THREE NEEDFUL DUTIES. 93 



When October and November return, the potting 

 of new trees (to increase the stock or as a reserve), 

 and the renewing of the top soil of the older trees, 

 takes place. This is a busy time, and should be 

 carefully attended to. Unless watched, servants 

 will not take sufficient care, either in syringing, 

 ventilation, or potting, the three most important 

 duties of the Orchard-house. 



This is, in fact, the only real drawback to the 

 success of the matter. No one can fail if he 

 attend to these particulars, but wherever you 

 read of failures it is caused by some prejudiced 

 domestic or inattentive master. I find 13-inch 

 pots the most useful size; but trees, in 18-inch 

 pots, are extremely enticing to cultivate. Of 

 course the rows nearest to the lower portions of 

 the house must be bush trees, with open centres ; 

 then should come handsome spiral Cordons of 

 all kinds, and, in the higher rows, pyramidal 

 apricots or peaches ; and, if a lean-to, Diagonal 

 Cordons on the wall. 



Trees in pots bear very well ; the branches 

 should not be pinched back too abruptly, but 

 allowed to elongate much farther than they will 

 ultimately be cut down to in the winter. If 

 the ends are too closely pinched in, then the 

 lateral shoots will grow too fast ; and if these 

 too be also shortened, the tr6e may be unduly 

 dwarfed. Neither, on the other hand, should a 

 rank luxuriant growth be encouraged, by allow- 



