52 THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



iron bolts, and the apertures for drainage should not be less than 1 inch in diameter, 

 and 6 inches apart. 



Planting. Select healthy bearing trees in pots or tubs. If they are to be grown 

 in beds over bottom heat, provide 6 inches in depth of clean drainage on the covers of 

 the chamber, which must have the joints open, and place a thin layer of turves on the 

 rubble, for keeping the drainage clear; then a depth of 18 inches is left for soil, as shown 

 in the section. Fig. 13, d. Make sure that water will not lodge in the chamber, by 

 placing rubble in a trench over the drains (Fig. 13, #). If there be no bottom heat, 

 provide 1 foot of rubble for drainage, and leave space for 18 inches' depth of soil, or, 

 if the borders are narrow, 24 inches. Place in the compost rather firmly, and it will 

 suffice to form a flattened cone 6 inches wider all round than the ball. Turn the tree 

 out of the pot or tub, loosen the sides of the ball, remove the surface soil and the 

 crocks, firm the soil well on which the base is to rest and around the roots, as advised 

 for potting. Do not plant too deeply. The surface roots should be just level with 

 the top of the wall capping. 



Top-dressing. Orange trees in pots, beds, or borders should be top-dressed after the 

 fruit is gathered or just before the blossoms appear. Kemove the surface soil down to 

 where the fibrous roots are plentiful, and pick any soil not occupied with fibres from 

 amongst the larger roots. Supply fresh compost, and press it down firmly. Active roots 

 will then soon permeate the fresh compost, and absorb manurial elements that are 

 supplied in liquid form. 



Training. A low-headed conical tree is the best for pots ; to form such, a tree one 

 year from the bud should be cut down in spring to 1 foot from the soil (Fig. 14, L, o). 

 One of the growths that push afterwards should be trained upright and secured to a 

 stake, and of the other shoots that start two or three of the best placed should be 

 retained and the rest rubbed off. The foundation of the future tree is now laid 

 (Fig. 14 M), after which it is only necessary to shorten the leader annually to secure 

 the needful side growths, also to shorten any of these that outgrow the others, aiming 

 at a compact, fruitful tree. 



To form a standard tree, the leading growth should be trained perfectly upright, 

 tying it to a stake. Side growths may be permitted to a moderate extent, as they tend 

 to stiffen the stem. "When the tree has formed a stem of the desired height, head 

 it in spring, encourage three of the best growths equally disposed, and suppress the 

 growths from the stem, not removing them entirely. The principal shoots for forming 



