CHAPTER XIII 



Fruit for the Small Garden 



IN considering a collection of fruit trees for a suburban garden, 

 particular attention will be given those varieties which produce 

 a maximum amount of fruit in a minimum of space and which 

 are designed to supply the family with fruit for the table and culinary 

 purposes the greater part of the year. Available space must, of course, 

 be considered in planting a fruit garden, and location must determine 

 to a large degree the manner of planting and arrangement of the 

 different fruits so as to allow each kind the greatest amount of light 

 and air possible. Apples and Pears, Peaches, Plums and Cherries, 

 therefore, should be planted to avoid casting too great a shade on 

 the smaller fruits such as Strawberries and Currants. Raspberries, 

 Blackberries and Grapes should be confined to trellises and not allowed 

 to extend beyond certain limits, but to accomplish this, regular atten- 

 tion to pruning and thinning is absolutely necessary. A small fruit 

 garden judiciously planned and planted will be a source of pleasure 

 and profit, and well repay all the attention that can be be- 

 stowed. 



Having chosen a location, proceed at once thoroughly to cultivate 

 the ground, using a subsoil plough, or digging as deeply as possible; 

 then cover the whole with a liberal dressing of well rotted farmyard 

 manure, and a liberal sprinkling of bonemeal, and dig over again. 

 In this plant your fruit trees. Should your soil be a rich loam it will 

 be well adapted for the small fruits as well as Cherries and Apples, 

 but heavy or clayey soils will produce fine Pears, while sandy soil 

 will grow luscious Peaches. A careful study of conditions previous 

 to planting will save a large amount of inconvenience, labor, expense 

 and regret later on. Apple and Pear trees take about six years to 

 come into bearing, but after that the crop increases annually. Prun- 

 ing will accelerate fruit production to a large extent, and providing a 

 good selection of varieties has been made, it is possible to have Apples 

 nearly every month in the year, the proper facilities being available 

 for Winter storage. Good cultivation is beneficial to the growth of 

 fruit in general and liberal treatment will increase results. 



It has been thought unnecessary to include, in a book of this 

 nature, a large number of varieties, but [rather to give the names of 

 kinds that have been proved of real merit^and while those^men- 



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