GARDENING— FRUITS 



APPLES 



Apple trees delight in a sound, free, and mode- 

 rately deep rich soil, of a loamy nature, as on 

 heavy moist ground trees get into a stunted, mossy 

 condition ; and again, where it is too light or dry, 

 especially where the subsoil is gravelly, they are 

 apt to become badly cankered. 



In planting them the soil should not only be 

 trenched, but beneath each tree chalkstones and 

 brickbats should be rammed in (according to the 

 extent of the roots), to form a kind of pavement to 

 lead the roots horizontally. The roots that are 

 nearest the surface should be twelve inches below it. 



In planting an espalier the young plant should 

 be cut down to within a foot of the ground, and 

 only three shoots permitted to spring from it, and 

 should be planted at the distance of twenty feet 

 apart, and require both winter and summer pruning. 



I should advise all amateurs to engage a profi- 

 cient gardener whenever pruning is necessary, as 

 it requires knowledge and great nicety, and once 

 the amateur has seen it done two or three times, he 



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