2 THE GARDENER. [Jan. 



that as it may, we have no more doubt that many districts in the 

 United Kingdom could be made much more productive of these 

 fruits without entrenching on lands remunerative in other ways, than 

 we have of our own existence. The question may be asked, By what 

 means'? Of course, to begin with, by planting more trees. This may 

 be met with the assertion that there never were so many trees raised 

 and planted as there are in these times — a statement that may be 

 true. But is it not near the truth that much of the planting might 

 as well be left undone, and many of the trees might just as well be 

 burned, for any share they have in increasing the supply of fruit 1 ? 



AVe must of course endeavour to give a reason for this last assump- 

 tion, as it may be termed. In the first place, we have never yet had 

 to do with Apple and Pear trees in any district, without having the 

 fact that the supply of fruits in five years out of six has been borne by 

 a comparatively few sorts very forcibly illustrated. This observation 

 is not by any means singular to any cultivator ; and we believe if it 

 were more carefully considered, and only those productive varieties 

 planted all but exclusively, the bulk of fruit produced in a very great 

 number of localities would be increased fiftyfold. As an instance 

 of this fact, we now practise in one of the very worst spots that 

 could be chosen for hardy-fruit culture — i.e., a low damp valley close 

 to a river, with a heavy soil on a clayey subsoil, and an average rain- 

 fall of fifty inches, and where spring frosts are very prevalent. Yet 

 only twice in ten years has the yield of Apples not been sufficient 

 for the supply of one of the largest establishments for three months, 

 and from comparatively few trees — under what we consider adverse 

 circumstances — in the vegetable-garden alone. We are now so well 

 acquainted with the few varieties and trees that are productive, that 

 we could venture to point out those that are likely to be fruitful 

 the following season ; and the varieties could be more than counted 

 on our fingers. If every tree in the gardens were of these varieties, 

 there would be supply enough for eight or nine months of the year. 

 The blossom produced by other varieties is most encouraging, but 

 their crop is almost always nil. Is it therefore not reasonable to 

 expect, that if those varieties that bear thus were largely planted in 

 this and similar districts, the produce would be much increased with 

 the self-same labour in culture ? The same rule we have noticed to 

 apply more or less to other districts. The indiscriminate planting of 

 varieties not suited to localities has been found out by market-growers 

 to be a great mistake, and they are now acting on the principle of 

 selection. 



Another practice, and, considering its results, one that has been 

 adhered to with an amount of tenacity that is remarkable, is that of 



