300 THE GARDENER. [July 



masses, dipping to the water's edge, reminding one, by its quiet seclusion, 

 its natural aspect, and its few architectural accessories, of some High- 

 land lake one loves to remember. Many reminiscences of Windsor are 

 included in the records of the martial, social, and intellectual progress 

 of our country's history, of which I am here unable to speak. I can 

 say, however, that the name of Mr Thomas Ingram will ever live in 

 association with these gardens while they exist, as that of Heme the 

 Hunter with the oak in Windsor Forest, part of which still exists, if 

 I rightly remember, and under which was the scene of the lewd Sir 

 John FalstafFs final humiliation by the merry wives of Windsor. 



The Squire's Gardener. 



THE CULTIVATION OF HARDY FRUITS. 



THE apricot. 



{Continued from page 259.) 



About the middle or towards the end of January, the young Apricot- 

 tree, which has been fixed to stakes since the period of planting in 

 autumn, may now have them removed, and, after having received the 

 necessary pruning, be placed permanently against the wall. As the 

 reader will already infer, the fan mode of training is, in my estima- 

 tion, the best for the Apricot. Like the Cherry and Plum, it is liable 

 to lose some of its branches without any very apparent cause, and I 

 therefore prefer the fan style of training to all others — for this one very 

 evident reason, viz. that if a vacancy should occur at any time it is 

 more easily filled up than if horizontally trained. And further, the 

 very nature and habit of the tree, and the fact that it is necessary to 

 be preparing and laying in some fresh shoots every year in order to 

 have a constant supply of fruit-bearing wood, as the Apricot produces 

 its largest and finest fruit upon one and two year old shoots, make it 

 almost necessary that the fan method of training should be adopted. 

 If the young tree possesses seven shoots, the centre one may be cut 

 back to about 1-4 or 15 inches, and the three left at either side should 

 be shortened considerably, the under ones being left the longest. In 

 fixing them to the wall, train the centre one perpendicularly, and then 

 the under ones may be elevated at an angle of, say, 25° or 30°, while 

 the other four branches may be arranged equidistant between the centre 

 and under ones so as to form the trained tree. If vigorous and healthy 

 wood is made the following year, the branches may at the next train- 

 ing season be brought down to their permanent position. After the 

 foundation of the young tree is thus laid, the principal work of the 



