Chap. XXIV.] FRUIT CULTURE. 427 



to do good is example. If they see a specimen of successful fruit- 

 culture in small gardens like their own, they need no other en- 

 couragement. And perhaps a present of a few good kinds of trees 

 and a few minutes' advice from the gardener, would be more pro- 

 ductive of benefit to cottagers than many other things now given 

 them in a charitable way. 



As to our various other hardy fruits, including the Apple and 

 Pear, there can be little doubt that it is to good orchard-culture 

 we must look for the increase of our supplies. The word orchard 

 is familiar enough in our ears, but a really good orchard is as rare 

 round country seats as if it were not a British institution. There 

 are farmers and market-gardeners and fruit-growers who have the 

 finest orchards ; but at the country seat, with generally every 

 opportunity to select a good site, it is surprising how rarely even 

 a presentable thing of the kind is attempted. Indeed, in some 

 parts of the country it is never thought of — the ordinary type of 

 kitchen-garden being considered sufficient for all attempts at fruit- 

 growing. The surface cannot of course be devoted to standard 

 trees, as they hide the light from the necessary crops, and the 

 walls and dwarf trees, if such there be, are those upon which we 

 depend. Now good culture of trees on walls is far from being 

 as common as might be desired. But supposing that the wall- 

 culture is good, and that the most is made of the space, it is 

 hardly sufficient to yield a crop of fruit for all purposes. If 

 the walls supply a good dessert for a reasonable length of time, 

 it is as much as is expected of them, and more than they generally 

 do. They who secure a good crop of Winter Pears, who can com- 

 mand really eatable specimens of this fruit during the winter and 

 spring months, are few in number. The walls can only supply a 

 portion of the choicest fruit — chiefly of those kinds which require 

 the additional heat of a wall for their perfect development and 

 flavour. Standards we see are not much grown ; they shade the 

 ground too much, and the ground-crops are better when fully 

 exposed to sun and air. In some places the culture of bush and 

 dwarf pyramidal trees is carried on successfully, but in general 

 it is so backward that nothing like a good crop is gathered. Be- 

 sides, all dwarf closely-pruned and accurately-trained trees involve 

 considerable expense and time, which it would be unwise to liestow 

 on kinds producing as good a result when grown as standard 



