ID* GARDEN MANAGEMENT. 



the walls for the more tender peach, nectarine, apricot, and more delicate 

 French pears, the espaliers, dwarf trees, and pj-ramids, might be arranged 

 so that out of every hundred trees, whether pears or apples, a tenth might 

 ripen early, a fifth ripen in October, a fifth in December, and the remainder 

 — long-keeping sorts — ripening in the winter. This proportion might pro- 

 bably extend to the largest estabUshments, and even to the orchards of 

 the cider counties, where the system we are now describing might be acted 

 upon with gjeat advantage to the owners. In smaller gardens, with which 

 we have more immediately to do, the pi'oportion of apples, pears, and plums, 

 will be decided by individual taste. If we were to offer an opinion on this 

 point, it would probably be to divide the garden, one half, or thereabouts, into 

 apples and pears ; and to plant the outside of the wall boi-ders next the walks 

 with espahers, for apples and pears of the finer sorts. 



489. The season for planting may be any month from October to March ; 

 but many arguments may be brought forward in favour of the month of 

 November, if the weather be open and free from frosts. Spring is always a 

 busy season in the garden ; digging, sowing, grafting, and pruning, are then in 

 full operation, "And why should planting be added to the number ?" asks 

 the Rev. Mr. Lawrence. "It makes part of the wise man's pleasure and 

 diversion to have always something to do, and never too much. Amuse- 

 ments and recreations of all kinds should come to us in regular and orderly 

 succession, and not in a crowd ; besides, some intervals of time for medi- 

 tation between different kinds of work in a garden are very desirable to a good 

 and thoughtful man." 



490. The Pear loves a silicious earth, of considerable depth ; plums flourish 

 in calcareous soils, and the roots seek the surface ; the cherry prefers a Hght 

 silicious soil ; and all cease to be productive in moist, humid soils. The apple 

 accommodates itself more to clayey soils, but does best in a loamy soil of 

 moderate quality, slightly gravelly. In preparing stations, therefore, suitable 

 soils should be supplied to each. The station is prepared by digging out a pit 

 about three feet square, and the same depth, in grovmd that has been well 

 drained. In the bottom of this pit lay 10 or 12 inches of brick or hme 

 rubbish, the roughest material at the bottom, and ram it pretty firmly, so as 

 to be impervious to the tap-root : the remainder of the pit is filled in with 

 earth suitable to the requirements of the tree. When the surrounding soil 

 is a tenacious clay, the roots of the young tree should be spi'ead out just 

 under the sm-face, and rich fight mould placed over them, forming a little 

 mound round the roots ; but in no case should the crown be more than 

 covered : deep planting is the bane of fruit-trees. 



491. The stations being prepared, and the trees having arrived, it is 

 necessary to pnme the roots, by taking off all the small fibres, and shortening 

 the larger roots to about six inches from the stem ; and if they have received 

 any bruise before reaching you, that part of the root should be removed 

 entirely, by a clean sharp cut. Two or three spiu-s are sufficient ; but if there 

 ■be more good ones, they may remain, after being carefully pruned. The 



