6 THE SUBURBANITE'S HANDBOOK 



and may be successfully practiced by any one who is capable of doing 

 as they are told. 



There are three varieties of apple roots which have this power 

 of dwarfing the growth if budded or grafted on them. They are 

 known as the Paradise, Doucin and Crab. The Paradise apple is a 

 slow growing dwarf tree, a native of Europe, and is largely propa- 

 gated in France, to be used as a stock for working free growing 

 apple scions into, in order to dwarf their growth, and is the best 

 adapted for producing very small trees. The apple trees reduced 

 on this stock are so reduced in size that they may be planted only 

 three or four feet apart, and the bearing age is so forwarded that 

 they will begin to bear some times the first year, and by the fourth 

 year will bear a bushel or more of the choicest quality of fruit. 

 The Doucin apple is another variety of dwarfs wild apple, but is of 

 a more vigorous growth than the Paradise; it is called in England 

 "The broad-leafed Paradise," which causes some confusion in the 

 catalogues of dwarf fruit trees. It is better adapted for apple trees 

 that are to be trained as half standard and espalier tree, as it does 

 not dwarf the growth so much as the French Paradise. Both, how- 

 ever, may be grown in pots, if desired, and yield large crops. The 

 Crab is still more vigorous and is hardly comparable with the Para- 

 dise. It is used for growing half standards, and especially adapted 

 for making "fillers" in commercial orchards. All other apples are 

 grown on ordinary apple roots. 



The dwarfing of fruit trees is subject to definite laws, which 

 may be briefly expressed thus: "Anything that retards the flow of 

 sap in growing trees has a tendency to dwarf the growth, increase 

 f ruitf ulness and hasten maturity in bearing. " It is therefore evident 

 how peculiarly adapted these dwarf trees are to the requirements of 

 the suburbanite, who on his town lot can have a miniature garden, 

 consisting of forty or fifty of these little trees of the choicest varieties 

 of apples, pears, plums, apricots, nectarines, peaches, figs, grapes 

 and small fruits, not to mention the unalloyed pleasure of tending 

 and training the lovely pets. I do not know of anything more beauti- 

 ful and interesting than these little trees from the time they first 

 break into bloom in spring and while passing on to the perfecting 

 of their delicious fruit. Above all is the infallible pleasure and 

 pride of the tired and worried business man, or the tired-out society 

 woman going morning or evening to care for the little beauties 

 a snip here and a pinch there trains them in the way they should go. 



