THE FRUIT GARDEN. 209 



root pruning, to subdue the natural vigor, and induce 

 early fruitfulness. Certain varieties, however, do not 

 succeed on the quince, but a large number of melting 

 varieties do, and produce larger and finer fruit on it 

 than on the free stock. The tardiness of bearing of 

 the pear-tree, when grown in the ordinary standard 

 form, on pear stock, has, more than any other cause, 

 retarded its general cultivation. No better proof of 

 this can be adduced than the general partiality now 

 shown for trees on quince stocks that bear at the age of 

 three or four years. The introduction of these trees, a 

 few years ago, was really the first thing that gave a gen- 

 eral impulse to pear-tree planting. With most people, it 

 is a very important thing to obtain fruit in two or three 

 years, instead of waiting eight or ten. The best man- 

 agement of trees on free stocks cannot bring them into a 

 bearing state short of six or seven years, unless it be 

 some remarkably precocious variety. People, therefore, 

 who wish pear-trees for pyramids that are easily man- 

 aged, and will bear early, will select them on quince 

 stocks, in case the varieties they wish to cultivate have 

 been proved to succeed well on it. 



The Cherry is as easily managed in the pyramidal form 

 as the pear not only the free-growing sorts, Hearts and 

 Bigarreaus, but the Dukes and Morellos the latter, 

 however, are less vigorous, and more easily managed. 

 All should be worked on the Mahaleb stock ; this has, to 

 some extent, the same effect on the cherry as the quince 

 has on the pear. After the second or third year's growth, 

 it subdues their vigor, and induces fruitfulness. The 

 Dukes and Morellos should be chosen where very small 

 trees are desirable. 



The Plum as a Pyramid. The plum has rarely been 

 cultivated as a pyramid, but recent experiments prove 

 that it is quite susceptible of that form under proper 

 management. It should be worked on a stock calculated 



