9 68 



Gardening for Amateurs 



drain-pipes laid at a depth of from 2 to 3 

 feet, and at a distance of about 12 yards 

 apart. The pipes should have a slight fall, 

 and be laid to a convenient outlet. Thorough 

 cultivation is essential before planting. The 

 best plan is to double dig the entire site that 

 is to be planted ; but where the land has 

 been previously cropped with vegetables 

 and regularly manured it will be rich enough 

 without the addition of more manure, for 



Wrong planting and staking. 



if the latter is overdone it causes the trees 

 to make rank growth, which is not conducive 

 to fruitfulness. When the ground is poor 

 and manure necessary, well-rotted farmyard 

 manure might be added. Basic slag is useful 

 to apply early in the winter, and super- 

 phosphate and bone-meal may be used about 

 March. It is sometimes recommended to 

 prepare the stations where the trees are 

 to be planted by making large holes and 

 enriching the soil without cultivating the 

 entire plot of ground, but this is not a good 



practice unless the surrounding soil is ex- 

 ceptionally porous, for such holes hold the 

 water, and the roots remain in waterlogged 

 surroundings, which are very detrimental to 

 them. 



Where to Plant. Bush and pyramid 

 Apples and Pears should be allowed a dis- 

 tance of about 10 feet each way between 

 them, while standard Apples should be 

 30 feet apart each way, and intermediate 

 spaces can be 

 cropped with 

 bush fruit like 

 Gooseberries 

 and Currants, 

 or with Straw- 

 berries and 

 vegetables, un- 

 til the perma- 

 nent trees at- 

 tain their full 

 development. 

 Gooseberries, 

 Currants, and 

 Raspberries are 

 best grown in 

 land in the 

 open, but when 

 late fruit is 

 wanted plant 

 some near a 

 wall facing to 

 the north. Cor- 

 don and espalier 

 trees may be 

 planted beside 

 the garden 

 walks, and are 

 more suitable 

 for this purpose 

 than bush- 

 trained trees, for the latter take up much 

 room, which is a consideration when vege- 

 tables have to be grown in the quarters 

 behind them. 



When a garden is walled in on all sides, 

 every aspect is available ; consequently trees 

 of varied requirements can be grown. Some 

 readers may only possess one aspect, per- 

 haps provided by the wall of their house, 

 that can be used for fruit trees, but the kind 

 of tree mentioned for that particular aspect 

 will be suitable to plant against it. A south 



Planting a wall fruit tree 

 heavy ground. 



