Gardening for Amateurs 



1039 



can but grow an odd tree or two, the loss of Full ventilation must be provided for, both 

 a single one becomes a rather serious matter, at the top and sides of the house. 

 If any readers have trees affected in this Time to Start. Autumn is the best time 

 way, they will find it easy to experiment to begin. Obtain the trees in October, 

 with them and endeavour to restore them to preferably those four years old, well fur- 

 health. Double dressings of artificials may nished with fruit buds. 



be given two or three times during the Fruit trees in pots require little pruning ; 

 season of growth, or a heavy top dressing of their roots being confined to so limited a 

 yard manure, with frequent 

 waterings of liquid ; again 

 sulphate of iron may bo 

 applied. Should a tree or 

 trees fail to respond to 

 such treatment, it will be 

 wise to dig up those af- 

 fected and burn them. 

 



Fruit Trees in Pots. 

 The possession of a green- 

 house devoted to fruit trees 

 in pots or, as it is com- 

 monly termed, an orchard 

 house enables one to grow 

 various fruits to perfection 

 in all parts of the country 

 even where the out-of-door 

 conditions are unfavourable. 

 They reach a large size and 

 colour brilliantly. 



The orchard house should 

 be placed where it is shel- 

 tered from north, north-east 

 and east winds, and fully 

 exposed to sunshine. The 

 span-roofed form is the best, 

 with a low brick wall for 

 its base, with glass sides, 

 roof and ends. It can be 

 made any size convenient 

 to the owner, but the larger 

 and airier it is the better. Xo stages 

 are necessary, the trees being arranged 

 on gravelled beds on the floor, a large bed 

 in the middle and a narrower one on each 

 side, separated by a path about 2| feet 

 wide. 



The house may be heated or not as the 

 owner may choose, but if heated the chances 

 of satisfactory crops are increased. It would 



Peach Stirling Castle grown in a flower-pot. 



space, growth is restricted and fruit spurs 

 form freely. Most of the pruning of pot 

 trees should really be done in summer by 

 means of disbudding, but generally when 

 young trees are received from the nursery 

 it will be found that the terminal shoots 

 (those at the ends of the branches) of 

 the previous summer's growth are left full 

 length ; they should be cut back by half 



only be necessary to apply artificial heat in November or December, and no further 



during cold weather in spring, so that the winter pruning is necessary, 

 cost of fuel during the year is small com- Top dressing the trees with fresh soil 



pared with the advantages secured. should be seen to at the same time. Take 



