endeavoured to make the culture of pyramidal trees easy to the uninitiated ; and, having profited largely by experience in attending to it with my own hands, I trust that my readers will benefit by the result. A humid, mild climate seems extremely favourable to the well-doing of the pear on the quince stock. Jersey, with its moist warm climate, as is well known, produces the finest pears in Europe : these are, for the most part, from trees on quince stocks. The western coast of Scot- land, I have reason to know, is favourable for the culture of pear trees on the quince ; and within these very few years Ireland has proved remarkably so, more particularly in the south, where some of our finest varieties of pears on quince stocks are cultivated with perfect success. CONTENTS PAGS Pyramidal Peak Trees on the Quince Stock . i The, Young Pytiamid , . . . .5 The Mature Pyramid 8 Boot-pruning op PraAMiDAt Pbae Trees on Quince Stocks ... , 13 Pyramids for Mabket Gardens . 18 Ornamental Pybamidal Pear Trees on Quince Stocks .... . .20 Pbae Trees as Bushes on the Quince Stock . 20 Pear Trees on the Quince Stock, trained as Cordons 26 Cordon Pears on Trellises under Glass . . . 35 Horizontal Cordon Pear Trees on Dwaef Walls 39 BsPALiBK Pears on Quincb Stocks . . . , 43 Pear Trees trained as Single Vertical Cordons . 47 Diagonal SiNeuB Cordons 48 Pbar-Tree Hedge ... .... 53 Pyrajuds on the Pear Stock . . . 54 Koot-pruning of Fruit Trees . 59 Planting and Afibb-management . . 61 XIV CONTENTS PAGE Gatheeing the Fbuit 66 Keeping Pbaes in a Gebbnhoush 69 Pyeamidal Apple Tebhs on the Paeadise Apple Stock 71 Apples as Bushes on the Paeadise Stock . . . . 79 Apples as Bushes foe Market Gardens .... 83 Apples and Pears as Single and Double Latbeal Coedons 87 Sheltbe Teenches 96 Vbetical Coedon Apple Teees . .... 97 Apples as WAll Teees .... . . 98 Pyeamidal Apples on the Ceab Stock . . . 100 Pteamidal Plum Teees . . . 102 Plum Tebbs as 'Bushes ..... . . 105 Plum Teees as Coedons . . . . . 106 Maeket Garden Plum Tebbs 108 Chbeeibs as Bushes and Pteamids on the Mahalbb Stock (^Cerasus malmUV) 109 Chbeeibs as Single Veetical Coedons . . .115 BiGAEEEAU AND HEART GHBEEIBS AS PtEAMIDS ON THE Common Cheeet Stock 117 filbbets and nuts as standards , . ... 120 Figs as Half Standards oe Bushes ... .121 Seedling Feuits 123 The Biennial Removal of Feuit Trees without Eoot- PRUNING . . . .... 125 Pyramid Oechards .... . . . 126 Double Geafting of Fruit Tebbs .... 130 EbNovating Old Standard Pbah Trees . . . . 185 How to Prepare a Peach Tree Boedbe in Light Soils 136 CONTENTS xy FAQS A Chhap Method of PEOTuoTiNa Wall Tbees . . . 137 Standard Obchard Teebs 139 Insects peculiar to the Pear , . . . 142 Methods of Planting small Pyramid Trees . . . 145 Proper Distances fob Planting Pyramidal and other Fruit Trees 146 Miniatuee Feoit Garden Calendar .... 148 APPENDIX I The Ground Vineey ... . ... 151 Planting and Pruning Vines feom Pots .... 160 Cordon Tbaininq 164 APPENDIX II Insect Pests, by H. Somers Eivbrs .... 186 INDEX 207 THE MINIATME FEUIT GARDEN PYRAMroAL PEAR TREES ON THE QUINCE STOCK There is no description of fruit trees more interesting , to cultivate in our gardens than the pyramid — a name adopted from the French, the originators of this species of culture. The word conical would, perhaps, convey a better idea of the shape of such trees; but as pyramidal trees are now familiar things in English gardens, it is scarcely worth while to attempt to give a new name to these very pretty garden trees. For gardens with a moderately deep and fertile soil, pears budded on the quince stock will be found to make by far the most fruitful and quick-bearing trees; indeed, if prepared by one or two removals, their roots become a perfect mass of fibres, and their stems and branches fuU of blossom-buds. Trees of this description may be planted in the autumn, with ^i-. B 2 THE MINIATURE FEUIT GAEDEN a certainty of 'having a crop of fruit the first season after planting — always recollecting that a spring frost may destroy the blossoms unless the trees are pro- tected. It must always be recollected that pears on quince stocks are strictly garden trees, and not adapted for orchards. The most eligible season for planting pyramidal pear trees is during the months of November and December, but they may be planted even until the end of March ; in planting so late, no fruit must be expected the first season. Still I ought to say here that I have frequently removed pear trees on the quince stock in March and April, just as the blossom- buds were bursting, and have had fine fruit the same season, particularly if sharp frosts occurred in May. The buds being retarded, the blossoms opened after the usual period, and thus escaped. The experiment is quite worth trying in seasons when the buds swell very early. About ten or fifteen fruit may be permitted to ripen the first season ; the following season one to two dozen will be as many as the tree ought to be allowed to bring to perfection ; increasing the number as the tree increases in vigour, always remembering that a few full-sized and well-ripened pears are to be preferred to a greater number inferior in size and quality. The engraving (fig. 1 on the following page) is a faithful portrait of a pyramidal tree of the Beurr6 AMIDAL PEAE TEEES ON THE QUINCE STOCK 3 Fig. 1 B 2 4 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GAEDEN de Oapiamnont pear budded on the quince; it was about ten years old, and had been root-pruned three times. Nothing could be more interesting than this tree, only six feet high, laden with fruit of extra- ordinary beauty; for, in this soil, pears on quince stocks produce fruit of much greater beauty, and of finer flavour, than those on pear stocks. I have, however, introduced the figure as much to show its imperfection as its beauty ; it will be observed that its lower tiers of branches are not sufficiently developed ; this was owing to neglect when the tree was young — the upper branches were suffered to grow too luxu- riantly. Summer pinching in the youth of the tree is the only remedy for this defect, if it be not well furnished below ; and a severe remedy it is, for all the young shoots on the upper tiers, including the leader, must be pinched closely in May and June, till the lower ones have made young shoots of a sufficient length to "give uniformity to the tree. This requires much attention. Pyramids, bushes, and cordons are the trees best adapted for small gardens. To those conversant with such matters, I need only point to the very numerous instances of rich garden ground entirely ruined by being shaded by large spreading standards, or half- standard unpruned fruit trees. Now, by cultivating pyramidal pears of the quince, apples in the same form on the paradise stock, the cherry as pyramids and dwarf bushes on the Oerasus Mahaleb, and the PYEAMIDAIi PEAK TEEES ON THE atTINCE STOCK 5 plum as a pyramidal tree, scarcely any ground will be Beaded, and more abundant crops and finer fruit will be obtained. THE YOUNG PYRAMID If a young gardener intends to plant, and wishes to train up his trees so that they will become quite perfect in shape, he should select plants one year old from the bud or graft, with single upright stems ; these will, of course, have good buds down to the junction of the graft with the stock. The first spring a tree of this description should be headed down, so as to leave the stem about eighteen inches long. If the soil be rich, from five to six and seven shoots will be produced ; one of these must be made the leader, and, if not inclined to be quite perpendicular, it must be fastened to a stake. As soon, in summer, as the leading shoot is ten inches long, its end must be pinched off; and if it pushes forth two or more shoots, pinch off all but one to three leaves, leaving the topmost for a leader. The side shoots wiU, in most cases, assume a regular shape; if not, they may be this first season tied to slight stakes, to make them grow in the proper direction. This is best done by bringing down and fastening the end of each shoot to a slight stake, so that an open pyramid may be formed — for if it is too close and cypress-like, enough air is not admitted to the fruit. They may remain unpruned 6 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GAKDEN I till the end of September, when each, shoot must be shortened to within eight buds of the stem. This will leave the tree like the annexed figure (fig. 2), and no pruning in winter will be required. The second season the tree wiU make vigorous growth; the side shoots which were stopped last September will each put forth three, four, or more shgots. In June, as soon as these have made seven or ten leaves, nip out the terminal buds of all hut the leading shoot of each side branch ; this must be left on to exhaust the tree of its superabundant sap, till the THE YOUNG- PYRAMID 7 middle or end of September. The perpendicular leader must be stopped once or twice ; in short, as soon as it has grown ten inches pinch off its top, and if it break into two or three shoots pinch them all but the leader, as directed for the first season ; lq a few years most symmetrical trees may be formed. When they have attained the height of six or eight feet, and^ are still in a vigorons state, it will be neces- sary to commence root-pruning, to bring them into a fruitful state. If some of the buds in the stem of a young tree prove dormant, so that part of it is bare and without a shoot where there should be one, a notch, half an inch wide and nearly the same in depth, should be cut in the stem just above the dormant bud. If this be done in February a young shoot will break out in the summer.! These directions are for those who are inclined to rear their own pyramids. Time and attention are re- quired, but the interest attached to well-trained pyra- mids will amply repay the young cultivator. > Bare places in the stems of pyramids, afld in the branches of espaliers or wall trees, may be budded towards the end of August with blossom buds taken from sh6ots two years old. This is a very- interesting mode of furnishing a tree with fruit-bearing buds. THE MINIATUEE FETJIT GARDEN THE MATUEE PYEAMID The following figure (fig. 3) is a pyramidal tree in its second and third year, and such as it ouglit to be in July before its leading side sboots' and leading upright shoot are shortened. This, as I have said, is best done towards the second or third week in September. The shortening must be made at the marks ; all the side shoots must be shortened in this manner, as well as the leading shoot ; no farther pruning will be required until the following summer. The spurs a, a, a, are the bases of the shoots that have been pinched in June ; these will, the following season, form fruit-bearing spurs. The best instrument for summer and autumnal pruning is a pair of hooked pruning scissors or 'secateurs/ which are now sold of all sorts and sizes. As the summer pinching of pyramidal pears is the most iuteresting feature in their culture, and perhaps the most agreeable of all horticultural occupations, I must endeavour to give plain instructions to carry it out. The first season after the planting, by the middle of June, the side buds and branches have put forth young shoots : each will give from one to three or four. Select that which is most horizontal in its growth (it should be on the lower part of the branch, as the tree will then be more inclined to spread) for a leader to that branch, and pinch off all the others to THE MATUEE PYEAMID 9 » Ki(j 3 10 THE MINIATTJEE EEUIT &AEDEN six or seven leaves (see fig. 3, a, a, a). From the point of piacMng, a shoot will again grow, and should be left ' untouched until September^ The first pinching forms the basis of fruit buds, and if the horizontal branch has a good leader it will take off all the superfluous sap, the buds will only swell, and the following season they will be fruit spurs. The upper shoots of the tree, say to about two feet from its top, should be pinched a week before the lower shoots ; this gives strength to those on the lower part of the tree. Fig. 4 is a side branch in June, with its shoots not yet pinched; about the middle of the month nip off the terminal buds of the laterals when these have made from seven to nine leaves, and, in September, stop the leading shoot to one-third of its length. In spring the perpendicular leader of the preceding year's growth will put forth numerous shoots, which must be pinched iu June in the following manner : those nearest the base leave six inches in length, gradually decreasing upwards, leaving those next the young leading shoots only two inches long. The leader of these ready formed pyramids need not be shortened in summer as directed for younger trees; it may be suffered to grow till the horizontal leaders are shortened in September, and then left six or eight inches in length ; but if the trees are to be kept to six or seven feet in height under root-pruning, this leading shoot may be shortened to two inches, or even cut close down to its base. For tall pyramids of ten, twelve, THE MATUEE PYEAMID 11 or fifteen feet, it may be left from eight to ten inches in length till the required height be attained ; it may then be cut to within two inches of its base every season. Fig. i I ought here to remark that pear trees differ in their habits to an extraordinary degree ; some make shoots most robust and vigorous ; others under pre- cisely the same treatment are very delicate and slender. In the final shortening in September this 12 THE MINIATURE FETJIT GAEDEN must be attended to; those that are very vigorous must not have their shoots pruned so closely as those that are less so; indeed, almost every variety will require some little modification in pruning, of which experience is by far the best teacher. It will, I think, suffice if I give the following directions for shortening the leaders of the side shoots, and the perpendicular leaders : — AH those that are very robust, such as Beurre d'Amanlis, Conseiller de la Cour, BeurrS Diel, &c., shorten to eight or ten inches, according to the vigour of the individual tree ; those of medium vigour, such as Louise Bonne of Jersey, Marie Louise, and BeurrS d'Aremberg, to six inches ; those th^t are deli- cate and slender in the growth, like Winter Nelis, to four inches ; but I must repeat that regard must be had to the vigour of the tree. If the soil be rich, the trees vigorous and not root-pruned, the shoots may be left the maximum length ; if, on the contrary, they be root-pruned, and not inclined to vigorous growth, they must be pruned more closely. As a modification of pinching which sometimes induces excessive growth in non-fruiting trees, and in humid climates, I have found that stripping the leaves from the shoots to be operated upon has the same efiect as pinching, without disturb- ing the flow of the sap. If pyramidal fruit trees, either of pears, apples, plums, or cherries, are biennially removed, or even thoroughly root-pruned without actually removing them, summer pinching becomes the most simple of THE MATURE PYEAMID 13 all operations. The cultivator has only to look over his trees during June (penknife in hand), and pinch the terminal bud of every shoot on the lateral or side branches ; the buds below the point of pinching will develop into fruit spurs, the shoots which push again from the terminals may, if the growth is not well balanced, be stopped in August, but all pruning should be deferred until the end of September. It is possible that in some soils and climates, with a non-ripening power, summer pinching may be carried to an excess. It is difficult to lay down a hard and fast rule. As a matter of fact, in favourable fruit- growing districts — and it is hardly worth while to plant in any otlfer — summer pinching with certain modifica- tions will be found to give good results. The first pinching in June is really the most important, as it provides the fruit buds for the following year in the most convenient part of the tree — i.e. near the stem. If the leading shoot be shortened in September, the supplementary shoots produced by the first pinching may either be pruned or left until October. EOOT-PRUNING OF PYRAMIDAL PEAR TREES ON QUINCE STOCKS Before entering on the subject of root-pruning of pear trees on quince stocks, I must premise that handsome and fertile pyramids, more particularly of some free- 14 THE MINIAT0EE FKUIT GAUDEN bearing varieties, may be reared without this annual or biennial operation. I must impress upon my readers that my principal object is to make trees fit for small gardens, and to instruct those who are not blessed with large gardens how to keep the trees perfectly under control ; and this can best be done by annual, or at least biennial, attention to the roots, for if a tree be suffered to grow three or more years and then be root- pruned, it will receive a check if the spring be dry, and the crop of fruit for one season wUl be jeopardised. Therefore, those who are disinclined to the annual operation, and yet wish to confine the growth of their trees withiu limited bounds by root-pruning say once in two years, should only operate upon half their trees one season ; they will thus have the remaining half in an unchecked bearing state ; and those who have ample room and space may prune their pyramids in summer, and suffer them to grow to a height of fifteen or twenty feet without pruning their roots. In rich soils, where the trees grow freely, they may be root-pruned annually with great advantage. The following summary will, perhaps, convey my ideas respecting the management of pyramids and bushes when cultivated as garden trees : — In small gardens with rich soil either root-prune or remove all the trees annually, early in November. In larger gardens perform the same operation biennially at the same season. For very large gardens with a dry good subsoil, in which all kinds of fruit trees grow without EOOT-PRUNINa OF PYEAMIDAL PEAR TREES 15 any tendency to canker, and when large trees are desired, neither remove nor root-prune. Pyramidal pear trees on the quince stock, where the fruit garden is small, the soil rich, and when the real gardening artist feels pleasure in keeping them in a healthy and fruitful state by perfect control over the roots, should be annually operated upon as follows : — A trench should be dug round the tree about eighteen inches from its stem every autumn, just after the fruit is gathered, if the soil be sufficiently moist — if not it will be better to wait till the usual autumnal rains have fallen ; the roots should then be carefully examined, and those inclined to be of perpendicular growth cut with the spade, which must be introduced quite under the tree to meet on all sides, so that no root can possibly escape amputation. All the horizontal roots should be shortened with a knife to within a circle of eighteen iQches from the stem," and all brought as near to the sur- face as possible, filling in the trench with compost for the roots to rest on. The trench may then be filled with the compost (well-rotted dung from an old hot-bed, and good turfy loam, equal parts, will answer exceedingly well) ; the surface should then be covered with some half-rotted dung, and the roots left till the following autumn brings its annual care. It may be found that after a few years of root-pruning the circumferential ' If they have not spread to this extent the first season, or even the second, they need not be pruned, but merely brought near to the surface and spread out. 16 THE MINIATURE FEUIT GABDEN mass of .fibres will have become too much crowded with small roots ; in such cases thin out some of the roots, shortening them at nine inches or one foot from the stem. This will cause them to give out fibres, so that the entire circle of three feet or more round the tree will be full of fibrous roots near the surface, waiting with open mouths for the nourishment annually given to them by surface dressiags and liquid manure. The gardener who does not mind extra trouble will feel a real pleasure in every operation that tends to make. his trees perfect in fruitfulness and symmetry. The annual root-pruning may, however, be irksome to the amateur ; nor is it always required in the south of England, except for small gardens and in rich moist soils in which pear trees are inclined to grow too vigorously. In the cool moist summers of the northern counties, annual root-pruning is quite necessary to make the trees produce well-ripened wood. In other cases, if the trees are summer-pruned, biennial root- pruning will be sufficient to check over-luxuriance in growth. The following will be found a good selection of varieties for pyramidal trees on quince stocks. They may be planted in rows six feet apaj-t, or a square may be allotted to them, giving each plant six feet, which will be found amply sufficient for root-pruned trees. Some few esteemed sorts of pears do not grow well on quince stocks, unless ' double-grafted '■ — i.e., some free- growing sort is budded on the quince, and after having EOOT-PEUNING OF PYRAMIDAL PEAR TREES 17 been suffered to grow for one or two seasons, the sort not so free-growing is budded or grafted on it. For varieties,' placed in order of their ripening, the following liat may be safely recommended : — Summer DoyennS Jargonelle Clapp's Favourite Beurrg Giffard Bon Chretien BeurrS d'Amanlis Summer Beurr6 d'Aremberg Madame Treyve . Beurre Superfin Louise Bonne of Jersey Fondante d'Automne . Gansel's Bergamot Marie Louise Conseiller de la Cour . Baronne de Mello Pitmaeton Duchess Bmile d'Heyst . Doyenne de Cornice . Beurr6 d'Anjou . Josephine de Malines July. August. August. Aug. Sept. September. September. September. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. October. October. Oct. Nov. Oct. Nov. Oct. Nov. Oct. Nov. Oct. Nov. November. Nov. Dec. December. January. ' All the varieties recommended for pyramids may also be planted as espaliers to train to rails in the usual mode. 18 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GARDEN PYKAMIDS FOR MARKET GARDENS First, a good climate must be selected somewhere south of the Trent, the site sheltered from the north and east and north-west by hedges, evergreens, or walls ; also a favourable soil, which, however, by care and culture, may be made of secondary importance ; a loam eighteen or twenty inches deep, on a dry stony subsoil, is perhaps the most favourable, but a clayey loam resting on clay or on sand will do very well. If required, draining must be practised, so that clays, loams, or sands must be dry. When a rich deep fertile soil is chosen there will be nothing required but opening the holes and planting the trees ; but if the soil be shallow, say less than'twelve inches of staple, it should be stirred to a depth of twenty inches, leaving the stirred subsoil in situ. The soil is thus far prepared for planting, which will be best done in October or November. The trees should be planted six feet apart row from row, and the same distance tree from tree in the row. After the trees are planted, the soil within a circle of three feet round the stem of each tree should be trodden firmly ; a small portion (the tenth of a barrowful) of litter or manure placed round each tree (or if the soil is rich this may be omitted), and the work is done. For some four or five years the centre of the space between the rows of trees may be cropped with light vegetable crops, such as onions, &c. ; this culti- CULTURE OF PYEAMIDAL PEAR TREES 19 vated space must be confined to a width of two feet ; the remaining space next the trees must not be touched with anything but the hoe to kill the weeds, and when the intermediate cropping has covered the entire surface of the ground, it must remain firm, the only culture besides the hoe being an occasional surface-dressing of manure. This system of hard soil and occasional sur- face-manuring is the summwm bonum, the last step towards perfect market garden fruit culture — except gooseberries, currants, and raspberries, which require other treatment. The quantity of manure required for a surface-dressing is five bushels to twenty-five square yards. The rough and ready pruning necessary for market garden pyramidal pears is as follows : — Towards the middle (the end, if the season be late) of June all the terminal buds of the side shoots must be nipped ofij and towards the end of September the trees are again gone over, and the leading shoots stopped ; this is all the pruning required, unless the amateur market gar- dener pleases to amuse himself in winter by removing a crowded shoot or shortening a spur. The varieties best adapted for this mode of pear culture are few, as there are but few sorts popular in the markets. Our first and best is Louise Bonne, requiring, however, a warm climate and good soil ; Williams' Bon Chretien, BeurrS d'Amanlis, Doyenne de Comice, Souvenir du Congr&s, Marie Louise, Marie Louise d'Uccle, Fertility (very hardy), Durondeau, and Beacon. e 2 20 THE MINIATUBE FRUIT aAEDEN ORNAMENTAL PYRAMIDAL PEAR TREES ON QUINCE STOCKS Thebe are some very few varieties of pears the trees of which may be made highly ornamental even on a well-dressed lawn, as they grow freely and form natu- rally beautiful cypress-like trees; at the same time their fruit is of first-rate quality. Such are Summer BeurrS d'Aremberg, Baronue de Mello, Pondante d'Au- tomne, White Doyenne, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Passe Colmar, Z6phirin GrSgoire, Olivier de Serres, Souvenir du Congrds, DeHces d'Hardenpont, Doyenne du Comice, Bergamotte d'Esperen, Marie Louise, Conseiller de la Cour, Fertility, Durondeau, Emile d'Heyst, Marie Benoist. • PEAR TREES AS BUSHES ON THE QUINCE STOCK TfflS mode of cultivating pear trees has struck me as being eligible, from having observed that the fruit' of some of the large heavy varieties, such as Beurre Diel and Beurre d'Amanlis, is very liable to be blovsm off pyramids by even moderate autumnal gales. The trees also of these and several other fine sorts of pears are difficult to train in the pyramidal form ; they are PEAR TREES AS BUSHES ON THE QUINCE STOCK 21 difiiise in their growtlt, and, with snmmer pinching, soon form nice prolific bushes, of which the following figure (fig. 5), from nature, will give some idea. The pruning of these bushes is a simple matter. As they are likely to throw out many shoots, and so fill up the centre of the bush, thus impeding the circulation of Fig. 5 light and air; I go over the branches in June and thin out those which are growing too thickly, the final pruning being left until the end of September. If the bushes are fruitful the pruning should be deferred until the fruit is gathered, and the summer thinning only practised. 22 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GAEDEK Bushes are admirably adapted for gardens exposed to winds, and if removed biennially they may be grown. in the smallest of gardens with great advantage. This biennial removal or lifting should be performed as follows: — A trench should be opened round the tree the width of a spade, and from twelve to fifte'en inches deep; the tree should then be raised with its ball of earth attached to its root intact. If the soil be light and rich, and the tree inclined to grow vigorously, making annual shoots of more than one foot in length, it may be replanted without any fresh compost. Rotten manure, loam, and sand, equal parts with the addition of lime, chalk, or gypsum where the soil is known to. be deficient in lime, form also an excellent compost ; in planting, one wheelbarrowful to a tree will be enough. In London suburban gardens, for which these trees are peculiarly adapted, no compost need be given to the trees in replanting, for the soil is generally rich. Bush trees offer two very great advantages : they are easily protected from spring frosts when in blossom by cover- ing them with tiffany, and they may be planted from three to five feet apart with great facility, so as to be eligible for very small gardens. In large gardens, large bushes may be desirable. In such cases the leading shoots on each branch may be pinched, as recommended for pyramids (page 8), but instead of pinching them to three leaves they may be suffered to make ten leaves, and then pinch the PEAB TBEES AS BUSHES ON THE QUINCE STOCK 23 terminal bud. The trees will, if treated in this manner, soon become large, compact, and fruitful. The following varieties are well adapted for bush culture, as they are diffuse in their growth and diffi- cult to form into compact pyramids, although they may be made into spreading and prolific conical trees. It ought, however, to be mentioned that sorts, such as Louise Bonne of Jersey, which form handsome pyramids, make very pretty compact bushes by cutting out the central branch to within three feet of the ground, so that pyramids may be easily formed into bushes. I may add that these bush trees produce the very finest fruit, from their being so near the heat and moisture- giving surface of the earth. In situations near the sea-coast, exposed to sea breezes, small fruit gardens may be formed by en- closing a square piece of ground with a beech hedge or wooden fence, and planting it with bush trees. A piece of ground 500 square feet will be large enough to cultivate 30 trees at 4 feet apart in it, or 25 trees at 5 feet apart. Many a sea-side cottage may thus have its fruit garden. LIST op PEAES ADAPTED FOR BUSH CULTURE Summer DoyennS . . . July. Beurre Giffard ., . . . August. Beacon August. Clapp's Favourite . . . August. 24 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GAEDEN Bon Chretien, Williams' September Summer Beurrg d'Aremberg September Beurre d'Amanlis Sept. Oct. Dr. Hogg . September. Madame Treyve . September. Souvenir du OongrSs . Sept. Oct. Louise Bonne of Jersey October. Fondante d'Automne . October. Fertility . October. Beurre Hardy . October. Gansel's Bergamot October. Marie Louise Oct. Nov. Baronne de Mello November. Doyenne de Cornice Nov. Dec. Durandeau . Nov. Dec. Beurre Dial December. Beurre d'Anjou . December. Winter Nelis December. Josephine de Malines January. Bergamotte d'Esperen January. Olivier de Serres . . February. Cstillac (baking). — Uvedale St. Germain (baking) — L6on le Clerc de Laval (baking) — Pyramid pears may be grown and fruited in defiance of spring frosts, by subjecting the trees to constant removal. Under tHs treatment the roots become very fibrous and may be annually removed. The trees so PEAE TEEES AS BUSHES ON THE aUINCE STOCK 25 treated should be lifted in December, and then placed under a north wall until the end of March ; they may then be returned to their fruiting places. The period of blossoming being thus retarded, a crop may be «xpected even in very inclement seasons. 26 THE MINIATUEE J?EUIT GAEDEN PEAR TREES ON THE QUINCE STOCK, TRAINED AS CORDONS The French gardeners employ the term ' cordon ' for the branch of a fruit tree on which the shoots have been pinched in, so as to form a succession of blossom-buds. The term as used by them is expressive, and lately an interesting work has been published by the Rev. T. 0. Brehaut, of Guernsey, on this mode of training, under the title of ' Cordon Training of Fruit- Trees.' There are various forms of cordon training, but I will begin with the five-branched vertical cordon commonly called ' upright trained trees.' This method of training originated here in April 1849, and was brought about from the necessity of planting a number of new pears on a boarded fence in a limited space ; the horizontal method of training was quite inapplicable, and a modi- fication of this system came to hand, viz., to plant horizontal espaliers, and to make them perpendicular. The following figure (fig. 6) is one of my five-branched vertical cordon pear trees. The shoots a, a, should be eight inches from the central shoot, and those marked b, b, the same distance PEAE TEEES TEAINED AS COEDONS 27 from those marked a, a. This tree, with five branches, will thus occupy thirty-two inches — say three feet of wall room; a tree with seven branches will require four feet, but as some space ought to be allowed for the spurs on the outside branches, say five feet. If the wall be of a moderate height, eight feet for instance,. Fig. 6 — A PIVB-BEANOHED VBETTCAL CORDON PBAB TBEB a tree with seven branches will produce quite enough fruit of one sort. This method offers a strong contrast to espaliers on pear stocks, planted in the usual manner twenty-four feet apart and trained horizontally ; nearly five trees for one will give so many additional chances to the pear cultivator ; the single tree may fail, or its 28 THE MINIATUEE EEUIT GARDEN fruit may become imperfect, owing to an adverse season ; but out of his five trees he will in every season stand a good chance of having some good pears. A few words will suffice for their management : summer pinching of the lateral shoots to five leaves as recom- mended for pyramids (p. 5), and root-pruning or biennial removal — ^these operations, like Dr. Sangrado's bleeding and warm water, will do all. Five- or seven-branched vertical cordon trees, not only of pears but of cherries on the Mahaleb stock, of plums, of American apples on the Paradise stock, and peach and apricot trees, may be planted against walls in gardens, if of a moderate height, to great advantage. As so much variety may be had in a small space, let the reader imagine himself to have a brick wall with a southern aspect, 20 feet long, and 8 or 10 feet high. According to old practice this would afibrd space for one tree ; but with branched vertical cordon training, I repeat, five trees may be cultivated, and thus give five chances to one. If this kind of tree on the quince stock cannot be procured, those that are trained horizontally, with five or seven branches, may be planted against the wall or fence destined for them, and their young shoots be made to curve gently, until they are perpendicular; the youjig shoots of _ pear trees are very pliable, and will easily bend to the required shape. The lower part of each shoot in such cases mtfst be fastened to the wall with shreds and nails in the usual way, PEAE TREES TRAINED AS CORDONS 29 and the remaining part trained into an upright posi- tion. If they are more than two feet, each of these shoots must then be shortened to this length. These shortened branches will, in May, each put forth two or three shoots. As soon as they have made eight or ten leaves, pinch all but one on each braneh to five leaves, leaving the topmost one to each shoot. You will thus, if your tree be five-branched, have five young leading shoots, which should be carefully regulated during the summer so that no particular shoot should take precedence. This proportion must be maintained by occasional pinching or leaf-stripping. Your tree will soon reach the top of the wall, and every bud in the five branches will be perfect, either a blossom-bud or one in embryo. When this happens, commence root-pruning, unless the trees have ceased to grow vigorously and are bearing well — if so, leave their roots untouched. The directions for root-pruning are given in treating of pyra- midal trees (p. 14) ; these may be followed exactly, and, if so, the trees will be kept in a stationary bearing state. It must be recollected that the spurs on the branches will often put forth shoots even while bearing fruit ; these must be left unpruned until the autumn. In treat- ing of the cultivation of the foregoing, I assume that trained trees of from three to fotir years are planted : the training and preparation of young trees would be tedious and time-consuming. If larger trees are wished for, in order to give more fruit of each sort, trees with nine upright branches may 80 THE MINIATDBE PEUIT GAEDEN be planted seven feet apart, or trees with eleven upright branches, nine feet apart. Trees, however, can seldom be purchased with shoots so numerous; young ^trees must therefore be planted, and cut back annually for two or three years, till the proper number of perpendicular shoots are supplied. It may happen that trained trees with five or seven branches cannot be procured, perhaps trees with only three shoots, two horizontal and one leading shoot ; in such cases they must be cut back, PEAH TREES TRAINED AS CORDONS 31 leaving five buds to each shoot, and the young shoots in June trained as required. Pyramidal trees cut flat on the side to be placed next the wall, and planted against walls or fences, will give almost a certain crop. Their shoots must be pinched, and trained so as to form ■ a handsome semi- pyramidal tree, which when it has reached the top of the wall must be subjected to biennial root-pruning ; but this will only be necessary if the tree is too vigo- rous, so as to keep it in a stationary fruitful state. On . the preceding page I give a figure (fig. 7) of a young pyramid planted against a south-east fence. It will, I trust, be seen how economical of space are these methods of training pears to walls; and nothing in fruit culture is more interesting than a wall of upright five-branched cordons or of pyramids full of fruit. Let us only consider that a wall 100 feet long will accommodate five trees on the pear stock, trained in the usual horizontal mode ; the same wall will give ' ample room and verge enough ' to twenty-five trees on the quince stock, trained perpendicularly; if their young shoots (all but the leaders) are pinched in June, no root-pruning will be needed. They are also invaluable for planting against walls between old trees, where there are bare spaces, for they soon fill up such vacancies, and bear abundance of fine fruit. A selection of varieties for wall trees will not here be out of place : — 32 THE MTNIATUEE FEUIT GAEDEN UPEIGHT TEADTED TREES ON QUINCE STOCK Madame Treyve Souvenir du Oongr&s Brown BeurrS Van Mons (Leon le Clerc) Glou Morceau Emile d'Heyst For Hast and South-east Walls BeurrS Bachelier Passe Oolmar Magnate Josephine de Malines Monarch (Knight's) Marie Benoist Bergamotte d'Esperen For West and North-west Walls Bon Chretien, Williams' Jargonelle Clapp's Favourite BeurrS d'Amanlis Conseiller de la Cour D61ioes d'Hardenpont Marie Louise d!Uccle Beurre d'Aremberg Easter Beurre Passe Crassanne BeurrS Diel Princess For South, and South-west Walls BeurrS Superfin Louise Bonne of Jersey Gansel's Bergamot ^ Marie Louise Beurre Bosc Van Mons (L6on le Clerc) Pondante d'Automne Glou Morceau Duchesse d'Angouleme ' It is not generally known that this fine variety, proverbially a shy bearer, becomes, when double-grafted on the quince stock, one of the most abundant bearers. PEAR TREES TRAINED AS CORDONS 33 Durondeaii Doyenng du Oomice BeurrS d'Anjou Beurr6 Ranee Olivier de Serres Bergamotte d'Bsperen Easter Beurr6 The above varieties grafted on pear stocks are equally adapted for their several aspects. In shallow, gravelly, or chalky soils, pears on pear stocks are to be preferred for walls. It is almost useless to plant dessert pears against north or north-east walls, as the fruit, unless in very warm seasons, is generally deficient in flavour. The only varieties that ofiFer the least chance of success-^and that only in a warm climate with a dry soil — are Marie Louise, Jargonelle, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Beurr6 Superfin. It is far better to plant against such aspects baking or stewing pears, such as CatUlac, Bellissime d'Hiver, and Leon le Clerc de Laval : the Vicar of Winkfield is also a good north-wall pear — it bears well and stews well. In the north the finer sorts of pears must be cultivated on south walls. It may seem theoretical to recommend pears on the quince stock for pyramidal trees ia the north of England and in cold soils and situations, but my ex- perience in some very cold and clayey soils in this neighbourhood enables me to feel sanguiue as to the result, for I have observed that in some of the pear gardens of France many sorts are often too ripe. Now this is just the tendency we require. In our D 34 THE MINIATURE FBUIT GAEDEN cold and moist climate most certainly pears will not get too ripe, more especially in the north of England and Scotland. Some years since I received a letter from a correspondent Uving in a hUly part of Derbyshire, from which I give an extract : — ' I have tried Beurre Diel, BeurrS de Capianmont, Marie Loilise, and Williams' Bon OhrStien, on pear stocks, all of which bear well as standards, bnt their fruit does not come to perfection, always remaining quite hard till it decays at the core. I have placed the fruit in a hot-house, but have never succeeded in ripening it. Williams' Bon Ohrgtien we can only use for stewing.' This seems to show that cold, hilly situations are not favourable to the cultiva- tion of pears as standards. I have recommended some pears on quince stocks, and have heard of a favourable result. 85 CORDON PEARS ON TRELLISES UNDER GLASS This system of pear-growing, wHcli, I believe, will be the system of tlie future, from the extreme simplicity and economy with which it can be constructed and Fig. 8 adapted to all positions, was introduced some years since by Mr. Bellenden Ker for the purpose of growing FiQ. 9 peaches and nectarines on a trellis protected by movable glass lights. Although the trellis does not give sufficient heat D 2 86 THE MINIATURE PEUIT GARDEN and protection for the cultivation of peaches, it is ad- mirably adapted for pears, apples, and plums. Pig. 8 is a section of the trellis, and fig. 9 is a front view of a pear tree trained to it in the upright method. The fruit grown on these trellises is remarkably fine, rival- ling the best specimens of wall pears, owing to the trellis being near enough to the ground for the fruit to reap the benefit of the radiation of heat from the earth. The lights should remain over the trees untU the beginning of July, and then be removed, suffering the fruit to ripen fully exposed to the sun and air., It seems ,that the glass over the fruit in its young state serves to develop its growth in a remarkable manner, for rarely is a spot seen on pears grown on these trellises ; they have a clear, beautiful appearance, much like those grown in the warmer parts of Prance. I ought to add that in cool climates, such as the north of England and Scotland, the lights may be suffered to remain over the trees till the beginning or middle of August. This will hasten the ripening of the fruit, but it should be exposed to the air in early autumn for some weeks before it is gathered, unless the climate be particularly cold and stormy, or it may suffer in flavour. Pears ripened under glass are apt to suffer in this re- spect. I have, however, quite recently received the following communication from a clever fruit-cultivator living in Ireland : — ' Let no one persuade you that pears grown in a well ventilated orchard-house are not CORDON PEAKS ON TRELLISES UNDE:^ GLASS 37 equal to those outside ; I can give strong evidence to the contrary. In my house there was a small Louise Bonne on the quince stock, in an 11 -inch pot; it bore twenty-three splendid pears, as far superior to the same fruit grown in the open air as it was possible to be. They were not, I admit, high-coloured, but they at- tained a richness and flavour that I thought Louise Bonne did not possess.' The pear trellis, of which the section and front view (figs. 8 and 9) will give a correct idea, is of the most simple description. A row of larch or oak posts must be driven into the ground six feet apart, and another row in front ; on these should be nailed plates, three inches by two, and then bars, three inches by one, placed flatwise from front plates to back three feet apart ; across these common tiling laths should be nailed six inches asunder. This will form the trellis as seen in fig. 9. The supports for the lights are formed in the same manner by a row of posts at the back and the same for the front, on which are nailed plates of the same dimensions as those for the trellis ; a crosspiece should be nailed to front and back plates at each end, to keep the supports for the lights from giving way. The structure with the lights, when resting on the back and front plates, has exactly the appearance of a large garden frame without back, front, or ends. Under the . lights the trellis is formed with a sharp slope upwards to the back : for unless the front of the trellis is within six inches of the ground it will be 38 THE MINIATUEE FETUT GAEDEN difficult to bend the trees to the required position. By this simple contrivance, pears, and even peaches and nectarines in warm gardens, may be grown in any corner of the garden, with a south or south-western exposure — for it is scarcely necessary to add that the lights should slope to the south or south-west, so as to have all the sun heat possible. The most eligible dimensions for a trellis I find from experience to be as follows : — Glass Lights Eight feet long, three feet wide. Height from ground at back, three feet six inches. Height from ground at front, one foot six inches. Trellis Height from ground at back, two feet six inches. Height from ground at foot, six inches. Distance from glass lights, one foot. The front border should be raised to a level with the front of trellis ; this will leave twelve inches between the front ends of the lights and the surface of the front border, which will be quite enough for ventilation. Indeed, the draught in windy weather is inclined to be too sharp; I find, therefore, furze or other evergreen branches, placed along the front between the glass and the border, and a mat nailed at the back, excellent checks to excessive ventilation in cold, frosty weather. They may remain there till the beginning or end of CORDON PEAKS ON TEELLISES UNDEK GLASS 89 June, the latter if the weather be cold and stormy. The lights are fastened to the plate, back and front, by a hook and eye ; they are thus easily removed to prune the trees and gather the fruit. In the Appendix is given a diagram of a trellis re- cently made. Workers in iron, if applied to, would no doubt design a light iron trellis, which would probably have a more elegant look than the plan detailed here. HOEIZONTAL CORDON PEAR TREES ON DWARF WALLS These four-inch walls should have a nine-inch founda- tion of four courses of brickwork in the ground, and should be carried up to four feet above the surface (it is scarcely safe to buUd them of great height), with nine-inch piers fifteen feet apart. The coping for them is made of boiling coal tar mixed with lime and sand to the consistence of mortar, which is placed on the top of the wall thus j^ so as to carry off the water. This is a most cheap and efficacious covering — it can scarcely be called a coping, as it does not project over the edge of the wall. A coping of Portland cement is even better, as it holds the wall together. The very best lime should be used. I have found the grey Dorking lime excellent, but any kind of lime made from limestone will answer well ; that made from 40 THE MTNIATUEE FEUIT GAKDEN chalk in this country is not strong enough. Their cost, as I learn from my bricklayer, is about six shillings a yard in length ; thus a wall of the above height, twenty yards long, shojild cost £6} In places where bricks are cheap they may be built for less ; if they are dear and at a distance, their carriage will add to the expense. My walls are six feet apart, and stand end- wise, north-east and south-west; so that one side of each wall has a south-east aspect, the other a north- west ; on the former may be grown the late-keeping pears, on the latter the earlier sorts that ripen from October till the end of November. We thus have one excellent aspect, the south-east ; and one tolerably good, the north-west ; so that no wall space is lost. Fig. 10 The pear trees for these dwarf walls should be grafted on quince stocks trained horizontally, pruned by summer pinching as directed for five-branched vertical ' This estimate was made some y?ais since ; the price of labour has increased since it was given. HORIZONTAL COEDONS ON DWAEF WALLS 41 cordons (p. 27). They may be planted five feet apart at first, and when their branches meet they should b& interlaced, as in fig. 10, and if necessary — i.e. if the shoots be long enough —they may be traiaed over the stems, so that the wall is completely furnished with bearing branches. At the end of five or six years every alternate tree may be removed, leaving the per- manent trees ten feet apart. I advise planting thus thickly because I know from experience that the- temporary trees will fill the walls, will bear a good quantity of fruit, and look more satisfactory than if they are planted thinly. When removed they may be planted out for espaliers, or fresh walls built for them. If, owing to the soil being rich, the trees are in- clined to grow vigorously and not bear, they should be lifted biennially, or root-pruned ; but pears on quince stocks will be sure to bear abundantly. The dwarf walls, when covered with well-trained trees, have a neat and charming efiect, and the trees may be easily protected by sticking branches of ever- greens in the ground and letting them rest against the wall, or by cheap glass lights, in lieu of shutters, placed against the walls, and suffered to remain so as to cover the trees till the fruit is fully formed, or tUl the first week in June, when all fear of damage from frost is over. Where two or more walls are built, or a square piece of ground devoted to them, a cross wall or walls should be built at the north-east end, to prevent the 42 THE MINIATUEE PEUIT GABDEN sharp current of wind from the north-east, which would blow up the intervals between the walls with great violence. It is surprising what a quantity of fruit may be grown on a small space of ground with the aid of these walls. Peaches, nectarines, and apricots may be grown on .the south-east aspect, but the trees must be kept in check by biennial removal. They seem to me more particularly suited to suburban, or what are commonly called cockney, gardens. How pleasant to be able to have a brick wall twenty yards long for £6, or ten yards long for £3 ; and how delightful to be able to grow one's own ' wall-fruit ' ! On a wall ten yards long, five peach and nectarine trees may be trained, and many dozens of fruit produced annually. These dwarf walls for the cultivation of peaches, nectarines, and apricots must, however, differ from those for pear trees, and be built so as to give a south or south-west aspect for the front, a north or north-east for the back. The latter may be planted with Morello cherries. To carry out the cultivation of the above-mentioned trees on dwarf walls, it is absolutely necessary to take them up biennially in November and replant them in the same place.' They will not require any compost to their roots, for peach, nectariue, and apricot trees are gene- rally by far too vigorous in their growth. In some of the London suburban gardens the soil is so rich that ' It is a prudent practice, in all cases of biennial removal, to remove half the number of trees in alternate years, for in dry seasons those recently removed may be too much checked in their ^growth to bear a crop of fruit the first season after removal. HORIZONTAL COEDONS ON DWAHF WALLS 43 :anniial removal, pwrticula/rly with arprwots, may be found to be quite necessary. In country gardens, where the soil is poor, a dressing of manure on the surface over the roots two inches deep will be of service. A matter of great consequence in peach-tree culture on walls is to keep the surface of the soU solid ; if, therefore, the trees grow too vigorously, so as to require removal, say in October, the soil, after the tree is planted, should, after becoming dry, be rammed with a wooden rammer, so as to be as solid as a common garden path. In spring this hard surface should be covered with a slight coat of thoroughly decayed manure, which will be all the culture required. ESPALIEE PBAES ON QUINCE STOCKS Peaes on the quince may be cultivated as horizontal espaliers or cordons by the sides of walks, or trained to lofty walls with much advantage, as less space is required. Horizontal espaliers or wall trees on the pear stock, traiaed to walls of the usual height, i.e. from ten to twelve feet, require to be planted twenty feet apart, while those on the quince may be planted only ten feet apart; this, in a small garden, will allow of much greater variety of sorts to supply the table at different seasons. With these the same high culture, if perfec- tion be wished for, must be followed : the trees carefully 44 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GAEDEN planted, so that the junction of the graft with the stock is even with the surface of the mould formed as directed for pyramids. The pruning of wall pear trees has always been a subject of controversy with gardeners, as they are inclined to grow too vigorously. If it be thought desirable to have trees of large growth, so as to cover a high wall, and yet be highly fertile, it is much better to root-prune than to prune the branches. With such trees it need not be done so severely ; biennial root- pruning will be quite sufficient, commencing at eighteen inches from the wall after the tree has had two seasons' growth, cutting off the ends of all the roots at that dis- tance from the wall, and increasing it by six inches at every biennial pruning, till a dist&nce of six feet from the wall is reached. When this is the case the roots must be confined to the border of that width* by digging a trench biennially, and cutting off all the ends of the roots at that distance from the wall. I may, perhaps, make this more plain by saying that a tree planted in November 1890 should have its roots shortened eighteen inches in November 1892, to twenty- four inches in 1894, to thirty inches in 1896, to three feet in 1897, and so on, leaving six inches biennially till, say, a distance of sis feet from the wall is reached in 1899. This border, six feet wide, will then be full of fibrous roots.^ It should never be dug or cropped, but ' If the wall to which the trees are trained be twelve feet and npwards in height, the border should be eight, and even ten, feet in ■width. Wide and shallow fruit-tree borders are much to be pre- ferred to those that are deep and narrow. ESPAilEE, PEAES ON aUINCE STOCKS 45 annually have a surface-dressing of manure about two inches in thickness ; and, as I have before said, have a trench dug biennially eighteen inches deep, six feet from the wall, and the end of every protruding root cut oflF. If this method be followed, and summer terminal pinching of the leading branches be practised, the pruning will be simplified. The first shoots in June •should be stopped as soon as seven leaves are produced, and the remaiuder of the pruning left until October, with the exception of occasionally removing shoots which are too crowded. The branches of the horizontal-trained trees will then form cordons issuing from one main stem ; and this form of training, with all due deference to our Gallic neighbours, has been practised here for many years, although we did not give it a popular name. In forming borders for wall pear trees on quince stocks, biennially root-pruned, the soil should be well stirred with the fork to a depth of eighteen inches, and if it be poor, a good dressing of rotten manure or leaf mould should be mixed with it. Lime rubbish or gyp- sum is a necessary compost. Pears on quince stocks are much better adapted for this mode of culture than those on pear stocks. If the latter be planted, the border, six feet wide, should have a thick layer of concrete at bottom, to prevent the roots striking downwards ; or it would be good practice to place, eighteen inches deep under each tree, a flat piece of stone three feet in diameter ; this would force the roots to take a horizontal direction, and facilitate the operation of root-pruning. 46 THE MmiATURE FEUIT GAEDEN For fine specimens of wall pear trees grafted on the quince, I may refer to those on the west wall of the Eoyal Horticultural Society's Gardens at Chiswick. These are now more that forty years old, and are pictures of health and fertility, thus at once settling the question respecting the early decay of pear trees grafted on the quince ; for it has been often, very often, urged as an objection to the use of the quince stock, that pears grafted on it are, although prolific, but very short-lived. I have seen trees in France more than fifty years old, and those above referred to may be adduced to confute this error. 47 PEAR TREES TRAINED AS SINGLE VERTICAL CORDONS This is, perhaps, tlie most simple of all methods for ecjonomising space, and is in reality a very primitive form. Plant either one- or two-year-old trees, three feet apart, in quincunx or rows. If the trees are weak, and cannot make an upright growth without assistance, fasten them to a stake. Prune, when planted, about three or four buds from the top, and leave them for the first year without further pruning until October, when the summer shoots of the trees must be pruned to the lowest wood bud nearest the stem ; the pruning is then complete for the first year. The second year the trees will produce lateral shoots from all parts of the main stem. In June, pinch the terminal bud of all these shoots when they have arrived at six to seven leaves, and prune no more until the end of September, when the leaf begins to fall. For small gardens, where the cultivator wishes for a large collection of pears in a small place, this — which is, in fact, the cordon system applied to single-stemmed trees — is much to be recommended. Mg. 20 is a single cordon apple tree from a speci- 48 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN men growing here (single cordon pear trees require the same culture), and will, perhaps, give the reader a correct idea of the adaptability of these compact trees for small gardens ; they may be planted two feet ajjart. DIAGONAL SINGLE CORDONS 'The diagonal single cordon is the most simple of all the methods supported by various writers on training. It consists merely of planting a dwarf tree with one shoot about 18 to 20 inches apart at an angle of 45° (fig. 11). The first year after planting, the side shoots should be pinched in June to five leaves, and pruned again in October to three buds from the base. This pruning includes the second growth from the first pruning. If the tree, as it often does, produces bloom spurs, do not prune them, as the tree will not be injured by precocity in fruiting. The third and fourth years will require the same treatment — ^that is, pinch in June and then- refrain from any other pruning until October ; the trees will look a little ragged and untidy, but this will be remedied by the late pruning. Diagonal cordons of pears, plums, cherries, apples, and apricots may be cultivated with success when trained against walls with south-west and all other aspects, except north or north-east. There is perhaps no wall-fruit tree so likely to be DIAGONAL SINGLE COEDONS 49 largely benefited by single diagonal training as the apricot. Every gardener knows the wretched dis- appointment often felt in summer by large and ap- parently healthy branches of their apricot trees dying off suddenly, and leaving them without any remedy — for the gap made cannot be filled, owing to the rigidity of the remaiaiag branches. There is, therefore, no .Fig. U remedy for this failure of apricot trees when trained]]to walls in the usual manner ; but there is a sure method of avoiding it — simple enough : it is by planting single diagonal cordon trees, which may be maiden trees with a single stem, or trees in a bearing state from the nursery. In planting, if the tree is slender, it is usual to keep the stem of the stock as nearly upright as K 50 THE MINIATUEE PRUIT GARDEN possible ; but as tlie graft is often too stiff to bend readOy, the tree may be planted slopingly. Single diagonal apricot trees require a south or south-west aspect, and should be planted eighteen to twenty inches apart, and every shoot pinched in during the summer, as directed for cordon pear trees (p. 48), and the same directions as to reducing and thinning out the fruit spurs in winter are necessary. The leading shoot need not, as a general rule, be shortened till it reaches the top of the wall, as the shoot of an apricot tree is generally so robust and full of buds. A single diagonal apricot tree, sloped to an angle of 45° or so, will, when it reaches the top of a wall ten feet in height, be a cordon fifteen feet in length. A wall twenty feet long will thus give space enough for ten or twelve trees, which in the course of two or three years will bear large quantities of fruit. One most important advantage, I repeat, is held out by this mode of culture : no unseemly gaps need be seen, owing to the death of branches, as in the present mode; for whenever a tree dies — a very uncommon event — it may be at once replaced. The expense of ten trees instead of one maybe urged by the planter, costing 15s. instead of 7s. 6d. for one well-trained tree. I have only to remark that when the system is fully carried out the demand will be met by a much cheaper supply, and it must be recollected that it gives a tenfold advantage over the old method of training. Above all, it does away with the tiresome annual DIAGONAL SINGLE CORDONS 51 necessity of ' laying in ' shoots, and pruning and nailing in winter; if not tied to wires fixed to the wall the diagonal cordon can be fastened by three or four shreds, care being taken that the shreds are not lurking-places for insects. Peaches and nectarines trained as diagonal cordons against walls with a south or south-west aspect are worthy of a trial, but only in the warmer parts of England. The system of single diagonal training is so simple that one feels assured of its being widely spread among amateur gardeners, who seem likely to lead the sound gardening taste of England. It must, however, be recollected that, although .such trees trained against a wire fence are pleasant to look at, they require protection from spring frost, our great enemy. The making of these wire fences for diagonal cordons is very simple. Straining posts of oak, five inches by two and a half, are placed firmly in the ground, twenty feet apart ; between these, at six feet apart, are the perforated, flat, slight iron bars used to support wire fences : the wire may be stout iron wire the thickness of whipcord, which should be painted with coal-tar and lime, or if galvanised no painting will be required. The lowest wire is eighteen inches from the surface of the soil, and the other wires are one foot apart, as high as required; but six, seven, or eight feet will be found high enough. Pig. 11 will give an idea of diagonal cordon training on a wire E 2 52 THE MrNIATUEE FEUIT GAEDEN fence. My trees, planted from fifteen to eighteen inches apart, are models of beauty, far surpassing espalier training, and giving more fruit in the same space. For boundary fences in the kitchen garden I know of nothing more desirable or more economical than a diagonal cordon fence covered with trees full of fruit. 'The double trellis is made precisely in the same manner as the single trellis, but the addition of hori- zontal iron bars, fastened to the straining posts, one foot in length, gives the power of placing two rows of wires instead of one, thus economising space, and by using the same straining posts the means of gaining twice the produce is afforded ; the additional expense being the iron strainers and the wires. In cultivating pears or any other fruit trees on trellises, I recommend digging a trench parallel to the trees, about eighteen inches from the stem, and from one foot to eighteen inches in depth. This should be filled with rotten manure and loam, and should be used as a permanent root border, an alternate parallel trench being dug to supply the fresh and to receive the used-up soil. It will, I think, be understood that this system will provide fresh food for the roots of the trees, and will also form a modified system of root-pruning ; the roots will be found to gr6w luxuriantly and will not travel far. The soil taken from the trellis trench will serve again in alternate years, as it will have had a fallow, and if the surface is dressed with manure and PEAE-TEEE HEDGE 53 lime, it will be in all respects equal to virgin soil. Care must be taken to make the trellis trench firm and solid, as the roots of trees dislike a loose soil. I may here suggest that prisoners could make pro- tecting mats for fruit trees at a cheap rate. These may be light, strong, and durable. The material of which they are made will be thick enough to prevent damage from the severe frosts in April and May, months when the blossoms or the young fruit suffer most. PEAE-TEEE HEDGE A FEW years since, when visiting a friend at Pontenay- aux-Eoses, near Paris, I was much struck with a hedge formed of pear-trees on the quince stock. He smiled when he told me his method of cultivation and pruning, the latter being simply clipping his hedge in July with the garden shears,' and thinniag out the spurs in winter when they become crowded. When my friend paid me a visit, I inquired, with some interest, about his pear-tree hedge. He assured me that it was perfectly healthy, and generally gave him large crops of fruit. The sorts proper to form a hedge are Louise Bonne of Jersey, BeurrS d'Amanlis, Beurre Hardy, Conseiller de la Oour, Beurre d'Aremberg, Beurre Superfin, and » An English cultivator would employ pruning scissors to shorten the shoots, and thus make his hedge look as if cared for. 54 THE MINLA.TUEE FEUIT GARDEN Doyenne du Cornice. These are all free growers on the quince stock, and if planted in a favourable soil and climate would soon form a fruitful hedge. They should be planted about thirty inches apart, and in masses, i.e. planting, say, ten of each sort together. A hedge may be formed, varying more in its aspect by planting one or two trees of each sort in succession — this is a mere matter of taste. A pear-tree hedge when in full bloom has a very agreeable look, and when full of fruit is very profitable. PYRAMIDS ON THE PEAR STOCK There are some dry, warm, shallow soils, more parti- cularly those resting on chalk or gravel, which are un- favourable to the pear on the quince stock ; it is difficult to make them flourish unless great care is taken in mulching the surface, and giving them abundance of water and liquid manure in summer. In such soils pyramids on the pear stock may be cultivated with but little trouble. To those who wish to train them as they should grow, one-year-old grafted plants may be selected, which may be managed as directed for young pyramids on the quince stock. If trees of mature growth are planted, they will require the treatment recommended for pyramids on the quince stock, but as they are more vigorous in growth excessive summer pinching must be PYEAMIDS ON THE PEAE STOCK 55 avoided. The strong laterals should have the terminal bud nipped in June and the rest of the pruning com- pleted in September. There is no occasion, however, to make a mound up to the junction of the graft with the stock, as the pear does not really emit roots. Annual root-pruning is almost indispensable to pyramids on pear stocks in small gardens, and it will much facili- tate this operation if each tree be planted on a small mound ; the roots are then so easily brought to the surface. This annual operation, which should be done in November, may be dispensed with in soils not rich, if the trees be lifted biennially in that month and re- planted, merely pruning off the ends of any long roots. Annual surface manuring, as recommended for pyramids on the quince, is also necessary, if the trees be root- pruned or biennially removed. Trees of the usual size and quality may be planted, and suffered to remain two years undisturbed, unless the soil be rich and they make vigorous shoots (say eighteen inches in length) the first season after plant- ing, in which case operations may then commence the first season. Thus, supposing a tree to be planted in November or December, it may remain untouched two years from that period ; and then as early in autumn as possible a circumferential trench, twelve inches deep, should be dug, and every root cut with the knife and brought near to the surface, and the spade introduced under the trees so as to completely intercept every perpendicular root. 56 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GARDEN The treddle spade used in this part of Hertford- shire is a very eligible instruraent for this purpose, as the edge is steeled and very sharp. The following year, the third from planting, a trench may be again opened at fifteen inches from the stem, so as not to injure the fibrous roots of the preceding summer's growth, and the knife and spade again used to cut all the spreading and perpendicular roots that are getting out of bounds. The fourth year the same operation may be repeated at eighteen inches from the stem; and in all subsequent root-pruning this distance from the stem must be kept. This will leave enough un- disturbed earth round each tree to sustain as much fruit as ought to grow, for the object is to obtain a small prolific tree. I find that in the course of years a perfect mass of fibrous roots is formed, which only requires the annual or biennial operation (the former if the tree be very vigorous) of a trench being dug, and the ball of earth heaved down to ascertain whether any large feeders are making their escape from it, and to cut them off. But it must be borne in mind that this soil will in a few years be exhausted; to remedy which a shallow trench should be made round the tree about eighteen inches from the stem : this should be filled in with a dressing of night soil and burnt earth in December or January. This manure is raw and powerful and very unsavoury, but it will not come into contact with any active roots until it has lost its pungency. Other liquid PYRAMIDS ON THE PEAR, STOCK 57 manures are equally useful, but the above is easily -obtained and applied. I must firmly impress upon the reader the strong necessity of applying lime or chalk to soils deficient in this deposit ; I believe that many so-called exhausted borders require only the addition of lime in some form or other to renovate decaying trees. Gas lime after an exposure to the air, superphos- phate, gypsum, lime rubbish, or chalk will all be found to act beneficially. There is no absolute necessity for liquid manuring in the winter, as common dung may be laid round each tree in autumn, and sufiered to be washed in by the rains in winter and drawn in by the worms. The great end to attain seems (to use an agricultural phrase) to be able to ' feed at home ' ; that is, to give the mass of spongioles enough nutriment in a small space. A tree will then make shoots from eight to ten inches long in one season (for such ought to be the maxi- mum of growth), and at the same time be able to produce abundance of blossom-buds and fruit. On trees of many varieties the former will be in too great abundance ; removing a portion in early spriag, cutting them out with a sharp knife so as to leave each fruit-spur about three inches apart, is excellent culture. I have not yet mentioned the possibility of root- pruning fruit trees of twenty or thirty years' growth with advantage. Irregular amputation of the roots 58 THE MDSriATUEE FRVIT GARDEN of too vigorous fruit trees is, I am aware, an old practice; but the regular and annual or biennial pruning of them, so as to keep a tree full of youth and vigour in a stationary and prolific state, has not, that I am aware of, been recommended by any known author, although it may have been practised. In urging its applicability to trees of twenty or thirty years' growth, I must recommend caution : the circular trench should not be nearer the stem of a standard tree than three feet, or, if it be a wall tree, four feet, and only two- thirds of the roots should be pruned the first season, leaving one-third to support the tree, so that it cannot be blown on one side by the wind, and these of course must be left where they will best give this support. The following season half the remaining roots may be cut, or, if the tree be inclined to vigour, all of them ; but if it gives symptoms of being checked too much, they may, on the contrary, remain undisturbed fpr one, or even two seasons. If, as is often the case in pear trees, the roots are nearly all perpendicular, the tree must be supported with stakes for one or two years after complete root-pruning. The following extract from a letter received from the late 0. Roach Smith, Esq., the archffiologist, is interest- ing, as showing the prompt efiects of root-pruning of trees : — ' I have only been a horticulturist for three years ; I took to two very beautiful old pear trees, which must have cost no end of nailing, cutting, and staking. On inquiry, I found that one (a Summer EOOT-PBUNING OF PEUIT TREES 59 Bon ChrStien) had never produced more than one pea/r annually ; the other upon a north wall had never given a single pear. I could get no aid from anyone what to do with those trees, and no book then accessible helped me. I reflected on the natural habit of the pear tree, and coming to the conclusion that the cause of barren- ness was exuberance of roots, I resolved to cut them. Before the leaves had fallen, a friend sent me " The Retired Gardener," an old book translated from the French. In it I, found an account of some experiments made in England which fortified me in the resolution I had taken. The first year the Summer Bon Ohr6tien ^ produced nine fruit. I pruned the roots more closely, and this year (1859), in spite of the ungenial spring, I saved fifty-niae pears. The other tree yielded thirty- six, but of so vile a quality that I have re-grafted the tree. A large plum treated in the same way produced the season after being root-pruned 2,000 fruit.' It wUl not, perhaps, be out of place here to enumerate a few of the advantages of systematic root- pruning and removing or lifting of pear, apple, and plum trees, and of growing them as pyramidal trees and bushes. Firstly. Their eligibility for small gardens, even the smallest. Secondly. The facility of thinning the blossom- buds, and in some varieties, such as Gansel's Bergamot > This is one of our oldest varieties, and remarkable for being a, very shy bearer. 60 THE MINIATURE FEtriT GAEDEN and other shy-lDearing sorts, of setting the blossoms and of thinning and gathering the fruit. Thirdly. Their making the gardener independent of the natural soil of his garden, as a few barrowfuls of rich mould with annual manure on the surface will support a tree for many, very many years, thus placing bad soils nearly on a level with those the most favourable. Fourthly. The capability of removing trees of fifteen or twenty years' growth with as much facility as fur- niture. To tenants this will indeed be a boon, for perhaps one of the greatest annoyances a tenant is subject to is that of being obliged to leave behind him trees that he has nurtured with the utmost care. Probably in judicious root-pruning and annual manuring on the surface, so as to keep our fruit trees full of short, well-ripened, fruitful shoots, we are all inexperienced. Eoot-pruning was practised with success in a garden near where for some years a healthy peach tree was never seen, as the subsoil is a cold white clay, full of chalk stones. This change was brought about by biennially pruning the roots of the trees early in autumn, as soon as the fruit was gathered ; in some cases lifting the trees and supplying their roots with a dressing of leaf-mould, sand, and rotten manure, equal parts. Powdered charcoal, or the ashes of burnt turf and rotten manure, also make an excellent root-dressing for cold heavy soils; but if the soil be dry and poor, and unfavourable to the peach and nectarine, loam and ROOT-PEUNING OF FEUIT TEEES 61 rotten manure is the best dressing for the roots, and also for the surface. PLANTING AND AFTER MANAGEMENT Pyramidal pear trees of from three to five years old on the quince stock, root-pruned, and full of blossom- buds, may be purchased. Trees of this description should, if possible, be planted before Christmas ; but if the soil be very tenacious, the holes may be opened in the autumn, and the trees planted in February; the soil will be mellowed and benefited by the frosts of winter.^ Pear trees grafted on the quince stock offer a curious anomaly; for if they are removed quite late in spring — say towards the end of March, when their blossom-buds are just on the point of bursting — ^they will bear a fine, and often an abundant, crop of fruit. This is sometimes owing to the blossoms being retarded, and thus escaping the spring frosts ; but it has so often occurred here when no frosts have visited us that I ' The roots of pear trees on the quince stock, and, indeed, of all root-pruned trees, are very fibrous. In planting, it is good practice to give each tree two shovelfuls of fine earth or mould rather dry — to place it on the roots and shake the tree, so that the mould is mixed with the mass of fibrous roots. Before the soil is all filled in, three or four gallons of water should be poured in, so as to wash the earth into every crevice. The roots should not be crammed into a smaJl hole. A tree with its roots eighteen inches in diameter will require a hole 2J feet in diameter, and so on in proportion. 62 THE MINIATUEE FETJIT GAEDEN notice it — in fact, no trees bear late removal so well as pears on quince stocks. In planting pear trees on the quince stock, it is quite necessary that the stock should be covered up to its junction with the graft. This joining of the graft to the stock is generally very evident, even to the most ignorant in gardening matters ; it usually assumes the form as given in fig. 12, a. Fig. 12.— a, Junction of the graft with the stock, b, the point up to which the stock should be covered. If the soil be not excessively wet, the tree may be placed in a hole, say three feet in diameter and eighteen inches deep, in the usual way, so that the upper roots are slightly above the level of the surface, as the tree will always settle down two or three inches the first season after planting. Some light compost should be filled in,, and the tree well shaken, so that it is thoroughly mingled with its roots. The compost must then be trodden down ; and so far the planting is finished. The earth should then be placed round the stem, and formed into ^ mound, which should cover the stock wp to, hut not above, the junction of the graft with the stock, in order PLANTING AND AFTEE MANAGEMENT 63 to encourage it to emit roots into the surface soil, and to keep it (the stock) from becoming hard and ' bark-bound.' As the mounds wUl subside by the heavy rains of winter, presuming that the trees have been planted in autumn, fresh compost of the same nature must be added in spring, and every succeeding autumn. A quarter of a peck of soot, strewed on the surface in a circle three feet iu diameter round each tree in March, is an excellent stimulant. The great object in the culture of the pear on the quince stock is to encourage the growth of its very fibrous roots at the surface, so that they may feel the full influence of the sun and air. The slight mounds recommended may be made orna- mental, if required, by placing pieces of rock or flint on them, which will also prevent the birds scratching at them for worms ; but the stones selected must not be very large and heavy — they should be about the size and weight of a brick. In light friable soils, the mounds may be from three to four inches above the surface of the surrounding soil ; iu heavy retentive wet soUs, from six to eight inches will not be found too high. In soils of a light dry nature the pear on the quince requires careful culture ; the surface round the tree should be covered during June, July, and August with short litter,' or manure, and in dry weather give the ' A clerical amateur has informed me that this mulching or placing half -rotten manure one or two inches deep on the surface in & circle from two to three feet in diameter and one and a half inches deep, according to the size of the tree, will prevent pears cracking. 64 THE MINIATUEE FRUIT GARDEN trees a drenching once a week with guano water (about- one pound to ten gallons) and equal parts of soot, which must be well stirred before it is used. Each tree should have ten gallons poured gradually into the soil ; by this method the finest fruit may be produced ; and as it is very probable that ere many years elapse exhibitions of pears will become very popular, this will be the mode to procure fine specimens to show for prizes. I must also here repeat that lime rubbish or chalk should be applied to soils deficient in calcareous deposit ; I think that all fruit trees would be benefited by a biennial dressing of superphospate. Gas lime after an exposure of a month or two may be advantageously mixed with the surface- dressing of manure. Gypsum dissolved in water is a very efficient fertiliser. Our oldest gardening authors have said that ' pears engrafted on the quince stocks give their fairest fruit ' ; and they are correct. It has been asserted that the fruit is liable to be gritty and deficient in fiavour. I can only say that from my trees growing on a cold clayey soil, I have tasted fruit of Marie Louise, Louis Bonne of Jersey, and others, all that could be wished for in size and flavour. In the course of my experience, and since the above recommendation to plant on mounds was written, I have found it good practice in very d/ry soils to plant pear trees on the quince stock with the junction of the graft just level with the surface, so as not to require mounds round their stems. The first season they should have PLANTING AND AFTER MANAGEMENT 65 some manure on the surface, laid in a circle round the stem ; and the second year a shallow basin, two feet in diameter and four inches deep, should be dug round the stem, and filled with some manure about half-rotten. Fig. 13. — Bnsh pear tree in the garden of J. Meadows, Esq., Wexford. Photographed September 13, 1872. This tree, worked on the quince stock, is now 22 years old, 6 feet high, 3 feet through the centre, and 100 inches in circum- ference It bears abundantly every year, and, a few days after this ' photograph was taken, 189 handsome pears were gathered from it. This basin thus filled will keep moist even in the most dry and hot weather, and will become full of fibrous roots. This is also an excellent method of renovating pear trees that have exhausted themselves by bearing 66 THE MINIATUEE ERUIT G-AEDEN too abundantly or that appear unhealthy by their leaves tumiag yellow. In such cases, when the trees are of advanced growth, a basin of the same depth, but three or more feet in diameter, should be formed and filled with manure ; in all cases for this purpose this should be but slightly decomposed. GATHERING THE FRUIT The fruit of pears, more particularly those on quince stocks, should not be suffered to ripen on the tree, the summer and autumn varieties should be gathered before they are quite ripe, and left to ripen in the fruit room.i The late pears should be gathered before the leaves take their autumnal tints ; if suffered to remain too long on the trees they frequently never ripen, but continue hard tUl they rot. In most seasons, from the beginning to the end of October is a good time, but much depends on soU and climate. The .following passage from that very excellent work, Downing's ' Fruit Trees of America,' is appropriate to this subject : — ' The pear is a peculiar fruit in one respect, which should always be kept in mind, viz., that most vwrieties are m/ach finer . in flamour if piolced from the tree, and ' Pears that ripen in September and October sbould not be gathered all at one time, but at intervals of a week or so, making, say, three gatherings ; their season is thus much prolonged. GATHERING THE FEUIT 67 ripened in the house, than if allowed to become fully matured on the tree. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but they are very few. And, on the other hand, we know a great many varieties, which are only second or third-rate when ripened on the tree, but possess the highest and richest flavour if gathered at the proper time, and allowed to mature in the house. This proper season is easily known, first by the ripening of a few foil-grown, but worm-eaten specimens, which fall soonest from the tree ; and, secondly, by the change of colour, and the readiness of the stalk to part from the branch on gently raising the fruit. The fruit should then be gathered, or so much of the crop as appears sufficiently matured, and spread out on shelves in the fruit room, or upon the floor of the garret. Here it will gradually assume its full colour and become deliciously melting and luscious. Many sorts which if sufiered to ripen in the sun or open air are rather dry, when ripened within doors are most abundantly melting and juicy. They will also last for a considerably longer period, if ripened in this way, maturing gradually as wanted for use, and being thus beyond the risk of loss or injury by violent storms or high winds. ' Winter dessert pears should be allowed to hang on the tree as long as possible, till the nights become frosty.' They should then be wrapped separately in paper, ' I feel compelled to differ from Mr. D. in this respect, for in the antumn of 1855, I suffered many pears to hang on the trees tiU the end of October, and they never ripened. I believe the first week in October to be the best period to gather winter pears in. p 2 68 THE MINIATUEE FRUIT GARDEN packed in Icegs, barrels, or small boxes, and placed in a cool dry room, free from frost. Some varieties, as the Beurre d'Aremberg, will ripen finely with no other care than placing them in barrels in the cellar, like apples. But most kinds of the finer winter dessert pears should be brought' into a warm apartment for a couple of weeks before their usual season of maturity. They should be kept covered, to prevent shrivelling. Many sorts that are comparatively tough if ripened in a cold apartment, become very melting, buttery, and juicy, when allowed to mature in a room kept at a temperature of 60 or 70 deg.' The following is from Mr. Glass's ' Gardening Book,' as given in the ' Gardener's Chronicle ' : — HOW TO STOEE WINTER PEAES Df SMALL QUANTITrES 'Get some unglazed jars — garden pots will do; make them perfectly clean, if they have ever been used. The best way is to half burn or bake them over again. ' Gather your pears very carefully, so as not to rub off the bloom or break the stalk. On no account knock them about so as to bruise them. Put them on a dry sweet shelf, to sweat. When this sweating is over, rub them dry with a soft cloth, as tenderly as if you were dry-rubbing a baby. ' As soon as they are quite dry, put them, one over the other, into the jars or garden pots, without any sort of packing ; close up the mouth of the jar loosely, or of the garden-pot, by whelming the pan or placing a piece KEEPING PEAES DT A GREENHOUSE 69 of slate over it, and stow them away in a darkish closet where they cannot get the frost. ' Open the jars now and then, to see how they are getting on. ' Do not put more than one sort in the same jar if you can help it. Mind — the warmer they are kept, the faster they will ripen.' KEEPING PEAES IN A GEEENHOUSE Pears may be kept in a greenhouse, in great perfection, aU the autumn. The greenhouse in which this experiment was tried is a lean-to house with a south-west aspect, twMve feet wide, with a path in the centre, a bench in front of common slates laid on wooden bars. The pears were laid on the front bench, the glass over them shaded till the end of November, and the house ventilated; in severe frosts the temperature was kept just above freezing. The autumn and early winter pears under this treatment ripened slowly, and were of excellent flavour. After aU, I think there is no better material for preserving pears plump and sound than dry burnt earth ; this never turns musty, never ferments, but seems to remain under all circumstances perfectly inno- cuous. 70 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GAEDEN My own fruit room, in wliicli the fruit keeps very successfully, is a span roof thatched building with a walk down the centre and benches on either side ; the fruit is placed on bars of wood about one inch apart. Pears and apples keep well until their extreme limit of ripening. Winter and very late pears will ripen well when taken from the fruit room and placed in a warmer temperature. If the fruit is exposed to the sun under glass when gathered it will keep better than if stored immediately after picking. The exposure to the sun completes the process of ripening, and the late pears are much im- proved in flavour by this treatment. 71 PYRAMIDAL APPLE TREES ON THE PARADISE APPLE STOCK Apples as pyramids on the Paradise stock are objects of great beauty and utility. This stock, like the quince, is remarkable for its tendency to emit numerous fibrous roots near the surface, and for contracting the growth of the graft, causing it to become fruitful at a very early stage. On the Continent there are two varieties of the apple under this denomination, viz., the Doucin, and the Pomme de Paradis ; these are called Paradise stocks in England, but on the Continent the first and last are used for distinct purposes — the first for pyramids, the latter for dwarf bushes. The Doucin stock is probably the same as that called ' Dutch Creeper,' or ' Dutch Paradise,' by Miller, in his Dictionary, folio edition of 1759. It puts forth abundance of fibrous roots near the surface of the soil, and is not inclined to root deeply into it like the crab. Apples grafted on this stock are more vigorous than when grafted on the French Paradise stock, and less so than those on the crab ; it is, therefore, well adapted for garden trees, for they are easily lifted, their roots thus 72 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GARDEN kept to the surface, and the tree consequently kept free from canker. There is another surface-rooting apple also well adapted for stocks, the Burr Knot. This, like the Dou-cin, will strike root, if stout cuttings, two or three years old, are planted two-thirds of their length in a moist soil ; it is a large, handsome, and very good culinary apple. At Ware Park in Hertfordshire, this is called Byde's Walking-stick Apple, owing to Mr. Byde, the former proprietor of the place, often planting branches with his own hand, which soon formed nice bearing trees. Among apples raised from seed, some will occasion- ally be found with this surface-rooting nature ; and this is, I suspect, the reason why the Doucin stock, under the name of the Paradise, in the English nurseries, differs from the stock used as Doucias in Prance ; there are also several varieties cultivated there, some of which are unfitted for our climate. There are three varieties of the French Paradise, all making very dwarf trees; then come three Dutch Paradise, all much alike, but slightly more vigorous than the French sorts ; next to them are two English Paradise, both of them from old English nurseries — they have much resemblance to the French Doucin stock, but are better, swelling with the graft. The Creeping Paradise is probably that mentioned by Miller, in the last century, since it is very remarkable for putting forth suckers from the roots, objectionable, but not common with the apple tribe. The Nonesuch PYEAMIDAL APPLE TEEES ON THE PAIUDISE STOCK 73- Paradise stock, raised here from that very old apple the Nonesuch of Queen Bess's time, is quite sui generis, for it has downy leaves and a knotted stem, but is wonderfully fertile. The Broad-leaved Paradise, also- raised from seed here, is the best variety of the Doucin stock. The Miniature and Pigmy Paradise, both raised from seed here, have the dwarf habit of the French Paradise. The Pommier de Paradis, or the French Paradise, seems identical with the ' dwarf apple of Armenia,' referred to in the ' Journal of the Horticultural Society,' part ii. vol. iii. p. 115. It is exceedingly dwarf in its habit, and too tender for this climate, unless in very warm and rich soils. Out of 2,000 imported in 1845, more than half died the first season, and two-thirds of the remainder the following. They were planted in fine fertile loam, favourable to the growth of apples, and on which the Doucin, planted the same season, grew with the greatest vigour. The same result attended an importation in 1866. I have potted some plants, and owing, as I suppose, to the roots being warmed through the pots by exposure to the sun, they make very nice little fruitful bushes — in fact, real miniature apple trees, bearing fruit when only nine inches in height ; to have healthy fertile trees, I should recommend them to be gradually shifbed into fifteen-inch pots. The citizen may thus have his apple orchard on the leads of his house. The Nonesuch and Broad-leaved Paradise stocks,. 74 THE MINlATUEE FEUIT GAEDEN before mentioned as my seedlings, are most deserving of our attention as stocks for forming fruitful healthy pyramids and bushes, the culture of which is very simple. Grafted trees of one, two, or three years' growth, with straight leading stems, well furnished with buds and branches to the junction with the stock, should be planted. No manure should be placed to their roots, but some light friable mould should be shaken into them, the earth filled in, trodden down, and two or three shovelfuls of half-rotten manure laid on the surface round each tree. This surface-dressing may be given with advantage every succeeding autumn. If the soil be very wet and retentive, it will be better to plant the trees in small mounds ; and if symptoms of canker make their appearance, their roots should be examined annually in the autumn, as recommended in root-prun- ing of pears on the quince stock, introducing the spade directly under the roots, so as to prevent any entering deeply into the soil, and bringing all as nearly to the surface as possible, filling in the trench with light friable compost ; or the tree may be lifted and replanted, which will be found more efficient. If the soil be unfavourable, and apt to induce a too vigorous growth in apple trees, followed by canker, the roots should be annually root-pruned, or the trees lifted — i.e. taken up and replanted. If, however, the trees make shoots of only moderate vigour, and are healthy and fruitful, their roots may remain undis- turbed ; pinching their shoots in summer, as directed PYEAMIDAL APPLE TEEES ON THE PAEADISE STOCK 75 for pyramidal pears, p. 10, and training them in a- proper direction, is all that they will want. Pyramids on the Paradise stock may be planted six feet apart in ■confined gardens ; six feet will give them abundance of room ; but if, owing to the soil being of an extra fertility, they are found to require more, the trees, if they have been root-pruned, may be removed, almost without receiving a check, even if they are twenty years old. This is a great comfort to the amateur gardener who amuses himself with improving his garden; for how often does a favourite fruit tree, which cannot be removed, prevent some projected improvement ! Apples differ greatly in their habits of growth ; some are inclined to grow close and compact, like a cypress — these are the proper sorts for pyramids; others, horizontally and crooked — these should be grown as bushes; others again are slender and thin in their growth, so that, to form a good pyramid of these slender-growing varieties, it is necessary to begin the first year with a young tree, and to pinch the leader as soon as it is six inches long. If by any neglect the lower part of the pyramid be not furnished with shoots, but have dormant buds, or buds with only two or three leaves attached, a notch must be cut, about half an inch in width, just above the bud from which a shoot is required. The notch must be cut through the outer and inner bark, and alburnum, or first layer of wood ; and if the shoot or stem be young — say from two to four inches in girth — it may be cut 76 THE MINIATUKE FEUIT GARDEN round half its jcircii,inference. If this be done in spring or summer, the following season a shoot will generally make its appearance ; sometimes even the first season, if the stem or branch be notched early in spring. This method of producing shoots from dormant buds may be applied with advantage to all kinds of fruit trees, except the peach and nectarine, which are not often' inclined to break from a dormant bud. Varieties of apples, inclined to be compact and close in their growth, form very handsome pyramids ; but they are apt to be unfruitful, as air enough is not ad- mitted to the interior of the tree. This may be easily amended by bringing the lateral shoots down to a hori- zontal position for a year or two, and fastening the end of each shoot to a stake ; an open pyramidal shape will thus be attained, which the tree will keep. Other varieties put forth their laterals horizontally, and some are even pendulous. The leading perpendicular shoot of varieties of this description should be supported by a stake, till the tree is of mature age. Iron rods, about the size of small curtain-rods, are the most eligible ; these, if painted with coal-tar and lime, sifted and mixed with it to the consistence of very thick paint, put on boiling hot, are permanent. Apple trees in confined gardens near large towns are often infested with ' American blight,' aphis lani- gera ; this makes its appearance on the trees generally towards the middle of summer, like patches of cotton- wool. There are many remedies given for this pest ; PYEAMIDAL APPLE TBEES ON THE PARADISE STOCK 77 the most efficacious I have yet found is soft soap dis- solved in soft water, two pounds to the gallon, or the Gishurst compound, sold by Price's Candle Company, one pound to the gallon, and applied with an old painter's brush. Where this pest shows itself, the branches should be painted in the autumn, after the fall of the leaf, with paraffin, care being taken to rub this well into the angles of the branches. Here let me impress upon the lover of his garden, living anywhere within the reach of smoke, the neces- sity of using the syringe ; its efficacy is not half appre- ciated by garden amateurs. As soon as the leaves of his fruit trees are fully expanded, every morning and every evening, in dry weather, should the attentive gardener dash on the water with an unsparing hand — not with a plaything, but with the perforated common syringe, such as a practical gardener would use, capable of pouring a sharp stream on the plant, and of dis- lodging all the dust or soot that may have accumulated in twelve hours. For apple and pear trees in pots, or in small city gardens, this syringing is absolutely necessary. Pinching the shoots of pyramidal apple trees, and, indeed, exactly the same method of managing the trees as given for pyramidal pears on the quince stock, may be followed with a certainty of success ; and the pro- prietor of a very small garden may thus raise apple trees which will be sure to give him much gratification. To have fine fruit the clusters should be thinned in 78 THE MINIATURE EEUIT GABDEN June ; and small trees should not be overburdened, for they are often inclined, like young pear trees on th& quince stock, to bear too many fruit when in a very young state : the constitution of the tree then receives a shock which it will take two or three seasons t& recover. For varieties with large fruit, one on each fruit-bearing spur will be enough ; if a small sort, from two to three will be sufficient. There are so many really good apples that it is difficult to make a selection ; the following, sorts will not disappoint the planter ; but fifty varieties in addi- tion, quite equal in quality, could be selected. Dessert apples, placed in the order of their ripening Mr. Gladstone Eed Jbannetting or Margaret Devonshire Quarrenden Kerry Pippin Benoni Summer Golden Pippin "Williams's Favourite Pine Golden Pippin Warwickshire Pippin Ribston Pippin Cox's Orange Pippin Mother Nonpareil Braddick's Nonpareil Duke of Devonshire Mannington's Pearmain Scarlet Golden Pippin Russet Syke House Lord Burghley Allen's Everlasting Melon APPLES AS BUSHES ON THE PAJRADISE STOCK 79 Kitchen apples Lord Grosvenor Keswick Oodlin Duchess of Oldenburg Gblden Spire Warner's King Stirling Castle Cox's Pomona Echlinville Pippin Bismark BlerLheim Orange Small's Admirable Peasgood's Nonesuch Bramley's Seedling Prince Albert Tower of Glamis Betty Geeson Mdre de MSnage Dummelow's Seedling Northern Greening Rymer Striped Beefing Gooseberry APPLES AS BUSHES ON THE PARADISE STOCK There are some varieties of apples that do not form, even with care, well-shaped pyramids ; such sorts may be qualified as bushes when grafted on the Paradise stock, and are then excellently well adapted for smaU gardens. I have, indeed, reason to think that a great change may be brought about in suburban fruit culture by these bush trees. I have shown, in pages 20 to 25, how bush pears on quince stocks may be cultivated. Pears are, however, a luxury ; apples and plums are necessaries for the families of countless thousands 80 THE MINIATUEE FEXJIT OARDEN living near London. Apple bushes, always very pretty and productive trees, may be planted six feet apart, row from row, and four feet apart in the rows. If two or three years old when planted, they will begin to bear even the first season after planting. They should be kept from the attacks of the green aphis in summer Fia. 14 by dressing the young shoots with quassia mixture, given in a note to page 115, and from the woolly aphis by Gishurst Compound, fir-tree oil, or paraffin, mentioned in page 77. The principal feature in this culture is summer pinching, which must regularly be attended to, once in June, and once at the end of September ; this is done by pinching or cutting off the terminal bud of APPLES AS BUSHES ON THE PARADISE STOCK 81 every shoot as soon as it has made five or six leaves, leaving from four to five fuU-sized ones. After September no more pruning is necessary until the winter. The final or winter pruning should be done in October at the close of the growth ; if deferred untU November the wood is liable to injury from frost. Some varieties of the apple have their leaves very thickly placed on the shoots ; with them it is better not to count the leaves, but to leave the shoots from three and a half to four inches in length. If the soil be rich and the trees in- clined to grow too vigorously, they may be removed biennially, as recommended for bush pears, by digging a circular trench one foot from the stem of the tree, and then introducing the spade under its roots, heaving it up so as to detach them all from the soil, and then filling in the earth dug from the trench and treading it gently on to the roots. The following sorts are well adapted for this bush culture, but the upright varieties recommended for pyramids form nice compact bushes.' Mr. Gladstone .... July, Aug. Irish Peach .... August Kerry Pippin .... Aug. Sept. Devonshire Quarrenden . . September • These dwarf bushes are liable to be gnawed by rabbits and ' hares in exposed gardens. The best of all preventives is to paint them with soot and milk, well mixed, or, stiU better, make a fence of galvanised wire netting round the garden in which they are planted. e 82 THE MINIATUEE- FRUIT GAUDEN Wyken or Warwickshire Pippin Sept. Oct. King of the Pippins . . . Oct. Nov. Blenheim Orange . . . Nov. Dec. Eibston Pippin .... Nov. Dec. Jan. Cox's Orange .... Nov. Dec. Jan. Braddick's Nonpareil . . Dec. Jan. Mannington's Pearmain . . Jan. Feb. Mar. Kitchen Lord Grosvenor Keswick Codlin Golden Spire . Duchess of Oldenburg Ecklinville Seedling . Warner's King. Stirling Oastle . Northern Greening . Tower of Glammis . Dummelow's Seedling August. Aug. Sept. Aug. Sept. Aug. Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Mar. Apr. There is no mode of apple culture more interesting ' than bush culture. On page 84 I annex a sketch of a plantation of Cox's Orange 'Pippin (fig. 15), of one hundred trees ; they were planted in the spring of 1862. They bore a fine crop in 1863 of most beautiful fruit, and in 1864 gave a crop almost too abundant. I have been obliged to move this small orchard. 83 APPLES AS BUSHES FOR MARKET GARDENS In a well-ordered fruit garden every kind of fruit should have its department, every kind should have its allotment — apples on the Paradise stock, ditto on the crab stock, pears on the quince stock, the same on the pear stock. Morello cherries as pyramids on the Mahaleb stock — the best of all methods for their culture — and the various kinds of the Duke cherries on the same kind of stock. Heart and Bigarreau cherries on the common cherry stock, plums as bushes, pyramids, or half standards, should all be separated. I have been led into these remarks on market garden fruit-tree culture by my own experience, and especially into a consideration of the great improvement that may be made in the culture of apples on the English Paradise stock. On referring to page 82, the reader will find that I allude to my plantation of Cox's Orange Pippin apple trees on the Paradise stock (see fig. 15) ; these trees in the season of 1864 — the third of their growth, and the fourth of their age — gave an average of a quarter of a peck from each tree. Some of the kinds likely to sell best in the markets, and which are most productive, are the following : — Lady Sudeley, Cox's Orange Pippin, King of the Pippins, Ribstone Pippin, Worcester Pear- main, Sturmer Pippin, Scarlet Nonpareil, Blenheim Orange, Yellow Ingestrie, and Dutch Mignonne ; these g2 84 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GARDEN are dessert apples. The following are valuable kitchen apples, and abundant bearers : — ^Lord Grosvenor, New Hawthornden, Stirling Oaatle, Oox's Pomona, Keswick Oodlin, Dummelow's Seedling, Golden Spire, Norfolk Bearer, and Duchess of Oldenburg. Such large APPLES AS BUSHES FOR MAEKET GARDENS 85 varieties as Bedfordshire Foundling, Blenheim Orange, and Warner's King should have more space, be planted twelve feet apart, and a row of black currants or goose- berries planted between the rows, as some yQars will elapse before the apple trees take entire possession of the ground. One sort of apple, the Manx Oodlin, grows so slowly and produces so abundantly that the plan- tation need not be more than six feet in the rows, and may be planted four feet plant from plant ; with annual manuring large quantities may be obtained ; the variety is very handsome and marketable, but it has the defect, in my soil at least, of producing fruit of irregular size. J?he proper method of planting and managing these bush apple trees is exactly that recommended for bush pear trees on quince stocks. The land for these orchards should be thoroughly well cleaned before planting, and if wet and heavy should be drained. It is not necessary to trench, holes opened for the trees will answer ; this should be done a month before planting ; well rotted manure should be mixed with the soil previous to planting. It will be seen that what I propose is in reality a Nursery Orchard, which may be made to furnish fruit and trees for a considerable number of years. To fuUy comprehend this we must suppose a rood of ground planted as I have described. In the course of eight or ten years half of these may be removed to a fresh plantation, in which they may be planted six feet apart. With proper summer pruning they will last for 86 THE MINIATURE FEUIT GAEDEN many years. The great advantages reaped by the planter is the constant productiveness of his trees ; from the second year after planting they will be always ' pay- ing their way.' The unprejudiced fruit cultivator will quickly find out the great advantage of this mode of apple and pear cultivation, and those who wish to cultivate apples and pears for market purposes may, with a sound prospect of success, if the soil and climate are favourable, plant apples on the English Paradise stock, and pears on the quince stock, either as pyramids or bushes, four and six feet apart, row from row, the former distance for dwarf prolific sorts, the latter for robust growers. This dis- tance will admit of crops of black or red currants and gooseberries in the centre between each row for several years, until the orchard trees — which must be under summer pruning — cover the ground. In the usual old-fashioned mode. Standard apple trees are planted in orchards at 20 feet apart, or 108 trees to the acre; if the soil be good and the trees properly planted, and the planter a healthy middle-aged man, he may hope, at the end of his threescore and ten, to see his trees commence to bear, and may die with the reflection that he has left a valuable orchard as a legacy to his children, but has not had much enjoyment of it during his life. Plantations made at four feet apart may in the course of a few' years be brought to a permanent distance for pyramidal trees, that of twelve feet apart; the trees APPLES AND PEAKS AS LATEEAL COEDONS 87 originally planted being removed to another plantation. They may be safely moved at two or even three years after planting, the removal being performed as early in October as practicable. APPLES AND PEARS AS SINGLE AND DOUBLE LATERAL GORDONS A TEEE grafted on the Paradise or Doucin stock, with a single shoot, is planted in a sloping position, and the shoot trained along a wire, about ten or twelve inches from the surface. (Fig 16.) To carry out this method of training, oak posts, about three inches in diameter and two feet in length, Fig. 16 should be sharpened at one end and driven into the ground, so that they stand one foot above the surface ; they may be from thirty to forty yards distant from each other. From these a piece of galvanised or common iron wire — if the latter, it should be painted — about the thickness of whipcord, should be strained and sup- 88 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GAEDEN ported nine inclies from the ground, at intervals of six feet, by iron pins eighteen inches long, the size of a small curtain rod, or smaller, flattened at top, and pierced with a hole to allow the wire to pass through ; these should he stuck into the ground, so as to stand on a level with the straining posts. The trees should be planted six feet apart, and when the top of one tree reaches to another the young shoot may be grafted on to the base of the next, so as to form a continuous cordon. This is best done by merely taking off a slip of bark, two inches long, from the under part of the young shoot, and a corresponding piece of bark from the upper part of the stem of the tree to which it is to be united, so that they fit tolerably well. They should then be firmly bound with bast, and a bunch of moss • — a handful — as firmly bound over the union; the binding as well as the moss may remain on till the autumn. The trees do not grow so rapidly as common grafts, so that the ligatures will not cut into the bark. The terminals of every side shoot of these cordons should be pinched when five leaves have been made. It will of course occur to the reader that the spurs would soon make the tree a thick and clumsy cordon ; to pre- vent this, every shoot should be reduced in winter to three eyes. The fruit, from being near the earth, and thus profiting largely by radiation, will be very fine. As these low cordons are very apt to be injured in winter by severe frost, if snow is suffered to' lie under APPLES AND PEAES AS LATEEAL COEDONS 89 them, wtich by resisting radiation gives great intensity to frost just above its surface, it is necessary either to carefally remove the snow, to bank it up so as to ^ completely cover the cordons, or to thatch them with a covering of evergreen branches, such as furze, or of firs ; fern would also be a safe protection — better than all are wooden ridges made of f -inch boards, so as to cover two .W -^U, ^^^ -92 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GAEDEN or three rows of trees. For pear trees there should be boards on one side and glass on the other ; they would then do to protect the blossom in spring, and bring on the fruit if placed on bricks as directed for ground vineries. The double or two-branched lateral cordon (see fig. 17), which is a great improvement on the French single cordon, requires the same train- ing, pinching-in, and management. This improved lateral cordon does not require a wire to support its branches ; a kind of hook, something after a shepherd's crook, may be used with advantage, thus : — the ibranch is introduced at a and is supported by the crook ; the point in the ground must be barbed. The quadruple lateral cordon is a tree well adapted for the edging of the borders of the kitchen garden ; it is merely the double cordon repeated, and we must suppose the two branches of the double cordon to be trained nine inches from the surface of the ground, and above them, at about nine inches distance, two other branches in the same direction ; this will give the quad- ruple cordon (fig. 18), or low espalier edging trees, occupying no more space than the single cordon, and giving double its produce. The stem of the short crook for single or double cordons should be 20 inches long ; that of the longer one, for quadruple cordons, should be 28 inches long. The great change in .fruit culture that may be APPLES AND PEARS AS LATEEAL COEDONS 93 brought about by training these double lateral cordons under glass ridges is obvious enough. The figure (19) will give some faint idea of the advantages of this new , system of culture — ^they are endless ; for not only can peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, apples, and pears be rescued from spring frosts, but their fruit be ripened in great perfection. There is no doubt but that in some of our cold and cloudy places in the north of England and Scotland, where even the Ribston Pippin wUl not ripen, it may be brought to perfection under the glass fruit ridge. The figure (19) gives but one tree trained to one wire ; two rows of wire may, however, be trained under one glass ridge, which should be three feet sis inches wide, at base, and the wires ten inches asunder. It i& quite possible that this method of training to galvanised wires may, in some situations, be better adapted to viae culture than allowing the vines to rest on slates or tiles. I now, by permission, copy the description of my new glass fruit ridge from my article in the ' Gardener's Chronicle ' for April 8, 1865, from which I have also derived the plate kindly lent to me : — ' There are no cross bars, but merely a frame three feet wide at the base. On the top bar a is a groove half an inch deep; in the bottom bar & is a groove a quarter of an inch deep ; ' in the bars c and d, a,v& ' An improvement on this is to have a rebate at bottom instead of a groove ; the glass is more easily fitted in. 94 THE MINIATUEB FRUIT GARDEN grooves half an inch deep. The pieces of glass, which should be cut so as to fit, are pushed into the upper groove, and let fall into the lower one ; when all are fitted in, the two end pieces are pushed inwards, so as to drive all of them into close contact. A little putty is required at the hottom to prevent water lodging, and some at each end to keep the pieces from moving laterally, e, e, are the straining posts of oak, four inches square ; /, the upright pieces of wire stuck in the ground, flattened and perforated at top to pass the wire through and support it ; g, the wire.' Such, then, is the description of the barless glass fruit ridge, which I think calculated to have a greater effect on domestic gardening, and contribute more to the refinement and comfort of a very large class of people than all the crystal palaces ever invented. For ventilation and other particulars I refer my readers to the description of the ground vinery, p. 161 ; and for the method of placing the wires, to p. 93. I must caution those who wish to grow fruit under glass fruit ridges, in small confined gardens, to be careful as to ventUation. A single row of bricks, with apertures of four inches, will not be enough; there should be two rows of bricks, one over the other, and consequently two rows of apertures. Peach, nectarine, and apricot trees should be planted twenty-one feet apart; but they grow rapidly, and would probably require occasional removing. It will thus be seen that to commence glass fruit APPLES Am) PEAES AS LATEEAL COEDONS 95 ridge culture, three seven-foot lengths should be pre- pared, and in the centre of the twenty-one feet occupied by the ridge, two peach or nectarine trees may be planted. They will soon form lateral cordons of great fertility, will require pinching in June and little atten- tion afterwards. I must not omit to state the great advantage this mode of fruit culture gives as to protec- tion from spring frosts when the trees are in bloom, or when the fruit is young. Espaliers, pyramids, and wall trees are difficult to protect, but mats two or three thick can be piled on the ridge with great facility, and loose straw or hay, the best protectors possible from frost, can be strewed over them thickly. I have had the pleasure of seeiug all my anticipa- tions fully realised; the cordon pear-trees have produced fruit, large, and with the fine clear riuds we see on those grown in the warm parts of Prance — perfectly beautiful and of fine flavour. The cordon peach-trees have produced fruit, large, and of the finest flavour. Strawberries planted between the trees temporarily until they fully occupy the room under the ridge, have ripened a fortnight earlier than those in the open air and have been of excellent quality. I have therefore no hesitation iu recommending this mode of fruit culture to all amateurs who have gardens without walls or orchard houses. 96 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GARDEN SHELTER TRENCHES The following is a very simple and inexpensive manner of providing shelter for the cultivation of cordon trees : Open a trench as for celery about three feet wide and two deep ; bank the soil on both sides of the trench ; after settling the banks will be about one foot high, the trench with the banks therefore from the base to the top will be about three feet : in this trench plant the double horizontal cordons. The parallel banks will form the support of the protection against spring frosts, con- sisting either of straw hurdles or stakes laid across and covered with mats or any material stout enough to resist frost, as cheap and simple protection is thus provided, and the shelter of the trench will give a climate in which fruit may be grown equal to that from walls. Drainage will be necessary to take off the water after excessive rain ; but this can never be a serious evU, and if the trenches can be made on an incline, the water will run off quickly. If the sides are lined with slates the heat will be increased, but this extra expense is hardly necessary, as the heat will be sufficient without. I need scarcely point out that all sorts of fruit requiring shelter can be grown in these trenches. 97 VERTICAL CORDON APPLE TREES In pages 47 and 48 will be found the method of train- ing vertical cordon pear trees. This may be applied to apples on the English Paradise stock with great success, and very charming fruitful trees they make. They should not be allowed to grow above eight feet in height, to which they will reach in the course of four or five years. I annex a figure of one of these trees, three years old, and full of fruit (fig. 20). I have, at this period (1885), a plantation of vertical cordon apple trees which have now been planted several years ; the trees are six feet apart row from row, and three feet in the rows ; when in full fruit they are very interesting. I do not fol- low the close summer pinching recommended by Dubreuil and others; in fact, I abstain entirely from summer pruning, and I be- lieve with good results, as the fruit is always large and finely coloured ; in October every tree is closely pruned — that is, all the summer shoots are cut back to three eyes. On this plot, about sixty square poles, I have 672 apple trees of 430 sorts planted for specimens. As the apple crop is 98 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GAEDEN sometimes injured by spring frosts, I have an equal number of gooseberries trained as pyramids between every row of apple trees ; these produce large crops of fruit every year, thus providing for a possible failure of the apple crop. This plantation thus contains 1,344 trees ; the outlay upon it consists of a shallow digging in November and 16 tons of manure, with two hoeings during the summer. For the last four years I have had continual crops. An amateur wUl hardly require so large a plantation, but he may with perfect confidence alter- nate the apples or pears with gooseberries and currants. APPLES AS WALL TREES We have been so accustomed to think of, and treat the apple tree as hardy, and perfectly adapted to our insular climate, that the culture of superior varieties as wall trees has been neglected, except in the extreme north of our island, where the climate is not very favourable even to the culture of the Eibston Pippin as an orchard tree. The varieties most worthy of cultivation against walls in England, even in our most favoured counties with regard to climate, are mostly of American origin, the continental varieties, with but very few exceptions, not being remarkable for goodness of quality. The best methods of cultivation are — APPLES AS WALL TEEES 99 1. To have the trees trained as espaliers to low ■walls as directed for pear trees, the trees to be under summer pinching as given at p. 8. 2. To plant five- branched upright cordons in the spaces so often found between waU trees in old gardens. 3. To plant single vertical cordons against walls between established waU trees. Single vertical cordon apple trees, grafted on the English Paradise stock, and planted against waUs 10 or 12 feet high, the trees well managed by sum- mer and winter pruning, become amazingly prolific, and bear the finest of fruit. 4. To train at the foot of a wall the single lateral cordons (fig. 16), or the double lateral cordons (fig. 17); if the space next the wall and under the trees be paved with tUes or slates, the size and quality of the fruit will be unproved. I ought here to mention that double or two-branched lateral cordon trees are to be preferred ; they may be grown at the foot of walls, but not more than 9 inches from them ; the tile-paving is quite necessary, as is also protection in spring from frosts. This is most efiectually done by lean-to barless lights in place of the glass span ridge (fig. 19) divided into two ; these most convenient lean-to lights should be 2 feet 4 inches wide, including the top and bottom bars, and 7 feet long ; two hooks should be fixed to the top bar, and two eyes in the wall, so that the lights are made safe from the efiects of the wind. The lower bar should rest on bricks (they should be two deep), as with ■ ground vineries. These lean-to lights will be found a most useful invention ; they form H 2 100 THE JMINIATUEE FEUIT GAEDEN so fine a climate against brick walls, that I see ho reason why low 4-inch brick walls should not be built by market-gardeners, and lean-to lights of increased size employed for early crops ; the climate they give is perfect, so efficient is the low admission of cool air in between the bricks, and the exit of the heated air at the top between the upper bar and the wall, an interstice of about two inches. The varieties of apples most worthy of wall culture are the Newtown Pippin, Cox's Orange, Ribston Pippin, Washington, Melon, Northern Spy, King of Tompkin's County, and the New Zealand apple. Prince Bismarck. The French apple, Calville Blanche, is also of high excellence, cultivated as a wall or orchard-house tree ; and in cool climates, our fine English apples, the Cox's Orange and Eibston Pippin, are quite worthy of a place against a wall with a southern aspect, and espe- cially Cox's Orange Pippin. I have transplanted trees of Cox's Orange Pippin grafted on the Nonesuch Paradise twelve years old which had never been removed or root-pruned ; these trees survived the removal and are now again in full fruit bearing. PYRAMIDAL APPLES ON THE CRAB STOCK In soils light and poor, the apple on the Paradise stock is, unless carefully manured on the surface, apt to PYRAMIDAX APPLES ON THE CRAB STOCK 101 become stunted and unhealthy. In such soils, and also in those of a very tenacious nature, pyramids on the crab stock may be planted with great advantage. They are also well adapted for large gardens where large quantities are required, as the trees may be made to form handsome pyramids, from 'twelve to fifteen feet in height. Carefully watch the trees, for there is one thing most essential to their full success as pyramids — ^they must either be lifted or taken up biennially early in November, and replanted in the manner recommended for bush pear trees, or root-pruned biennially, ope- rating upon the trees alternately. Or the following system may be adopted : neither remove nor root-prune any tree that continues to grow with moderation, does not canker, and bears well ; but any tree that makes shoots from eighteen inches to three feet in length, remove once in two, three, or four years till its vigorous habit is reduced. As these crab stock trees grow freely, summer pinching or shortening the young shoots with a pen- knife, as recommended in page 81, must be attended to; and then, in the most unfavourable apple-tree soils, healthy and most prolific pyramids may be formed. Any of the varieties recommended in pages 81 and 82 will succeed well as pyramids on the crab stock. If managed as I have directed, fine trees may be formed not only of the robust-growing kinds, but even of the old Nonpareil, Golden Pippin, Golden Reinette, 102 THE MINIATUEE FRUIT GAEDEN Hawthornden, Eibston Pippin, and several others, all more or less inclined to canker. I have a row of Non- pareils and Eibston Pippins planted in the coldest and most unfavourable soil I could find ; yet, owing to their being biennially removed, they are entirely free from canker. The vigorous growth of Standard apples, when planted in orchards in the usual way, is well known, and also their tendency to canker after a few years ot luxuriant growth. Pyramids on the crab without occa- sional removal or root-pruning would, in like manner, grow most freely; and, even if subjected to summer pinching, would soon become a mass of entangled, barren, cankered shoots. PYEAMIDAL PLUM TEBES The plum, if planted in a rich garden soil, rapidly forms a pyramid of large growth — it, in fact, can scarcely be managed by summer pinching. It becomes crowded with young shoots and leaves, and the shorten- ing of its strong horizontal branches at the end of summer is apt to bring on the gum ; it is a tree, how- ever, with most manageable roots, for they are always near the surface. I must, therefore, again recommend summer piaching at the terminal bud, as directed for pears, p. 8, annual or biennial root-pruning, and sur- face dressing, in preference to any other mode of cul- ture. The root-pruning of the plum is performed as PYEAMIDAIi PLUM TEEES 103 follows : — Open a circular trench eighteen inches deep round the tree, eighteen inches from its stem, and cut o3 every root 5v ■ 5 ^ as • w r Oj^^ ii