iS8t.] hints for amateurs. 497 



ment in summer is half the battle ; absence of crowding, and healthy, 

 well-developed foliage, are points which are of importance. The best 

 system of training we do not know, as all ever we tried (other things 

 being equal) were attended by same results. Training may be done as 

 soon as opportunities afford : with fans the centre may be kept open, 

 and cut further back than the others, as side-shoots are not likely to 

 grow so strong as those which are more upright ; evenness of growth 

 must be studied if the tree is to be handsome and to cover the wall profit- 

 ably. Horizontal training is simple, and suits every tree well — Pears 

 and Peaches have been with us specially fine on trees trained thus — not 

 that we suppose training itself had anything to do with it, but this 

 we know, that the work on the trees required less than half the labour 

 of fan-trained trees. Upright or perpendicular training can be done 

 with two shoots, one taken right and the other left at bottom — say a 

 foot from the ground — and the upright shoots all start from these at 

 about 9 inches or 1 foot apart. I have frequently trained seven or 

 nine shoots on fans into perpendicular trees, which answered capitally. 

 We have had Peaches, Figs, and Cherries do well by this training, but 

 taste is the chief matter in this. Whatever system is adopted it should 

 be done well. Now is a good time to clear trees from moss, and white- 

 wash them with lime. Renovating old trees by clearing away the old 

 soil, and mulching them with good cow-manure, is a practice which 

 will pay itself in course of time. Dwarfed trees, which are a mass of 

 fruiting spurs, may have the same treatment as that advised for old 

 trees. Rasps may be shortened and tied to their stakes, or arched 

 over ; a good mulching is advantageous to them, also to established 

 Gooseberries and Currants after they are pruned. These may be 

 spurred, cutting out some old branches every year,' to be replaced by 

 young growths ; keep centres open, and leave the upright growths. 

 Black Currants may be regularly thinned all over, avoiding crowding 

 the shoots • top any which may be growing out of bounds. Suckers 

 from all fruit-trees and bushes should be cleared off closely : they ruin 

 the trees and bushes in course of time. 



ORCHAKD-HOUSE. 



In this structure trees will be at rest. If they are in pots they can 

 be packed closely at one end, and the space used for protection for 

 vegetables, such as Endive, Broccoli, Parsley, for use during severe 

 weather, &c. If such space is not required the trees may be trimmed, 

 cutting out all useless wood and any dead spurs. Put drainage right, 

 and paint the trees with soft-soap and sulphur mixed, or Gishurst's 

 Compound. If scale has appeared, a thorough washing of the parts may 

 be necessary : surfacing of the pots may be left later, as the trees 

 would not get the benefit of it in their present condition. Any trans- 

 planting or root-lifting of trees planted out not yet attended to, may 

 be done as early as possible. Walls may be whitewashed ; painting 



