FOR PROFIT. 9 



added, the grower for profit must confine himself to a 

 few recognised kinds. He can experiment in his private 

 garden, planting as many as he chooses, selecting those 

 that promise well, or which suit his soil and markets, 

 for further extensions. It is so frequently remarked 

 that we have " far too many kinds," that it need not 

 be enlarged upon here. The few mentioned in this 

 treatise are only a selection from 800 kinds cultivated 

 in the Maidstone nurseries. If any great breadth is 

 planted, a variety must be selected, otherwise the 

 crop cannot possibly be gathered (more especially in 

 the case of plums, which have a limited season) ; but 

 this has its advantages, the possessor of a mixed 

 orchard is rarely without fruit, and a great hit is 

 often made in this way. Recent observations prove 

 that it is necessary to intermix varieties to obtain 

 cross fertilization of the blossom, and to this fact may 

 be attributed the loss of crop where large quantities of 

 one kind are massed. In this case the evil may be 

 counteracted by grafting one tree in 20 with another 

 variety which blossoms at the same period. In new 

 plantations not more than three rows of one variety 

 should be planted together. In our Allington nurseries 

 we rarely fail to get a general crop, because of the 

 great number of sorts grown. This fact of non-fertility 

 has been proved by large blocks of one variety being- 

 found to fruit only on the outsides, or where they 

 approach the proximity of a different sort. Each 

 select list is supplemented by extra kinds, while we 

 only recommend those within our knowledge, which 

 have been proved by us for years. 



Further useful tabulated information is given in the 

 excellent fruit catalogues issued, and that sent out 



