72 FRUIT FARMING 



A word as to old existing Orchards. My text is 

 " Woodman, spare that tree." If such old trees are 

 properly thinned in the boughs, and freely manured, 

 in two years they would either be producing good 

 fruit, or if cider Apples, they would so benefit from 

 the improved culture that they should pay for re- 

 grafting with superior kinds. I believe much may be 

 done in this way, as the roots soon respond to generous 

 treatment, and the foundation of success rests upon 

 them. Suitable kinds for grafting old trees would be 

 Lane's Prince Albert, Lord Derby, and Bramley's, or 

 the smaller dessert Apples, such as Duchess Favourite, 

 Yellow Ingestre or Worcester Pearmain. 



APPLES ON PARADISE STOCKS. 



In some counties there is yet a prejudice against 

 the use of the Paradise Stock for Dwarf Apples, 

 because, probably in such early trials the trees were 

 some cheap stuff worked on the French Paradise, 

 which is a starving stock, and the trees upon it 

 die after a few years of fertility, or never make 

 lucrative bushes. But the value of Apples on the 

 broad-leaved Paradise Stocks is well known in Kent, 

 and they are extensively planted. They possess the 

 manifest advantage over trees on the Crab, or Free 

 Stock, because from the nature of their surface roots, 

 they commence to bear the second year after planting 

 (and even give some Apples the first year), and being 

 Dwarf trees preferably trained in basin shape, they 

 are readily thinned, easily summer or winter pruned, 

 more under obversation for insect pests, remedies can 

 be much more readily supplied, they carry fruit of 

 larger size, clearer in the skin than Standard trees, 



