50 TflE SUBURBANITE'S HANDBOOK 



the underside of the leaves and by dampening so as to get a moist 

 atmosphere. Syringing must be discontinued when the fruit is ap- 

 proaching maturity. A single four-inch pipe running around the 

 house enables one to keep the frost out when the trees are in flower. 

 In case of a cheap orchard house being decided on, without a regular 

 furnace and piping for artificial heating, the frost can be econom- 

 ically kept out by one of these blue flame kerosene wickless stoves. 



Pears in pots form a most useful and satisfactory addition to 

 the fruit garden. The method is simple and certain; an orchard 

 house without artificial heat (either lean-to or span-roof) will shelter 

 the trees until all danger from spring frosts is past. The weather 

 by the end of May, or first part of June, is generally mild enough 

 to enable the grower to put his trees out of doors; after this opera- 

 tion a sufficient supply of water and occasional surface dressing of 

 manure or manure water will insure the production of fine fruit. 

 For the first two or three years of cultivation 13 or 15-inch pots will 

 be large enough ; in the autumn, after the fruit is gathered, the trees 

 should be repotted in the same pots and fresh soil added. The trees 

 should then be either replaced in the house for the winter or plunged 

 out of doors, protected against severe frost by covering the surface 

 of the ground with mulch. If replaced in the house trees should be 

 also protected during severe frost by a thick covering of straw 

 around and over the pots. At the time of repotting any of the 

 straggling roots should be pruned. When selecting a site for a fruit 

 house for shelter it is advisable for the easy removal of the trees 

 to select a spot with sufficient room to have a summer border in a 

 line with the house. Another method is to grow the trees in per- 

 forated pots (see cut). 



The border in which they are plunged should be of good soil, 

 mixed with a large proportion of rotted manure, into which the 

 trees will root annually. As a rule the rotten manure should be 

 renewed when the trees are repotted, and at the time of plunging 

 the soil should be stirred as deep as the pots are plunged. When 

 plunging the pots place a handful of potsherds or gravel under the 

 pot in order that the drainage may be rapid and effectual. When 

 taking up these perforated pots in the fall do not forget to cut off 

 the fibrous roots protruding through the pots. 



The above system answers equally well for plums and apples. 

 The return is constant and certain, and with plums the fruit bearing 

 season is considerably prolonged as the slight advantage given by 



