46 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



upon a larger piece of crock set over the hole in the bottom ; 

 then he puts in the grassy lumps, grass-downwards, and 

 throws in some loose soil, rams this down tight, throws 

 a handful of loose soil on to it, and then introduces the 

 tree, taking care to fill in round the sides of the ball with 

 fine and coarse soil, which must be rammed in hard 

 with a square stick, as it is most important that the soil 

 should be made very firm. He then fills up the pot to 

 within i inch of the rim, making the soil firm and leaving 

 the surface finished level with fine soil. 



During the winter the trees want but little water, but 

 they should not be allowed to get quite dry, or the ball 

 may shrink and allow water to run between the pot 

 and the ball without really passing through the mass of 

 earth. 



In giving air, the lower ventilators opposite the direc- 

 tion of the wind should be opened in the earlier stages 

 of growth, to prevent a direct draught. 



If birds are troublesome, it may be needful to put a 

 net round the lower ventilating shutters. This can be 

 attached to the plate under the rafters from inside, so as 

 not to interfere with the opening of the shutters. 



Cherries can be grown in an orchard house to per- 

 fection, but they are best in a house by themselves, as they 

 want more syringing than Pears and Apples, and are very 

 apt to be affected by Black Aphis. 



Apricots are not a success in pots as a rule, but in a 

 cold house planted out they do admirably, and bear very 

 freely. In this position it is possible to withhold water 

 and thoroughly bake and dry them off, thus supplying the 

 conditions of their native land (Syria). The side shoots 



