14: THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 



after the fruit is gathered, if the soil be sufficiently 

 moist, if not, it will be better to wait till the usual 

 autumnal rains have fallen ; the roots should then be 

 carefully examined, and those inclined to be of per- 

 pendicular growth cut with the spade, which must be 

 introduced quite under the tree to meet on all sides, 

 so that no root can possibly escape amputation. All 

 the horizontal roots should be shortened with a knife 

 to within a circle of eighteen inches from the stem, 1 

 and all brought as near to the surface as possible, 

 filling in the trench with compost for the roots to rest 

 on. The trench may then be filled with the compost 

 (well -rotted dung and the mould from an old hotbed, 

 equal parts, will answer exceedingly well) the sur- 

 face should then be covered with some half-rotted 

 dung and the roots left till the following autumn 

 brings its annual care. It may be found that after a 

 few years of root-pruning, the circumferential mass of 

 fibers will have become too much crowded with small 

 roots ; in such cases, thin out some of the roots, 

 shortening them at nine inches or one foot from the 

 stem. This will cause them to give out fibers, so that 

 the entire circle of three feet or more round the tree 

 will be full of fibrous roots near the surface, waiting 

 with open mouths for the nourishment annually given 

 to them by surface dressings and liquid manure. 



Thus far for the gardener who does not mind extra 

 trouble, who, in short, feels real pleasure in every 

 operation that tends to make his trees perfect in fruit- 

 fulness and symmetry. 13ut it is not every amateur 



1 If they have not spread to this extent the first season, or even the second, 

 they need not be pruned, but merely brouirht near to the surface and spread out. 



