1873.] THE APPLE: ITS CUIiTUEE AND VARIETIES, CHAPTER IV. 127 



the roots for two or tliree days, or, if it is in winter, a week afterwards ; the plant 

 should be moist at the roots, and the potting material must not be dry when the 

 plants are potted. The most insidious enemy of this and many others of our 

 fine Primroses is the red-spider. During summer, the plants should be syringed 

 daily to keep this pest in check, as, if it is not destroyed, it will destroy the 

 Jeaves, and the plants will not flower well the following season. If well treated, 

 it is a free-growing plant, and readily increased by division. 



The variety called amosna is the best and most showy. The white variety 

 has a fault — the flowers do not open well out, and always look as if they were 

 flagging. The lilac sort is pretty and distinct, and well worthy of culture. To 

 show how it may be increased, I had a small plant of amcsna in a 5-in. pot last 

 year, in February, and from that plant I have now five large ones in 7-in. and 

 8-in. pots, and each plant has produced five or sis trusses of flowers, and many 

 single trusses had fifteen flowers expanded on them at one time ; and a very fine 

 effect they produced. — J. Douglas, Loxford Hall Gardens^ Ilford. 



THE APPLE : ITS CULTURE & VARIETIES.— Chap. IV. 



'he distances at which the trees should be planted from each other must be 

 determined by the size they have reached at the time of planting, and the 

 kind of stock on which they are worked. I have endeavoured to show- 

 that in trees on the Paradise stock the growth is naturally much more 

 restricted than on the Free stock, and therefore these are very much to be recom- 

 mended to amateurs, because they can grow more varieties on the same space of 

 ground. At the same time, I would by no means discourage the practice of 

 planting trees worked on the free stock, even by amateurs, supposing that by 

 careful root-pruning, they can be kept within reasonable bounds for some years. 

 As, however, the effect of working on the paradise stock is to reduce the ten- 

 dencv to luxuriant growth, and to induce fruitfulness, it appears to me that whera 

 ■space is Umited, the paradise stock will be found the most profitable. With 

 unlimited space, trees on the free stock may be cultivated with great advantage, 

 and be permitted a much more free development, although not allowed to ramble 

 at will, because they must always have the hand of the pruner upon them. 



I have planted small trees on the paradise stock at three feet apart in the 

 row, and the rows four feet apart, and have obtained a fair produce. At the end 

 of two years they were lifted, in October, and replanted at four feet, and appar- 

 ently without feeling the removal, as they bore some very fine fruit. Subsequently 

 they were removed to six feet apart, each way, and they bloomed well, but little 

 fruit followed, in consequence of the disastrous May frosts. This year the trees 

 look very well at present. This will indicate the sort of process through which the- 

 amateur mu^t pass his trees as they increase in growth. 



Pyramids on the free stock, having generally a stronger growth and greater 

 size, may be planted at from five to six feet apart to begin with. By successive 

 liftings and transplantings in after years, this distance may be increased to twelve 



