jgo THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



secure evenly balanced heads, and taking out any crossing growths. When the trees 

 produce a crop, mulching may be carried out in June, the fruit thinned in due course, 

 and liquid manure applied for swelling the fruit. Manuring is best done in the winter. 

 Farmyard manure, rags, fur-waste, shoddy and fish manure are used for plantations. 

 Superphosphate of lime, kainit and nitrate of soda may also be used with advantage as 

 supplementary of the solid manures. 



In seven years the return for fruit sold may reach 60 per acre, and double 

 this amount in another seven years; but everything depends ou the situation, 

 soil, season, culture, and progress of the trees, such varieties as Cox's Orange 

 Pippin and Baumann's Reinette having occasionally brought 120 per acre. When 

 the temporary trees are encroached on by the permanent ones, they must be 

 removed to other ground, and if carefully lifted they will transplant safely in the 

 autumn with a partial loss of crop for one year, an abundant yield following if the 

 season be favourable. 



Allusion may be made to planting trees at 18 feet apart of large growing varieties, 

 such as Lord Grosvenor, Blenheim Pippin, Tyler's Kernel, Newton Wonder, and Bram- 

 ley's Seedling, for developing into natural bushes, with early-bearing varieties between, 

 as shown in Fig. 65, at (7, page 285. This method answers admirably in good deep 

 soils, and the cost of trees 537 at 6 per 100 = 32 is considerably less than for 

 bushes at 6 feet distance. The advantages are the trees get abundance of light and 

 air, so essential in free soils for sturdy and well-ripened growth, and the lessened need 

 of interference with the roots, while the returns after seven years are more satisfactory. 



Cherries. Standard, half-standard, pyramid, and bush trees succeed in plantations on 

 the Mahaleb stock. Only certain varieties are healthy on this stock. Six sweet cherries 

 suitable for this mode of culture are Early Elvers, Empress Eugenie, Governor Wood, 

 May Duke, Archduke, and Duchesse de Palluau. The trees and blossom of these 

 varieties are rather tender, and require sheltered (not low) situations. Standards should 

 be planted 12 feet apart, with two gooseberry bushes between each pair of cherries in the 

 rows, and the spaces between the rows occupied with strawberries ; these should be 

 removed after bearing two or three full crops and their place taken by strong gooseberry 

 or currant trees at 6 feet apart. The plantation will afford good annual returns from the 

 second year. Half-standards may be planted 9 feet every way, with a gooseberry bush 

 at every 4| feet. This method is only suitable for shallow soils. Pyramidal and bush 

 cherries may be planted G feet apart, as they grow compactly by summer pinching and 



