DWARF FRUIT TREES. 49 



increasing market of this kind in America. It is not unusual for 

 fancy apples in our city markets to bring twenty-five cents a 

 piece. There are many customers who want the very finest fruit 

 that can be produced without any question as to the price. Such 

 persons would ])ay fifty cents a piece for apples without any 

 objection, providing that the fruit was really fancier than any- 

 thing else in the market. It is well known of course that such 

 prices as these are fi'equently realized in the markets of Europe. 

 Any grower who might be able to reach such customers as these 

 could well afford to grow fancy fruit on dwarf trees. 



Dwarf trees are of practical value however for other purposes. 

 They are good for interplanting in an orchard of standard trees. 

 An orchard of standard j)ears, for instance, might be interplanted 

 with dwarf trees, and this is sometimes done. Dwarf trees come 

 into bearing much earlier than standard trees and can be cut out 

 at anytime when the large trees require the entire space. Dwarf 

 apples are sometimes used for planting between rows of standard 

 apples. 



Anyone who wishes to keep a large collection of apples, pears, 

 or plums or who wishes to test new varieties will find dwarf 

 trees verj^ desirable. They occupy much less ground and they 

 bring the new varieties into bearing at a much earlier time. 

 Dwarf apple trees, for instance, usually bear at two or three years 

 old while standard trees of the same varieties bear at seven to 

 nine years. 



Anyone who wishes to grow fine specimens for exhibition will 

 find dwarf trees even more useful. Beyond the fact already 

 mentioned, that a large collection of varieties can be maintained 

 in a small area, he has the advantage of producing the very finest 

 and showiest specimens of the variety under culture. As a rule, 

 to which I do not know any exceptions, the finest specimens of 

 apples, pears, peaches, and plums can be grown on dwarf trees. 



The greatest value of dwarf fruit trees, however, lies in their 

 adaptability to the needs of small landowners. A large and 

 increasing proportion of our population now lives a suburban 

 life. They are neither on the farm nor yet in the city. More- 

 over, these peo])le are taking a much larger interest than formerly 

 in garden affairs and are doing more in growing flowers, fruits. 



