38 



HINTS ON PROFITABLE FRUIT GROWING. 



to obtain the best technical labour, would have under- 

 taken it largely long ago ! 



Probably the landlord's head gardener also would 

 confess he knows far less about scientific hardy fruit 

 culture, as a business for market, than about everything 

 else in his profession his vineries and peach houses, 

 upon which thousands are spent, and his orchids or stove 

 plants often monopolizing his main energies ; and thus 

 the leading landowners are kept quite in the dark as to 

 the possibilities of profit from fruit culture. 



The following may be taken as safe rules for all wishing 

 to get the best results, without previous experience. 



Don't overcrowd trees or plants. Good quality cannot 

 be grown without plenty of room for air and sunshine. 



Always select trees of known varieties, with hardy 

 constitutions, that will be likely to crop well in bad 

 seasons when fruit is scarce. Such apples as Lord 

 Suffield, Bramley's Seedling, Lane's Prince Albert, or, 

 amongst older sorts, Colonel Yaughan, and Cellini 

 Pippin will nearly always bear good crops, and often 

 pay to thin out. The three first-named some consider the 

 finest in cultivation, although at present rather scarce. 

 It is well to select prolific bearers, as there is a great 

 difference in trees. The Colonel Yaughan, or " Scarlet 

 Invincible," is one of the best in this respect, as well 

 as one of the handsomest ; a remarkably prolific apple 

 in most parts. If large and attractive qualities in fruit 

 can be combined for show and dessert purposes, they 

 often fetch quite extra prices, especially pears on walls 

 and late cherries. Choice sorts of these would both pay 

 (where there is a good outlet) to grow under glass or on 

 walls of wood specially constructed, with wide copings 

 on the top, to be covered with old pilchard netting, as 



