56 GARDENING 



struck too deep, they may be lifted and replanted 

 higher. 



An experienced writer and fruit grower says, in 

 respect to planting fruit trees high : ' If all the 

 feeding fibres of a fruit tree of any kind be within 

 a foot of the surface, the growth it makes will be 

 short, pointed, firm and studded with fruit buds or 

 spurs, which, under favourable circumstances, will 

 result in due time in an abundant crop. It is 

 when any of the roots strike downwards, beyond 

 the health-giving influences of air and warmth, 

 that the energies of the tree become wasted in 

 the rank, soft, useless shoots that seldom produce 

 anything ; a tree seldom has too many surface 

 roots, but it is a common occurrence for them to 

 have too many deep-lying feeders, and when this 

 occurs they must be either cut away altogether or 

 lifted nearer the surface.' 



Fruit Trees 



It is a well-known fact that the production of a 

 large quantity of bloom exercises a very weakening 

 effect upon plants of all kinds ; therefore, whenever 

 practicable, it is a good plan to pinch out a quantity 

 of the trusses of bloom before they even begin to 

 expand, and, in fact, as soon as they can be perceived 

 and fairly got hold of. Thin them out until but 

 few more are left than would afford a full crop, 

 supposing that one fruit only on each truss comes 

 to anything ; if more than this set kindly, the 

 number can again be reduced later on. 



Of course this is for pyramids, bushes, espaliers, 

 cordons, &c., for it would be impossible to operate 

 on large standard trees. 



