FRUIT TREES IN POTS 109 



be placed in the bottom of each pot. The trees should 

 be repotted in fresh soil annually in October or No- 

 vember. 



Trees in pots require liberal feeding. Besides being 

 given well enriched earth at the time of repotting, they 

 should be supplied from time to time with small 

 amounts of fertilizer. Good soluble chemical fertili- 

 zers can be applied either dry or dissolved. A good 

 formula is one part nitrate of soda, two parts of 

 muriate of potash, two parts of high grade phosphoric 

 acid. A very little sprinkling, say a tablespoonful, 

 of this can be given on each pot once a month during 

 the growing season which lasts roughly from Decem- 

 ber to May. In place of this, or alternately with this, 

 moderate waterings with liquid manure may also be 

 given. These small doses of food are especially use- 

 ful at the time when the fruit is forming on the trees. 



The trees are usually brought into the house at 

 the time of potting, say November I. If early fruit 

 is desired, they are kept in a house with some heat. 

 It is necessary only that the temperature should be 

 kept constantly and safely above the freezing point. 

 Rapid forcing with a high temperature is not desirable 

 and is hardly possible. If kept simply above the 

 freezing point, these trees will start into growth in 

 January. They can then be kept somewhat warmer 

 during February, the heat being slightly increased in 

 March. Peaches and nectarines will stand fairly 

 high temperatures after the fruit is well set and espe- 

 cially toward ripening time. By this method of mild 

 forcing, plums, peaches, and nectarines can be brought 

 into fruit as early as the latter part of May. 



