GAXDEN. 



a crop : whilst the one grafted on the common stock, although a much 

 larger tree, has not, up to the present time, yielded me a dozen apples 

 altogether. There is an immeasurable difference between the produce 

 of the Paradise and grafted seedling apple-trees during the early 

 part of their existence, though for permanent plantations the apple- 

 worked stock should be exclusively employed. My apple-trees worked 

 on Paradise stocks are grown as hollow bowls, a form which is more con- 

 genial to the natural growth of the apple than the pyramidal form. My 

 apple bowls are sometimes literally covered with fine fruit. Each 

 apple gets an abundant supply of light and air, is finely coloured, 

 and has good flavour. When, however, we allow a tree to overbear, 

 it is crippled, and it will not bear again for one or two years till it 

 has recovered. My hollow bowl apple-trees are slightly pruned in 

 summer, and are cut as much as possible to one pattern in winter. 

 In practice it is a bad plan to mix trees worked on Paradise stocks 

 with trees worked on the common apple stock, as apples on the 

 latter grow far more rapidly than those on the former : hence it is 

 difficult, if not impossible, to have a plantation of the mixed trees 

 of uniform size and shape. Sometimes there are kinds which grow 

 too strongly on the Paradise stocks, yet upon the whole they can be 

 grown tolerably uniform, and should always be employed in gardens. 

 Occasionally I have had recourse to the practice of inarching (fig. 118), 

 with perfect success, and then, as by grafting, a particular kind of apple 

 is propagated on a stock of another variety. It is only required 

 under very special circumstances, and may be entirely superseded 

 by the process of grafting. The proper time for planting apple- 

 trees is the interval between October and March. When the trees 

 can be lifted and immediately replanted, the middle of October is 

 a very good time. If the trees have to be sent from a distance, the 

 middle or end of November is the best of all times ; but if the roots 

 have been cut in the month of October, any time between October 

 and March will be satisfactory. 



The pruning of apple-trees is simple. Standards need only have 

 their cross boughs cut out ; a Herefordshire magistrate, however, who 



