XII 

 FRUIT TREES IN POTS 



THOSE who are used to seeing large fruit trees in 

 orchard plantations where each specimen has 1,000 

 to 2,000 square feet of space, with unlimited op- 

 portunities downward, find a fruit tree in a pot a 

 curiosity. It seems remarkable to see a tree in vigor- 

 ous health and bearing fruit with less than one 

 cubic foot of soil. Nevertheless this method of hand- 

 ling fruit trees is entirely practicable. In some places 

 it is practised extensively in an amateur way, and oc- 

 casionally reaches almost commercial proportions. For 

 those who grow fruit trees for recreation there could 

 hardly be a more interesting experiment. 



The pots mostly used are the nine, ten, eleven and 

 twelve inch standard earthenware pots. With most 

 trees it is best to begin with small sizes and gradually 

 shift forward to the larger ones. A bearing tree 

 may be maintained for several years in a twelve inch 

 pot or even in a ten inch size. Sometimes wooden 

 tubs are substituted for pots. These look better, but 

 are not so good in any other way. 



Trees may be grown in pots out of doors, although 

 there is no particular advantage in doing this. If such 

 practise is undertaken the pots should be plunged 

 their full depth in good garden soil. Perfect drainage 

 should be secured by having some broken brick or 

 coarse cinders underneath. 



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