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 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 1 
 
 Chap ^.-_ki_S_5!_^ 
 
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 Page 16, line l^,for " following" read above. 
 
 „ 19, ,, 24, /o;" " page 7 " reff^Z page 9. 
 
 „ 20, „ 30, /or " Cayenne " rertfZ Crassane. 
 
 ,, 41, /or «« Fig. 18 " read Fig. 19. 
 
 ,, 53, (note) /or " mutching " read mulching. 
 
 ,, 81, at foot, for " page 78 " read page 75. 
 
 ,, 84, line 18, /or "Fig. 18 " read Fig. 19. 
 
 ,, 84, ,. 20, /or " one" reafZ one side. 
 
 „ 90, „ 7, for " page 81 " read page 76. 
 
THE 
 
 MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN; 
 
 OR 
 
 THE CULTURE 
 
 OF 
 
 PYRAMIDAL AND BUSH 
 
 FEUIT TEEES; 
 
 WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR ROOT-PRUNING, 
 
 &c., &c. 
 
 " There is no kind of fruit, however delicious, that may not be deteriorated, 
 or however worthless, that may not be ameliorated, by particular modes of 
 management." — Dr. Lindley. 
 
 i 
 
 '^^y 
 
 BY THOMAS RIVERS. 
 
 FIFTEENTH EDITION. 
 
 BOSTON: =M^K-^j ^^- jV-f-i-vu' 
 J. E. TILTON & COMPANY. 
 1870. 
 
o? 
 
 
 x^^^ 
 
INTEODUCTION 
 
 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-appetite, and if a tree bearing superior 
 fruit could be discovered in my father's orchard-like 
 nursery, 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 the last century, a "quarter" — i.e., apiece 
 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 
 often removed — they were, in nUrsery parlance, 
 *' driven together " when they stood too thinly in 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the ground ; or, in other words, taken up, often 
 annually, and planted nearer together on the same 
 piece of ground. This old nursery contained 
 about eight acres, the soil a deep reddish loam, in- 
 clining to clay, in which fruit trees flourished and 
 grew vigorously. I soon found that it was but of 
 little use to look among the young free-growing trees 
 for fruit, but among the refuse trees, and to the 
 " hospital quarter " I was indebted for many a 
 fruit-feast — such Eibston Pippins ! such Grolden 
 Pippins. 
 
 When I came to a thinking age, I became 
 anxious to know why those refuse trees never made 
 strong, vigorous shoots like those growing in their 
 immediate neighbourhood, 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 F.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 more attention if the old adage that " practice 
 makes perfect " be worthy of notice. 
 
 This littlfe work is not designed for the gardens and 
 gai'deners 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 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 amusement. In some few favoured districts, fi-uit 
 trees, witliout 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 
 majorit}^ 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 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 
 
INTRODIJCTION. 
 
 delicious is a fine melting pear all tlie winter 
 months ! and to what a lengthened period in the spring 
 may they be brought to table ! Till lately, Beurre 
 Bance 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 
 Grregoire, are likely for the present to be the most 
 valuable for prolonging the season of rich melting 
 pears ; and of these Josephine de Malines and 
 Bergamotte d 'Esperen are especially 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 p3nramidal fruit 
 trees. This is no new idea with me. I have paid 
 many visits to the Continental gardens during the 
 greater portion of my active life of 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 seem- 
 ing prejudice against them among some English gar- 
 
Ds'TEODUCTION. 
 
 deners, I was for some time deterred from re- 
 commending tliem, for I thouglit tliat men older tlian 
 myself must know better; and when I heard some 
 of our market-gardeners and large fruit-growers in 
 the neighbourhood of London scoff at pears grafted 
 on the quince stock, as giving fruit of a very in- 
 ferior 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; and when I saw the 
 beautiful pear trees in the Jarden des Plantes at 
 Paris under the management of Monsieur Cappe, 
 alluded to in Gardeners^ Chronicle, No. 28, 1847, I 
 felt convinced that our neighbours excelled us in the 
 management of fruit trees adapted to the open 
 borders of oiu* gardens. I have, therefore, 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 Scotland, I have reason to know, is 
 favourable for the culture of pear trees on the quince ; 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 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. 
 
PREFACE TO THE FIFTEENTH EDITION. 
 
 In giving the fiffceentli thousand of my little book 
 to the public I trust I may be allowed to express 
 my pleasure and my gratitude for its success,' — 
 perfectly unprecedented in books devoted to horti- 
 culture. 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 some twenty-five or thirty years 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 practi- 
 cable. As a prominent but not new feature in this 
 enlarged edition, I may refer to the management, 
 and above aU, the protection of low lateral cordon 
 fruit trees. I have also pointed out more 
 forcibly than in former editions, the cai)ability 
 
X PREFACE TO THE FIFTEENTH EDITION. 
 
 of growing choice pears and a^^ples 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 cultivating choice pears 
 and the finer kinds of American apples are worthy 
 of much more attention than they have hitherto 
 received. 
 
 The method of cultivating the Prince Engelbert 
 and one or two other kinds of plums as vertical 
 single cordons, has been practised here for some 
 few 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 
 perfect as practice can make them, for it must be 
 recoUected 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 fruit to ripen without assistance. 
 
 July, 1868. 
 
THE 
 
 MINIATUEE FRUIT GAEDEN, 
 
 ETC., ETC. 
 
 PYBAMIDAIi PEAR THEES ON THE QUINCE STOCK. 
 
 There is no description of fruit tree 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 becoming 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 full of blossom-buds. Trees of 
 this description may be planted in the autumn, with 
 a certainty of having a crop of fruit the first season 
 after planting, — always recollecting that a spring fi'ost 
 may destroy the blossoms unless the trees are 
 protected. It must always be recollected that pears 
 
 B 
 
THE MINIATURE FRUIT GABDEK. 
 
 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, bat 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- 
 bads 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. 
 
 If root-pruned pyramidal trees be planted, it will 
 much assist them if about half the blossom-buds are 
 thinned out with a penknife just before they open; 
 otherwise these root-pruned trees on the quince stock 
 are so full of them that the tree receives a check in 
 supporting such an abundance of bloom. 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. 
 
 In the engraving (Fig. 1 on the opposite page) I 
 have given a faithful report of a pyramidal tree of the 
 Beurre de Capiaumont pear budded on the quince : 
 this was taken in 1846 ; the tree was then 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 extraordinary beauty; 
 or in my soil, pears on quince stocks produce fruit of 
 
PTKAMIDAL PEAR TREES. 
 
 FlQ. 1 
 
4-; THE MINIATURE FBUIT GARDEN. 
 
 nmcli 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 
 suifered to grow too luxuriantly. 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 
 
 The quenouille, or tying-down system, is not prac- 
 tised in France at the present day; and, in truth, it 
 does look very barbarous and unnatural. The trees 
 trained in this manner in the Potagerie at Versailles 
 are mostly on quince stocks; they are from twenty to 
 forty years old, and are very productive, but very 
 ugly ; all the shoots from the horizontal and depressed 
 branches are cropped off apparently in July, as 
 M. Puteau, the director, is, I believe, adverse to the 
 pinching system of M. Cappe. I have not for many 
 years observed a single quenouille in Belgium; all are 
 pyramids, even in the gardens of the cottagers, and in 
 general they are very beautiful and productive trees. 
 In many cases, when on the pear stock, they are too 
 luxuriant, and require root-pruning : but this is not 
 understood by continental fruit-tree cultivators. 
 
 Pyramids and bushes are the trees best adapted for 
 small gardens, and not standards such as are planted 
 in orchards. 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 standard, or half-standard unpruned 
 
THE YOUNG PYRAMID. • O 
 
 fruit trees. Now, by cultivating pyramidal pears on 
 the quince — apples in the same form on the paradise 
 stock — the cherry as pyramids and dwarf bushes on 
 the Cerasus Mahaleb — and the plum as a pyramidjil 
 tree — scarcely any ground will be shaded, 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 per- 
 fect 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 ofi"; 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 will, 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 
 till the end of August, 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 MINIATURE FKUIT GARDEN, 
 
 The second season tbe tree will make vigorons 
 growth ; the side shoots which were topped last 
 August will each put forth three, four, or more 
 shoots. In June, as soon as these have made five 
 or six leaves, they must be pinched off to three leaves, 
 and if these spurs put forth shoots, which they often do, 
 every shoot must be pinched down to one or two leaves 
 all hut the leading shoot of each side branch ; this must 
 be left on to exhaust the tree of its superabundant sap, 
 till the end of August, unless the tree is being trained 
 as a compact pyramid, see p. 11. The perpendicular 
 leader must be topped once or twice ; in short, as soon 
 as it has grown ten inches, pinch off its top, and if it 
 
 Fig. 2 
 
Fig. 3 
 
8 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEIf. 
 
 break into two or three shoots, pinch them all bnt the 
 leader, as directed for the first season : in 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 vigorous 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 jast above the dormant bud. If this 
 be done in February, a young shoot will break out in 
 the summer.^ 
 
 I have thus far given directions for those who are 
 inclined to rear their own pyramids. Time and atten- 
 tion are required, but the interest attached to well- 
 trained pyramids, will amply repay the young 
 cultivator. 
 
 THE MATURE PYEAMID. 
 
 The preceding" figure (Fig. 3) is a pyramidal tree 
 in its second and third year, and such as it ought to 
 be in July before its leading side shoots and leading 
 upright shoot are shortened. This, as I have said, is 
 best done towards the end of August. The shortening 
 must be made at the marks — ; all the side shoots must 
 be shortened in this manner, and the leading shoot ; 
 no further pruning will be required till the following 
 summer. The spurs a, a, a, are the bases of the 
 shoots that have been pinched in Jane ; these will the 
 following season form fruit-bearing spurs. The best 
 
 (1) Bare places in the stems of pyramids, and in the branches of espaliers 
 or wall trees, may be budded towards the end of August with blossom-buds 
 taken from shoots two years old . This is a very interesting mode of furnish- 
 ing a tree with fruit -bearing buds. 
 
BUMMER PINCHING. 9 
 
 instrnment for summer and autumnal pruning is a 
 pair of hooked pruning scissors, called also "rose 
 nippers." 
 
 As the summer pinching of pyramidal pears is the 
 most interesting 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, about the middle 
 or end of June, the side buds and branches will put 
 forth young shoots ; each will give from one to tlivee 
 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 
 three leaves (see Fig. 3, a, a, a). If these pinched 
 shoots again push, suffer them to make three leaves, 
 and then pinch them to two leaves ; but if the hori- 
 zontal branch has a good leader, it will take off all the 
 superfluous sap, and prevent the pinched spurs from 
 breaking ; 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 ; Fig. 5 is a side branch with its shoot 
 a, a, pinched in June; b is the leader of the side 
 branch, which should be pinched or cut off at the end 
 of August to c. 
 
 In spring the perpendicular leader of the preceding 
 year's growth will put forth numerous shoots, which 
 must be pinched in June in the following manner : 
 those nearest the base, leave six inches in length, 
 gradually decreasing upwards, leaving those next the 
 young leading shoot only two inches long. The 
 
10 
 
 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 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 August, 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, or fifteen feet, it may be left from eight to ten 
 
 Fig. 4 
 
 Fio. 5 
 
SUMMER FINCHING. 11 
 
 inclies in length till the required height be attained ; 
 it may then be cut to within two inches of its base 
 every season. 
 
 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 precisely the 
 same treatment, are very delicate and slender. In the 
 final shortening in August this 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 : — All 
 those that are very robust, such as Beurre d'Amanlis, 
 Vicar of Winkfield, Beurre 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 Beurre d'Aremberg, to six 
 inches ; those that are delicate and slender in their 
 growth, hke 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. 
 
 COMPACT PYRAMIDS. 
 
 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 
 all operations. The cultivator has only to look over 
 his trees twice a week during June, July, and August 
 
12 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 (penknife in hand), and cut or pinch in every shoot 
 on the lateral or side branches that has made four 
 leaves or more, down to three full-sized leaves. It is 
 just possible that the three buds belonging* to these 
 three leaves will put forth three young shoots : as soon 
 as they have made their four or five leaves, they must 
 be shortened to two, and so on with everij young shoot 
 made during the summer, shortening the leading shoot 
 also to three leaves. This method of close pinching 
 represses the vigour of the tree to a great extent, and, 
 in soils that are not very rich, trees under it will not 
 require root-pruning. It is a most agreeable method 
 of treating pyramidal trees, for no straggling shoots 
 are seen, and in small neatly-kept gardens this is a 
 great relief. The pinched shoots in these compact 
 pyramids become too much crowded with blossom- 
 spurs, these should therefore be thinned in winter with 
 a sharp pruning-knife, removing at least one-third of 
 them. 
 
 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-bearing varieties, may be reared without 
 this annual or biennial operation. If the annual 
 shoots of the tree are not more than eight or ten 
 inches long, no root-pruning need be done. I have 
 a large plantation of pear trees on the quince stock, 
 which have been made very handsome and fertile 
 pyramids yet they have not been root-pruned, neither 
 do I intend to root-prune them. But I wish to 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 a large garden, how to keep the 
 
ROOT-PBUNINO. 13 
 
 trees perfectly under control : and this can best be 
 done by annual, or at least biennial attention to their 
 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 will be jeopardized. Therefore, those who are 
 disinclined to the annual operation, and yet wish to 
 confine the growth of their trees within limited 
 bounds by root-pruning, say once in two years 
 should only operate upon half of their trees one 
 season ; i they will thus have the remaining half in 
 an unchecked bearing state ; and those who have 
 ample room and space may pinch their pjrramids in 
 summer, and sufi'er them to grow to a height of 
 fifteen or twenty feet without pruning their roots. 
 I have seen avenues of such trees in Belgium, really 
 quite imposing. In rich soils, where the trees grow 
 so freely as to make shoots eighteen inches in length 
 in one season, 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 soils, 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 sub-soil, in which all kinds of fruit trees grow 
 without any tendency to canker, and when large 
 trees are desired, neither remove nor root-prune, but 
 pinch the shoots in summer, thin them in winter 
 
 (1) In The Journal of HnrticuUure for 1862, pag-e 531, Mr. Lee, of Cleve- 
 don, gives an account of his root-pruning practice, which he carries out 
 extensively on some hundreds of trees. It appears to be an alternate system 
 of root-pruning, and may be done as follow s : — Open a semicircular trench 
 on one side of the tree, and prune all the roots that can be got at ; the 
 following season open a trench of the same shape on the opposite side of 
 the tree (so as to complete the circle), and prune all that can be found there. 
 By this simple method the tree is never checked seriously in its growth, 
 yet enough to make it form abundance of blossom-buds. 
 
14 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 when they become crowded, and thus make your 
 trees symmetrical and fruitful. 
 
 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 wiU 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 inches from the 
 stem,i and all brought as near to the surface as pos- 
 sible, filling in the trench with compost for the roots 
 to rest on. The trench may then be filled with the 
 compost (well-rotted dung and the mould from an 
 old hotbed, equal parts, will answer exceedingly 
 well) ; the surface should then be covered with some 
 haK-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 circum- 
 ferential 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 
 
 (1) If they have not spread to this extent the first season, or even the 
 Becond, they need not be pruned, but merely brought near to the Biuface 
 and spread out. ^ 
 
BOOT-PRUNING. 15 
 
 nourislimeiit annually given to them by surface 
 dressings and liquid manure. 
 
 Thus far for the gardener who does not mind 
 extra trouble, — who, in short, feels real pleasure in 
 every operation that tends to make his trees perfect 
 in fruitfulness and symmetry. But it is not every 
 amateur gardener that can do this, 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. But with our 
 too often cool moist summers in the Northern counties, 
 annual root-pruning is quite necessary to make the 
 trees produce well-ripened wood. In other cases, as 
 I have before observed, shortening the shoots in sum- 
 mer, taking care to produce a handsome pyramidal 
 form, and if they are inclined to grow vigorously, 
 biennial root-pruning will be quite sufficient. 
 
 The following will be found a good selection of 
 varieties for pyramidal trees on quince stocks. They 
 may be planted in rows, five to six feet apart, or a 
 square may be allotted to them, giving each plant 
 five or 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 been suli'ered 
 to grow for one or two seasons, the sort not so free- 
 growing is budded or grafted on it. For ten 
 varieties, placed in the order of their ripening, the 
 undermentioned may with safety be recommended. i 
 
 1. Summer Doyenne* July 
 
 2. Beunti Gittarcl Au,t,^ust 
 
 3. Bon Chretien (Williams')* September 
 
 4. Beurre Superfin* October 
 
 5. Fondante d'Au omne October 
 
 6. Louise Bonne of Jersey* m <$■ e. October 
 
 7. Doyenne du Cornice November 
 
 (1) All the varieties recommended for pyramids may also be planted as 
 espaliers to train to rails in the usual mode. 
 
16 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 8, Beurre d'Aremberg* December 
 
 9. Josephine de Malines* March 
 
 10. Bergamotte d'Esperen* (1) AprilandMay 
 
 11. Tj'son August 
 
 12. Cohnar d'Et^ September 
 
 13. Baron de Mello* October 
 
 14. Beurre Hardy* October 
 
 15. Doyenne Oris e. October 
 
 16. Conseiller de la Cour h. November 
 
 17. Winter Nelis* December 
 
 18. Beurre d'Anjou e. December 
 
 19. Easter Beurre January 
 
 20. Doyenne d'Alen9on March to May 
 
 (In the follo-wing lists, varieties marked thus^* may 
 be chosen by those who require only a few trees. )2 
 
 The above succeed on the quince, and form excel- 
 lent pyramids. 
 
 ORNAMENTAL PYEAMIDAL PEAR TREES ON QUINCE STOCKS. 
 
 There are some 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 
 naturally beautiful cypress-like trees, at the same 
 time their fruit is of first-rate quality. Such are 
 Summer Beurre d'Aremberg, Baronne de Mello, 
 Duchessed'Angouleme, Urbaniste, Alexandre Lambre, 
 Beurre Hardy, White Doyenne, Grey Doyenne, 
 Louise Bonne of Jersey, Passe Colmar, Zephirin 
 Gregoire, Beurre Leonle Clerc, Delices d'Hardenpont, 
 Prince Albert, Doyenne du Cornice, Bergamotte 
 d'Esperen, and some others. 
 
 PEAR TREES AS BUSHES ON THE QUINCE STOCK. 
 
 It is only very recently that this mode of cul- 
 tivating pear trees has struck me as being eligible, 
 from having observed the fruit of some of the 
 
 (1) This is a most abundant bearer. A pyramid in the garden of Thomas 
 White, Esq,, which was root-pruned in the autumn of 1858, bore two 
 bushels in 1859. 
 
 (2) A very good light permanent label for pjTamidal and other fruit trees, 
 is a small piece of zinc, painted with white-lead paint, and written on while 
 moist with a strong black-lead pencil. It should be suspended from a side 
 branch of the tree (not the stem) by a piece of stout copper wii'e. 
 
PEAR TREES AS BUSHES. 
 
 17 
 
 large heavy varieties, such, as Beurre Diel and 
 Beurre d'Amanlis, so liable to be blown 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 ; fhey 
 are diffuse in their growth, and, with summer 
 pinching, soon form nice prolific bushes, of which 
 the following figure (Fig. 6), from nature, will give 
 some idea. This summer pinching is quite neces- 
 sary in bush culture, and is performed by pinching 
 off the end of every shoot as soon as it has made 
 four or five leaves, to three full-sized ones ; the buds 
 at the base of these leaves will each put forth a 
 shoot which should be pinched to two leaves ! 
 these will again put forth young shoots, which 
 
18 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 should be pinclied to one leaf; this is tlie tldrd 
 summer pinching, and probably in August a fourth 
 may be required, as pear trees in a good soil and 
 good climate are very persistent in their growth 
 during the warm weather of summer. All the 
 shoots after the second pinching should be pinched 
 to one leaf. By repetition of this summer pinching 
 the trees become crowded with spurs ; these will 
 require to be thinned in winter, removing at least 
 one half of them, for there is a great tendency in pear 
 trees that are grafted on quince stocks to produce 
 too many blossom buds. The biennial removal 
 described below is also necessary, unless in very 
 large gardens wher elarge spreading trees are wished 
 for. Although the taking up and replanting a tree 
 may seem formidable work, it is not so, for the 
 roots, from being frequently removed, become so 
 fibrous near the surface, that an active man can 
 lift and replant one hundred trees in a day. I need 
 scarcely add that if root-pruning, as described in page 
 14, be preferred to removal, it may be practised. 
 
 These 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 fifteen 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 ; but if, on 
 the contrary, the soil be poor, and the tree stunted 
 in its growth, the following materials may be 
 used : In low situations near brooks and rivers, 
 a black moor-earth is generally found; this un- 
 
PEARS ADAPTED FOR BUSH CULTURE. 19 
 
 prepared is unfit for horticultural purposes, but if 
 dug out and laid in a ridge, and one-eighth part 
 of unslacked lime be spread over it, turning it 
 immediately and mixing the lime with it, it will 
 become in the course of five or six weeks an excel- 
 lent compost for pear trees. It is a good practice 
 to add half a bush si of burnt earth, or the same 
 quantity of sand, to a barrowful of this moor-earth. 
 Leaf mould (or rotten manure), loam, and sand, 
 equal parts, form also an excellent compost ; ia 
 planting, one wheelbarrowful to a tree will bo 
 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 in them is generally rich. These bush 
 trees offer two very great advantages, they are 
 easily protected from spring frosts when in blossom, by 
 covering them with tiffany, and they may be 
 planted fi'om three to five feet apart, with great 
 facility, so as to be eligible for very small gardens. 
 
 In large gardens in situations exposed to the 
 wind, large bushes may be desirable. In such 
 cases the leading shoots on each branch may be 
 pinched, as recommended for pyramids (page 7) ; 
 but instead of pinching them to three leaves, they 
 may be suffered to make ten leaves and then be 
 pinched, leaving seven. The trees will, if treated in 
 this manner, soon become large, compact, and fruitful. 
 
 The following varieties are weU adapted for 
 bush cidture, as they are spreading in their 
 growth and difiicult to form into compact pyra- 
 amids, although they may be made into spreading 
 and prolific conical trees. It ought, however, to 
 be mentioned that those sorts, such as Louise 
 Bonne of Jersej^, which form handsome pyi-amids, 
 make very pretty compact bushes by cutting out the 
 central branch to within three feet of the ground ; 
 
20 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 SO that pyramids may be easily formed into buslies 
 I may add that these bush pears 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 
 enclosing 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 OF PEARS ADAPTED FOR BUSH CULTURE. 
 
 Alexandre Bivoi't January 
 
 Autumn Nelis October 
 
 Beurre d'Amanlis September 
 
 Beurre de Caen October 
 
 Beurre de Ranee March 
 
 Beurre Diel December 
 
 Beurre Giffard August 
 
 Beurre Goubault September 
 
 Catillac (for baking) December 
 
 Conseiller de la Cour November 
 
 Doyenne Boussoch October 
 
 Jalousie de Fontenay August 
 
 Jargonelle August 
 
 Joseph.ne de Malines March 
 
 Leon le Clerc de Laval (for baking) March 
 
 Marie Louise October 
 
 Passe Cayenne February 
 
 Prince of Wales (Hushye) December 
 
 Victoria (Huyshe) November 
 
 Winter Nelis' December 
 
 Zephiiin Gregoire January 
 
 PROTECTORS FOR PYRAMIDAL AND BUSH PEAR TREES. 
 
 The weather in spring is often cold and ungenial 
 for the blossoms of pear and other fruit trees ; in 
 such seasons pyramids should be protected. This 
 is best done by fixing four stout stakes round a 
 tree ; these should be a little taller than the tree 
 and then be Fawn off level. A square piece of 
 calico, or any cheap canvas, should then be nailed, 
 on the top of the stakes to form the roof, the like 
 
PROTECTORS FOR PEAR TREES. 
 
 21 
 
 material brought round the sides, and fastened to 
 the stakes by small nails or tacks, from within 
 eighteen inches of the ground to within eight 
 inches of the top, thus leaving a space between 
 the top and side covering for free ventilation, as the 
 air when heated by the sun will rush out of the aper- 
 ture at top in a continual stream. These flat-roofed 
 square tents will generally insure a crop of fruit. 
 
 Pea-sticks — i.e., stakes with the small brush- 
 wood on them — stuck round each tree, and spruce 
 or other fir branches, where these can be procured, 
 are also good protectors. For bush trees hay is a 
 capital protector, particularly from those still hoar 
 frosts which are generally so destructive ; it shoidd 
 be strewed lightly over them when they are just 
 commencing to blossom. If some brushwood 
 
 THE TIFFANY HOUSE PROTECTEB. 
 
 Section of Tiffany House. 
 
 sticks are placed round the bush so as to lean over 
 it, the hay will adhere to the spray, and remain 
 undisturbed by the wind. Tiff'any may be used to 
 throw over pear bushes ; it is so light that it does 
 no injury to the tender blossoms ; it should be 
 taken off on sunny days. There is, perhaps, no 
 better protector than old or new netting ; if woollen, 
 all the better. This should be thrown over the 
 
22 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 trees two or three times thick, and suffered to 
 remain on till the fruit is safe from frosts — i.e., till 
 the end of May. 
 
 Houses built with stakes or slight timber, and 
 the roofs and sides covered with tiffany, have very 
 recently been introduced and found efficient in 
 protecting half-hardy plants from severe frost. 
 
 I now propose to erect temporary houses of the 
 same materials to protect dwarf and pyramidal 
 fruit trees while they are in bloom, and I have no 
 doubt but that they will lead to a new era in fruit 
 gardening among amateurs, offering as they do a 
 very cheap method of protection. A border or bed 
 of fruit trees may be eight feet wide, and planted 
 with three rows of bush fruit trees as shown in the 
 above section, one row in the centre, and the other 
 rows three feet from it, and the trees three feet apart 
 in the rows, thus occupying six feet of the bed. 
 
 A tiffany-house to cover the trees in a bed of 
 the above width may be eight feet wide, three feet 
 high at the sides, and five high in the centre. 
 
 The roof of tiffany should be fastened to the 
 rafters with shreds three or four times double, so 
 as to make a thick pad, and either nailed on with 
 short nails or fastened with screws, so that it may 
 be easily taken to pieces annually the first week in 
 June, for till then we are not safe from spring frosts. 
 The tiffany-house should be placed over the trees 
 the first week in March, unless the season be un- 
 usually early, when the middle of February would 
 be better. The sides should be loose, and be 
 turned up night and day in mild weather while the 
 trees are in bloom ; but in cold, sharp, windy 
 weather in the blossoming season they should be 
 kept down, and fastened to the upright stakes by 
 tying or otherwise. 
 
 A tiffany-house twenty-four feet long and eight 
 
PBAR TREES FOR WALLS. 23 
 
 feet wiMe will thus shelter twenty-four trees, either 
 bushes or pyramids ; if for the latter, the sides of 
 the house should be four feet, and its centre seven 
 to eight feet in height. If it be thought desirable 
 to keep the trees in a comparatively small space, 
 they may be removed biennially in October. If 
 larger trees are desired, the house may be enlarged 
 as the trees grow. A tiffany-house may be from 
 one to 500 feet in length, and twenty in width if 
 desirable, for there are no particular limits to its 
 extent, only the effects of a " March wind" must 
 be thought about when lofty and extensive houses 
 are put up. As measures of economy the timber 
 and tiffany should be placed in a dry place when 
 removed, and the rafters fastened to the plate and 
 ridge board with screws. A tiffany-house thus 
 treated, "kindly and gently," will last for several 
 years; and in places where the climate is suffi- 
 ciently warm to ripen apricots, plums, pears, cher- 
 ries and even early peaches, in the open air, they 
 will, I have no doubt, be extensively employed, 
 
 PEAR TREES ON THE QUINCE STOCK, TRAINED AS UPRIGHT 
 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 Eev. T. C. Brehaut, of Gluernsey, 
 on this mode of training, under the title of *' Cor- 
 don Training of Fruit Trees. " It is simply the 
 pinching off* the ends of the shoots on a branch 
 80 as to make them form blossom-buds, and fruit 
 trees under this mode are planted in an oblique 
 position on walls. "With pear trees on the quince 
 stock the five branched vertical cordon will be 
 
24 
 
 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 found a very convenient mode of training, for 
 wlicli see Fig. 7. To carry out this mode of 
 training, in April, 1849, I planted one of eaeli of 
 some new and esteemed pears on quince stocks 
 against a boarded fence, so tliat tliey would 
 quickly come into bearing. The usual method 
 of horizontal training I found would take up too 
 much space, and I could not find room for half 
 the number of trees I wished to plant. In this 
 strait, an old idea came to my assistance — ^that of 
 cutting pyramidal trees flat, and planting them 
 against walls ; and then a modification of the idea 
 
 A ITVE-BBANCHED VERTICAL CORDON PEAR TllEB. 
 
 
 
 Fio 7 
 
PEAR TREES POR WALLS. 25 
 
 came to liand viz., to plant horizontal espaliers, 
 and to make tliem perpendicular. In the pre- 
 ceding page is a figure of one of my five branched 
 vertical cordon pear trees. (Fig. 7.) 
 
 The shoots a, a, should be eight inches from the 
 central shoot, and those marked b, b, the same 
 distance 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 same space 
 ought to be allowed for the spurs on the outside 
 branches, say five feet. If the wall be of a 
 m.oderate height, eight feet for instance a tree 
 with seven branches will produce quite enough 
 fruit of one sort. This method ofiers a strong 
 contrast to espahers 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 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 sufiice for their management: summer pinch- 
 ing of the shoots to three leaves all thi'ough the 
 summer, as recommended for pyramids (page 7), 
 and root-pruning, or biennial removal, these opera- 
 tions — 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, and of American apples on the Paradise 
 stock (peach trees are too vigorous in their habit) 
 may be planted against walls in gardens, if of a 
 moderate size, to great advantage. As so much 
 variety may be had in a small space, let the 
 reader imagine himself to have a brick waU with a 
 
26 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 Eoutliern aspect, 20 feet long and 8 or 10 feet liigh. 
 According to old practice this would afford space for 
 one tree, but witli 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, a, a, and b, b, in Fig. 7, be made to curve 
 gently till they are perpendicular ; the young shoots 
 of pear trees are very pliable, and will easily bend to 
 the required shape. The lower part of each shoot in 
 Buch cases must be fastened to the wall with shreds 
 and nails, in the usual way, and the remaining part 
 brought round to an upright position. If they are 
 more than two feet in length, each of these shoots 
 must then be shortened to it. These shortened 
 branches will, in May, each put forth two or three 
 shoots. As soon as they have made five or six leaves 
 pinch all but one on each branch to three leaves, 
 leaving the topmost one to each shoot, a, a, and b, 6, 
 as above, also to the leader. You will thus, if your 
 tree be five-branched, have five young leading shoots. 
 As soon in June as they have attained to eight inches in 
 length, pinch off the end of each, and when they break 
 into two or three shoots as before, pinch so as to 
 leave the spurs with three leaves, and the leading 
 shoot unpinched to each branch. This may be 
 repeated, if the soil be rich, two, three, or four times 
 in the summer. 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 every branch has reached the top of the wall, 
 commence root-pruning in autumn, unless the trees 
 have ceased to grow vigorously and are bearing well : 
 if so, leave their roots untouched, the directions for root 
 
PEAR TREES FOR WALLS. 27 
 
 pruning are given in treating of pyramidal trees (p 12). 
 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 wiU 
 often put forth shoots even while bearing fruit ; these 
 must be pinched into three leaves. 
 
 I may as well hint to the reader, that, if larger 
 trees are wished for, so as to give more fruit of each 
 sort, trees with nine upright branches may 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, 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 (Fig. 8.) necessary if 
 the tree is too vigorous, so as to keep it in a 
 stationary fruitful state. Annexed I give a figure 
 (Fig. 8) of a young pyramid planted against a 
 Bouth-east fence. 
 
 It will, I trust, be seen how economical of space 
 are these methods of training pears to walls ; and 
 I know of nothing in fruit culture more interesting than 
 a wall of upright five -branched cordons or of pyramids 
 full of fruit. Let us only consider that a wall 
 
28 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 100 feet long will accommodate five trees on tho 
 pear stock, trained in tlie usual horizontal mode ; 
 the same wall wiU. give '' ample room and verge 
 enough " to twenty- five trees on the quince stock, 
 trained perpendicularly ; if their young shoots (all 
 hut the leaders) are pinched in to thi^ee leaves all 
 the summer, no root-pruning will be needed. They 
 are also invaluable for planting against walls 
 between old trees where there are bare spaces, aa 
 is so often the case ; for they soon fill up such 
 vacancies, and bear abundance of fine fruit. A 
 
PEAR TREES FOR WALLS. 29 
 
 eelection of varieties for wall trees will not here 
 be out of place. 
 
 UPRIGHT TRAINED TREES ON QUINCE STOCKS. 
 
 FOR SOUTH OR SOUTH-WEST "WALLS. 
 
 Crassane* 
 
 Summer Doyenne (1) 
 Chaumnntel 
 Passe Colmar 
 
 Glou Morceau* 
 Beurre Hardy 
 Van Mons (Leon le Clerc) 
 Gansel's Bergamot (2) 
 
 FOR WEST OR NORTH-WEST WALLS. 
 
 Beurre Diel* 
 Beurre d'Amanlis 
 Beurre de Ranee 
 Beurre Sterckmans* 
 
 Beurre Superfin • 
 Marie Louise * 
 Louise Bonne of Jersey 
 Josephine de Malines* 
 
 FOR EAST OR SOUTH-EAST WALLS. 
 
 Beurre Easter* 
 Beurre d'Aremberg* 
 Bergamntte d'Esperen 
 Winter Nells* 
 
 Doyenne d'Alen9on 
 Beurre de Caen 
 Consellier de la Cour 
 Beurre d'Anjou* 
 
 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 offer the least chance of success, 
 and that only in a warm climate with a dry soil, are 
 Marie Louise, Louise Bonne of Jersey, and Beurre 
 Superfin. It is far better to plant against such 
 aspects baking or stewing pears, such as Catillac, 
 Bellissime d'Hiver, and Leon de Clerc de Laval ; the 
 Yicar 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 cidtivated on south walls. 
 
 In recommending pears on quince stocks as pyra- 
 midal trees for cold soils and situations, even in the 
 far north, I may appear theoretical ; but from my 
 
 (1) This will ripen on walls towards the end of June, quickly followed by 
 Citron des Carmes. 
 
 (2) 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. 
 
80 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 own experience in some very cold and clayey soils in 
 tMs neighbourtiood, I feel sanguine as to the result, 
 for I have observed in my frequent visits to the pear 
 gardens of France that many sorts are often too ripe. 
 Now, this is just the tendency we require. In our 
 cold and moist climate, most certainly, pears will not 
 get too rii>e, more especially in the north of England 
 and Scotland. Some years since I received a letter 
 from a correspondent Kving in a hilly part of Derby- 
 shire, from which I have an extract :— " I have tried 
 Beurre Diel, Beurre de Capiaumont, Marie Louise, 
 and Williams' Bon Chretien, on pear stocks, all of 
 which bear well as standards, but their fruit does 
 not come to perfection, always remaining quite 
 hard till they decay at the core. I have placed 
 the fi'uit in a hot house, but have never succeeded 
 in ripening them. Williams' Bon Chretien we 
 Can only use for stewing." This seems to show 
 that cold hilly situations are not favourable to the 
 cultivation of pears as standards. I have recom- 
 mended some pears on quince stocks, and have 
 heard of a favourable result. 
 
 COEDON PEAHS ON TRELLISES TINDER GLASS. 
 
 Some few years since a very ingenious method 
 of growing peaches and nectarines on trellises, 
 over which were placed moveable glass hghts, was 
 invented by Mr Bellenden Ker. In warm and 
 sheltered gardens this mode of culture answers 
 very well for peaches, but in cool climates there is 
 not day-heat enough stored up, as in houses, to 
 act upon the fruit. Cheap orchard-houses are, 
 therefore, to be preferred to these cheap trellises 
 for the above kinds of fruits, unless the garden be 
 small and much sheltered. 
 
 Soon after I had built my treUis for peaches, it 
 
rPRIQHT TRAINED TREES ON QUINCE STOCKS. 
 
 31 
 
 occurred to me that the system applied to pear culture 
 would do weU, and so I built a trellis 60 feet long 
 
 Fio. 9 
 
 and 7 seven feet wide ; on tliis I planted upright five- 
 branched cordon pear trees on quince stocks, (see fig. 
 7). Fig. 9 is a section of this trellis, and Fig. 10 is a 
 front view of a pear tree trained to it in the upright 
 method. My trellis was planted ten years ago, and 
 
 Fig. 10 
 
 has now on it twenty fine trees, about twelve years 
 old, and in full bearing. They were planted three 
 feet apart, as it was my first experiment, and are 
 now a little crowded ; four feet apart will be found 
 the proper distance. . I have never seen anything 
 more interesting in fruit culture than this trellis cover- 
 ed with pears, for, owing to its being near the ground, 
 the radiation of heat gives the fruit a size and beauty 
 rarely seen even on waUs. 
 
 The lights should remain over the trees till the 
 beginning of July, and then be removed, sufi'ering 
 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 develope its growth in a remarkable 
 
82 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GABDEN. 
 
 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 France. 
 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 trefes 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 respect. I have, how- 
 ever, very recently received the following communica- 
 tion from a very clever fruit-cultivator living in 
 Ireland : — 
 
 ' ' Let no one persuade you that pears grown in a 
 well- ventilated orchard-house are not 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 23 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 attained a richness 
 and flavour that I thought Louise Bonne did not 
 possess." 
 
 The pear trellis, of which the section and front 
 view (Figs. 9 and 10) will give a correct idea, is of 
 the most simple description. A row of larch or oak 
 posts must be driven into the ground 6 feet apart, 
 and another row in front ; on these should be nailed 
 plates, 3 inches by 2, and then bars, 3 inches by 1, 
 placed flatwise, from front plates to back, 3 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 
 
CORDON PEARS ON TRELLISES UNDER GLASS. 33 
 
 plates of the same dimensions as those for the trellis 
 a cross-piece should be nailed to front and back plate ; 
 at each end, to keep the supports for the lights from 
 giving away. 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 treUis 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 difficult to ^end 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 fro u ground at back, three feet six inches. 
 
 Height from ground at front, one foot six inches. 
 
 TreUis. 
 
 Height from ground at back, two feet six inches. 
 Height fro ■ ground at fx'ont, 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 ventila- 
 tion ; 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 tiil the 
 
 D 
 
34 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARPEX. 
 
 beginning or end of June ; the latter, if tlie weather he 
 coid 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. 
 
 I was induced, as I thought, to improve upon Mr. 
 Ker's plan, by having my &st trellis within eight 
 inches of the glass, — for I calculated, the nearer the 
 glass the better the chance of success in early ripening 
 but I suffered for my innovation. My peach trees were 
 planted in March, 1848 ; they made during the sum- 
 mer, with the lights contantly on, beautifully matured 
 shoots, and in March and April, 1850, were gay with 
 blossom. The winds were cold, the nights frosty; 
 biit owing to the extreme ventilation, which kept every 
 bud and shoot dry under the glass, not a blossom was 
 injured by the sharj) winds, and the trees were 
 covered with fruit. On the fatal 3rd of May, how- 
 ever, in 1850, a still hoar frost — the thermometer 
 down to 23° — destroyed all my hopes, for, owing to 
 the trees being too near the glass, every fruit was 
 blackened and destroyed : a single mat would have 
 saved them ; but I was not at home, and my j)et trees 
 were forgotten. Do not, therefore, have the trellis 
 nearer the glass than twelve inches. 
 
 It will be seen that I employ smaller lights, which 
 are easily removable for purposes of culture, and a 
 smaller trellis than that described by Mr. Ker in the 
 seventh edition of this work. I find from experience 
 this smaller edition of the Kerian trellis much to be 
 recommended for small gardens. 
 
 HORIZONTAL CORDON PEAR TREES ON DWARF WALLS. 
 
 ^aving had occasion within these two years to 
 erect a large number of four-inch brick walls on 
 which to train young peach trees, I have been much 
 
CORDON PEARS ON TRELLISES UNDER GLASS. 35 
 
 struck with their eligibility for pear trees on quince 
 stocks. A very large number of trees may be culti- 
 vated in this manner on a small piece of ground. 
 
 My walls have a nine-inch foundation of four 
 coiu\ses of brickwork in the ground, and they are 
 carried up to foiQ' feet above the surface (it is scarcely 
 safe to build them of a greater height), with nine-inch 
 piers fifteen feet apart. The coj)ing for them is made 
 of boiling coal-tar mixed with hme and sand to the 
 consistence of mortar, which is placed on the top of 
 the walls thus ^^^ so as to carry o£P 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 best descrij)tion of bricks for these light walls 
 are the patent j)ei'forated bricks, but common stock 
 bricks will do. The very best lime should be used 
 (I have found the grey Dorking Kme excellent), but 
 any kind of lime made from limestone, will answer 
 well ; that made from chalk in this county is not strong 
 enough. Their cost, as I learn fi'om my bricklayer, 
 is about six shillings the yard in length ; thus a wall 
 of the above height, twenty yards long, should cost 
 six pounds. In places where bricks are cheaj) they 
 may be built for less ; if they are dear and at a dis- 
 tance, their carriage will add to the expense. My 
 walls are six feet aj)art, and stand endwise, N.E. and 
 S.W. ; so that one side of each wall has a S.E. aspect, 
 the other a N.W. ; 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 S.E. ; and one 
 tolerably good — the N.W. ; so that no wall space is 
 lost. 
 
 The pear trees for these dwarf walls should be 
 grafted on quince stocks, trained horizontally primed 
 
86 
 
 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARBEN. 
 
 by summer pincliing as directed for five branclied 
 vertical cordons (p. 24). They may be planted five 
 feet apart at first, and when their branches meet they 
 should be interlaced, as in Fig. 11, and if necessary 
 i.e., if the shoots he long enough— they may be 
 trained 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 permanent 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 
 
 Fig. 11 
 
 they may be planted out for espaliers, or fresh walls 
 built for them. I have some trees that have been 
 planted six years ; but I find that, owing to the soil 
 not being rich, they have not grown rapidly, and need 
 not yet be removed, as their branches only just cover 
 all the fence to which they are trained. 
 
 If, owing to the soil being rich, the trees are. 
 inclined to grow vigorously and not bear, they 
 should be hfted biennially, or root-pruned ; but pears 
 on q[uince stocks wiU be sure to bear abundantly. 
 
CORDON PEAR TREES ON DWARF WALLS. 37 
 
 These dwarf walls, wlien covered with well 
 trained trees, have a neat and charming effect, 
 and the trees may be so easily protected by 
 sticking branches of evergreens in the ground and 
 letting them rest against the wall, or by wooden 
 shutters, placed on the ground at an angle so as 
 to rest against the wall ; but I intend to be more 
 luxurious, and to have 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 till 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 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, nectar- 
 ines, and apricots may be grown on the S.E. aspect, 
 but the trees must be kept in check by biennial 
 removal. I have at this moment more than two 
 thousand yards in length of them, and I intend to add 
 to them annually, so convinced am I of their economy 
 and utility. They seem to me most 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 six pounds, or ten yards 
 long for three pounds ! and how delightful to be able 
 to grow one's own '* waU 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. 
 
88 THE MINIATURE FKUIT GARDEN. 
 
 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, nectarine, and 
 apricot trees are generally by far too vigorous in 
 their growth. In some of the London suburban 
 gardens the soil is so rich, that annual removal, 
 particularly with apricots, 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. 
 The peach trees on my experimental wall are re- 
 moved biennially. The soil is not rich, yet they 
 are almost too vigorous ; they bear fine fi:uit and 
 give good crops. 
 
 A matter of great consequence in peach tree 
 culture on walls is to keep the surface of the soil 
 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 hammer, so as to be as 
 solid as a common garden path. In spring this 
 hard surface should be covered with a slight deposit 
 of thoroughly decayed manure, which will be all 
 the culture required, 
 
 ESPAIilEE PEAES ON QDTNCE STOCKS. 
 
 Pears on the quince may be cultivated as 
 horizontal espaliers or cordons by the sides of 
 walks, or trained to lofty walls with much ad- 
 vantage, as less sj)ace is required. Horizontal 
 
 (1) It is a prudent practice in all cases of biennial remoral to remove 
 half the number of trees in alternate years, for in di-y seasons those 
 recently lemoved may be too much checked in their growth to bear a 
 ■crop of fruit the first season after removal. 
 
PEACH TREES ON DWARF WALLS. 39 
 
 ospaliers, or wall trees, on tlie pear 'stock, trained 
 to walls of the usual heigh-t i.e., from ten to 
 twelve feet require to be planted twenty feet 
 apart, wliile 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 perfection be wished for, 
 must be followed ; the trees carefully planted, so 
 that the junction of the graft with the stock is 
 even with the surface of the mould formed as 
 directed for pp'amids. 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 distance from the wall, and in- 
 creasing it by six inches at every biennial pruning, 
 till a distance of six feet fron 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, 1860, should 
 have its roots shortened to eighteen inches in 
 November, 1862; to twenty-four inches in 1864; 
 to thirty inches in 1866; to three feet in 1868; 
 and so on, leaving six inches biennially till, say, 
 a distance of six feet from the wall is reached 
 in 1880. This border, six feet wide, will then be 
 
40 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 full of fibrous roots. ^ It should never be dug or 
 cropped, but 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 o£P. If this 
 method be followed, summer pinching to three 
 leaves the first time, and to one leaf afterwards, of 
 the spurs on all the leading branches, may be 
 practised, and scarcely any winter pruning will be 
 required. 
 
 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. 
 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. 
 
 For fine specimens of wall pear trees grafted on 
 the quince, I may refer to those on the west wall 
 of the Boyal Horticultm^al Society's Gardens at 
 Chiswick. These are now about 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 
 
 (I) If the -wall to -which the trees are trained be twelve feet and upwards 
 in height, the border should be eight and even ten feet in width. Wide 
 and shallow fruit tree borders are much to be preferred to those that ar0 
 deep and nan-ow. 
 
ESPALIER PEARS ON QUINCE STOCKS. 41 
 
 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. 
 
 PEAR TREES TRAINED AS SINGLE VERTICAL CORDONS. 
 
 The French gardeners have a curious yet interesting 
 mode of training pears on the quince stock, about 
 which a book was published in France a few years 
 since. The system, I have recently learnt from some 
 French cultivators, is now largely practiced in the 
 south of France with the peach apricot. It is called 
 training " en fuseau," or distaff training ; and is the 
 most simple of all modes. A young tree, one year 
 old from the bud, is planted, and every side slioot, as 
 soon as it has made four or five leaves, has its top 
 pinched off, leaving three full-sized ones. This is the 
 first pinching early in June. These pinched shoots 
 all put forth young shoots, which must be pinched to 
 one leaf; and so on with all the young shoots, during 
 the summer, and the like practice every season. 
 This will of course lead to spurs of some length 
 being produced ; these spurs should in the second 
 or third year be reduced to haK their length, so as to 
 keep the fruit-buds close to the stem. This reducing 
 of the spurs should be done in winter, and is required 
 in all cordon training. When the leading shoot has 
 grown twelve inches its top should be pinched off, 
 and as soon as two or three break out at this point, 
 all should be pinched in but one for the leader. A 
 very compact distaff-like tree is thus formed. 
 
 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 to be recommended. 
 
 Fig. 18 is a single cordon apple tree, from a 
 
42 
 
 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 specimen growing liere (single cordon pear trees 
 require tlie same culture), and will, X)erliaps, give 
 tlie reader a correct idea of the adaptability of 
 these compact trees for small gardens; they may 
 be planted two feet apart. 
 
 DIAGONAI. SINGLE COEDONS. 
 
 Fig. 12, the diagonal single cordon, is a pear tree 
 
PEAR TREES AS SINGLE VERTICAL CORDONS. 43 
 
 grafted on the quince,, planted and trained against 
 a wall or fence at an angle of 45, the trees 
 eighteen to twenty inches apart. They should 
 be pinched in, and managed exactly as recom- 
 mended for the vertical cordons. The gentle 
 slope given to them seems to promote fruitful- 
 ness. 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 
 largely benefited by single diagonal training as the 
 apricot. Every gardener knows the wretched dis- 
 appointment often felt in summer by large and appar- 
 ently 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 remaining branches. There is, therefore, no 
 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 plan- 
 ting single diagonal cordon trees, which may be 
 maiden trees with a single stem, or trees in a bearing 
 state froto. the nursery. In planting, if the tree is 
 slender, it is usual to keep the stem of the stock 
 as neariv upright as possible ; but as the graft is often 
 too stiff to bend readily, 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. 41), 
 and the same directions as to reducing and thinning 
 out the fruit spurs in winter is 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 
 
44 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 diagonal apricot tree, sloped to an angle of 45 or so, 
 will, when it reaches the top of a wall 1 feet in height, 
 be a cordon 15 feet in length. A wall 20 feet long 
 will thus give space enough for ten or twelve trees 
 which in the course of two or three years will bear 
 enormous quantities of fruit. One most important 
 advantage, I repeat, is held out by this mode of cul- 
 ture : no unseemly gaps need be seen owing to the 
 death of branches, as in the present mode, for when- 
 ever a tree dies — a very uncommon event — it may be 
 at once replaced. The expense of ten trees instead 
 of one may be 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 necessity of 'laying in" shoots, and 
 pruning and nailing in winter.. The single diago- 
 nal tree merely requires three or four stout shreds, 
 or, what would be a decided improvement, the 
 same number of bands of india-rubber, to fasten 
 the stem to the wall. 
 
 Peaches and nectarines trained as diagonal cor- 
 dons against walls with a S. or S.W. aspect are 
 worthy of a trial but only in the warmer parts of 
 England : here they are planted against the back 
 wall of a lean-to house with an unshaded roof, 
 and promise well. 
 
 The system of single diagonal training is so 
 simple all the pruning is pinching 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 
 
DIAGONAL SINGLE CORDONS. 45 
 
 a wire fence are charming, they require pro- 
 tection from spring frosts, our great enemy. 
 
 PEAR TEEE HEDGE. 
 
 A few years since, when visiting a friend at 
 Fontenay aux Boses, 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 hia 
 hedge in July, with the garden shears, ^ and thinning 
 out the spurs in winter, when they become crowded. 
 A few days since (July 1862), my friend paid me a 
 visit, and 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, Beurre d'Amanlis, Beurre Hardy, Conseiller 
 de la Cour, Beurre d'Aremberg, Beurre Superfin, 
 Dehces d'Jodoigne, Doyeene du Cornice, Duchesse 
 d'Angouleme, and Yicar of Winkfield. 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 must have an agreeable look, and when 
 full of fruit be very profitable. 
 
 PYRAMIDS ON THE PEAR STOCKS. 
 
 There are some dry, warm, shallow soils, more 
 particularly those resting on chalk or gravel, which 
 are unfavourable to the pear on the quince stock it 
 is difficult to make them flourish, unless great car: is 
 taken in mulching the surface, and giving them 
 
 (1) An Ensrlish cultivator would employ pruning scissors to shorten tke 
 shoots, and thus make his hedge look as if cai'ed tor. 
 
46 THE MINIATUEE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 abundance of water and liquid manure in summer. 
 In such, soils pyramids on tlie pear stock may be 
 cultivated witb but little trouble. 
 
 To tbose 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, as re- 
 gards summer pinching. There is no occasion, however 
 to make a mound up to the junction of the graft with 
 the stock, as the pear does not readily emit roots. 
 Annual root-pruning is almost indispensable to pyra- 
 mids on pear stocks in small gardens, and it will much 
 facilitate 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 replanted, 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 plan- 
 ting, in which place operations may then commence 
 the first season. Thus, supposing a tree to be planted 
 in November or December, itmay 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 intro- 
 duced under the trees, so as completely to intercept 
 every perpendicular root. 
 
PYRAMIDAL PEAR TREES. 47 
 
 Tlie treddle spade used in this part of Hertfordshire 
 is a very eligible instrument 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 proceeding 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 subse- 
 quent root-x3runing this distance from the stem must 
 be kept. This will leave enough undisturbed 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 circular mass 
 of soil will in a few years be exhausted ; to remedy 
 which, I have had left round each tree, eighteen inches 
 from the stem, a slight depression of the soil, or, in 
 other words, the trench has not been quite filled 
 in. This circular furrow I have had filled, in Decem- 
 ber and January, with fresh liquid night soil, cover- 
 ing it with a coat of burnt earth two inches thick, 
 which has had a most excellent effect. Any other 
 liquid manure would undoubtedly have been equally 
 efficacious, but my soil was poor, and I thought it 
 required strong manure. As it did not come in con- 
 tact with the roots, no injury resulted from using such 
 a powerfid raw manure. 
 
 There is no absolute necessity for liquid manur- 
 ing in the winter, as common dung may be laid round 
 each tree in autumn, and suffered to be washed in by 
 
48 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 the rains in winter, and drawn in by the worms. In 
 mentioning liquid manui-e, I give the result of my 
 own practice. 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 nutri- 
 ment 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 maximum of growth), and at the same 
 time be able to produce abundance of blossom-buds 
 and fruit. On trees of many varieties the former wiU 
 be in too great abundance : removing a portion in 
 early spring, 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 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 recom- 
 mended 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, 
 80 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 for one, or even two 
 
PYEAMIDS ON THE PEAR STOCKS. 49 
 
 seasons. If, as is often tlie ease 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 recently received 
 from C. Boach Smith, Esq., the archaeologist, is in- 
 teresting, as showing the prompt effects 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 naihng, cutting, 
 and staking. On inquiry, I found that one (a Summer 
 Bon Chretien) had never produced more than one 
 pear annually ; the other, upon a north wall had never 
 given a single pear. I could get no aid from any one 
 what to do with those trees, and no book then ac- 
 cessible helped me. I reflected on the natural habit 
 of the pear tree, and coming to the conclusion that 
 the cause of barrenness was exuberance of roots, I 
 resolved to cut them. Before the leaves had fallen, 
 a friend send 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 Chretien^ produced nine fruit. 
 I pruned the roots more closely, and this year (1859), 
 in spite of the ungenial spring, I saved fifty-nine 
 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, 2000 fruit." 
 
 It will not, perhaps, be out of place here to enu- 
 merate 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. 
 
 (1) Ttis is one of our oldest varieties, and remarkable for being a very shy 
 bearer. 
 
50 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 1st. Their eligibility for small gardens, even the 
 smallest. 
 
 2ndly. The facihty of thinning the blossom-buds, 
 and in some varieties, such as Gransel's Bergamot, 
 and other shy-bearing sorts, of setting the blossoms, 
 and of thinning and gathering the fruit. 
 
 Srdly. Their making the gardener independant 
 of the natural soil of his garden, as a few barrowfuls 
 of rich mould and 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. 
 
 4thly. 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. 
 
 ^y g^^y hairs tell me that I am not a young 
 gardener, and yet I feel that 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. At this moment I 
 am reminded of a wall in a neighbouring garden, 
 covered with peach and nectarine trees in the finest 
 possible health. 
 
 Eor more than twenty years a healthy peach tree 
 was never seen in this garden, as the subsoil is a cold 
 white clay, full of chalk-stones. This happy change 
 has been brought about by biennially pruning the 
 roots of the trees early in autumn, as soon as the fruit 
 is 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 
 
PLANTING AND AFTER MANAGEMENT. 51 
 
 unfavourable to the peacL. and nectarine, loam and 
 rotten manure is the best dressing for the roots, and 
 also for the surface. 
 
 PLANTING AND AFTER MANAGEMENT. 
 
 PjTamidal pear trees of from three to five years old 
 on the quince stock, root-pruned, and full of blossom- 
 buds, may now be purchased. Trees of this descrip- 
 tion 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 ofi'er 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 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. 13, a. 
 
 If the soil be not excessively wet, the tree may be 
 placed in a hole, say three feet in diameter and 
 
 (1 ) 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 > ach 
 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 io wash the earth into every crevice. The n)0t3 
 Bliould not be crammed into a small hole. A tree, with its roots 18 inches in 
 diameter, will require a hole 24 feet in diameter, and 60 on in proportion. 
 
82 THE MINIATtTKE FKUIT GARDETf. 
 
 eigliteen inclies deep, in the usual way, so that the 
 
 I 
 
 Fig. 13 
 
 upper roots are slightly above the level of the surface, 
 as the tree will always settle clown two or three inches 
 the first season after planting. Some of the hght 
 compost recommended in page 18 should be filled in, 
 and the tree weU 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 a mound, which should cover the stock 
 up to, hut not above, the junction of the graft with the 
 stock, in order to encourage it to emit roots into the 
 surface soil, and to keep it (the stock) from becoming 
 hard and ' ' barkbound. ' ' 
 
 To make this emission of roots more certain, the 
 stem may be tongued, as usual in layering — i.e., the 
 bark must be cut through upwards from the root, and 
 a slip about one inch in length raised (see ^ig. 13, b, 
 bf which are the raised pieces of bark) j and these 
 
PLANTING AND AFTER MANAGEMENT. 53 
 
 raised peices of bark must be kept open by inserting 
 a piece of broken flower-pot or slate. Several of 
 these tongues may be made, and by the end of the 
 first year after planting every incision will have 
 emitted roots ; the stock, owing to its being kept 
 constantly moist, will swell and keep pace with the 
 graft, and the tree will flourish and remain healthy. 
 As the mound will 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 in 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 
 ornamental if required, by placing pieces of rock or 
 flint on them, which will also prevent the birds scratch- 
 ing 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 ; in heavy retentive 
 wet soils, 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, I therefore re- 
 commend the surface round the tree to be covered 
 during June, July and August, with short litter, ^* or 
 manure, and to give the trees once a week, in 
 dry weather, a drenching with guano water (about 
 
 • A clerical amateur has informed me that this " mutching " or placing 
 half-rotten manure one to two inches deep on the surface in a 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 working 
 
54 THE MINIATXTRE FRUIT GARDEW. 
 
 one pound to ten gallons), wliicli mnst 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, we shall have 
 exhibitions of pears, this will be the mode to procure 
 fine specimens to show for prizes. Our oldest 
 gardening authors have said, that ' ' pears engrafted 
 on the quince stock give the fairest fruit ; " and they 
 are correct. It has been asserted that the fruit is 
 liable to be gritty and deficient in flavour. I can 
 only say, that from my trees, growing on a cold 
 clayey soil, I have tasted fruit of Marie Louise, Louise 
 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 dry 
 soils to plant pear trees on the quince stock with tbe 
 junction of the graft just level with the surface, so as 
 not to require mounds round their stems. The firs t 
 season they should have 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. 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 bear- 
 ing too abundantly, or that appear unhealthy by 
 their leaves turning yellow. In such cases, when 
 the trees are of advanced growth, a basin of the 
 same depth, but three or more feet in diamater, 
 should be formed and filled with manure : in all 
 cases for this purpose this should be but slightly 
 decomposed. 
 
BUSH PEAR TREES FOR A MARKET GARDEN. 55 
 
 BUSH PEAR TREES EOR A MARKET GARDEN. 
 
 There are many sunny favourable spots wLicli the 
 amateur gardener may turn to profit accompanied by 
 pleasure, simply by planting bush pear trees grafted 
 on the quince stock. The plantation should be 
 a sort of nursery, and for this purpose they should be 
 planted in rows, three feet row from row, and three 
 apart in the rows ; a piece of ground planted after 
 this method will contain 4840 trees per imperial acre. 
 
 By pinching every shoot to three leaves all the 
 summer, the trees form compact fruitful bushes ; 
 this constant summer pinching has a remarkable effect 
 in moderating the vigour of fruit trees. They 
 will commence to bear the second year after planting, 
 and if each tree give but ten or twelve fruit, one acre 
 will produce a large quantity. They may be suffered 
 to remain at the above distance unroot-pruned, and 
 unremoved for seven, eight, or ten years ; and then 
 as they will nearly or quite touch each other, every 
 alternate tree should be removed, and another plant- 
 ation formed. The removal of the trees should be 
 done carefully, so that those left will stand four feet 
 and a-half apart and in quincunx order, thus, * . \ 
 This may be done as follows : Presuming the first 
 row to consist of ten trees, begin at the first row by 
 removing the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th trees ; in the 
 second row, remove the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th ; in 
 the 3rd row, again 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th, trees and 
 so on with all, and through all the rows however long ; 
 at this distance they may remain for fourteen, 
 eighteen, or twenty years. At the end of one of these 
 periods every alternate row of trees must be removed, 
 leaving the permanent trees six feet apart : the 
 periods of removal must, to certain extent, depend 
 upon the nature of the soil; if this be of high fertility 
 the removal of the trees must be commenced at the 
 
56 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 earlier period. It may sound strangely to the 
 routine gardener to advise the removal of fruit trees 
 when twenty years old ; but I say this advisedly, for 
 the trees in a plantation of Louise Bonne pears on 
 the quince stock, planted here twenty years since in 
 rows five feet apart, were recently removed and have 
 succeeded well, commencing to bear fine crops the 
 second season after being transplanted. When pyra- 
 midal trees from ten to twenty years old are removed, 
 their branches should all be shortened to at least 
 one-half their length. Although these trees were 
 originally planted only five feet apart in the rows, 
 and have grown well, they did not — and those left un- 
 removed do not — touch each other ; this is, of course, 
 owing to their young shoots having been pinched in 
 every summer for so many seasons. 
 
 From closely observing these trees for many years, 
 and even to-day (July 20th, 1864), upon measuring 
 the shoots of the unremoved trees, and finding they 
 do not meet by at least fifteen inches, I have based 
 the idea conveyed by the heading of these paragraphs 
 p. 58. It may be asked, why not plant pyramids, 
 which are handsome and jDroductive ? Experience 
 furnishes me with a reply : When my 2000 pyramids 
 of Louise Bonne pears commenced to bear their large 
 crops of fruit, I found so many displaced by the wind 
 that supporting them with stakes became expensive 
 and troublesome, I therefore recommend all those 
 who wish to mke their pear-tree plantations profitable 
 as well as j)leasurable to plant bush trees. ^ In 
 sheltered gardens the amateur may without hesitation 
 continue to plant pjTamids, for no description of fruit 
 tree can be more interesting, but when profit is to be 
 attached to cultivation, and fruit trees cultivated by 
 the acre, the bush form should be adhered to. The 
 
 (1) These may be with advantage a sort of hybrid bush tree, partaking a 
 little of the pyramid, and allowed to grow to a height of four or five feet. 
 
GATHERING THE FRUIT. 57 
 
 varieties best adapted to this mode of culture are, 
 first and best, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Fondante 
 d'Automne, Beurre d'Aremberg, Beurre Superfin, 
 Williams' Bon Chretien, Beurre Bachelier, Winter 
 Nelis, and Bergamotte d'Esperon. If more robust 
 growing sorts are planted, suck as Beurre Diel, 
 Beurre d'Amanlis, Beurre Hardy, and some others, 
 the plantation should be commenced with rows four 
 feet apart, and the trees four feet apart in the rows. 
 The ground occupied by the i^lantation should be 
 stirred with the Parkes' steel fork every season, in 
 February or March, but not deeper than from three 
 to four inches, and the weeds carefully turned down. 
 In the summer the weeds must be kept under by 
 hoeing, which will keep the surface loose and promote 
 the health of the trees ; without this stirring with the 
 fork in early spring, the soil would become too 
 hard during the summer for hoeing with facility. 
 
 I ought here to mention, that amateur planters 
 who think of planting bush pear trees in less quan- 
 tities than I have alluded, i.e. by the dozen, or score, 
 or hundred, may plant them four feet apart row 
 from row and the same distance apart in the rows. 
 
 GATHERING THE EETJIT. 
 
 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.^ 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 till they rot. In most sea- 
 sons, from the begining to the end of October is a 
 
 (1) Pears that ripen in September and October should not be gathered 
 all at one time, but at intervals of a week or so, making, say, three gather- 
 ings ; their season is thus much prolonged. 
 
05 THE MINIATTJIIE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 good time ; but mucli depends on soil and climate. 
 The following passage from tliat 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 
 varieties are much finer in flavour if picked from the 
 tree, and 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 full-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 its branch on 
 gently raising the fruit. The fruit should then be 
 gathered or so much of the crop as apj^ears 
 sufficiently matured and spread out on shelves in 
 the fruit ix)om, 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 suffered to ripen in the sun and open air are rather 
 dry, when ripened within doors are most abundantly 
 melting and juicy. They will also last for a considera- 
 bly 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 
 
 (1) I feel compelled to differ from Mr. D. in this respect ; for in the 
 autumn of 1855, 1 suffered many pears to hang on the trees till the end of 
 
HOW TO STORE WINTER PEARS IN SMALL aTTANTITIES, 59 
 
 paper, packed in Icegs, barrels, or small hoxes, 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 kind of the finer winter 
 dessert pears should be brought into a warm apart- 
 ment for a couple of weeks before their usual season 
 of maturity. They should be kept covered, to pre- 
 vent 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 the temperature of 60 or 70 deg." 
 
 The following is from Mr. Grlass's " Gardening 
 Book," as given in the Gardener's Chronicle : — 
 
 HOW TO STOEE WINTER PEARS IN SMALL QTJANTITIES. 
 
 *'Gret some unglazed jars, — garden pots will do; 
 make them perfectly clean, if they have ever been 
 used. The best way is to half bui-n 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 the 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 j)ots, 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 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. 
 
 October, and they never ripened. I believe the first week in October to be 
 the best period to gather winter pears in. 
 
60 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 ^'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 PEABS EST A GPEENHOTJSE. 
 
 I have but very recently found that pears may be 
 kept in a greenhouse, in great perfection, all the 
 winter. 
 
 The greenhouse in which my experiment has been 
 tried is a lean-to house with a S. W. aspect, twelve 
 feet wide, with a path in the centre, a bench in front 
 of common slates laid on wooden bars, and a stage at 
 back full of camellias. My pears have been laid on 
 the front bench, the glass over them shaded till the 
 end of November, the house ventilated, and the 
 camellias watered just as if the pears were not there. 
 In severe frosts the temperature was kept just above 
 freezing. The autumn pears under this treatment 
 ripened slowly, and were of excellent flavour. The 
 late pears kept till April ; but then, owing to the 
 power of the sun, the air of the house become to warm 
 and diy, and they shrivelled. I should therefore 
 recommend winter pears to be kept in the greenhouse 
 in covered pots or jars (I now use large clean flower- 
 pots with wooden covers), placing them in them early 
 in December. 
 
 Mr. Tillery, of the Wellbeck Grardens, keeps his 
 choice pears and apples in boxes of bran with great 
 success. The bran before it is used should be 
 thorouglily dried and sifted, so as to take from it all 
 the small particles of meal. With this treatment 
 pears and ajoj^les may be placed in it as soon as they 
 are gathered. The boxes should be quite shallow, so 
 as to admit of only one layer of fruit, which should 
 be covered with the bran and no Hds placed on the 
 boxes. The bran is apt to become musty. 
 
 After all, I think there is no better material for 
 
PYRAMIDAL APPLE TREES ON THE PARADISE APPLE STOCK. 61 
 
 preserving pears pkimp and sound than dry cocoa- 
 nut fibre : tliis never turns musty, never ferments, 
 but seems to remain under all circumstances perfectly 
 inocuous. To preserve pears in this substance they 
 should be placed in two layers in shallow open boxes, 
 first placing a layer of fibre two inches thick in a box, 
 then a layer of pears, which should be covered with 
 the fibre, say one inch thick ; on this place another 
 layer of pears, and cover them to a depth of two 
 inches. The fruit should be occasionally examined 
 to ascertain when they are ripe. 
 
 PYEAMIDAL APPLE TREES ON THE PAEADISE 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 con- 
 tracting 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, I am inclined to think, the 
 same as that called "Dutch Creeper," or ''Dutch 
 Paradise," by Miller, in his Dictionary, foKo 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 hke 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 kept to the 
 surface, and the tree consequently kept fi-ee from 
 
62 THB MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN, 
 
 canker. There is anotlier surface-rooting apple, also 
 well adapted for stocks, tlie Burr Knot. This, like 
 the Doucin, 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 Hertford- 
 shire, 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 occa- 
 sionally 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 
 Enghsh nurseries, differs from the sorts used as 
 Doucins in France : there are also several varieties 
 cultivated there, some of which are unfitted to our 
 climate. 
 
 About forty years since, I raised a large number of 
 apples from the pips of the Golden Pippin, Grolden 
 Peinette, Pibstone Pippin, and other esteemed sorts. 
 These, in course of time, all bore fruit, but as not one 
 was found superior to its parent, I did not cultivate 
 them. Why I mention this is, that among my seed- 
 lings were several that put out roots near the surface, 
 and the cuttings of which struck root. It is only 
 within these few years that I have had my attention 
 drawn to two of these, one of which has very broad 
 leaves, and a most healthy and vigorous habit ; the 
 other, a habit equally vigorous, but with a great 
 tendency to form fruit- spurs. The former I have 
 named the Broad-leaved Paradise, the latter, the 
 Nonesuch Paradise ; — they are likely to form a 
 revolution in apple culture, as the varieties of apples 
 grafted on them form such healthy and fruitful trees. 
 
 The Pomme de Paradis seems identical with the 
 ** dwarf apple of Armenia," referred to in the 
 
PYRAMIDAL APPLE TREES ON THE PARIDISE APPLE STOCK. €3 
 
 ''Journal of the Horticultural Society," Part 2, 
 Vol. 3, page 115. It is exceedingly dwarf in its habit, 
 and too tender for tliis climate, unless in very warm 
 and dry soils. Out of 2000 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 now potted some 
 plants, and owing, as I suppose, to the roots being 
 warmed through the pots by exposure to the sun, 
 they seem inchned to make very nice little fruitful 
 bushes, — in fact, real miniature apple trees, bearing 
 fruit, when only nine inches in height. My trees are 
 in eight-inch pots ; but to have healthy fertile trees, 
 I should recommend them to be gradually shifted into 
 fifteen inch-pots. The citizen may thus have his 
 apple orchard on the leads of his house. 
 
 The Enghsh Paradise stock, much like the Doucin, 
 and those above-mentioned as my seedlings, are most 
 deserving of our attention as stocks for forming fruit- 
 ful healthy pyramids, the culture of which is very sim- 
 ple. 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 hght friable mould should be shaken 
 into them, the earth filled in, trodden down, and two 
 or three shovelsful of half-rotted 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-pruning of pears on the quince stock, intro- 
 
64 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 ducing the spade directly under tlie 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. I firmly believe that canker may 
 be entirely prevented by this annual attention to the 
 roots. 
 
 If, therefore, 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 undisturbed ; and pinching their shoots in 
 summer, as directed for pp-amidal pears, page 9, and 
 training them in a proper direction, is all that they 
 will want. Pyramids on the Paradise stock may be 
 planted four feet apart in confined gardens ; five feet 
 will give them abundance of room : but if, owing to 
 the soil being of extra fertility, they are found to re- 
 quire 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 
 
PYRAMIDAL APPLE TREES ON THE PARADISE APPLE STOCK. 65 
 
 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. This 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 round half its circumference. 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 nec- 
 tarine, 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 
 admitted to the interior of the tree. This may be 
 easily amended, by bringing the lateral shoots down 
 to a horizontal position for a year or two, and fasten- 
 ing the end of each shoot to a stake ; an open pyra- 
 midal shape will thus be attained, which the tree will 
 keep. Other varieties put forth their laterals hori- 
 zontally, 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 Hme, sifted and mixed with it to the 
 consistence of very thick paint, put on boiling hot, 
 will last a great many years. 
 
 Apple trees in confined gardens near large towns, 
 are often infested with ''American blight," aphis 
 lanigera: this makes its appearance on the trees 
 
 F 
 
€6 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 generally towards tlie middle of summer, like patches 
 of cotton wool. There are many remedies given for 
 tliis pest; the most efficacious I have yet found is 
 soft soap dissolved 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. Many remedies, 
 such as train oil, spirits of tar, &c., are apt to injure 
 the trees : it must be recollected that soft soap will 
 turn the leaves brown — in fact, kill them ; but it need 
 not be applied to them, as the a^Jiis generally fixes 
 itself on the branches. 
 
 Here let me impress upon the lover of his garden, 
 living anywhere within reach of smoke, the necessity 
 of using the syringe : its efficacy is not half appre- 
 ciated by gardening amateurs. As soon as the leaves 
 of his fruit trees are fully expanded, every morning 
 and every evening, in dry weather, should the atten- 
 tive gardener dash on the water with an unspairing 
 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 to the plant, 
 and of dislodging 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 
 proprietor of a very small garden may thus raise 
 apple trees which will be sure to give him much 
 
 f ratification. To have fine fruit, the clusters should 
 e thinned in June ; and small trees should not be 
 overburdened, for they are often inclined, like young 
 j)ear trees on the quince stock, to bear too many fruit 
 when in a very young state ; the constitution of the 
 
APPLES AS BUSHES ON THE PARADISE STOCK. 
 
 «T 
 
 tree then receives a shock wliicli it will take two or 
 three seasons to 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 diffi- 
 cult to make a selection : the following sorts will not 
 dissappoint the planter ; but fifty varieties in addition, 
 quite equal in quality, could be selected. 
 
 Twenty dessert apples, ripening from July to June, 
 placed in the order of their ripening : — 
 
 1. White Joanneting * 
 
 11. Mannington's Pearmaln 
 
 2. Early Red Margaret 
 
 12. Golden Drop (Coe's)* 
 
 3. Red Astrachan 
 
 13. Ashmead's Kernel* 
 
 4. Early Strawberry 
 
 14. Nonpareil, Old 
 
 5. Irish Peach * 
 
 15. Reinette Van Mona* 
 
 6. Slimmer Golden Pippin 
 
 16. Syke House Russet 
 
 7. Kerry Pippin * 
 
 17. Keddleston Pippin 
 
 8. Margil 
 
 18. Golden Harvey 
 
 9. Ribston Pippin * 
 
 19. Winter Peach Apple 
 
 10. Cox's Orange Pippin * 
 
 20. Sturmer Pippin * 
 
 Twenty kitchen apples, 
 
 fit for use from July t 
 
 June : — 
 
 
 1. Keswick Codlin* 
 
 11. Herefordshire Pearmain* 
 
 2. Large Yellow Bough 
 
 12. Winter Pearmain 
 
 3. Hawthornden* 
 
 13. Bedfordshire Foundling* 
 
 4. Cellini 
 
 14. Greenup's Pippin 
 
 5. King of the Pippins 
 
 15. Dumelow's Seedling* 
 
 6. Blenheim Pippin* 
 
 16. Forge Apple 
 
 7. Calville Blanche 
 
 17. Rymer 
 
 8. New Hawthornden 
 
 18. Baxter's Pearmain* 
 
 9. striped Beefing * 
 
 19. St. Saveur* 
 
 10. Waltham Abbey Seedling 
 
 20. Gooseberry Apple * 
 
 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 cultivated as bushes when grafted on the Para- 
 dise stock, and are then excellently well adapted for small 
 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 pp. 18 
 and 19, how bush pears on quince stocks may be 
 cultivated. Pears are, however, a luxury: apples 
 
68 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 and plums are necessaries to the families of countless 
 thousands living near London. Ajiple bushes, always 
 very pretty and productive trees, may be planted four 
 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 by dressing the young shoots with 
 the quassia mixture, given in a note to p. 96, and 
 from the woolly aphis by Gishurst compound, men- 
 tioned in page 66. The principal feature in this 
 culture is summer pinching, which must be regularly 
 attended to, from early in June till the end of August: 
 this is done by pinching or cutting off the end of 
 every shoot as soon as it has made five or six leaves, 
 leaving from three to four full sized ones. 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 inclined 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.^ 
 
 Urabant Bellefleur, kitchen April 
 
 Cornish Arou atic, dessert May 
 
 Earlj- Harvest, dessert August 
 
 Emperor Alexander, kitchen October 
 
 Gravenstein, kitchen or dessert November 
 
 (1) These dwarf bushes are liable to be p'nawed by rabbits and hares in 
 exposed gardens. The best of all preventives is to paint them with soot 
 and milk, well mixed ; or make a fence with galvanized wire netting, round 
 the garden in which they are planted. 
 
APPLES AS BUSHES FOR MARKET GARDENS. 69 
 
 Cox's Oiann-e Pippin, dessert October 
 
 Cox's Pomona, kitchen Deceu.ber 
 
 Lord Burghley, dessert May 
 
 Hawthornden, kitchen J No? emVer 
 
 Joanneting (white), dessert July 
 
 Melon Apple, dessert Februai-y 
 
 M ere de Menage, kitchen December 
 
 Nonesuch, kitchen October 
 
 Pomme Royale, kitchen or dessert April 
 
 Reinette dvi Canada, kitchen or dessert .... May 
 
 Ribston Pippin, dessert December 
 
 South Carolina Pippin, kitchen December 
 
 Spring Ribst^n Pippin, dessert May 
 
 Victoria, dessert April 
 
 "Waltham Abbey Seedling, kitchen December 
 
 There is no mode of apple culture more interesting 
 tlian bush culture. On page 711 annex a sketch of 
 a plantation of Cox's Orange Pippin (Fig. 14), of one 
 hundred trees ; they were planted in the spring of 
 1862. They bore a fine crop in 1863 of most beauti- 
 ful fruit, and in 1864 gave a crop almost too abundant. 
 
 APPLES AS BUSHES FOR MARKET GARDENS. 
 
 Our market gardeners, as a rule, are very deficient 
 in their knowledge of fruit-tree culture, and they 
 have much to learn. The usual practice with them 
 is to plant standard or half standard trees in rows, 
 some twenty or thirty feet apart, and between them 
 gooseberry and currant trees. The ground is dug 
 between the trees in spring deeply, and often care- 
 lessly. Nothing can be more barbarous, for the 
 ground is so shaded that no surface roots can have 
 the benefit of the air and the heat of the sun ; and if 
 by any chance they could come to the surface, they 
 are, as a matter of course, destroyed by the spade. 
 It is true that in some of the rich market gardens 
 near London large quantities of fruit are grown in 
 spite of the uncouth treatment the trees receive, but 
 this does not alter the case. 
 
 In a well-ordered fruit garden every kind of fruit 
 should have its department, and instead of seeing, as 
 
70 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 in Kent, a row of trees of all sorts, mixed in the most 
 heterogeneous manner, no mixture of species should 
 be allowed ; 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 Duke cherries on the same kind of 
 stock. Heart and Bigarreau cherries on the common 
 cherry stock, plums as bushes, pyramids, or half stan- 
 dards, should all be separated, and not planted 
 higgledy-piggledy, as they have been and are now. 
 The sound-headed market gardener will, when his 
 mind is turned to improved fruit-tree culture, see all 
 this, and make his fruit garden a pattern of order. 
 
 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 improve- 
 ment that may be made in the culture of apples on 
 the EngHsh Paradise stock. On referring to p. 69, 
 the reader will find that I allude to my plantation of 
 Oox's Orange Pippin apple trees on the* Paradise 
 stock (see Pig. 14.); these trees in the season of 
 1864, the third of their growth in their present 
 quarters and the fourth of their age, gave an 
 average of a quarter of a peck from each tree, so that 
 we might have from 4840 trees, growing on one acre 
 of ground, 302 bushels of fine apples worth 5s. per 
 bushel, or £75. In 1866, the trees then averaging 
 half-a-peck each, would double this sum, and make 
 an acre of apple trees a very agreeable and eligible 
 investment. The kinds likely to sell best in the 
 markets, and which are most productive, are the 
 following : — Cox's Orange Pippin, Reinnette Van 
 Mens, Kibston Pippin, Sturmer Pippin, Scarlet 
 Nonpareil, and Dutch Mignonne ; these are dessert 
 apples. The following are valuable kitchen apples. 
 
APPLES AS BUSHES FOR MARKET GARDENS. 
 
 71 
 
 and abundant bearers ; — Hawthornden, New 
 Hawtliornden, Small's Admirable, Cox's Pomona, 
 Keswick Codlin, Damelow's Seedling, Lord Suffield, 
 Norfolk Bearer, Duchess of Oldenburg, and Forge 
 
72 ITHE MINIATtTRE FRtJIT GARDEN. 
 
 Apple. Sucli large varieties as Bedfordshire 
 Foundling, Blenheim Orange, and Warner's King, 
 should have more space, and be planted four feet 
 apart, and be thinned out hj removal to eight feet 
 apart, as recommended for pear trees, p. 56. The 
 proper method of planting and managing these bush 
 apple trees, is exactly that recommended for bush 
 pear trees on quince stocks. 
 
 It may be by some made a question of expense, 
 for although the return must be large and pro- 
 fitable, the purchase of nearly 5000 apple trees 
 would involve a large outlay. To this I reply — 
 first, that stocks costing only a small sum per 1000 
 may be planted and grafted where the trees are to 
 grow permanently ; and, secondly, that a large de- 
 mand which my method of planting would create, 
 will also create a cheap supply. The preparation 
 of an acre of ground should be as follows : — It 
 should, previous to planting, be forked over to a 
 depth of twenty inches (if very poor and exhausted, 
 from thirty to forty tons of manure may be forked 
 in,) — not more, as trees such as I have recom- 
 mended, viz., pears on the quince stock, and apples 
 on the English Paradise stock do not root deeply— 
 this ought to cost £6 13s 4:d. The annual expenses 
 are, forking the surface in Spring, £1 Qs. 8d., and 
 hoeing the ground, say four times during the Sum- 
 mer, £1 4s. I give the amounts paid here for such 
 work. Then comes the Summer pinching of the 
 shoots by a light-fingered active youth, and this 
 may, at a guess, be put down at £1, making the 
 aggregate annual expenses £3 10s. 8d., or, say £4 
 per acre. The large return will amply afford this 
 outlay, even adding, as we ought to do, the interest 
 on capital, and rent. 
 
 It will be seen that what I propose is in reality a 
 
APPLES AS BUSHES FOR MARKET GARDENS. 73 
 
 Nursery Orchard whicli may be made to furnisli 
 fruit and trees for a considerable number of years. 
 To fully comprehend this we must suppose a rood 
 of g-round planted, as I have described, with 1210 
 bush apple trees. In the course of eight or ten years 
 half of these, or 605, may be removed to a fresh 
 plantation, in which they may be planted six feet 
 apart ; they will at once occupy half an acre of 
 ground. At the end of sixteen or eighteen years 
 every alternate row of trees in the first plantation— 
 the rood— -will require to be removed, which will give 
 302 trees to be planted, six feet apart, leaving 303 in 
 the original rood. The 1210 trees will by this time 
 occupy one acre of ground at six feet apart. With 
 proper summer pruning or pinching they will not 
 require any further change, but continue to grow and 
 bear fruit as long as they are properly cultivated. 
 The great advantage reaped by the planter is the 
 constant productiveness of his trees ; from the second 
 year after planting they will be always " paying their 
 way." 
 
 The unprejudiced fruit cultivator will quickly find 
 out the great advantage of my mode of apple and 
 pear cultivation. Still, it may be thought too serious 
 a business to attend to three or four thousand trees 
 per acre, and only adapted to a very humble culti- 
 vator ; I ought therefore, to state that those who 
 wish to cultivate apples and pears for market purposes 
 may with a sound prospect of success, if the soil and 
 climate are favorable, plant apples on the English 
 paradise stock, and pears on the quince stocks, either 
 as pyramids or bushes, six feet apart 1,210 per acre) 
 row from row, and six feet apart in the rows. This 
 distance will admit of light crops of vegetables for 
 two feet in the centre between each row for several 
 years, and till the trees — which muet be under summer 
 pinching — cover the ground. 
 
74 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 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 commencing 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. Now, although, 
 like most fathers, I have a strong wish to benefit 
 my children, I hold the idea that one ought also to 
 think of one's own gratification ; and so I have planted 
 and recommend the planting of such trees as will 
 give me some satisfaction, yet leave a fertile inheri- 
 tance to my children. 
 
 A French pomologist, who paid me a visit in 1864, 
 said, "Ah ! now I find an Englishman planting for 
 himself as well as for his children;" and went on to 
 say that he was struck by seeing in England so many 
 Standard trees in market gardens, the planters of which 
 could have derived but small benefit from them ; and the 
 apparent ignorance of fruit gardening as a lucrative 
 occupation. This he, in fact, imputed to our climate 
 which Frenchman-like, he thought totally unfit for 
 fruit culture in the open air, yet felt much surprised 
 to see here the produce of a well cultivated English fruit 
 garden, in a climate not nearly so favorable as the 
 valley of the Thames. 
 
 I have only to add that, besides my plantation of 
 Cox's Orange Pippin, I have another of upwards of 
 400 trees, which has now been in existence upwards 
 of ten years, so that I am not theorising, but deducing 
 facts from a sound basis. 
 
 APPLES AS SINGLE LATERAL CORDONS. 
 
 The French gardeners often train an apple tree "en 
 
APPLES AS SINGLE LATERAL CORDONS. 
 
 76 
 
 cordon horizontale, " as an edging" to the borders in 
 their kitchen gardens, after the following mode : A 
 tree grafted on the Paradise or Doncin 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, (^ig. 15.) 
 
 Fig. 15 
 
 To carry out this method of training, oak posts, 
 about three inches in diameter and two feet in length, 
 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 galvanized or common iron 
 wire — if the latter it should be painted — about the 
 thickness of whipcord, should be strained and sup- 
 ported nine inches 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 be 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 
 
76 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 nnited, 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 bind- 
 ing-, as well as the moss, may remain on till autumn. 
 The trees do not grow so rapidly as common grafts, 
 so that the ligatures will not cut into the bark. 
 
 Every side shoot of these cordons should be rigorously 
 pinched down to three leaves all the summer. It will 
 of course occur to the reader, that the spurs would 
 soon make the tree a thick and clumsy cordon, to 
 prevent this every spur should be reduced in winter 
 to about half its length, and some of the crowded 
 blossom buds removed with a very sharp knife. 
 The fruit, from being near the earth, and thus profit- 
 ing 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 
 them, which by resisting radiation gives great inten- 
 sity to frost just above its surface, it is necessary 
 either to carefully 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 -| inch boards, so 
 as to cover two 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 blossoms 
 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. 16, which is a great 
 improvement on the French single cor- 
 don, requires the same training, pinch- 
 ing-in, and management. This improved 
 lateral cordon does not require a wire to 
 kind of support its branches, a hook. 
 
APPLES AS SINGLE LATERAL CORDONS. 
 
 77 
 
 gometliing' after a sheplierd's crook may be used 
 with advantage, thus ; the branch is introduced at a 
 and is supported bj the crook. 
 
 The quadruple lateral cordon is a tree well adapted 
 for the edging of the borders of the kitchen garden, it is 
 
APPLES A3 SINGLE LATERAL CORDONS. 79 
 
 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 quadruple cordon, or low espalier edging tree, 
 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 
 brought about by training these double lateral 
 cordons under glass ridges is obvious enough. The 
 figure (18) 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 Rib stone Pippin will not ripen, it may be 
 brought to perfection under the glass fruit ridge. 
 
 The figure (Fig. 18) 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 
 six inches wide at base, and the wires ten inches 
 asunder. It is quite possible that this method of 
 training to galvanized wires may, in some situations, 
 be better adapted to vine 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 ]ent to me : 
 
 "There are no cross bars, but merely a frame three 
 
APPLES AS SINGLE LATERAL CORDONS. 81 
 
 feet wide at the base. On the top bar a, is a groove 
 half an inch deep ; in the bottom bar h, is a groove a 
 quarter of an inch deep ; ^ in the end bars c and d, are 
 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 in- 
 wards, so as to drive all of them into close contact. 
 A little putty is required at the bottom 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 new barless 
 glass fruit ridge — the invention of my son, — which 
 I think calculated to have a greater effect on domes- 
 tic gardening, and contribute more to the refine- 
 ment and comfort of a very large class of people 
 than all the crystal palaces ever invented. I feel 
 that I ought to add how and where these nice things 
 are to be bought. 
 
 Mr. James Rivett, builder of Stratford, Essex, 
 makes and sells them at 5s. Qd. or Qs. each, unglazed. 
 Those who would wish to hav^ a large number, and 
 who live at a long distance from London, should 
 have a few from Mr. Rivett as samples; they could 
 then be imitated by any good labourer. 
 
 For ventilation and other particulars I refer my 
 readers to the description of the ground vinery, p. 
 124; and for the method of placing the wires, to p. 
 78. _ 
 
 I must caution those who wish to grow fruit under 
 
 (1) An improvement on this is to have a rebate at bottom instead of a 
 groove ; the glass is more easily fitted in. 
 
82 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 glass fruit ridges, in small confined gardens, to be 
 careful as to ventilation. 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 
 ridge culture, three seven-feet lengths should bepre- 
 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 weekly, and give 
 constant employment to the amateur. I must not 
 omit to state the great advantage, this mode of fruit 
 culture gives as to protection from spring frosts wben 
 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 this season (1868) the pleasure of 
 seeing all my anticipations fully realised ; the cordon 
 pear-trees have produced fruit large and with the fine 
 clear rinds we see on those grown in the warm parts 
 of France — 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 till they fully occupy the room 
 under the ridge, ripened a fortnight earlier than those 
 in the open air, and were of excellent quality. I have 
 therefore no hesitation in recommending this mode of 
 fruit culture to all amateurs who have gardens without 
 walls or orchard houses. 
 
VERTICAL (GORDON APPLE TREES. 
 
 83 
 
 Fig. 19 
 VEETICAL COEDON APPLE TREE?. 
 
 In pp. 43 and 44 will be found the metliod of 
 training vertical cordon pear trees. This may be 
 applied to apples on the English Paradise stock with 
 great success, and very charming fruitful trees they 
 m.ake. 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 
 these trees, three years old, and full of fruit. (Fig. 19.) 
 
 APPLES AS WALL TREES. 
 
 We have been so accustomed to think of, and treat 
 
84 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 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 chmate 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 : — 
 1 . To have the trees trained as espaliers to low 
 walls as directed for pear trees (p. 37), the trees to be 
 under summer-pinching as given p. 26. 2. To plant 
 five-branched upright cordons in the spaces so often 
 found between wall-trees in old gardens. 3. To plant 
 single vertical cordons, see fig. 18, against walls 
 between estabhshed wall trees, these should have all 
 the shoots and spurs cut ofi" closely on one of the trees 
 so that the stem may be easily fastened to the wall 
 with a band or even two or three strong shreds. 
 Single vertical cordon apple trees grafted on the 
 English paradise stock and planted against walls 10 
 to 12 feet high, the trees well managed, by summer- 
 pinching become amazingly prohfic, and bear the 
 finest of fruit. 4. To train at the foot of a wall the 
 single lateral cordon fig. 15, or the double lateral 
 cordons, fig. 16, if the space next the wall and under 
 the trees be paved with tiles or slates, the size and 
 quahty of the fruit will be improved. I ought here 
 to mention that double or two-branched lateral 
 cordon pear trees may be grown at the foot of walls, 
 but not more than 9 inches from them, the tile-paving 
 is with pears quite necessary, as is also protection in 
 spring from frosts. This is most eliectuaily done by 
 lean-to barless lights in foot of the glass span ridge 
 
PYRAMIDAL APPLES ON THE CRAB STOCK. 85 
 
 (fig. 17) 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 effects 
 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 in- 
 vention, they form so fine a climate against brick 
 walls, that I see no reason why low 4 inch brick walls 
 should not be built by market-gardeners ; other lean- 
 to lights of increased size employed for early crops, 
 the climate they give is perfect, so efiicient is the low 
 admission of root 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 of American origin, viz., the Newtown Pippin, 
 Washington, Bar's Apple, Melon, Northern Spy, Fall 
 Pippin, Lady's Sweeting, and some others. 
 
 The French Apple, Calville Branche, is also of high 
 excellence, cultivated as a wall or orchard house tree, 
 and in cool climates, our fine English apples, the Golden 
 Pippin, Pibston Pippin and Lord Burleigh are quite 
 worthy of a place against a wall with a southern asj^ect. 
 
 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 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 
 
86 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 must eitlier be lifted or taken up biennially early in 
 November, and replanted in tbe manner recommended 
 for busb pear trees, or root-pruned biennially, op- 
 erating upon the trees alternately, as mentioned in 
 note to p. 13; or the following sj^stem 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 p. 68, 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 pp. 68 and 69 
 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 
 Heinette, Hawthornden, Bibston Pippin, and several 
 others, all more or less inclined to canker. I have a 
 row of Nonpareils and Pibston 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 of 
 luxuriant growth. Pyramids on the crab, without 
 occasional 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. 
 
 PYKAMIDAL PLUM TREES. 
 
 The plum, if planted in a rich garden soil, rapidly 
 
PYEAMIDAL PLUM TREES. 87 
 
 forms a pyramid of large growth., — it, in fact, can 
 scarcely be managed by summer pincliing. It be- 
 comes crowded with young shoots and leaves, and 
 the shortening of its strong horizontal branches at 
 the end of summer is apt to bring on the gum : it is 
 a tree, however, with most manageable roots, for 
 they are always near the surface. I must, therefore, 
 again recommend summer pinching to three leaves, 
 as directed for pears, p. 9, annual or biennial root- 
 pruning, and surface dressing, in preference to any 
 other mode of culture. The root-pruning of the plum is 
 performed as follows: — Open a circular trench 
 eighteen inches deep round the tree, eighteen inches 
 from its stem, and cut off every root and fibre with a 
 sharp knife. When the roots are so pruned, intro- 
 duce a spade under one side of the tree, and heave 
 it over so as not to leave a single tap-root ; fill in 
 your mould, give a top dressing of manure, and it is 
 finished. The diameter of your circular trench must 
 be slowly increased as years roll on ; for you must, 
 each year, prune to within one-and-a-half or two 
 inches of the stumps of the former year. Your cir- 
 cular mass of fibrous roots will thus slowly increase, 
 your tree will make short and well-ripened shoots, 
 and bear abundantly. From very recent experience, 
 I have found that removing trees annually, if the 
 soil be rich, — biennially, and adding some rich com- 
 post, if it be poor — loitJiout root-pruning, will keep 
 plum trees in a healthy and fertile state. For further 
 particulars on this head, see pp. 12 and 13. 
 
 Pyi^amidal plum trees are most beautiful trees both 
 when in flower and fruit. Their rich purple and 
 golden crop has an admirable effect on a well-managed 
 pyramid. No stock has yet been found to cramp the 
 energies of the plum tree. I have, however, tried 
 experiments on the sloe, which, as it never forms a 
 tree of any bulk, effects this object to a certain ex- 
 
88 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 tent. My trees on the sloe are some years old, and 
 are dwarf and prolific. The first year after grafting 
 they made vigorous growth ; but this is a very com- 
 mon occurrence with stocks that ultimately make 
 very prolific trees ; it is so with the pear on the 
 quince, the apple on the Paradise, and the cherry on 
 the Mahaleb. The greengage seems to grow more 
 freely on the sloe than any other sort. I have three 
 fine vigorous bushes, now about ten years old, grow- 
 ing in the white marly clay, with chalk-stones, 
 peculiar to some parts of Essex and Hertfordshire. 
 The sloe seems to delight in this soil, so inimical to 
 most kinds of fruit trees. My greengage plums are 
 almost vigorous in their growth ; and what appears 
 strange is, that the stock seems to keep pace with 
 the graft — there is scarcely any swelling at the junc- 
 tion. The roots of these trees have not been touched, 
 and they appear to have gone deeply into the solid 
 white clay. The plum on the sloe is easily arrested 
 in its growth by root-pruning. I have some trees, 
 four years old, not more than eighteen inches 
 high, and yet covered with blossom buds.* These 
 have been only once root-pruned, and are forming 
 themselves into nice compact proHfic bushes. As no 
 peculiar culture, or disease, requires to be noticed, I 
 have only to give a selection of sorts calculated for 
 pyramids. These are also well adapted for walls with 
 W., N.W., E., or S.E. aspects. 
 
 HARDY DESSERT PLTJMS ADAPTED FOE PYRAMIDS. 
 
 In season from July to the end of October. Placed in the order of their 
 ripening. 
 
 Early Favourite* 
 July Green Gage* 
 De Montfort 
 Oullins' Golden Gage 
 Green Gage* 
 Jeflerson* 
 
 Kirke's* 
 
 Transparent Gage* 
 Purple Gage 
 Guthrie's Late Green 
 Reine Claude de Bavay* 
 Bryanstone Gage 
 
 (1) Since this was written, I have found plums grafted on the plum stock 
 so easily dwarfed by annual or biennial removal, that unless in hard clayey 
 
HARDY KITCHEN PLUMS ADAPTED FOR PYRAMIDS. 89 
 
 HARDY KITCHEN PLUMS ADAPTED FOR PYRAI^IIDS. 
 
 In season from July till the end of Octoher. Placed in the order of their 
 ripening. . 
 
 Early Prolific* 
 Belgian Purple* 
 Pond's Seedling 
 Prince Engelbert 
 Victoria or Alderton* 
 Mitchelson's 
 
 Dove Bank 
 Diamond* 
 Imperial de Milan 
 Autumn Compote* 
 Late Black Orleans* 
 Belle de Septembre* 
 
 PLTJM TREES AS BUSHES. 
 
 There is, perhaps, no fruit tree so easily kept 
 within bounds as the plum. In rich soils they bear 
 annual removal with but a slight check ; but in most 
 soils biennial removal will keep them in a perfectly 
 fruitful state under bush culture. This is absolutely 
 necessary; and if the soil be poor, some thoroughly 
 rotted manure (about half a bushel to each tree) may 
 be mixed with the soil in replanting. As with pear 
 trees, the best season for lifting or removing them is 
 the end of October or beginning of November. Plum 
 bushes have the advantage of being easily protected 
 by a square of light cheap calico, tiffany, or any 
 light material, thrown over them while in blossom, 
 and a crop of fruit thus insured. All the varieties 
 recommended for pjTamids may be cultivated as 
 bushes, and for suburban gardens, they should be 
 subjected to exactly the same treatment as recom- 
 mended for apple bushes, p. 72. 
 
 PLUM TREES AS CORDON'S. 
 
 The plum forms a most prolific lateral double 
 cordon and gives very fine fruit, when pruned and 
 trained after the fashion of pear trees. Owing, 
 however, to the fruit often receiving injury from 
 heavy rains, it is almost indispensable to have a 
 space under each tree paved with tiles, and a work 
 
 soils, found to be unfavorable to the plum, there is no occasion to employ 
 the sloe stock, unless as an experiment. 
 
^9 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 of necessity to protect the trees from spring frosts, 
 for they (the trees) come into blossom so early, owini 
 to their receiving the reflected heat from the soil in 
 early spring, that seldom or never does the younff 
 fruit survive the month of April. One of the best 
 modes of protection are those ridges of glass and 
 boards described p. 81, for if placed on bricks, they 
 may remam over the trees till the commencement of 
 the first week in June, here a period of rejoicing, 
 for not till then are we safe from the fruit growers 
 scourge— a severe spring frost. There is a method 
 of cultivating a few kinds of plums as vertical 
 cordons practised here which is likely to be popular, 
 it IS simply selecting the proper sorts (fii-st catching 
 your hare), and then planting them in ground not 
 too rich,-— say a calcareous sandy loam, and then 
 pinching in, during the summer, all the young shoots 
 as directed pp. 41 and 42, and trusting to this, to re- 
 strain the growth of the trees, without either root- 
 pruning or removal. 
 
 The varieties adapted to this mode of culture, 
 are as yet but few, viz :— Oullins Golden Gage' 
 Eeme Claude de Bavay, Belgian Purple, Large 
 Black Imperial, Cluster Damson and Prince Engel- 
 bert, of the latter kind upwards of 1000 trees are 
 planted here for fruit bearers, they are now five 
 years old, and are becoming compact fertile cypress- 
 like trees. In the course of time, there wiU doubt- 
 less be many kinds of plums adapted to this mode of 
 culture, for here we have 2000 seedling plums all 
 raised from choice varieties, and likely to give kinds 
 as weU adapted to our climate, as is the Early Elvers 
 or Early Prolific, well known to be the hardiest plum 
 known, and yet only the first removed by seed, from 
 one of the most tender French varieties, Precoce de 
 Tours plum. 
 These vertical cordon plums should be planted 
 
CHERRIES AS BUSHES AND PYRAMIDS ON THE MAHALEB STOCK. 91 
 
 from 4 to 5 feet apart, row from row, and the same 
 distance tree from tree, the former distance will allow 
 of 2700 trees per acre, the latter 1700, and as far as 
 I can see, many years will elapse before they will 
 require thinning, and they will bear many bushels 
 of fruit per acre. 
 
 CHERRIES AS BUSHES AND PYRAMIDS ON THE MAHALEB 
 STOCK (CERASUS MAHALEB). 
 
 This stock has been long known in our shrubberies 
 as the ''Perfumed Cherry:" its wood when buimed 
 emits a most agreeable perfume. In France it is 
 called "Bois de St. Lucie," and it has been used 
 there for dwarf cherries for very many years ; — why 
 it has not been employed by English nurserymen, I 
 cannot tell. My attention was called to it in France 
 some twenty or more years ago, since which I have 
 used it extensively, annually increasing my culture. 
 Its great recommendation is, that cherries grafted on 
 it will flourish in soils unfavourable to them on the 
 common cherry stock, such as strong white clay, or 
 soils with a chalky subsoil. Although the trees grow 
 most vigorously the first two or three seasons, yet, 
 after that period, and especially if root-pruned, they 
 form dwarf prolific bushes, so as easily to be covered 
 with a net, or, what is better, with muslin or tiffany, 
 which will protect the blossoms from frost in spring, 
 and the fruit more effectually from bii'ds and wasps 
 in summer; thus giving us, what is certainly most 
 rare, cherries fully ripe, and prolonging their season 
 till September. These dwarf bushes may be 
 planted fi'om five to six feet apart, and their 
 branches pruned so that seven, or nine, or more, 
 come out from the centre of the plant, like a well- 
 managed gooseberry bush. These branches will, in 
 May or June, put forth, as in the horizontal shoots of 
 pyraiaidal pears, several shoots at their extremities, 
 
92 THE MlNIATrRE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 all of which, must be pinched off to three leaves, 
 leaving the leading shoots untouched till the middle 
 or end of August, when they must be shortened, and 
 the pruning for the year is finished. 
 
 The Morello and Duke cherries — the most eligible 
 for this bush culture — may have their leading shoots 
 shortened to eight leaves. If, however, the space be 
 confined in which they are planted, this length may 
 be reduced, for by biennial root-pruning, the trees 
 may be kept exceedingly dwarf. The end is to form 
 the tree into a round bush, not too much crowded 
 with shoots. Towards the end of September,^ or, in 
 fact, as soon as the autumnal rains have sufiiciently 
 penetrated the soil, a trench may be dug round the 
 tree, exactly the same as recommended for root- 
 pruning of pears, the spade introduced under the tree 
 to cut all perpendicular roots, and all the spreading 
 roots shortened with the knife, and brought near to 
 the surface, previously filling in the trench with some 
 light friable soil for them to rest on, and spreading 
 them regularly round the tree, as near to the surface 
 as possible ; then covering them with the soil that 
 was taken out of the trench. No dung or manure of 
 any kind is required, as this stock seems to flourish 
 in the poorest soils. Some short litter, or half decayed 
 leaves will, however, be of much benefit placed on 
 the surface round the stem. 
 
 I have thus far given their culture for small 
 gardens ; but those who have more sj)ace may dis- 
 pense with root-pruning, and allow their cherry 
 trees to make large bushes, which may be planted 
 eight feet apart and pinched regularly in the 
 summer, and managed as directed for pear trees 
 (p. 8). The leading shoot from each branch in such 
 
 (1) This early autumnal root-pruninff will be found very advantacreous. 
 The flow of sap is checked, so that the shoots are well ripened, and the 
 roots soon emit fresh fibres to feed the tree the following season. 
 
CHERRIES AS BUSHES AND PYRAMIDS ON THE MAHALEB STOCK. 93 
 
 cases must be left longer, and shortened to twelve 
 or more buds. 
 
 The most charming of all pyramids are the varieties 
 of the Duke and Morello cherries on the Mahaleb ; 
 these by summer pinching, as practised for pyramidal 
 pears, become in two or three years the most delight- 
 ful fruit trees ever seen, for in spring they are perfect 
 nosegays of flowers, and in summer clusters of fruit — 
 if spared by spring frosts. 
 
 The common Morello cherry on the Mahaleb stock, 
 cultivated as a pyramid, forms one of the most prolific 
 of trees ; but as birds carry off the fruit when only 
 half ripe, each pyramid should have a bag of tiifany 
 placed over it, and tied round the stem of the tree at 
 bottom. Any garden, however small, may grow 
 enough of this useful sort by planting a few pyramids, 
 lifting and replanting, or root-pruning them biennially 
 and pinching in every shoot to three leaves (as soon as 
 it has made five) aU the summer. The Kentish 
 cherry, also a most useful culinary sort, may be 
 cultivated as a pyramid with great success. A French 
 variety grown near Paris, in large quantities, and 
 known as the ^' Cerise Aigre Hative," which may be 
 Englished by calling it the Early Sour Cherry, is 
 a useful kind for the kitchen. In going from Paris 
 a year or two ago to Versailles by the '*Pive Droite 
 Pailway, I was much struck by seeing in the marliet 
 gardens between Suresnes and Puteaux, on the left, 
 large plots of dwarf trees, about the size of large 
 gooseberry bushes, and some very low trees, all co- 
 vered (as they appeared to me from the railway 
 carriage) with bright red flowers. I learned, on 
 inquiry, that these were cherry bushes — Kterally 
 masses of fruit, of the above variety. I find, how- 
 ever, that it is not equal to the Kentish in flavour or 
 size in England. 
 
 I need scarcely add, that the culture of all the 
 
A PYRAMIDAL MORELLO CHERRY TREE. 
 From a Photograph, August, 1862. 
 
 Fig. 20 
 
CHERRrES AS BUSHES AND PYRAMIDS ON THE MAHALEB STOCK. 95 
 
 Duke tribe of cherries by closely pincbed-in pyramids, 
 biennially removed, or biennially root-pruned, is 
 most satisfactory. It is, perhaps, more easily per- 
 formed than root pruning, and the trees soon form 
 perfect pictures. As far as my experience has gone, 
 cherries on the Mahaleb are much more fi-uitful when 
 ** oft removed ; " the most eligible mode is to remove 
 only half the trees in one season, and the remainder 
 the following season. I have seen nothing in fruit- 
 tree culture more interesting than handsome compact 
 pyramids of such sorts of cherries as the May Duke, 
 Duchesse de Palluau, Empress Eugenie, and Arch- 
 duke. One feels surprise to find that as yet but few 
 lovers of gardening know of the existence of such 
 trees. 
 
 It will much facilitate the operation on their roots 
 if the trees be planted on small mounts. 
 
 In forming plantations of pyramidal and dwarf 
 cherries on the Mahaleb stock, it is necessary to 
 arrange them with a little care. The two groups, 
 those of the habit of the Morello tribe, and those 
 of the compact habit of the May Duke, should be 
 planted in separate rows. Bigarreau and Heart 
 cherries are too short-lived, in many kinds of soil, 
 when grafted on this stock — unless double-grafted 
 on the Morello cherry — to be recommended. 
 
 The following arrangement will assist the 
 planter : — 
 
 SECTION I.— The May Duke Tribe. 
 
 Arch Duke* 
 May Duke* 
 Royal Duke* 
 Jeflfrey's Duke 
 
 SECTION II.— The Morello Tribe 
 
 Belle de Choisy 
 Nouvelle Royale 
 Empress Eugenie 
 Duchesse de Palluau 
 
 Carnation (Coe's late)* 
 Kentish 
 Late Duke* 
 Griotte de Chaux* 
 
 Morello* 
 Reine Hortense* 
 Belle Ma^nifique 
 Planchoury* 
 
 Cherries grafted on the Cerasus Mahaleb are 
 eminently adapted for espaliers, or for walls, as 
 
ye THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 they occupy less space, and are very fertile. They 
 may be planted twelve feet apart, whereas espaliers 
 on the cherry stock require to be eighteen or twenty 
 feet apart. For potting, for forcing, cherries on 
 this stock are highly eligible, as they grow slowly 
 and bear abundantly.^ 
 
 CHERRIES AS SINGLE YEETICAIi CORDONS. 
 
 The varieties best adapted for this very interesting 
 mode of culture are those of the Duke tribe, such as 
 the May Duke, Arch Duke, Empress Eugenie, Royal 
 Duke, Nouvelle Royale, Duchesse de Palluau, and some 
 others. Young pyramidal trees three feet apart 
 should be planted in rows, and their side shoots 
 pruned in to within two inches of their stems. They 
 require the same summer pinching as that recom- 
 mended for vertical cordon pears, p. 43. and should 
 not be allowed to exceed eight or ten feet in height. 
 Nothing can be more charming than these cordon 
 cherry trees. I have at this moment trees five 
 years old, of the Duke tribe, with their bright ripe fruit 
 hanging close to the stem, and shining through the net 
 that protects them from the birds. The best of all 
 protection, both from birds and wasps, is, however, 
 Haythorn's netting, or coarse muslin, formed into a 
 narrow bottomless bag, which should be let down 
 gently over the tree, so as to leave the leading shoot 
 out, and tied at the bottom and top ; Duke cherries 
 may thus be preserved till August. I may mention 
 here, that with these cherry cordon trees, root- 
 pruning or removal is seldom required, their vital 
 force is so reduced by continuous pinching of the 
 
 (1) Cherry trees are often infested in summer with the black aphis. The 
 best remedy is a mixture made by boiling four ounces of quassia chips in a 
 gallon of soft water ten minutes, and dissolving in it as it cools, four 
 ounces of soft soap. It should be stirred, and the trees syringed with it 
 twice or thrice. The day following they should be syringed with pure 
 water. 
 
BIGARREAU AND HEART CHERRIES AS PYRAMIDS. 97 
 
 yoimg shoots; but if a rich, soil gives too much 
 vigour, it may be practised- There are a few kind 
 of jdIuiiis, of upright growth, which may also be 
 cultivated as vertical cordons. 
 
 The Bigarreau and Heart, or Guigne cherries, are 
 too vigorous for this mode of culture when grafted or 
 budded, as they generally are, on the common cherry 
 stock. The new mode of culture by double grafting, 
 i.e., by grafting them on young trees of the common 
 Morello cherry that have been grafted on the 
 Mahaleb, will make them most prolific cordons. (See 
 p. 109.) 
 
 I must add a piece of very necessary advice : aU 
 vertical cordon trees, whether pears, apples, cherries, 
 or plums, should be supported by a slight iron red, 
 about the size of a goose-quill, which should be 
 painted ; this should stand six to seven feet above 
 the surface, and be inserted ten to twelve inches in 
 the ground, and the tree attached loosely to it by two 
 or three bands of bheet lead or some soft metal. 
 
 BIGARREAU AND HEART CHERRIES AS PYRAMIDS ON THE 
 COMMON CHERRY STOCK. 
 
 Among the mysteries of vegetable physiology, 
 there is nothing, perhaps, more interesting than the 
 facts discovered by the fruit-cultivator. Many kinds 
 of pears grow with great luxuriance when grafted or 
 budded on the quince stock, while other kinds, culti- 
 vated in the same soil, and budded or grafted with 
 equal care, will grow feebly, and die in the course of 
 a year or two. 
 
 The Noblesse and Hoyal George peaches form fine 
 healthy trees when budded on the Muscle plum stock. 
 The Grosse Mignonne and the French Galande die in 
 a year or two, if budded on it. The Moor Park 
 apricot grows readily and freely on the above-named 
 stock. The peach apricot, its French congener, wiU 
 
dS TBB MINIA.TT)!BE FRUIT GtABDEV. 
 
 not ; why ? The Bigarreau and the Heart cherries 
 (or, as the French call them, Gruignes) do not succeed 
 fio well on the Cerasus Mahaleb as they do on the 
 common cherry ; they grow most rapidly for two or 
 three years, and then are apt to become diseased. 
 
 The stock raised from the small black and red wild 
 cherries is the proper one for this race, except they 
 are double grafted. 
 
 Pyramidal cherry trees may be bought ready-made, 
 or formed by purchasing young trees, one year old, 
 from the bud, and training them up in the same way 
 as directed for pyramidal pears (pp. 5 and 6), with 
 this variation, — pears, as is well known, may be 
 grown as pyramids successfully, with or without root- 
 pruning or biennial removal ; but cherries on common 
 cherry stocks will grow so rapidly, in spite of sum- 
 mer pinching, that biennial removal is a work of 
 necessity. In the course of a few years pyramidal 
 cherry trees thus treated become pictures of beauty. 
 In France they generally fail, and become lull of 
 dead stumps and gum, owing to their trusting en- 
 tirely to pruning their trees severely in summer and 
 winter, without attending to their roots ; the trees 
 thus being full of vigour make strong shoots, only to 
 be pinched and cut off. We must " manage these 
 things better" in England. 
 
 The mode of operation in removing pyramidal 
 cherries is the same as that recommended for pears 
 and apples, &c. It will be found, however, that 
 more labour is required, for in two years the cherry 
 on the common stock, like the apple on the crab, 
 makes a vigorous attempt to lay hold of its parent 
 earth. The second year the tree may be lifted by 
 digging a trench round its stem, one foot from it and 
 16 inches deep. The fourth year this trench must be 
 18 inches from the stem and 20 inches deep; the 
 sixth year it should be 2 feet from the stem and 2 
 
BIGARREAU AND HEART CHERRIES AS PYRAMIDS. 99 
 
 feet deep. This distance and depth need not be de- 
 parted from if the trees are required to be only fair- 
 sized pyramids; the stragghng roots beyond this 
 circumference should be biennially pruned off with 
 the knife. The tree managed thus, will soon be in a 
 mature, fruitful state, and its roots a mass of fibres, 
 so that when removed it will, like the rhododendron, 
 receive only a healthy check. 
 
 Pyramidal Bigarreau and Heart cherries, culti- 
 vated after the method above given, may be planted 
 in small grass orchards, with pyramidal pears on 
 pear stocks, pyramidal apples on crab stocks, and 
 pyramidal plums. A charming orchard in miniature 
 may thus be formed. Cattle and sheep must, of 
 course, be excluded, and a wide fence from three to 
 four feet in diameter, round each tree, must be kept 
 free from grass and weeds. 
 
 The following varieties form handsome pyramidal 
 trees, and bear fruit of the finest quality : — 
 
 Black Tartarian 
 
 Downton 
 
 Elton* 
 
 Bi£?arreau Jaboulay* 
 Bohemian Biu^arreau 
 Lars^e Biac < Bigarreau* 
 Early Black Bigarreau* 
 Late' Purple Guig-ne* 
 Biiiarreau 
 Bigarreau Napoleon* 
 
 Florence* 
 Governor Wood* 
 Werder's Early Black 
 
 I have thus far given the results of my experience 
 in the culture of pyramidal trees. The method is not 
 by any means new, for visitDrs to the Continent, for 
 these last fifty j^ears, must have often observed the 
 numerous pjrramids of France and Belgium. The 
 system of annual and biennial root-pruning I must, 
 however, claim as original, for I feel assured that in 
 our moist climate — too moist for many varieties of 
 fruit — such a check is required to keep pyramids that 
 are under summer pinching in a healthy, fruitful 
 state. The defect in the pyramidal trees of the 
 Continental gardeners, is their tendency to an 
 enormous production of leaves and shoots, brought 
 
100 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 on by severe annual pruning of their shoots. The 
 climate is probably too dry for root-pruning ; yet I 
 cannot help thinking that if it were followed by 
 manuring thickly on the surface, and occasional 
 watering, it would make their trees prodigiously 
 fruitful. 
 
 At the risk of repetition, and writing from my own 
 experience, 1 must say that no gardening operation 
 can be more agreeable than paying daily attention to 
 a plantation ot pyramids. From the end of May to 
 the end of July — those beautiful months of our short 
 Bummer — there are always shoots to watch, to pinch, 
 to direct, fruit to thin, and a host of jjleasant opera- 
 tions, so winning to one who loves his garden and 
 every tree and plant in it. 
 
 To conclude, 1 may mention that the small Alberge 
 apricot, raised from the stone, and producing small 
 high-flavoured fruit, and also the Breda apricot, make 
 very beautiful pyramids if lifted or planted bien- 
 nially. In the southern counties of England, in a 
 favourable season, they will ripen their fruit, and 
 produce good crops. The large Portugal quince is 
 also very prolific as a pyramidal tree. Some trees 
 only two years old have borne fine fruit here. This 
 is the finest of all the quinces, and in the south of 
 Europe it grows to an enormous size. The Medlar 
 will also form a handsome and productive pyramid, 
 and, "last, but not least" in the estimation of the 
 lover of soft fruits, the currant. A near neighbour — 
 an ingenious gardf^ner — attaches much value, and 
 with reason, to his pyramidal currant trees ; for his 
 table is supplied abundantly with their fruit till late 
 in autumn. The leading shoots of his trees are 
 fastened to iron rods ; they form nice pyramids of 
 about five feet in height ; and by the clever con- 
 trivance of slipping a bag made of tifiany over every 
 tree as soon as the fruit is ripe, fastening it securely 
 
FILBERTS AND NUTS AS STANDARDS. 101 
 
 to the bottom, wasps, and birds, and flies, and all the 
 ills that beset ripe currants are excluded. With aU 
 these, summer pinching and root-pruning, or occasional 
 removal (excejjt the currant, which does not require 
 the latter operation), as directed for pears, are indis- 
 pensable ; they soon form very handsome pja-amids, 
 and make a ]3leasing variety in the fruit garden. 
 
 FILBERTS AND NUTS AS STANDARDS. 
 
 Filberts, as commonly cultivated, except in the 
 Kentish gardens, form straggling bushes, and are 
 some years before they commence to bear. To correct 
 this, I some ten or more years since had them grafted 
 on stems of the hazel-nut raised from Spanish nuts, 
 as they were vigorous growers and formed stout 
 stems. I have found these grafted trees answer 
 admirabh', and come quickly into bearing, forming 
 nice garden trees. 
 
 As soon as the nut trees designed for stocks, have 
 made stout stems about four feet high, they should 
 be grafted at that height with the choice kind of nuts, 
 such as the red and white filberts and the Cusford 
 nut — an excellent nut. The purple-leaved filbert, 
 generally planted as an ornamental shrub, may also 
 be grafted ; it gives nuts equal to the common filbert, 
 and forms a nice ornamental standard. 
 
 Standard nuts require but little culture; they soon 
 form round heads, and bear profusely. Care must be 
 taken to destroy all suckers from the stem and root. 
 
 The only pruning required is in winter to thin out 
 the crowded shoots, and shorten to half their length 
 those that are inclined to be vigorous — that is, tliose 
 that are more than nine inches in length. The short 
 spray-like shoots must not be shortened, as they are 
 the fruit-givers. 
 
 If these standard nuts are planted in rich garden 
 soils, they will soon make trees too large for small 
 
1.02 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 n 
 
 gardens. If, therefore, they are found to grow too 
 vigorously, they should be lifted and replanted 
 biennially in November. 
 
 I have mentioned seedling nuts as good for stocks ; 
 but I have lately employed a valuable sort, introduced 
 from Germany as Corylus arborescens ; this makes 
 a beautiful clear stem. 
 
 The Algiers nut, Corylus algerensis, seems also to 
 be well adapted for a stock for standards, as it makes 
 shoots from six to seven feet in one season. 
 
 FIGS AS HALF STANDAEDS OR BUSHES. 
 
 There is, perhaps, no fruit tree that disappoints 
 the amateur fruit grower so much as the fig. If 
 planted in the open borders of the garden, it soon 
 grows into an enormous fruitless bush or tree, and if 
 placed against a wall, unless a very large space can 
 be given to it, but little fruit must be expected. 
 
 It may, however, be made eligible for small gar- 
 dens, where the climate is sufficiently warm to rijjen 
 its fruit, such as the gardens near London, and those 
 in the eastern and southern counties. Fruitfulness 
 and moderate growth are brought on by the following 
 method. Trees should be procured of the An- 
 gelique Brown Turkey, White Marseilles and 
 Early Yiolet Figs — these are the only kinds that 
 bear freely, and ripen their fruit well — such trees 
 should be low or half standards, or dwarfs with a 
 clear stem (not bushes branching from the ground). 
 The former should have a stem three feet high, and 
 the latter one from one foot to eighteen inches ; in 
 each case the tree should have a nice rounded head. 
 
 Trees thus selected should be planted in a sunny 
 situation, and require only the following simple 
 mode of treatment. They, we will assume, were 
 planted in March or ApriJ. They will make a 
 tolerably vigorous growth, and must be pruned 
 
BIENNIAL REMOVAL OF FRUIT-TREES WITHOUT ROOT PRUNING. 10.3 
 
 by pinching off the top of every shoot as soon as 
 it has inad3 six leaves, leaving five. The stem must 
 be kept quite clear from young shoots. By the 
 autumn nice round-headed trees will be formed, 
 and about the end of October they should be taken 
 up (their leaves cut off, if they have not fallen) 
 and placed in a cellar — no matter if dark, but a light 
 dry cellar would be preferable — some earth should 
 be placed over their roots, and there they may 
 remain till the first week in May, when they should 
 be planted out, and the same routine of culture 
 followed. They will bear one good crop of fruit in 
 a season and ripen it in September. This annual 
 removal brings on great sturdiness of growth in the 
 tree, and the roots become so fibrous as to hold a 
 large quantity of earth, which should not be shaken 
 from them when they go into their annual winter 
 abode. In the year 1857 I saw fine trees thus 
 treated in the garden of the Duke of Altenburg, in 
 Central Germany, their stems were as stout as a 
 man's leg, and their heads full of fruit; and this 
 season, 1865, my fig-trees, taken up in October, 
 and placed in the orchard-house during the winter — 
 their roots in the soil — gave me a crop of very rich, 
 well-ripened fruit. The sorts were the Brown 
 Ischia, Brown Turkey, and Brunswick. 
 
 THE BIENNIAL EEMOVAL OF FRUIT-TREES WITHOUT 
 BOOT PRUNING. 
 
 For some few years past I have felt a growing 
 conviction that peach trees trained against walls in 
 the usual manner, without careful root cultivation, 
 cannot, in our climate, be kept in a state at all 
 healthy or fertile for a series of years. A wall 
 covered with healthy peach or nectarine trees of a 
 good ripe age is rarely to be seen j failing crops and 
 
104 THE MINIATURE FRITIT GARDEH. 
 
 "bliglited trees are the rule, healthy and fertile trees 
 the exception. The following mode of treating 
 peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums on the 
 removal system I have found simple and efficacious. 
 
 Supposing a trained tree, of the usual size, to 
 have been planted in a border well prepared — 
 i.e., stirred to a depth of twenty inches ; it may 
 be trained to the wall as usual, and suffered to 
 grow two seasons. Towards the end of October, 
 or, indeed, any time in November in the second 
 'Season, it should be carefully taken up, with all its 
 roots intact. If there be two or three stragglers 
 — i.e., roots of two or three feet in length— for 
 roots are remarkably eccentric, and often, without 
 any apparent cause, run away in search of some- 
 thing they take a fancy to — cut off one foot or so, 
 80 as to make the roots of the tree more snug. 
 Then make the hole from which you took your 
 tree a little deeper, and fit to receive its roots 
 without bending or twisting. If the soil be 
 heavy, leaf-mould, or rotten manure, and loam, 
 equal parts : if it be light, two-thirds tenacious 
 loam, and one-third rotten manure, should form 
 the compost; two inches deep of this, placed at 
 the bottom of the hole, wiU be enough for the 
 roots of the tree to rest on ; and mind they are 
 carefully arranged, so as to diverge regularly : 
 then add enough of the compost to cover all 
 the roots, and fill in with the common soil, so 
 as not to cover the surface roots more than two 
 inches deep. The surface should be trodden down 
 very firmly, so as to be like a path, and then have a 
 dressing two inches deep of old tan or decayed litter. 
 
 A tree that has been planted two years will require 
 one barrowful of the above compost ; at the end of 
 foui' years two barrowfuls ; when six years have 
 passed from three to four barrowfuls ; and from four 
 
BIENNIAL REMOVAL OF FRUIT-TREES WITHOUT ROOT PRUNING. 105 
 
 to six barrowfuls will be enough for a tree from 
 twelve to twenty years old — in short, for a full-grown 
 tree. A portion of the earth from the border must 
 be removed when a large quantity of compost is 
 added, to make room for it, so as not to have an 
 unsightly mound. In the course of two or three 
 removals the roots of the tree will become a mass 
 of fibres, and the trees so docile as to be lifted 
 without difficulty. 
 
 I have this day (Dec. 12, 1852) removed two plum 
 trees that have been planted six years and removed 
 twice. Their roots are a mass of fibres, without one 
 straggling root; they have been replanted with 
 a barrowful of light compost to each tree,^ and 
 if I may judge by the enormous quantity of blossom 
 buds, they will bear a plentiful crop next season. 
 They will receive no unhealthy check, for abun- 
 dance of earth adheres to the mass of fibrous roots. 
 Now, as peaches, nectarines and apricots, being 
 budded on plum stocks, are all on plum roots, they 
 will give exactly the same results from the same 
 mode of culture, neither the size nor flavour of the 
 fruit will be affected, and the trees will always bear 
 abundantly, and be healthy and flourishing. 
 
 The plethoric habit of the Moor Park and Peach 
 apricots, which so often leads to disease and death, 
 will be effectually cured by this simple mode of 
 culture, and peaches and nectarines will make 
 short annual shoots, which will be always well 
 ripened, so that they will be constantly full of 
 healthy blossom buds. Some mulch, or old tan, 
 two inches in depth, placed on the surface of the 
 
 (1) The soil is rich, and one barrowful I thou£!:ht quite enough. The 
 quantity of compost must be resrulated by the wants of the soil, for in rich 
 soils, where peaches and nectarines a- e apt to t;row too freely, no compost 
 need be added, but the tree merely lifted and replaced. A peach, nectarine 
 or apricot tree, under the removal system, that makes annual shoots more 
 than fifteen inches in lenorth, is too luxuriant, and will require no compost 
 to its roots when replanted. 
 
106 THE MINIATURE FRriT GARDEN. 
 
 soil — ^wLidi sliould always be trodden down firmly — 
 as far as the roots spread during tlie spring and 
 smnmer will be of mucli service. 
 
 All trees that are inclined to make very fibrous 
 roots, such, as plums, pears on quince stocks, and 
 apples on Paradise stocks, may be lifted — i.e., re- 
 moved biennially or occasionally, if their growth 
 is not too vigourous, as above described — with equal 
 or greater facihty than root-pruning them. The 
 effect is the same : they make short, well-ripened 
 shoots, and bear abundantly. Apples on Paradise 
 stocks, cultivated as dwarf bushes or as pyramids, 
 if lifted every year, and a shovelful or two of com- 
 post given to them, form delightful little trees. ^ 
 The most delicate sorts of apples, such as Golden 
 Pippins and Nonpareils, may thus be cultivated in 
 the most unfavourable soils ; and Poses, more parti- 
 cularly Bourbon Poses on short stems, and Hybrid 
 Perpetuals, removed annually in the autumn, giving 
 to each tree a shovelful of rich compost, and not 
 pruning their shoots till April will bloom delightfully 
 all the autumn, never droj^ping their leaves towards 
 the end of summer, and becoming, as is too often the 
 case, blighted and blossomless. 
 
 To conclude, I will, as a guide to the amateur 
 owning a small garden, give the following summary : 
 — If the soil be very rich, so as to induce the trees 
 planted in it to make a growth of eighteen inches in 
 one season, they may be removed annually till this 
 vigorous growth ceases. If the trees make an annual 
 growth only of ten to twelve inches, the trees may be 
 removed hienniaUy or occnHionaUy , and I may add, that 
 in soils in which trees grow slowly, root-pruning is more 
 advantageous, than removal, as less check is given 
 to vegetation. 
 
 (1) In moist, retentive soils the fruit-spurs of small trees become 
 covered with moss ; somp powdered lime sprinkled over them will destroy it ; 
 thia is best done in foggy weather in winter. 
 
DOUBLE GRAFTING OF FRUIT TREES. 107 
 
 DOUBLE GRAFTING OF FRUIT TREES. 
 
 I have not been able to find tbis mode of culture, 
 likely to be so beneficial to fruit gardens in England, 
 alluded to by the many authors of works on fruit 
 trees ; it may be ''as old as the hills," and have no 
 claim to originality, but few so-called new ideas have. 
 I can only therefore state how it originated here some 
 fifteen or twenty years since. I am not aware that it 
 has been practised by the clever fruit tree cultivators 
 of France and Belgium ; if so, it has been recently 
 copied from English practice, but I never remember 
 having seen it carried out. It may be described in a 
 very few words. A double-grafted pear tree is formed 
 by selecting a variety that grows very freely when 
 budded or grafted on the quince, and re-grafting it, 
 i.e. grafting the graft with a kind that refuses to 
 unite kindly with the quince stock. 
 
 Its history, briefly told, is as follows : — I observed 
 when budding and grafting pears on the quince 
 stock that some varieties did not grow freely on that 
 stock, when budded or grafted ; particularly the 
 Gransel's Bergamot and the Autumn Bergamot, the 
 Seckle, the Marie Louise, Knight's Monarch, and 
 some others. Now, as the first and last mentioned 
 jare notorious for their shy bearing qualities, while 
 the trees are young, even when root-pruned, or 
 frequently removed, I felt anxious to see them 
 flourishing on the quince stock, which invariably 
 makes pear trees fertile. I found that but few grafts 
 of these sorts out of scores would survive on the 
 quince, and when they did unite, they were very 
 short lived ; this induced me to look narrowly into 
 the habits of pear trees on the quince stock, and I 
 found that the Beurre d'Amanlis formed a most 
 perfect union with the stock, and seemed most 
 enduring, for I had seen trees in France at least 
 
108 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 fifty years old. I t]ierefo:»'e fixed upon this sort 
 for my experiment, and had thrifty trees two 
 years old from the bud, grafted with Gansel's Ber- 
 gamot ; the grafts flourished, and became so prolific 
 that, when three or four years old, they each bore 
 from three to four dozens of finiit — a most unusual 
 thing with that fine variety. This settled the 
 question as to the fertility given by double graft- 
 ing ; which since this experiment, has become here 
 an extensive branch of culture. There are other 
 kinds of pears which, from uniting with and growing 
 freely on the quince stock, serve well for double 
 grafting, such as Prince Albert, Bezi Goubault, and 
 Conseiller de la Cour. Prince Albert is a sort well 
 adapted for the Monarch, Marie Louise, Prince of 
 Wales (Huyshe), Victoria (Huyshe), and British 
 Q,ueen ; Beurre d'Amanlis may be used for the Jar- 
 gonelle and Bergamots, as may also Bezi Groubault, 
 the hardiest pear known. The cultivator has some- 
 thing to learn, for there are many pears of the finest 
 quality, but of a delicate and infertile habit, that 
 may be much improved b}^ double grafti^ig. 
 
 Our garden culture of cherries is, as yet, rude and 
 imperfect ; and espaliers of the Bigarreau and Gruigne 
 or Heart tribe, are planted and trained along the 
 sides of the garden walks, giving abundance of 
 shoots and leaves, but very little fruit (which the 
 birds appropriate), and in the course of time, give 
 out gum, — owing to their having been unmercifully 
 pruned, — and die full of years and barren shoots, 
 having given much trouble to the gardener. I have 
 pointed out how cherries may be cultivated in 
 gardens as pyramids, &c., and have alluded to fer- 
 tility in the Bigarreau and Heai^ tribe being pro- 
 moted by double grafting ; this mode of culture is also 
 interesting as leading to success in soils that seem 
 unfavourable to cherries under some circumstances. 
 
DOUBLE GRAFTING OF FRUIT TREES. 109 
 
 Cherries grafted on the Mahaleb are described 
 pp. 92 to 97 ; they afi'ect calcareous soils, and, as far 
 as I can learn, do not succeed so well in the sandstone 
 formations, and where iron abounds in the soil ; in 
 such situations double grafted trees should be planted, 
 formed in this way, — the common Morello cherry 
 should be budded on the Mahaleb stock, and after 
 two years it should be grafted with some kind of 
 Bigarreau, Heart, or Gruigne cherry ; it will form a 
 small or moderate sized tree, and bear abundantly. 
 In cultivating cherry trees in soils inimical to their 
 well-doing, abundance of chalk or lime rubbish 
 should be mixed with the earth to the depth of two 
 feet. 
 
 Double grafting of apples is of very inferior im- 
 portance as compared with the same operation on 
 pears or cherries, for our English Paradise stocks 
 give the most perfect health and fertihty in nearly 
 all soils. Still there may be some peculiar posi- 
 tions where the soils are very light and poor, in 
 which strong, robust sorts of the crab stock are re- 
 quired to make healthy fruitful trees. In such cases 
 it is better to graft such sorts as the Hawthornden, 
 Manx Codlin, and Small's Admirable, on thrifty crab 
 stocks, and when two years old regraft them with 
 choice dessert kinds : all double grafting is best done 
 when the first graft is two years old. I have now 
 pointed out to a certain extent the advantages of 
 double grafting, but much must be left to the intelli- 
 gent amateur. It is to be regretted that English 
 cidtivators, more particularly nurserymen, have not 
 turned their attention to the benefit choice fruit trees 
 derive from having the proper kind of stock selected 
 for them, or from being double grafted. Mr. George 
 Lindley, father of the late Dr. Lindley, seems to have 
 turned his attention to fruit tree stocks, more than 
 any other nurseryman of his day ; still he knew only 
 
110 
 
 THB MrsaATTTBE FHTJIT GABBE3C. 
 
 those grown by 
 present dav, — a 
 
 the Surrey nnrserymen of the 
 imperfect list — for nurserv- 
 
 very 
 men, like farmers, move slowly. It is but a lew 
 years since that the common fruit-bearing quince, 
 raised from layers — a most unfit stock — was sold in 
 Surrey for stocks for pears, and Muscle, White Pear 
 plum, Brompton, Brussels, and " Commoners" (i.e. 
 common plum stocks', are still the plum stocks 
 propagated in Surrey for sale ; all except the first 
 and the last are of inferior quality and are surpassed 
 by the White Magnum Bonum and the Black Damask 
 pium. which suit Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, and 
 all kinds of plums. 
 
 The double budding of some kinds of peaches 
 and nectarines is almost necessary to their well 
 doing in some soils, yet this method of culture seems 
 to have been neglected by European Nurserymen. 
 The truth must be confessed, that nurserymen, as a 
 class, have but little taste for pomology : they take to 
 flowers and plants eagerly, because they give a quick 
 return : and thus Pomona and her gifts are always 
 placed in the shade — as to experiments, '-they do not 
 pay.'' There are some free growing kinds of apricots 
 which, when budded on the plum, and the young 
 apricot budded with a peach or nectarine, produc-e 
 the most favorable effects on the peach tree, the union 
 being perfect and the duration of it much lengthened. 
 There are also one or two kinds of plums which, 
 being budded on a wild kind of plum, form when 
 budded with the peach or nectarine a most favorable 
 stock, giving hardiness and fertility to the trees. 
 We are still very backward in our knowledge of the 
 effects of stocks on fruits : the subject requires much 
 time and research, and no rushing to conclusions like 
 some of our writers, who write on everything and 
 nothing well, only because they have not the necessary 
 patience to master a few subjects thoroughly. 
 
HOW TO PREPAKE A PEACH TREE BORDER IN LIGHT SOIL. Ill 
 
 HOW TO PREPARE A PEACH THEE BOEDEE, IN LIGHT 
 SOILS. 
 
 In our soutliern counties, wliere liglit sandy soils 
 abound, the difficulty of making peach and nectarine 
 trees trained to walls flourish is well known ; in spring 
 they are liable to the curl and the attacks of aphides, 
 in summer they are infested with the red spider, so 
 that the trees are weakened, and rarely give good 
 fruit: they seem, indeed, to detest light soils. The 
 following method of preparing borders for them in 
 such soils may be well known, but I have not seen 
 it described by any gardening author. The idea has 
 come to me from observing peach trees trained to 
 walls, refuse to do well in the light sandy soil forming 
 a part of my nursery, except near paths, and to grow 
 and do well for years in the stiff tenacious loam form- 
 ing another part. My bearing trees in pots, for 
 which I use tenacious loam and dung, rammed down 
 with a wooden pestle, also bear and flourish almost 
 beyond belief ; and so I am induced to recommend, that 
 in light soils, the peach tree border should be made as 
 follows : — To a wall of moderate height, say nine or 
 ten feet, a border six feet wide, and to a wall twelve 
 feet high, one eight feet wide should be marked out ; 
 if the soil be poor and exhausted by cropping, or if it 
 be an old garden, a dressing of rotten dung ^ and 
 tenacious loam, or clay, equal parts, five inches 
 in thickness, should be spread over the surface of 
 the border : it should then be stirred to two feet in 
 depth, and the loam and dung well mixed with the 
 soil. The trees may be planted during the winter, 
 and in March, in dry weather, the border all over 
 its surface should be thoroughly rammed down with 
 a wooden rammer, so as to make it like a well-trodden 
 
 (1) If the border be new or rich with manure, a dressing of the loam, or 
 day only, four inches in thickness, will be sufficient. 
 
112 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 path ; some light half-rotten manure, say from one 
 to two inches in depth, may then be spread over it, 
 and the operation is complete. This border must 
 never be stirred, except with the hoe, to destroy 
 weeds, and, of course, never crojDped : every succeed- 
 ing spring, in dry weather, the ramming and dressing 
 must be repeated, as the soil is always much loosened 
 by frost. If this method be followed, peaches and 
 nectarines may be made to flourish in our dry southern 
 counties, where they have hitherto brought nothing 
 but disappointment. 
 
 The two grand essentials for peach culture are 
 stiff loam and a sunny climate. 
 
 A CHEAP METHOD OF PEOTECTING WALL TREES. 
 
 At Twyford Lodge, near East Grinstead, Sussex, 
 the seat of E,. Trotter, Esq., is a wall 75 feet long, 
 covered with peaches and nectarines, which, for 
 several years, had given no fruit ; some years ago, 
 the gardener, Mr. Murrell, asked my advice about 
 protecting it with glass ; and acting upon it with his 
 own adaptation, has succeeded, every season since its 
 erection, in securing fine crops of fruit of superior 
 flavour. The following is a description of this simple 
 structure : — 
 
 At the top of the wall, which is 12 feet high, is 
 nailed a plate for the ends of the rafters to rest on ; 
 4 feet 6 inches from the wall is a row of posts, 
 6 inches by 4 (these should be of oak) 6 feet 
 apart, and 3 feet 6 inches in height, from the 
 ground ; on these is nailed a plate to receive the 
 lower ends of the rafters ; the latter are 8 feet long, 
 3 inches by 1^, and 20 inches asunder ; and the glass 
 employed is 16 oz. sheet, 20 inches by 12. Every 
 fourth square of glass at the top next the wall, is 
 fixed into a slight frame of wood, with a hinge at 
 
STANDARD OE CHARD TREES. 113 
 
 the top of each, and made to open all at once by a 
 line running in a wheel; the front is of |^-inch deal 
 boards nailed to the posts, one of which, one foot 
 wide, near the top is on hinges, forming a drop shut- 
 ter the whole length of the front. Now comes the 
 management by which red spider, the deadly foe of 
 the peach tree, is discomfited ; and let me quote Mr. 
 Murrell: — 
 
 ' ' All these ventilators, back and front, I leave open 
 day and night after May, except in very wet and 
 rough weather. The first season I had the red spider 
 (it was in the walls), but the fruit was of the highest 
 flavour ; the second season the fruit was very fine, 
 and the spiders never came, I believe, owing ei:- 
 tirely to my syringing the trees twice a day, morning 
 and afternoon, and leaving all the ventilators ojien ; 
 besides this, the boards have shrunk, so that there 
 are wide crevices, and the place is always airy. I 
 thank you for your hints about giving plenty of air ; 
 the trees are admired by all who see them." 
 
 The roof, it will be seen, is fixed, and the AvhoL' 
 structure a fixture; the trees can be pruned and 
 nailed under shelter, and a crop of fruit alwayw 
 ensured ; h(jw superior, then, is this to all the tempo- 
 rary protectors for walls so often recommended ! 
 
 STANDARD ORCHARD TREES. 
 
 Although in this little work I profess to conflno 
 myself to the culture of garden fruit trees, I feel that 
 a few words; as to my method of planting trees in m 
 orchard under grass, may not be out of place, foi 
 very frequently a villa residence may have a piece o 
 pasture land attached to it favourable to the growl] 
 of orcliard trees, and quite necessary as a convenien 
 place for the cow or the horse or horses. Tli 
 common practice is to open large holes in the tui- 
 six feet in diameter, and from two to thi'ee feet deep ; 
 
114 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 and in the centre to plant a tree. In ricli deep loamy 
 soils, trees often succeed when planted in this manner, 
 and as often fail, the hole becoming in wet seasons 
 a pond. 
 
 Orchard trees, as a general rule, should be planted 
 twenty-four feet apart, row from row, and they are 
 for the most part planted twenty-four feet apart in 
 the rows, as to stand that distance apart over the 
 whole orchard. I now propose that the rows should 
 b^ twenty- four feet apart, but the trees twelve feet 
 apart in the rows, so as to allow of one-third more 
 trees to the acre. Instead of digging large holes, 
 slips, six feet wide, should be marked out on the turf, 
 so that the centre of each is twenty-four feet apart ; 
 each slip should then be trenched, or, as it is often 
 called, "double-dug," to a depth of two feet, turning 
 the turf to the bottom of the trench and bringing the 
 subsoil to the surface. A row of trees should be 
 planted in the centre of each slip, twelve feet apart, 
 and after the lapse of some fifteen or twenty years 
 every alternate tree should be either removed and re- 
 planted or grubbed up. As such large standard trees 
 would require much care in transplanting, and even 
 then probably not succeed, the latter may prove the 
 m.ore economic mode. By thus planting more trees 
 than required for a permanent orchard, a great 
 advantage is reaped, for the temporary trees will, if 
 the land is good, bear a large quantity of fruit, and 
 amply repay their cost, which is trifling ; for whereas 
 ninety-five trees are required to plant one acre, 
 twenty-four feet apart, by the above method 142 may 
 be planted. I have mentioned from fifteen to twenty 
 years as the probable time when the temporary trees 
 may be removed ; as this depends entirely upon the 
 quality of the soil and the progress they have 
 made, a more certain rule to lay down is, that as soon 
 as the outside shoots of the trees touch each other the 
 
DISTANCES FOR PLANTING PYRAMIDAL FRUIT TREES. 115 
 
 temporary trees should be removed. I need scarcely 
 write the usual directions as to the trees being fenced 
 round if horses and cows are turned into the orcliard 
 — that the trees should have stems at least six feet in 
 height, and the lower branches should be taken otf 
 as soon as they become depressed enough for cattle 
 to browse on them. One direction I feel, however, 
 bound to give, — a circle from three to four feet in 
 diameter round each tree should be kept clear of 
 grass and weeds for at least five years from the time 
 of planting, after that period grass may be allowed 
 to cover all the surface as in old orchards. 
 
 In preparing the slips by trenching, if the sub- 
 soil be poor and stony, it should not be brought 
 to the surface, but be merely turned over with the 
 spade, and some manure mixed with it, keeping 
 the turf, — well chopped — and the loose mould on 
 the surface. If the soil be wet, drains four feet deep 
 should be made twenty-four feet apart, one in the 
 centre of the space between each row of trees ; they 
 should be made with loose stones, which are far bet- 
 ter than pipes for orchards. The bottom of the drain 
 should be tilled to the depth of eighteen inches with 
 loose stones, and then filled in with the soil of the 
 orchard. The soils best adapted for orchard trees 
 are, first, loams with a subsoil of limestone ; second, 
 loams resting on a dry stony subsoil" ; third, loams 
 resting on clay — these should be drained. Light 
 sandy loams, with a subsoil of sand, chalk, and 
 gravel, are not adapted for standard orchard trees 
 unless the staple of loam is from three to four feet 
 thick. 
 
 PROPER DISTANCES FOR PLANTING PYRAMIDAL AND 
 OTHER FRUIT TREES. 
 
 Pyramidal pear trees and bushes on quince stocks 
 
116 THE MINIATtJRE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 to be cultivated as root-pruned trees, for small 
 gardens, four feet apart. 
 
 The same, in larger gardens, not root-pruned, six 
 feet apart. 
 
 Pyramidal pear trees on the pear stock, root- 
 pruned, six feet apart. 
 
 The same, roots not pruned, eight to ten feet — the 
 latter if the soil be very rich. 
 
 Horizontal espalier pear trees on the quince stock, 
 for rails or walls, ten feet apart. 
 
 Upright espaliers on the quince stock, for rails or 
 walls, four to six feet apart. 
 
 Horizontal espalieis on the pear stock, for rails or 
 walls, twenty feet apart. 
 
 Pyramidal plum trees, six feet apart. 
 
 Espalier plum trees, twenty feet apart. 
 
 Pp-amidal and bush apple trees on the Paradise 
 stock, root-pruned, for small gardens, three to four 
 feet apart. 
 
 The same, roots not pruned, six feet apart. 
 
 Espalier apple trees on the Paradise stock, fifteen 
 feet apart. 
 
 The same on the crab stock, twenty feet apart. 
 
 Peaches and nectarines, for walls, fifteen to twenty 
 feet apart. 
 
 Apricots, for walls, twenty feet apart. 
 
 Apricots, plums, cherries, and apples, as single 
 diagonal cordons, eighteen inches to two feet apart. 
 
 Cherries, as bushes and pyramids on the Mahaleb 
 stock, root-pruned, for small gardens, four feet 
 apart. 
 
 The same, roots not pruned, six feet apart. 
 
 P^^ramidal cherries, on the common cherry stock, 
 six feet apart. 
 
 Espalier cherry trees, for rails or walls, fifteen to 
 twenty feet apart. 
 
 Vertical single cordons of apples and pears, eighteen 
 inches to two feet apart. 
 
DISTANCES FOR PLANTING PYRAMIDAL FRUIT TREES. Il7 
 
 Proper distances for trees against dwarf walls, 
 annually or biennially removed (see page 37) are for 
 
 Pears on quince stocks, five feet apart. 
 
 Peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums, five 
 feet apart. 
 
 Clierries and apples, five feet apart. 
 
118 
 
 MINIATUEE FHUIT GARDEN CALEXBAE. 
 
 January. — In mild weather, planting, root-pruning, 
 lifting and re-planting may be earned on. ISome 
 soils encourage the growth ofmossonthe branches 
 of trees. ; hme (see page 106) may be sprinkled on 
 them, or they may be painted with lime and soot 
 formed into a thin paint with water. 
 
 Fehiiiarij. — If the weather be mild, trees may still 
 be planted without fear; the truth is, the modern 
 system of growing fruit trees on dwarfing stocks, and 
 removing them occasionally, makes them safe to plant 
 Very late or very early. 
 
 March. — If the clusters of blossom buds are too 
 numerous, they may now be thinned. Suppose there 
 are tive on a shoot six inches long, two of them may 
 be removed ; and if five are in a cluster, three should 
 be cut out ; if seven, four, and so on. This is quite 
 necessary with apple trees on the paradise stock and 
 pears on the quince stock, as they are often too much 
 crowded with blossom buds in clusteis of fiom five to 
 ten and upwards ; a small sharp knife should be em- 
 ployed in this operation. Towards the middle of the 
 month protecting (see pages 21, 44) to retard the 
 blossom buds is good practice. Planting of prepared 
 or oft-removed trees may still be safely practised. 
 
 April. — Protecting (see page 22) should still be 
 attended to. lit would be an innocent and perhaps 
 useful experiment to sprinkle on the cluster of blossom 
 buds, just on the point of opening, when they are 
 
CALENDAR. 119 
 
 moist with clew or gentle rain a coat-^say one-eighth 
 of an inch thick — of cocoa nut fibre ; this will protect 
 them from still hoar frosts. When washed off Ly 
 heavy rains it may bo renewed. 
 
 Planting of pears on quince stocks, the buds on the 
 point of expansion (see page 51), may be tried as an 
 experiment : here they often bear the finest fruit, 
 
 Mdij. — Towards the end, if the season be early 
 and the young shoots have made from five to six leaves, 
 they may be pinched (see page 9, 12, 41). 
 
 June. — Summer pinching must be strictly attended 
 to ; the young fruit in clusters should be thinned, re- 
 moving from pears and apples about half their 
 number. 
 
 July. — Summer pinching still to be attended to ; 
 the very early kinds of pears should be gathered 
 before they are quite ripe. 
 
 August. — The leading shoots of the lateral branches 
 of i^yramids (see page 9) should now be shortened ; 
 and towards the end, early ripening pears — viz., sorts 
 that ripen in September and early in October — may 
 be gathered, unless the season be late. 
 
 SepU'wiber. — Shortening the shoots if omitted in 
 August, may be done ; gathering of early pears 
 before fully ripe to be attended to. Towards the 
 end gather apples and pears that ripen before 
 Christmas. 
 
 October. — Towards the middle of the month 
 planting may be commenced ; and if the rain has 
 penetrated sufficiently, root-pruning may be done ; 
 also lifting and replanting (see page 106). About 
 the middle gather late pears. 
 
 November. — Planting, root-pruning, lifting, and 
 re-planting may still safely be carried on. 
 
 December. — All the operations of last month may 
 still be practised if they have been forgotten or 
 neglected. 
 
120 THE MINIATUKE FRUIT GARDEN. 
 
 Always bear in mind that a vigonrous growing 
 tree, that does not bear fruit, requires being lilted 
 and re-planted — even annually — till it becomer fruit- 
 ful, and, that a tree that bears well and maizes 
 annual shoots under twelve inches in lenght, requires 
 neither root-pruning nor removal, but merely summer 
 pinching of its shoots to about half their length. 
 
121 
 
 APPENDIX, 
 
 THE PEACH TRELLIS OF THOMAS T^TBITE, ESQ., MAIT'GR 
 HOUSE, WEATHERSFIELD, ESSEX. 
 
 In the autumn of the year 1851, Mr. White, 
 while walking through the grounds here, happened 
 to see my small Kerr's trellis with moveable lights, 
 and on his return home the idea occurred to him 
 that it might be enlarged, and the principle im- 
 proved upon, so as to be able to grow fruit enough 
 for a large family. In the autumn of that year, 
 he accordingly built a treUis-house of the following 
 dimensions: — 
 
 Length 80 feet. 
 
 Width (inside) .... 12 feet. 
 
 Height at back .... 8 feet. 
 
 Height at front . . . .14 inches. 
 
 Eafters (fixed 20 inches apart) . 14 feet long. 
 
 Trellis (15 inches from the glass). 13 feet wide. 
 
 Sunken path in centre . . 2 feet deep. 
 
 The front and back plates both rest on larch poles, 
 about four or five feet apart ; a shutter, twelve 
 inches wide, on hinges, forms, with a shp of board, 
 the front wall. The back wall is made with long 
 faggots of brushwood — a double row; the ends 
 are boarded uj), and a door is at each end. 
 Perhaps no gardening structure was ever built so 
 cheaply, and none ever produced such marvellous 
 effects. The trees — dwarf and standard trained 
 peaches and nectarines, two or three years trained, 
 
122 APPENDIX. 
 
 twelve of the former and six of the latter — were 
 planted in February, 1852 ; and in the season of 1854, 
 only the third year of their growth, they bore 5000 
 peaches and nectarines. On one tree of the Noblesse 
 Peach there were 500 peaches, and the same number 
 or more on a tree of Elruge Nectarine. This seemed 
 enough to ruin the health of the trees, and so I 
 thought when I heard of it ; but when I saw the ex- 
 cessive vigour of the trees, I thought Mr. White and 
 his gardener not so far wrong in allowing them to 
 bear such an enormous crop. The dwarf trees have 
 reached to the top of the trellis and covered it 
 completely. 
 
 Mr. White was, I believe, offered the sum that the 
 house cost him — somewhere about £40 — for his croj) of 
 peaches and nectarines in 1K54. The vigour of the 
 trees is quite astonishing ; the stems of some of them 
 are twelve or more inches in circumference ; they are 
 planted inside the front shutter, and laid directly on 
 the trellis. The remarkable success of this simple 
 structure seems owing entirely to the perfection of its 
 ventilation ; the front shutter has been open night and 
 day in warm weather, and the air passes gently and 
 constantly through its brushwood back wall, so as 
 entirely to prevent stagnation. The trees have been 
 syringed regularly night and morning, and are in the 
 finest possible health. 
 
 As this brushwood wall is unsightly and dangerous 
 in some situations, owing to its capability of harbour- 
 ing rats and mice, we must now see what can be sub- 
 stituted for its perfect ventilating property. Hedges 
 to lean-to houses, as I know from experience, are too 
 cold to ripen peaches and nectarines, although highly 
 favourable to the growth of the trees ; it therefore 
 appears to me that the ^Derforated bricks, now largely 
 manufactured, could be used with advantage in this 
 way. The wall, eight feet in height, should be built 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 123 
 
 five feet from tlie ground with, common bricks ; and 
 then, three feet up to the top for the plate to rest on, 
 with perforated bricks placed ed-cAVise. In very 
 cold weather in March, when the trees are m blossom, 
 a curtain of calico, or any other convement material, 
 mio:ht be arranged so as to cover this space of the 
 perforated wall at night, and in May it may be re- 
 moved for the summer. This perforated space,^ with 
 the front shutter constantly open, will, m my opinion, 
 be perfect for a peach trellis, and not unsightly 
 
 It will be seen fron what I have said that Mr. 
 White's trellis differs from Mr. Ker's m this way,— 
 the roof is fixed, and not of removable lights ; the trees 
 are pruned and the fruit is gathered from underneath 
 ^0 that aUthe operations of culture are performed 
 under shelter, and in a climate at all ^^i^f^^^^^'^^^'^^f; 
 Since the above was written, Mr. White has had 
 his fao'-ot-wall removed, and glass placed at the back 
 at a sha^T angle of 30 degrees Under this are trained 
 peaches Ld Nectarines, which succeed those under the 
 front glass. The effect is excellent ; and the trees 
 ripen their fruit well, although the slope is to the 
 
 north-east. ^ ^ „+^,-,« 
 
 The following letter, from a very clever amateur 
 fruit cultivator, will, I think, be found interesting 
 to those who wish to make the most of a smaU 
 garden : — 
 
 *' To Mr. Eivers. 
 
 "Dear Sm,— I have derived much pleasure from 
 the cultivation of fruit trees in the different modes 
 introduced by you,-as pyramids, bushes and m 
 pots under glass ; and you will be glad to hear, as I 
 am to teU you, that the pleasure has been greatly en- 
 hanced by success. Wishing to have a good many 
 fruit trees, and my garden being a small one, I have 
 resorted to many contrivances to make the most ol 
 
124 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 my space; and knowing that the subject is one in- 
 teresting to you, I venture to give you an account of 
 some of them. 
 
 *' About seven years ago, I put down on the east 
 and west borders of one of my squares a row of stout 
 and straight larch poles, eighteen inches in the 
 ground, four feet above it, and three feet apart. 
 These were sheeted, on the side next the walk, with 
 half-inch boards, on the top of which was pieced a 
 rail two inches wide ; stays were fixed against each 
 end and against the centre, to prevent shaking by 
 the wind ; and all got two coats of paint. The en- 
 tire cost of the structure, exclusive of the poles, 
 which I happened previously to have, was sixpence 
 for each running foot. Against these walls I planted, 
 on the side next the walk, dwarf-trained pear trees 
 on quince stocks, and some plum trees. I then went 
 to the other side of my wall, and planted there as 
 many more trees — placing them intermediately be- 
 tween those at the opposite side, so that the roots of one 
 should not interfere with those of another. I had 
 thus on the space usually occiipied by a single line of 
 open espaliers, a double number of fruit trees, one 
 half of them having an eastern and the other a 
 western wall. The second year from planting I was 
 rewarded by a nice crop : and although the trees 
 were then young, the fruit, had I been disposed to 
 sell it, would have realised more then the original 
 cost of the walls : and this last year I have had 
 against them as fine crops of Eeurre d'Amanlis, 
 Thompson's, Gansel's Bergamot (double-grafted on 
 the quince), Williams' Bon Chretien, Chaumontel, 
 and other pears, as need be desired, and also fair 
 crops of greengage, purple gage, and Ivirke's plums. 
 
 "I have not adopted wooden walls along mj^ north 
 or south borders, because one side would be useless ; 
 but instead of them I nailed cheap calico at the north 
 
APPENDIX. 125 
 
 side of some of my espalier rai]s Tvhich run east and 
 west, thus giving to tlie trees next the walk a southern 
 aspect. The calico is secured to the posts and to the 
 rail at top by tape, in which numerous tacks are 
 driven. When tirst put up it got a good coat of oil 
 and black paint, and, with the exception of a few 
 small holes made by accident, and which can be 
 easily repaired, it is now, in its third year, strong as 
 ever, tight as a drum, and having the appearance 
 and something of the sound of sheet-iron. I grew 
 against those cotton walls this past year as fine crops, 
 of Josephine de Malines, Marechal de la Cour, Beurre 
 d'Aramberg, and Marie Louise pears, as the most 
 ardent horticulturist could desire. 
 
 "There is another mode in which I have culti- 
 vated fruit trees ; but it is right to say that the 
 idea, although I had not seen it put into practice 
 elsewhere, was taken by me from the ' Orchard 
 and Fruit-Garden,' by Macintosh. I cut back to 
 three or four buds some maiden pear trees grafted 
 on the quince, and when they threw out three 
 shoots I tied them down, so as to give to each a 
 horizontal direction. The following year I placed 
 round them eight stakes, about eighteen inches 
 from the stem, and equidistant from each other, 
 and outside those stakes the branches were trained 
 in a spiral form. I transferred some of those to 
 the borders of the walk leading to my orchard 
 house. The stakes round which the branches are 
 trained are painted white, and secured in their 
 proper positions by a hoop of round iron fastened 
 inside the to^i. The trees look well and bear well. 
 A Passe Colmar managed in this way was loaded 
 with fruit last year and attractf^d much attention. 
 I consider that this plun jiossesses many advan- 
 tages. — the trees may be kept near the ground 
 and thus have more heat, the air circulates freely 
 
126 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 inside them, the sun shines on every branch during 
 some portion of the day, and the fruit, however 
 large, is not liable to be blown down. The method 
 might be called, not inappropriately, after that 
 ancient and useful instrumeij|;, the corkscrew ; 
 but if you find the term too homely, let it be en 
 tirchoiichon 
 
 " With best wishes for your long life and health, 
 both for your own sake and for the interests of 
 horticulture, on which you have ah-eady conferred 
 so many benefits, 
 
 '* I remain, dear Sir, 
 
 " Yours truly, 
 
 *^ JOSEPH MEADOWS." 
 
 THE GROTHSTD VINEEY. 
 
 The *' Curate's Yinery," described in the tenth 
 edition, was contrived by Dr. S. Newington, of 
 Ticehurst, — and consisted of a ridg^^ of glass placed 
 over a furrow lined with slates, so that the 
 bunches of graj)es were suspended in the furrow, 
 and in warm seasons ripened well. One objec- 
 tion to the furrow was its liability to be filled 
 with water in wet weather in low situations 
 and heavy soils. I therefore sought to remedy 
 this, and one day about the end of June 1860, I 
 found myself looking into my original "Curate's 
 Yinery," and admiring the vines then in blossom, 
 although those within a few 3^ards of it, growing 
 in the open air, were scarcely in full leaf. I pic- 
 tured to myself the bunches of grapes suspended 
 from the vines in the warm, moist atmosphere of 
 the trench lined with slates. My thoughts then 
 reverted to my boyish, grape-loving days, when in 
 an old vineyard planted by my grandfather, I 
 
128 APPENDIX. 
 
 always looked for some ripe grapes about the end 
 of September ; and I vividly remembered that I 
 always found the best and ripest bunches with the 
 largest berries lying on the ground, and if the 
 season were dry and warm, they were free from 
 dirt and delicious, and so I gradually travelled in 
 thought from bunches of grapes lying on the ground 
 to idem lying on slates. 
 
 The idea was new, and I commenced at once to 
 put it into practice by building a " Curate's Vinery " 
 on a new plan. 
 
 I therefore placed two rows of bricks endwise 
 (leaving four inches between each brick for ventila- 
 tion) on a nice level piece of sandy ground, and 
 then paved between them with large slates ( ' ' duch- 
 esses") placed crosswise. I am, however, inclined 
 to think that tiles may be j)referable to slates ; 
 absorption of heat is greater and radiation slower. 
 On the bricks I placed two of the ridges of glass, 
 as given in the foregoing figure, each seven feet 
 long, and thus formed my vinery, 14 feet in length. 
 The vine lies in the centre of the vinery, and is 
 pegged down through the spaces between the slates. 
 One vine will in the course of two years fill a vinery 
 of this length ; but to reap the fruits of my project 
 quickly, I planted two vines, one in the centre, the 
 other at the north-east end ; for these structures 
 should stand north-east and south-west. One of 
 these vines, which had been growing in a pot in the 
 open air, was just beginning to show its fruit-buds — 
 it was quite the last of June — its fruit rij^ened early 
 in October, and were fully coloured and good in spite 
 of the cloudy cold autumn. My black Hamburgh 
 grapes in my ground vineries were fully ripe in 1862 
 by the first week in October. I therefore feel well 
 assured that grapes lying on a floor of slates such as 
 I have described, will ripen fi-om two to three weeks 
 
APPENDIX. 129r 
 
 earlier than in vineries of this description with a 
 furrow, and as early as grapes in a common cold 
 vinery. Black Hamburghs, and other kinds of 
 grapes not requiring hre heat may thus be grown 
 in any small garden at a trifling expense. I am, 
 indeed, disposed to hope that the Frontignans, and 
 nearly all but the Muscats, may be ripened by this 
 method, so intense is the heat of the slated floor on 
 a sunny day in July. 
 
 Some persons may think that the heat would be 
 scorching, and that the leaves and grapes wonld 
 alike become frizzled ; but few gardeners know the 
 extreme heat a bunch of grapes can bear. I re- 
 member a lady friend who had resided some time at 
 Smyrna, telling me that one afternoon at the end 
 of summer, when the grapes were ripening, she was 
 sitting in her drawing room and admiring some 
 large bunches of grapes hanging on a vine which 
 was growing against a wall in the full sunshine. 
 Knowing the danger of going into the open air 
 without a parasol, she rushed out, cut a bunch of 
 grapes, and returned to her seat in the shady room. 
 The bunch of grapes was so hot that she was 
 obliged to shift it from hand to hand. I observed 
 in the hot weather we had in July, 1859, one or two 
 branches of Muscat grapes nearly touching the 
 chimney of the stove in which a fire was kept up 
 every morning, gradually turning into raisins. I 
 felt some of them when the sun was shining on them, 
 they were not burning hot, but next to it. 
 
 I allowed them to dry into raisins, and very 
 fine they were, but not better than the finest imported 
 from Spain. 
 
 With respect to the superior ripening power of 
 slates or tiles placed on the surface of the earth, I 
 was much interested in once hearing a travelled 
 fi'iend say that when he was at Paros, he observed 
 
130 APPENDIX. 
 
 many vines trained up the marble roclcs peculiar to 
 the island ; and in all cases the grapes lying on the 
 surface, which was almost a continuous ma^s of rock, 
 were ripe, while those a few feet from it, on the same 
 Tine, some of the branches of which were trained up 
 the wall-like rocks, were quite green. In telling me 
 tin's, he said he was never more impressed with the 
 ripening power of the earth's surface. 
 
 I have, in giving the figure and description of the 
 ground vinery, adapted for one vine, the width 
 of it being 2 feet 6 inches only. If this width 
 bo increased to 3 feet 6 inches two vines can be 
 trained under the same roof 14 inches apart, and thus 
 at a trifling additional cost double produce can be ob- 
 tained. 
 
 Cultivators will think of red spider making his 
 home in such (for him) a happy, hot j)lace ; but he 
 may be made si uncomfortable by keeping flowers of 
 sulphur strewed over the slates till near the ripening 
 season, that no inconvenience need be apprehended. 
 It will be perceived that the ventilation is all lateral, 
 and on the same principle as that of my orchard- 
 houf^es, nothing can be more perfect. In the figure 
 it will be seen I have left a small aperture under the 
 apex of the roof for the escape of rarefied air. In 
 very hot weather this may be useful, but in my slate- 
 floored ground vineries I have not done this, and yet 
 the ventilation is perfect. I have not yet ascertained 
 in what manner the heated air escapes. The venti- 
 lating apertures are all on the surface of the soil, 
 and at the same level ; but I suppose it stoops to get 
 out, having no other mode of egress. 
 
 DIMEXSIOINrS OF GROIJNt) VINERIES. 
 
 IVo. 1, for a single vine in centre. 
 
 Width at base . . . .30 inches. 
 
 Blope of roof . . . .20 inches. 
 
 Depth in centre 16 inches. 
 
APPENDIX. 131 
 
 No. '2^, for two vines 14 inches apart. 
 
 Width at base . . . .42 inches. 
 
 Sloop of roof . . . .28 inches. 
 
 Depth in centre . . . .20 inches. 
 
 These dimensions need not be arbitrary, for ground 
 vineries of larger dimensions may be made wJh 
 every chance of success, and Hamburgh grapes 
 grown in Bedfordshire instead of cucumbers ; for 
 no part of England can be more favourable to 
 grape culture than the fertile, sandy districts of a 
 portion of that county. We have heard of f >rty 
 acres of cucumbers being grown for pickling, and 
 one day we may hear of forty acres of grapes in. 
 ground vineries in some favourable locality. To 
 form a vinery (p. 127, fig. 21), described ab( vo 
 as No. 1, two seven feet lengths are required; 
 these I find from experience are better made 
 of wood than iron, which is heavy and exjjeu- 
 sive ; they are now made three feet wide at base, 
 and sold by Mr. J. Eivett, Stratford, Essex, at 
 from G5s. to 70s. per dozen, unglazed and un- 
 painted. Their size may also be increased to 
 3 feet 6 inches, as described under No. 2, but 
 they must then be placed on a wall two bricks in 
 height, leaving apertures, four or five inches wido 
 and six inches deep, for ventilation; thfs increase (;f 
 ventilation is absolutely necessary with No. 2. The 
 glass used should be 21 oz., as 16 oz. is too sl'ght. 
 As the vines in ground vineries often put forth the!r 
 young shoots early in May, and are apt to be Injun d 
 by a severe May frost, it is good practice to keep 
 some refuse hay strewed over the glass when there 
 is any chance of frost in that month, or to cover iho 
 ridges with mats. 
 
 In gardens where these glass ridge roofs are not 
 wanted for vines or fruit tree culture, they will bo 
 
132 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 found most useful. They may be placed on any 
 warm border on bricks ; and early j)eas, French 
 beans, and many other early vegetables requiring 
 protection from spring frosts, be grown under them 
 with advantage. For the cultivation of early straw- 
 berries they are invaluable, as they not only hasten 
 the ripening period, but protect the fruit from heavy 
 summer showers, often so injurious to the croj), and 
 also from birds. Strawberry plants, to be cultivated 
 in ground vineries, should be planted early in autumn 
 in narrow beds of two or three rows, the plants close 
 toge.h<-r in the rows, so as to take full advantage of 
 the glass-covered space. The rows should be 9 
 inches apart, and the plants in the row the same dis- 
 tance from each other ; the beds should be made 
 every season on a fresh piece of rich soil ; and as 
 much fruit as can possibly be grown in such a limited 
 space must be the aim of the cultivator. If the 
 Txdges are devoted to strawberries only, much care 
 is required in their culture, the runuers should be 
 carefully removed and the glass ridges taken ott' after 
 the fruit is gathered, and not replaced till November; 
 the plants will require water and surface manure 
 during the summer. In all cases the ridges should 
 be placed on bricks, with spaces between them. 
 Ventilation is then secured ; and even cauliflower 
 plants in winter will do well without ths constant at- 
 tention to "giving air," so necessary in the old 
 garden frame culture. Lettuces, for early salads, 
 B Acceed admirably in these structures ; they should be 
 planted in October. In gardens that are conhned 
 and very warm, I repeat it may be necessary to have 
 a small opening left at the top, at a, in the figure, 
 just under the ridge, to let out the heated air, and 
 two rows of bricks instead of one ; but my vineries 
 stand in a very exposed place, and do not require it. 
 
APPENDIX. 133 
 
 MANAGEMENT OP THE VINES. 
 
 It is now (1868) ten years since ground vineries 
 were invented, so that time enough has elapsed to 
 know their utility or the converse. My vines are 
 now from f^even to nine years old, and as it may 
 interest distant readers, I will endeavour to describe 
 them : — 
 
 My oldest and finest vine is the Trentham Black ; 
 this occupies seven seven-feet lengths, and is 50 
 feet long, this put forth a vast number of bunches 
 this season, of which about 100 are left to ripen 
 their fruit. My second in age is a Black Hamburgh 
 — the variety called Belle Bruxelloise in Belgium, it 
 is a great bearer and a little earlier than the old sort, 
 this runs through four seven-feet lengths, is 
 consequently 28 feet long, and is loaded with fruit. 
 My third vine is the Buckland Sweetwater, which 
 occupies four seven-feet lengths, and is also full of 
 fruit. These three vines have never failed in giving 
 and ripening nice crops of fruit, ever since they were 
 planted : there are many other kinds of grapes 
 cultivated here with success under these simple 
 structures, but the above are the oldest and best 
 established. I may add that it is as yet difficult to 
 place a limit to the growth of a vine under a ground 
 vinery if the soil be favourable, viz., calcareous sandy 
 loam, or even calcareous clay if well drained, I fully 
 believe that a planter not too far past his fourth 
 decade, may live to see his vine 200 feet long, 
 and covered with fruit fi'om end to end. The arti- 
 ficial climate created by the glass ridge seems 
 so highly favourable to the development of the 
 plant. There is a most essential rule to be ob- 
 served : — the vine must he covered with its glass ridge 
 all the year round, with the exception of a week or 
 two in Autumn, 
 
I'H APPENDIX. 
 
 PLANTING AKD PRUNING VINES FROM POTS. 
 
 Tlie most preferable seasons for planting vines from 
 pots are in October and November or in March, the 
 latter to be preferred, and if vines can be placed in a 
 co'd vinery or under a garden frame till their J^oung 
 shoots are two inches long, they had better be planted 
 in April, as they seem to start with greater freedom 
 wh en their young shoots have commenced to grow. The 
 m( de of planting as practised here is sini]!!}' to mark 
 out a piece of ground 3 feet square at the end of 
 fig. 21 at a, and to dig it 2 feet deep, mixing with 
 th3 sail in digging a coat of manure from four to five 
 inches thick, placed on the surface before digging ; 
 the vine should not be planted under the glass, but 
 outside, at the end marked, a, it should at once be 
 pegged down with two or three hooked l>egs thrust 
 into the earth through the interstices between the 
 slates in the centre of the floor. If vines from the 
 open ground are selected, they should be planted 
 early in March, and cut down to two eyes ; if strong 
 vines from pots are j^lanted, they should have their 
 roots carefully divided and spread out, the ball of 
 earth squeezed between the hands so as to loosen it 
 th(jrouglily, and after planting, water should be given 
 the earth filled in, and after about ten days the soil 
 round the vine may be trodden firmly, the vine from 
 a pot if strong and from 7 to 9 feet in length should 
 be shortened down to 3 feet, or say, to 11 or 12 buds, 
 not counting the buds within 9 inches of the ground, 
 everj^ bud wiU show a bunch of fruit, but all but 3 or 
 four bunches should be removed and every side shoot 
 except one should be shortened as soon as it has 
 made say five leaves, the one to be excepted is the 
 leading shoot, which if the vine is growing tolerably 
 Well, may be suffered even the first season to grow 
 from four to five feet before it is stopped, this leader 
 
APPENDIX. 135 
 
 may require being stopped a second time the first 
 season if it is in a vigorous state. In the autiima 
 (mind this is the first season) the j^oung leading shoot 
 may be cut down to about twelve eyes, or within 
 three feet of the old wood, i.e., the shoot left on the 
 vine when planted, the latter will be furnished with 
 spurs and each of these must be shortened in the 
 autumn to two eyes, the time for pruning is towards 
 the end of October, after the fruit is gathered and at 
 this time only, may the ridges be removed from the 
 vine, and remain off for a fortnight : the pruning in 
 succeeding years is very simple, 3'ou have merely to 
 shorten the leader to three or four feet, or less, and the 
 spurs to two eyes annually in October. 
 
 During the winter, if the vineries, are standing in 
 an exposed situation, they should be secured from, 
 the wind by driving a few stakes down on each side. 
 
 In spring, if the vines put forth their young slioots 
 in April, they are apt to be killed by a spring frost, as 
 is too often the vines of France ; this can, however, 
 be easily averted in ground vineries either by kee})iiig 
 constantly their covering of hay or straw on the gUiss 
 when the weather is cold, and frost likely, or to C(»ver 
 the ridges with the small mats which are so convenient 
 and so cheap, whenever the thermometer declines to 
 40 at 7 p. m. 
 
 There are still more ills to guard against in ground 
 vinery culture, for mice and birds, as rats often do in 
 common vineries, attempt to have too large a sliaro 
 of the fruit ; they enter by the interstices between tlie 
 bricks and devour and spoil many bunches : thrushes 
 are particularly vigilant in looking after grapes and 
 may be trapped, but both they and mice may be kept 
 out by galvanized iron netting six inches wide, 
 placed along the whole length of the vineries. 
 
 I have but little to add to my descrijition of th3 
 management of ground vineries : then* uses ar<3 
 
^•^^ APPENDIX. 
 
 endless, for not only are the finest of pears grown 
 in them, but peaches, apricots, plums and straw- 
 berries may be cultivated with great success, and 
 then as winter quarters for bedding plants they are 
 exceUent ; for this purpose the bricks should be 
 removed in severe weather, and the glass ridges 
 thickly covered with straw, they are then perfectly 
 frost-2Droof ; in mild weather in winter the ventila- 
 ting bricks may be replaced, and the straw removed 
 till frost again occurs. 
 
 With respect to the most preferable dimensions 
 lor these structures— the size No. 1, 30 inches wide 
 at base, will suffice for one vine in the centre for ten 
 years or so, but as I perceive my old vines to be a little 
 straitened for room, I advise a width of three feet 
 wide at the base, and No. 2, for two vines or two 
 cordons,^ to three feet ten inches, instead of three 
 fcjet six inches. 
 
 In these more roomy structures the vines may be 
 trained to stout galvanized iron wires, supported 
 with iron rods flattened at top and perforated, so 
 that the wire passes easily through; these wires 
 should be about one foot from the surface of the 
 slates, and the suspended bunches, partially rest- 
 ing on them, will ripen admirably, I ought to 
 add, that a friend with much gardening experience 
 finds his strawberries ripen ten days earlier than 
 those in the open air, and his melons, planted on 
 new, fresh, fermenting manure, in a trench, are free 
 from red spider, and produce fine fruit. It is the 
 constant ventilation, night and day, and the heavy 
 dew, the result of arrested radiation, that seems to 
 bafile this tiresome plague, for although my vines are 
 ne^'-er watered or syringed, they are always vigorous 
 and /ree from red spider. The most eligible varieties 
 of grapes for ground vineries are, the Black Ham- 
 bui-gh, Buckland Sweetwater, Eoyal Muscadine, 
 
APPENDIX. 187 
 
 Early Smyrna Frontignan, Trentliani Black, Early 
 Saumur Frontignan, Meurthe Frontignan, and Es- 
 perione. 
 
 Any suburban garden ten yards square, if in a 
 sunny situation, may have one or two of these vine- 
 ries, and the owner or occupier may grow his own black 
 Hamburg grapes, known by most of the Londoners 
 as "Hothouse grapes." 
 
 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 By T. Francis Rivers. Extracted from the " Journal of Horticulture, " 
 Nos. 356—7. 
 
 The introduction of the system oftraining fruit trees, 
 called by the French, cordon training, leads me to 
 suppose that a few outlines of descripti(m may not be 
 unacceptable. This system of training is remarkable 
 for simplicity, and I propose to give the necessary 
 directions in as few words as possible. 
 
 The preparation of the ground is so well understood, 
 that it is not necessary to say much on this point. 
 To form the oblique-cordon orchard, a trench should be 
 dug about 2 feet wide, the first spit of soil being 
 thrown out as if for a Celery trench ; the under spit 
 should then be broken up and left with the top soil, 
 a good proportion of well decomposed manure must be 
 mixed, and the ground is ready for planting. The trench 
 should, if possible, be made about a fortnight before 
 planting, in order that the soil may be thoroughly 
 pulverised. If there is any deficiency of lime in the soil, 
 it is as well to add lime rubbish or chalk. For hori- 
 zontal double cordons a trench is not necessary ; holes 
 should be dug about 2 feet in diameter, and the soil 
 mixed with good compost. The double-cordon trees 
 should be from 12 to 15 feet apart ; the horizontal single 
 cordons 6 to 8 feet. At this moment there are at 
 Saw bridge worth two horizontal double-cordon Peach 
 
138 APfENDIX. 
 
 trees under a p^ronnd vinery, whicli raeasure 21 feet 
 from end to end, and promise, from their remarkable 
 vigour, to be models of cordon culture next year, every 
 spur being full of strong fruit buds. 
 
 Fig. 1 represents a double horizontal cordon. This 
 may be made by cutting down a dwarf maiden tree to 
 within four or six buds of the base, the two topmost 
 buds of which must be selected to form the cordons. 
 The highest on the stem are the most eligible ; but the 
 operator can, of course, select the two shoots which are 
 the most conve'-.ient for his training wire, and they 
 should be as nearly as possible opposite. When 
 SuflBciently advanced in growth to be flexible, they 
 should be carefully bent down and fastened to short 
 sticks, unless the training wires are used. As the 
 wliole energies of the tree are directed into these shoots, 
 they will make rapid gi'owth, and as they advance 
 fresh sticks and fresh tying will be necessary. As any 
 lateral or upr-ight shoots are put forth they must be 
 stopped at three or four leaves from their bases. The 
 first year few of these will be made, but the tree will 
 most probably, if there is a favourable growth, be 
 studded with fruit buds. In November, or, indeed, any 
 month from November to Mar h, the tips of the main 
 shoots should be shortened three or four buds from 
 the ends, and unless a few lateral shoots have been left, 
 which should be removed, the pruning for the first 
 year will be accomplished. 
 
 The second year each cordon, or branch, will produce 
 many lateral shoots, and as these are successively 
 produced they should be pinched. The first pinching 
 must be done when the shoot has formed five or six 
 leaves, and as a general rule, three leaves from the 
 leaflets should be the stopping point. This primary 
 shoot will form the bloom buds, and the shoot made 
 from the terminal bud must be stopped in the same 
 
140 APPENDIX. 
 
 maiiTier as the first. Discontinue pincTiing"' after 
 August. By this time the cordon will be thickly- 
 studded with wood and fruit spurs, to thin out and 
 regulate these will form a pleasant winter's morning 
 work ; this final pruning must therefore be deferred 
 until November. 
 
 The tree after the second year will assume the ap- 
 pearance of a cordon — i.e., a thick rope of closely- 
 studded shoots, and the pruning must be left to the 
 judgement of the operator. Many shoots must be 
 removed ; and as the size and strength of the tree 
 must regulate the number of fruit-bearing spurs, a 
 sufficient number of these being left, the operator 
 should prune all others to wood buds, in order to 
 produce year by year an alternate succession of 
 fruit-bearing wood. 
 
 Fig. 2 is a half-standard double horizontal cordon. 
 This is very useful for low walls in gardens ; where 
 the border is occupied by flowers or other plants the 
 part of the wall exposed to the sun may thus be used. A 
 standard cordon with a stem 6 feet high may also be 
 used for the top of a wall, the main surface being 
 occupied by other trees. A cordon fringe, or cornice, 
 will be found exceedingly ornamental, and may be 
 carried the entire length of a wall, the standards being 
 planted at intervals ot 20 feet or more. 
 
 Many other forms of cordon training will, doubtless, 
 be discovered as the system becomes better known. 
 
 Single horizontal cordons {fg. 3), require the same 
 pruning as 'the double, but the dwarf maiden tree does 
 not absolutely require the cutting-back necessary for 
 double cordons. The tree may be planted in a slanting 
 position, against the training wire, and the shoot tied 
 idown. The first year after planting moat of the buds 
 will break a nd produce shoots ; these must be treated 
 in iixfi ,mzn.e manner as the double horizontal cordons. 
 
142 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 If a RiTi<>-le corrlon is reqnirerl for a special height, the 
 shoot should bo sliorte: eel to the heii^ht required, and 
 a single horizontal slioot selected to form the cordon. 
 
 Sino'le oblique (fg 4). cordons may be planted to 
 training wires by the sides of walks, or in rows in the 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 143 
 
 Fig. 4 
 
 garden devoted to tlieir cultivation. The space given 
 up to them will yield an ample and quick return in 
 fruit. Tiiey may be planted 1^ feet apart, and if the 
 cultivator does not object to wait a year, dwarf maiden 
 trees "are the best to plant, as they may be bought 
 cheaply. The trees should be planted upright, and the 
 shoots, which are gener-ally very flexible, should be 
 bent to an angle of about 4o°. It is not necessary for 
 the angle to be quite acute ; but, as a general rule, this 
 angle may be adopted If the shoots are not flexible 
 enough to bend, plant the tree in a slanting position. 
 
 The principle of pruning given for double hori- 
 zontal cordons must be followed in the cultivation of 
 single oblique cordons. They will the first year after 
 planting be found covered with bloom spurs. Single 
 obhque cordons in rich and fertile soils will, probably, 
 require root-pruning as well as spur-pruuing, and, if 
 
144 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 necessary, tin's sliould be done every secoTid year. 
 The tree should not be taken up, but the spade pushed 
 dowm at a sufficient distance from the stem to avoid 
 injury to the main roots, and the tree gently heaved. 
 If a tap root has been made it should be cut. The 
 proper time to perform this operation is near the end 
 of October, and any time afterwards to the middle or 
 
 Fig. 5 
 
145 
 
 end of February ; but it is better done in October and 
 November, as many fresh roots will be formed after 
 the operation, even during what are called the dead 
 months of the year. 
 
 Single oblique cordons may be carried to the height 
 of 10 or 12 feet; in fact, there is no limit, except the 
 will of the planter. A fresh string of wire may be 
 added annually as the cordons increase in length. 
 They may also be limited to the height of 4 or 5 feet. 
 
 Fig. 5 is from a photograph of an upright trained 
 tree, with five vertical cordons springing fi'om a 
 common base. Trees may be purchased already 
 trained in this form, but the double horizontal cordon 
 may at pleasure be changed into this form by 
 selecting strong shoots at regular intervals, fastening 
 them to stout stakes, and summer-pinching them as 
 practised for oblique cordons. No central stem 
 should be permitted in an upright trained cordon; 
 it will absorb an unfair proportion of the strength 
 of the tree. 
 
 Fig. 6 is a fan cordon, and the advantage of the 
 simple method of summer-pinching will at once be 
 seen. Instead of a wall being perforated all over with 
 nails, few only are required to fasten the shoots selected 
 for cordons. This form may consist of five, seven, or 
 more cordon branches. The symmetry of the tree 
 should be the point most strictly attended to, a 
 symmetrical tree being more pleasing to the eye than 
 one irregularly shaped. The same method of prun- 
 ing is required as for oblique cordons. 
 
 Fan cordons can be managed by an unscientific 
 gardner, but to produce one well shaped on the usual 
 plan requires a skilful and practised hand. It is 
 possible that in the northern and westerly districts 
 Peach and Nectarine trees will produce too many 
 unripened spurs, but probably by attention and strict 
 
APPENDIX. H7 
 
 thinning this difficulty will be surmounted. Plums, 
 Pears, Apples, Apricots, and Cherries are all amen- 
 able, and no hesitation need be felt in subjecting them 
 to summer-pinching. 
 
 Fig. 7 is a double obhque cordon, formed by cutting 
 down the dwarf tree to two buds, and proceeding as for 
 oblique cordons. 
 
 Fig. 7 
 
 Fig. 8 represents a compound horizontal cordon. 
 This should have a central shoot and branches trained 
 from it as nearly opposite as possible. This sys- 
 tem has long been used for Pears and Apples, but 
 not so generally for stone fruits. It is well adapted 
 
148 
 
 for Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Oherries, and 
 Plums. All of these may be trained as compound 
 horizontal cordons in the colder climate of Yorkshire. 
 
 A very skilful cultivator of fruit, in Yorkshire, has 
 trained cordon Peaches and Nectarines with complete 
 success, and to counteract the tendency of these fruit 
 
APPENDIX. 149 
 
 trees to produce much unripened wood, when under 
 cordon training he leaves on every horizontal 
 branch an upright shoot which he calls an ex- 
 liauster. This shoot forms an outlet for the 
 superfluous energy of the tree ; and the fruit spurs, 
 being deprived of the superabundance of the vital 
 fluid, do not break into growth. This theory will 
 be found to be very sound practice, and should be 
 used wherever there is a tendency on the part of 
 the tree to produce many unripened spurs. This 
 mode of training for the Pear and Apple is already 
 well known ; and when applied to Peach and Nec- 
 tarine trees, the only deviation from established prac- 
 tice will be to treat every horizontal branch as a cor- 
 don, and to practise summer-pinching instead of 
 allowing gross upright shoots to be made. 
 
 Fig. 9 is a single vertical cordon in a pot, and if an 
 orchard house or glass shed is available these will be 
 found very useful and interesting trees. Pear, Apple, 
 Cherry, and Plum trees may be potted into 10 or 12 
 inch pots, and moved into a glass shed, or, indeed, any 
 shed open to the sun, while in bloom, and kept under 
 cover until all danger from spring frost is past. They 
 should then be removed to a border prepared for 
 them — the warmer and more sheltered the bet+.er. 
 The pots must be plunged to within 2 or 3 inches of 
 the rim, stable litter partly decomposed and spread 
 over the pots and the soil ; as the trees will require 
 watering, they should be placed near water. One- 
 year-old dwarf trees may be bought at a cheap rate 
 and potted. The fruit will be produced in the second 
 year after potting. The soil for the trees should 
 consist of good, strong, calcareous loam mixed with a 
 third of its bulk of decomposed manure. An old 
 Cucumber or Melon bed may be used ; or, if not con- 
 venient, stable manure thrown up and fermented for 
 
150 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Fig. 9 
 
 some time will answer very well. The soil must in 
 all cases be made very firm, and solid in the pot. The 
 border or bed for their summer quarters should be 6 
 feet wide ; this will take four rows of trees. This 
 distance is perhaps the most convenient for pruning 
 and watering", but it may be increased or diminished 
 at the will of the cultivator. 
 
APPENDIX. 161 
 
 Under this system trees which appear to be walking 
 sticks in the winter will become wonderfully fertile ; 
 and if protection in spring can be afforded the crop is 
 almost certain. As it is possible and probable that 
 during the summer some of the roots will have passed 
 through the bottom of the pots into the soil beneath, it 
 will be necessary, after the fruit is gathered and the 
 trees are at rest, to detach them from their anchorage 
 by taking up the pots and cutting off all the roots that 
 protrude through the drainage hole of the pot. As 
 this operation will break up the summer quarters of 
 the trees, there will be no necessity to replace them at 
 the distance requisite for their summer cultivation. 
 They may be much more closely packed for their 
 winter quarters, plunging them as mentioned before, 
 and during winter covering the pots thickly with straw 
 or stable litter. In this position they may be left 
 without any further care or attention until the re- 
 turning spring urges them again into fresh activity 
 and fruitfulness. 
 
The following Works by Mr. RIVERS are sold by Messrs. LONGMAN 
 & Co., or sent free per post, at the prices quoted, on application to the 
 Author, Sa-svbridgeworth, Herts. 
 
 THE BOSE AMATEUR'S GUIDE ; 
 
 Giving the History and Description of the finer kinds of Roses ; with 
 Directions for their Culture in the open Air and in Pots. Ninth 
 Edition, just published. 45. 
 
 THE ORCHARD-HOUSE ; 
 
 On the Culture of Fruit Trees in Pots under Glass. Thirteenth 
 Edition, enlarged and improved. 3s. 6d. 
 
 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN ; 
 
 On the Culture of Fruit Trees as Pyramids and Bushes. Fifteenth 
 Edition, enlarged and improved. 35. 
 
 A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF FRUITS ; 
 
 Carefully compiled and arranged, so as to be a complete Guide to the 
 Purchaser of Fruit Trees. Free. 
 
 A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF SELECTED 
 ROSES. Free. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 
 Apple —American blight, cure for 65 
 
 As wall trees 83 
 
 Burr knot stock 62 
 
 Buhses on Paradise stock 67 
 
 Bushes for a market garden ..*..,. 69 
 
 Dormant buds, to notch 65 
 
 Double lateral cordon 77 
 
 Doucin stock 61 
 
 In pots 63 
 
 Pomme de Paradis 62 
 
 Pyramid, summer pinching of . .... . 66 
 
 Pyramidal, on crab 85 
 
 Quadruple cordon 78 
 
 Root-pruning of . , 64 
 
 Selection of sorts . • 67, 68 
 
 Summer pinching of bushes 68 
 
 Single lateral cordon 75 
 
 To keep hares from (note) 68 
 
 Vertical Cordon 83 
 
 Apricot— Pyramidal 100 
 
154 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 
 Cherry— As bushes 91 
 
 Biennial removal of .... ^ .... 98 
 
 Cure for Aphis (note) 98 
 
 Double-grafting of , . . 97 
 
 On the common stock 97 
 
 On the Mahaleh stock 91 
 
 Pruning of 92 
 
 Pyramidal 95 
 
 Selection of sorts 95, 99 
 
 Summer pinching of 93 
 
 Vertical cordons 96 
 
 Compact pji-amids 11 
 
 Cordon training 137 to 151 
 
 Cun-ant — Pyramidal 100 
 
 Diagonal Single Cordons . 42 
 
 Double-gi-afting of fruit trees . 107 
 
 Dwarf walls, proper distance for trees 36 
 
 Fig, as half-standards and bushes . ..... 102 
 
 Filbert, as standards • ... 101 
 
 Fruit trees— Advantages of root-pruning of .... . 50 
 
 Biennial removal of 103 
 
 Distances to plant 115 
 
 Glass fruit ridge 78 
 
 Ground vinery 126 to 137 
 
 Labels for fruit trees (note) 16 
 
 Market garden bush pear trees 58 
 
 apple ti-ees 69 
 
 Medlar— Pyramidal 100 
 
 Moss on trees, to destroy ... .... (note) 106 
 
 Old fruit trees, root-pruning of 48 
 
 Peach border, how to prepare Ill 
 
INDEX. 155 
 
 Page 
 
 Peach border, compost for 104 
 
 on dwarf walls 37 
 
 trellis • . . 121 
 
 Pear — As a hedge 45 
 
 As bushes on the quince stock 16 
 
 Biennial root-pruning of wall trees 39 
 
 Budding with fruit buds (note) 7 
 
 Bushes for a market garden 58 
 
 (/orkscrew, training of 136 
 
 Dormant buds, to notch 8 
 
 Double-grafted (note) 29, 107 
 
 Espaliers on quince stocks . . . ... . . 3ft 
 
 For dwarf walls 3 1 
 
 Gathering the fruit 57 
 
 Keeping fruit in a greenhouse 60 
 
 Mature pyramid , . 8 
 
 Number of fruit on , 2 
 
 Ornamental pyramids of 16 
 
 Planting 51 
 
 Proper time to plant 2 
 
 Protecting wall trees 112 
 
 Protectors for 20 
 
 Pruning .... 912 
 
 Pyramid on the pear stock 45 
 
 Quenouille 3 
 
 Root-pruning of, on the pear stock 47 
 
 Root-pruning on quince 12 
 
 Semi-pyramids for walls 28 
 
 Shoi'tening leading shoots 469 
 
 Sorts for bushes 20 
 
 pyramids 15 
 
15(5 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 Pear — Sorts for upright cordons 29 
 
 Summer pinching 8 
 
 top-dressing 63 
 
 Thinning blossom-buds 2 
 
 To store for winter 59 
 
 Training en fuseau .....-,.. 43 
 
 Under glass 30 
 
 Upright cordon training 24 
 
 Upright cordons for trellises 31 
 
 walls 24, 144 
 
 Wooden walls for 124 
 
 Young pyramid 4 
 
 Plum — As bushes 89 
 
 As cordons - ... 89 
 
 On sloe 88 
 
 Pyramidal 86 
 
 Selection of sorts 88 
 
 Pyramidal fruit trees, summer pinching of 9, 10, 11 
 
 Pyramidal fruit trees, alternate root-pruning of . . . (note) 13 
 
 labels for (note) 16 
 
 planting (note) 51 
 
 Standard orchard trees 113 
 
 Strawberries in ground vinery _ . . . 132 
 
 Letts, Son, & Co., Printers, London.