84 HINTS ON PROFITABLE FRUIT GROWING. 



Some of the choicest of the fruit sent to London the 

 last ten years has been grown by a firm of horticultural 

 builders, who had no previous experience in fruit 

 growing. The houses were erected in their building 

 yard, the young bush trees (selected with great care 

 from the leading nursery firms) were planted out in the 

 well-prepared soil, which is enriched liberally with 

 liquid manure, annually, after the fruit has " set." 

 These are carefully thinned out to avoid that over- 

 cropping which is so fatal to fine quality. 



As the fruit is gathered it is wrapped in tissue paper 

 and carefully packed in cotton wool in single layers, in 

 mustard or other flat boxes, and often sent up direct to 

 the leading West End and City fruiterers. 



If the houses are "smoked" three or four times a 

 year, and a liberal supply of "flour of sulphur" is 

 scattered over the pipes and in the sunny corners of the 

 house, insect pests and mildew will be kept away. 



The summer pruning consists mainly in pinching 

 back surplus young growth, and in thinning and short- 

 ening, to ripen all young wood, so as to ensure a 

 well-balanced tree, with plenty of room for air and light 

 to reach every part. The same treatment applies to 

 nectarines, and where the soil is naturally suited to 

 stone fruit, so as to ensure robust constitutions without 

 over luxuriance, the careful cultivator around our large 

 towns may safely embark upon a trial of these most 

 luscious of all home-grown fruits. Grood crops are also 

 raised (where there are good walls) outside, with quite 

 favourable situations and soils, if the blossom is protected 

 by a broad coping fixed on the top of the walls, or by 

 some light-protecting material, which must be well 

 secured to prevent flapping by the winds. 



