AMY 



AMY 



The most advantageous situation and aspect 

 for houses of this son, arc such as are rather eleva- 

 ted and fai e the meridian sun. For the borders 

 Mr. Nicol advises three-fourths strong brown 

 loam, an eighth light sandy loam, and an eighth 

 stable dung, with about a fortieth part of shell 

 marle,as the composition. The borders should be 

 full three feet deep ; and the breadths, for the nar- 

 row houses, about fourteen feet from the back 

 wall ; and for the wide ones all the width of the 

 house within, and to the extent of twelve feet on 

 the outside. They should be kept well trenched 

 and perfectly fine on the surface, and have, occa- 

 sionally, well rotted dung dug into them. 



For this purpose, as well as that of planting 

 against open walls, maiden or one-year trained 

 trees are to be preferred : some likewise plant 

 what are termed riders, of the same age, between 

 the dwarf-trees ; but the practice is not, by any 

 means, to be recommended, as the nourishment 

 of the others may be thereby greatly impaired. 

 The proper distance is from twelve to fifteen 

 feet, according as the house will best divide, for 

 the dwarf-trees; and the best season of planting 

 is any time from about the first of November to 

 the beginning of the following month ; in the 

 performing of which the holes should be cover- 

 ed in with a light earthy compost, shaking it 

 well in between the roots, and settling it well 

 with a little water about them. 



The sorts that are the best suited to this use 

 have been already decribed. 



The methods of training in these are much 

 the same as in the preceding cases : by that 

 of the fan-kind, they probably succeed the 

 best. Immediately after planting, in order to 

 make the trees put forth vigorously and fill the 

 trellis completely from the bottom in the dwarf- 

 trees, head them down to two or three eyes on 

 each shoot if maiden, and to the last eye on 

 each branch if one-year trained trees. Others 

 however think it better to defer the operation till 

 the early spring, when the trees are planted in 

 the autumn. In respect to the intermediate trees, 

 they are only set for the purpose of obtaining a 

 crop or two while the principal ones are filling 

 the spaces : it is not necessary to shorten them 

 so much, whether they be maiden or trained 

 trees, as by this means they put forth more 

 moderate shoots, and come sooner into a bearing 

 state, which is the chief object: they should be 

 moved as the other trees fill up the trellis. 



As soon as the shoots have attained the length 

 of two or three inches, such as are placed fore- 

 right or back-right should be rubbed off, and 

 the others laid in, as they advance in growth, at 

 the distance of nine or ten inches, care being ta- 

 ken not to include the leaves with the tie, and to 



allow sufficient room for the swelling of the 

 shoot, pinching off all the laterals as they appear. 

 And w hen their growth is stopped for the season, 

 cut them back from .half to a third of their 

 lengths, in proportion to their strength ; and, in 

 dressing, keep the side ones well down, in or- 

 der to fill the bottom part of the trellis well. 

 The same plan must be followed in the second 

 season, laving the undermost shoot on each 

 branch to furnish the under part of the tree, and 

 the uppermost as a leader ; carefully rubbing off 

 all the intermediate ones, when not wanted, and 

 at any rate the fore-right ones, leaving them ge- 

 nerally at three-fourths of their whole length. 

 Where the wood has been well ripened this sea- 

 son, they may bear a few fruit in the following. 

 However, unless the trees are very vigorous on- 

 ly a very few should be suffered to remain ; as it 

 is better to furnish the trellis well for a future 

 crop, by laying in the summer shoots regularly at 

 the distance of six inches; and in the winter- 

 pruning shorten the shoots of the extremities of 

 the tree only a few inches each, laying in those of 

 the middle at full length. This practice may be 

 continued till the trees have wholly filled their 

 places; afterwards shortening none, except to 

 fill casual vacancies, or where the extremities of 

 the shoots have been injured by bruises or other 

 causes. 



Afterwards these trees require to be. frequently 

 looked over in summer, and divested of lateral 

 and other improper shoots, being kept regularly 

 thin, and dressed to the trellis, &c. in a neat man- 

 ner ; and in tying care must be taken not to tie 

 too near the point of the shoot ; a few joints being 

 constantly between the last tie and extremity of 

 the branch. 



When the fruit is fully set, select such buds as are 

 thought necessary to be left, and rub off the rest 

 in a careful manner ; the uppermost and under- 

 most ones, and sometimes one or two about the 

 middle of the shoot, are mostly left the last in 

 an alternate manner. 



At the time the fruit begins its last swelling, 

 it should be exposed to the sun and air as much 

 as possible, properly thinning the leaves. 



In this method it is not necessary to apply ar- 

 tificial heat before the third season ; and then only 

 to ripen the wood, in the autumn, when that be- 

 comes necessary for the better bearing in the 

 succeeding year. But even in this the trees will 

 only bear very gentle forcing. 



In the fifth season the forcing may begin about 

 February, when, according to the author of the 

 Scotch Forcing Gardener, the fire should be made 

 so moderate the first fortnight, as that the ther- 

 mometer may not stand, at eight at night and 

 seven in the morning, higher than 45°; raising 



