VI 

 GENERAL MANAGEMENT 



THE general management of dwarf trees is naturally 

 very much like the management of ordinary standard 

 trees. As dwarf trees are grown more often in 

 gardens rather than in orchards they will receive 

 garden treatment. Heavy tools and extensive methods 

 of culture will hardly find application. 



Good soil culture may be regarded as essential. 

 Whatever some American fruit growers may be say- 

 ing about the propriety of growing apple orchards in 

 sod, no one has yet undertaken to adapt the sod 

 system into the kitchen garden. The close planting 

 which is customary with dwarf trees makes culture 

 comparatively difficult, yet not unreasonably so. 

 Apple and pear trees planted six feet apart each way 

 can be worked for several years with a single horse 

 and cultivator. In fact if the trees are kept carefully 

 headed in, the time need never come when the culti- 

 vator will have to be abandoned. When cordons or 

 espaliers are planted in a garden large enough to 

 warrant horse cultivation under ordinary circumstances 

 then the rows of trained trees should be set six feet 

 apart, which will be enough to permit the continued 

 use of the horse and cultivator between the rows. 



However, the horse cultivator is certain to be def- 

 initely crowded out of some dwarf fruit gardens. 

 Many of the men who have greatest reason for grow- 



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