94: THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 



The following varieties form handsome pyramidal 

 trees, and bear fruit of the finest quality : 



Belle (TOrleans* 

 Bigarreau 



Bigarreau Napoleon 

 Black Eagle* 

 Black Tartarian 

 Downton 



Elton* 

 Florence* 

 Governor Wood* 

 Knight's Early Black* 

 Ohio Beauty 

 Werder's Early Black 



I have thus far given the results of my experience 

 in the culture of pyramidal trees. The method is not 

 by any means new, for visitors to the Continent, for 

 these last fifty years, must have often observed the 

 numerous pyramids of France and Belgium. The 

 system of annual and biennial root-pruning I must, 

 however, claim as original, for I feel assured that in 

 our moist climate too moist for many varieties of 

 fruit such check is required to keep pyramids that 

 are under summer pinching in a healthy, fruitful state. 

 The defect in the pyramidal trees of the Continental 

 gardeners is their tendency to an enormous produc- 

 tion of leaves and shoots, brought on by severe annual 

 pruning of their shoots. The climate is probably too 

 dry for root-pruning ; yet I cannot help thinking that 

 if it were followed by manuring thickly on the sur- 

 face, and occasional watering, it would make their 

 trees prodigiously fruitful. 



At the risk of repetition, and writing from my own 

 experience, I must say that no gardening operation 

 can be more agreeable than paying daily attention to 

 a plantation of pyramids. From the end of May to 

 the end of July those beautiful months of our short 

 summer there are always shoots to watch, to pinch, 

 to direct, fruit to thin, and a host of pleasant opera- 

 tions, so winning to one who loves his garden and 

 eviery tree and plant in it. 



