Round the Year in the Garden 



rather a complex subject, if one considers it in all its 

 bearings. It is often said that both professional and 

 amateur growers make mistakes in pruning, though 

 their methods are usually quite different. The former 

 frequently prunes too severely, while the latter rarely 

 prunes sufficiently hard. All fruit trees cannot be 

 pruned by rule of thumb, because the growth varies 

 according to the stock upon which they are budded, 

 and the soil and position in which they are grown, 

 while individual varieties differ in their behaviour under 

 similar conditions. I believe that difficulties of pruning 

 are often due to incorrect treatment of the trees during 

 the first few years of their life. If amateurs would 

 take note of those that show a tendency to make exces- 

 sively strong shoots during the first two or three years 

 after planting, and lift them in autumn then cutting 

 back strong roots and replanting nearer the surface 

 I feel sure they would have done much to establish 

 fruitful trees. Fruit trees that make shoots of moderate 

 growth only, bear the best crops of fruit. The Apple 

 is obtainable either upon the Crab or upon the Paradise 

 stock. Standards and those intended for orchard planting 

 are usually budded upon the Crab, and bushes for 

 planting in cultivated soil are on the Paradise stock. 

 The former will develop into bigger trees, but the latter 

 will bear satisfactory crops of fruit first, and for the 

 amateur's garden are therefore to be recommended. 

 It is not much use planting Apples " worked " on the 

 Crab stock in one's garden, and then to attempt by 

 severe root and branch pruning to curb their naturally 

 vigorous growth, for it will only end in disaster. They 

 must be allowed to grow freely during the first few 

 years, though the shoots must be shortened annually by 

 about one-third until a properly balanced set of branches 

 is obtained. Then, in later years, they will, in suitable 

 conditions, bear good crops of fruit. Apples on the 

 Paradise stock come into good bearing within a few 



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