EUROPEAN NURSERIES. 95 



tales the growing of these in the nurseries, and they are generally 

 trained flat against several, perhaps six, stakes to each tree. Thus, 

 an apple tree, instead of growing as with us, is very likely trained in 

 fan-shaped form, extending across from one row nearly to the other. 

 Such plants must be handled with great care and occupy so much of 

 the land that it is out of the question to get in amongst them with a 

 horse. 



The growing of gooseberries in tree form is also an object of in- 

 terest, and in this section the gooseberry is a very important fruit 

 and is eaten in a raw state in large quantities. Occasionally one will 

 see both the currant and gooseberry on the same stock, and each 

 worked about three feet from the ground. 



In response to a demand for trees for setting out during the 

 growing season, the larger nurserymen grow apple, pear and other 

 trees in pots, tubs or willow baskets, in which they may be moved at 

 any season of the year. This is a feature that in some sections of 

 this country might perhaps be adopted to some advantage, at least in 

 a small way. It frequently happens that in some of the retail nurse- 

 ries in this country, where a good retail business is done in high 

 priced ornamentals, a customer comes around just after the sale 

 season is past, or even late in June, and is willing to pay a good price 

 if he can have his planting work done that season. It is under such 

 •conditions that it might be well here to grow some plants in pots or 

 tubs. I noted that it was a common practice to grow evergreens in 

 beds, even after they were, perhaps, a foot or more high. I inquired 

 the reason for this and asked why it would not be just as well to 

 plant in long rows and to cultivate with some hand cultivator, and 

 was informed that it would not do to walk between the rows of 

 seedlings, as it would interfere with their growth, and at the same 

 time I was given a sort of look as though I was not quite on to such 

 matters and had simply displayed my ignorance. 



Among the few cases in which I saw a four-footed animal assist- 

 ing in nursery work was where a small burro was used for drawing 

 a spraying apparatus through the rows in a nursery near Berlin. 

 This spraying apparatus, by the way, was of much interest to me 

 from the fact that the power for forcing the spray came from car- 

 bonic acid, which was generated in the receiver by the use of acid 

 and marble dust in the machine itself. It was too heavy and clumsy, 

 however, to be practical ; but it may possibly indicate the direction in 

 which improvements should work in this country. It is certainly a 

 novel idea. 



It seemed to me that the nurserymen and seedsmen in Europe 

 lay special stress on getting some land that lies along a railway track. 



