970 



Gardening for Amateurs 



wall provides an ideal position for the culti- 

 vation of Peaches, Nectarines and Apricots, 

 also Plums and Pears if desired. The same 

 kinds, also sweet Cherries, can be grown 

 against a west wall. An east wall will accom- 

 modate Plums, Pears and Cherries, while 

 a north wall is a good place for Morello 

 Cherries, although sweet Cherries and Plums 

 can be grown on the same aspect. Figs suc- 

 ceed on a south or west wall, and Red and 

 White Currants may be grown against a 

 north wall for late use. When stone fruits 

 are grown it is essential to have a fair amount 

 of lime in the soil, but if this is naturally 

 deficient, a quantity of old plaster or lime 

 rubble should be mixed with the soil. In 

 the case of Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, 

 Cherries and Plums fan-trained trees are 

 the best to plant. Pears may be cordon, 

 fan-trained or espalier trees according to 

 individual fancy, but cordons will be found 

 satisfactory, and enable a greater variety of 

 kinds to be grown. 



Planting. Fruit trees should be planted 

 in every garden where space permits, for, in 

 addition to being full of interest, fruit grow- 

 ing forms one of the most profitable branches 

 of horticulture, while home-grown fruit is 

 always highly appreciated. A fairly open 

 position protected from high winds is the 

 most desirable. Although almost any well- 

 prepared good garden sofl will grow fruit, 

 it is frequently possible to make ground more 

 suitable for the purpose. It must be well 

 drained, or canker will probably attack the 

 trees ; it must also be deeply worked, and 

 if it is of a clayey, retentive nature the in- 

 corporation of plenty of road scrapings, leaf- 

 soil, old mortar and lime rubbish and burnt 

 garden refuse will greatly improve it. Apples 

 will succeed in most soils which are not 

 very wet, and may be grown as standards, 

 bushes, pryamids and cordons. Cherries 

 like a rich sandy loam, and are excellent 

 for growing on walls as well as in the open. 

 A deep rich soil suits Pears, whilst most 

 Plums will thrive in a well-drained soil. 

 The Gage class, however, require a warm 

 soil and situation. 



The incorporation of large quantities of 

 manure with the soil as it is prepared is un- 

 desirable, while placing manure in the plant- 

 ing holes is a fatal mistake. Poor soils can 



be improved by mixing some really good 

 loam and leaf -soil with them, whilst in every 

 case after planting the trees should be given 

 a surface mulching of stable manure over 

 the area of the roots. This will serve as a 

 protection to the roots in frosty weather, 

 and conserve moisture in dry weather. 



When to Plant. Planting may be done 

 from November to March during open 

 weather, but it is an advantage to get the 

 work finished before the new year, while 

 some of the summer warmth is retained by 

 the soil. Deep planting is a mistake, particu- 

 larly in heavy soils. The roots should always 

 be attended to before the trees are placed 

 in position, damaged ones being neatly 

 trimmed, and all long, bare, fibreless roots 

 pruned or shortened. In planting, the roots 

 are spread out as naturally as possible, and 

 some good soil well worked amongst them 

 and made firm by treading. The finished sur- 

 face of the ground about newly planted trees 

 ought to be fairly level, and not left in the 

 form of a mound round the stem. It is best 

 to remove the blossoms from the trees the 

 first season after planting, and during the 

 second season only a very small quantity of 

 fruit should be allowed to remain. The 

 object of this is to allow the trees to 

 become strong and well established before 

 their energies are taxed in the development 

 of a crop. 



Root Pruning Fruit Trees. When fruit 

 trees are making excessively vigorous growth 

 year after year, and are producing little or 

 no fruit, it is necessary to resort to root 

 pruning to restore the balance of growth. 

 Such trees have usually a very strong tap- 

 root which probably descends straight down 

 into the earth, and some of the other roots 

 are generally far too vigorous in growth. 

 When trees are in this state no amount of 

 branch pruning will restore them to fruitful- 

 ness ; in fact, the more the branches are cut 

 back the stronger the growths will become 

 the following year. On the other hand, root 

 pruning, when judiciously performed, checks 

 exuberant growth, and generally has the 

 effect of causing fruit buds to form on the 

 previously bare branches. Root pruning 

 can be carried out any time when the trees 

 are dormant, but it is preferable to get it 

 done early in the autumn. The work should 



