GARDENING 



83 



currant also rejoices in moisture ; but the white 

 mill red (Mimints mill gooseberries thrive well in 

 lighter places. 



Tree-fruit in of many kinds, and grown in divers 

 manners. A broad distinction was made of old 

 !.! \vi\t wall-fruit and that of standards, as if the 

 I'mnier \\erefar superior lM)th in size and quality. 

 Hut now it is acknowledged that any fruit which 

 ran IK- ripened thoroughly or brought into proper 

 state fur gathering 'in full wind, as the trench 

 express it, will prove of higher flavour and of linn 

 lle-h than if it hail received the relaxing influence 

 ami coddlingof a wall. Still, the wall affords much 

 I'.iirer chance of protecting tender bloom from frost, 

 and IHMVV fruit from winds, as well as of ripening 

 l.it>T kinds, which ought not to be culled till 

 Octol>er. 



Taking wall-fruit first, we find the following 

 chiefly favoured thus : the peach, the nectarine, 

 :u i.l apricot, the finer sorts of plums and gag^es, 

 d 1 1 Tries, pears, sometimes apples of dessert varieties, 

 and also figs arid hardy grapes, which ripen in 

 warm seasons and warm places with good manage- 

 ment. For stone-fruit trie usual mode of train- 

 ing is to spread the branches against the wall 

 in radiations, like those of a fan, removing the 

 breast-wood while quite young, and laying in 

 the bearing wood on one or both sides of tne lead- 

 ing brandies, and at proper intervals. Very few 

 gardeners understand the education of a wall-tree ; 

 and a peach tree perfectly trained and equally 

 balanced, yet full of vigour, is one of the fairest 

 and rarest sights. Nothing less than loving labour 

 and great skill can bring this to pass ; but for ordi- 

 nary work and good results these points must be 

 attended to vermin must be nipped in the bud, 

 gross shoots must be removed or reduced, and 

 redundant fruit taken oft' right early. These rules 

 apply to the pear as well, when trained against a 

 wall, although that fmit is less oppressed by 

 insects, and the tree is usually trained in the hori- 

 zontal or rectangular form that is to say, with 

 side-branches issuing at intervals of about a foot 

 from the main stem or leader. Another mode of 

 training, called the 'cordon system,' is now in 

 vogue with the pear, the plum, cherry, and other 

 \\all fruit. This is not by any means a novelty, 

 but rather a revival ; and where the walls are high, 

 and many varieties are needed, it is sometimes 

 employed with good effect, though the difficulty is 

 to repress the longing of the tree for ampler foliage. 

 It is a system of strict repression, and the victim 

 requires frequent care ; and even at the best we 

 ha\e a triumph of art over nature, instead of with 

 it. 



Without the aid of a wall, fine fruit quite as 

 handsome in some cases, and often of better quality 

 can be grown in good situations and average 

 seasons with ordinary skill. Trees planted thus 

 for fruiting ' in full wind ' are described as either 

 standards, pyramids, or bushes. The first have a 

 single stem free from branches for several feet 

 aliove the ground perhaps 6 feet is the average. 

 There the branching begins, and the growth con- 

 tinues according to early treatment, with either an 

 upright leader or open divergence of coequal shoots. 

 Tins tall growth is mainly used for orchards now, 

 <>r in gardens for planting alternately with pyra- 

 mids or bushes. The pyramid more correctly 

 perhaps it should l>e termed the conical tree is 

 formed by allowing the lower shoots to remain, and 

 even encouraging them (when the habit of the sort 

 requires it) by stopping the leafier at intervals, so 

 that we have a young tree furnished with tiers of 

 M'le-shoots from the base upwards in regular suc- 

 cession, yet still possessing a central upright. In 

 the bush the leader has been removed, if there ever 

 was one for some varieties branch thus by nature ; 



and then we have a spreading growth without any 

 central occnpant, as the nut-trees are usually 

 formed in Kent, and the currant and gooseberry 

 everywhere. 



Where space is restricted and growth must be 

 compact, the conical form of tree suits well, and 

 offers most temptation to those who love experi- 

 ments. But when great bulk of fruit is called for, 

 either the 'pyramid' must be allowed to earn its 

 name by magnitude, or the free and tall standard 

 must have its own way, with coercion administered 

 prudently. Many writers, especially nurserymen, 

 nave pleasure in proving that the maximum of 

 fruit is to lie achieved with the minimum of tree ; 

 but nature works otherwise, and if she be not 

 heeded experience will impress the error. Con- 

 tinual lift ing and pinching of trees ( alternated as 

 such correction is with doses of rank liquor) act 

 upon their systems as feast and fasting might act 

 upon the gardener. To those who have not studied 

 the precepts (rather than the practice) of recent 

 authorities this will appear a truism. 



Without controversy, it is enough to say that in 

 this, as is in most other matters, the middle course 

 is the best and safest. Fruit-trees in the open should 

 be planted at fair distance from one another ; pyra- 

 mids of strong sorts 10 feet asunder, and of 

 weakly kinds not less than 8 ; standard -trees 15 

 feet apart, to do justice to themselves and allow it 

 for some years to the humbler growth betwixt 

 them. Many must be checked in their lateral 

 spread until they have filled their forms, not 

 densely, but with equable bearing wood ; and none 

 should be allowed to sacrifice their future for the 

 sake of present gain. It should also be borne in 

 mind that stone-fruit, if any is thus grown, does 

 not bear the knife as kindly as the pears and 

 apples do. If the plum and cherry must be brought 

 into the form of bush or cone, it can only be done 

 to good effect by nipping the young growth before 

 midsummer, and by very slight winter-pruning. 

 Any amputation of thick branches produces gum- 

 ming, and maims the tree. To achieve the pear 

 and apple in small compass and with quick increase 

 dwarfing stocks are much employed, the pear being 

 grafted or budded on the quince, and the apple on 

 the Paradise or doucin. Many varieties thrive 

 well on these, some for many years, and others for 

 a shorter time, according to their liking ; and 

 larger and finer coloured fruit is the early result of 

 the union. Nurserymen by experience Know what 

 sorts to offer in this form, and what are less com- 

 plaisant. The espalier also, which may be termed 

 a multiple form of cordon, is frequently found in 

 kitchen -gardens, though not universal as in days 

 gone by. The tree is trained horizontally on 

 stakes, or wires, in tiers proceeding from the 

 central stem, and for heavy fruit this method 

 doubtless otters more stability ; but the disadvan- 

 tages are many, and in common with the quenouille 

 (which is a modification of it) the espalier has 

 yielded place to the less exacting pyramid. 



For fruit-trees, as for' vegetables, a few well- 

 known but often slighted cautions may be offered. 

 Let sufficient space be given; luxuriant growers 

 may sometimes stand alternate with the feebler ; let 

 no tree be planted deeply, nay, if the soil be wet 

 and heavy, plant almost upon the surface, banking 

 up and staking well. Remove the coarser tap- 

 roots if there be enough of fibre ; prune but 

 slightly, if at all, until fresh growth has started, 

 and then be not too hard with it. Do not clog 

 with rank manure, but let the ground have been 

 well worked before the tree is planted. Give the 

 needful nurture, when the fruit is taxing the 

 resources of the root, either by mulching with fat 

 manure, or presenting it in ifquid form. Let not 

 the tree be overcropped : a hundred puny fruits are 



