62 



Commercial Gardening 



about 134 trees to the acre. Beneath these about 5000 stools of Rhubarb 

 are planted (although 4000 would give much better results). In this case 

 each Apple tree has 36 sq. yd. of space against the 11 sq. yd. in the 

 bush plantation. It therefore makes a much larger head, and produces, at 

 least, two or three times more fruit. Reckoning only 3 bus. of fruit per 

 tree, there would be a yield of 402 bus. to the acre. At 3s. per bushel 

 this represents a gross revenue of 60, 6s. 



To this must be added, say, 30 for the Rhubarb, making a total of 

 90, 6s. for the two crops, from which, of course, cost of labour, rent, &c., 

 must be deducted as usual. 



There are several other ways in which Apple land is under-cropped 

 besides those mentioned, one excellent way being to have the standard 

 trees planted 15 ft. apart every way on the square, and to have three rows 

 of market bush Roses like General Jacqueminot between them. 



Overcrowding". In many old market gardens it is not unusual to 

 see trees so closely 

 crowded together 

 that one wonders 

 how anything li ke 

 a remunerative 

 crop of fruit can be 

 secured from them. 

 In many cases the 

 fault lies, not with 

 the grower, but 

 with the landlord, 

 who stipulates 

 that a certain 

 number of trees 

 must be planted 

 to the acre, prob- 

 ably under the 

 impression that he 

 can charge a higher 

 rent for land carry- 

 ing a large number 

 of trees. The fact 



Fig. 332. Plum Tree not more i.u j. ' JVUj. 



than fifteen years that ai1 and h g ht 



are essential to the 



proper growth and ripening of fruit trees seems to be overlooked alto- 

 gether, and that when more than, say, 320 bush trees, or more than 160 

 half -standard trees, are planted to the acre, the value of the holding 

 declines instead of being improved. The numbers mentioned may appear 

 small when the trees are first planted, but at the end of eight or ten 

 years it will be found that they have none too much space at their dis- 

 posal. A cradle is quite large enough for a baby, but will be woefully 



Fig. 333. Plum Tree about twenty years 



