1054 



Gardening for Amateurs 



thoroughly washed and in proper bunches 

 or bundles. Potatoes and Parsnips should 

 never be sold with a lot of earth adhering. 



FRUIT. 



Apple. In districts where it is known 

 that the prospects are promising, there is 

 no reason why a small holding should 

 not include some form or other of fruit- 

 growing. Standard Apples planted 30 feet 

 apart may better suit the needs and con- 

 veniences of a number of small growers 

 than any other method of growing this 

 fruit. In this way for many years numbers 

 of other crops can be secured beneath and 

 between the Apple trees ; not only various 

 vegetable crops, but several fruits, such 

 as Currants, Gooseberries, Raspberries and 



Apple Lord Grosvenor, a good early cooking variety. 



Strawberries, besides the Apples, for at least 

 ten or twelve years. Apart from these con- 

 siderations bush trees are better for the small 

 grower. They are smaller in size and easier 

 to manipulate in regard to gathering the 

 fruit and in pruning and spraying the trees. 

 Good varieties for standards are Lord Derby, 

 Xewton Wonder and Bramley's Seedling ; 

 and for bushes, Lord Grosvenor, Ecklin- 

 ville Seedling, Stirling Castle and Lane's 

 Prince Albert. The above are all culinary 

 sorts. The only dessert variety that can 

 at present be generally advised for planting 

 for market is Worcester Pearmain. Cox's 

 Orange Pippin is a well-known profitable 

 dessert Apple where it thrives and crops, 

 but so seldom is it satisfactory that it is 

 recommended for planting only in suitable 

 districts. 



Currant, Black. The 

 planting of Black Currants 

 has gone out of favour of 

 late years owing to the 

 ravages of the bud mite. 

 Where only a small acre- 

 age is grown this pest can 

 be kept in check a good 

 deal by pruning and pick- 

 ing off the damaged buds. 

 The bushes should be 

 planted in clean, rich land 

 a moist situation is 

 usually favourable to the 

 production of young free 

 growth, and this must be 

 encouraged.. Plant out at 

 from 4 to 6 feet apart. 

 Some large growers are 

 now planting in rows 3 

 feet apart with the young 

 plants only 2 feet asunder. 

 This method ensures a 

 heavy crop of Currants 

 for a few years until the 

 bushes become seriously 

 damaged by bud mite 

 when they are taken up 

 and destroyed, another 

 similar plantation having 

 been made to take the 

 place of those discarded. 

 Boskoop, Giant French and 

 Baldwin are good varieties. 



