394 Remarks on Dwarfing Fruit Trees. 



feel encouraged by his timely advice, and be induced to go 

 on and plant, confident of success in the end. 



It is unnecessary for us to follow the author through his 

 interesting paper. His advice is excellent, and we trust it 

 will have the good effect of greatly increasing the cultiva- 

 tion of dwarf trees : — 



In former days it was the custom to attempt the dwarfing of 

 fruit trees, chiefly in order to render them more ornamental, or 

 to produce grotesque forms, to which the vulgar imparted im- 

 aginary characteristics, on account of their mere eccentricity. 



Now, however, it has become absolutely necessary to sys- 

 tematize a dwarfing system for other purposes. In the first 

 place, the immense increase in fruits of superior character, — 

 which in many parts of the kingdom deserve a wall, — has 

 been so great, that since walls could by no possibility be 

 found for them, the inventive faculties of horticulturists 

 have been taxed severely, in order to adopt some mode of 

 culture which shall guarantee to them an amount of atmos- 

 pheric heat superior to that of the ordinary standard or 

 orchard tree. 



It has, moreover, been proved beyond all question, that a 

 dwarfing system, Avhen properly carried out, is highly con- 

 ducive to precocity in point of fructification ; it consequently 

 leads to great economy of space, — a matter of the very 

 highest import to the cultivators of small gardens in the 

 vicinity of our busy towns, many of whom are amongst the 

 most ardent of our cultivators. 



Again, it is of the utmost importance to persons thus situ- 

 ated, so to arrange their limited gardens, that a full amount 

 of vegetable produce may not be lost sight of. This, it is 

 well known, is accomplished in the most perfect way, by a 

 dwarfing system in fruits ; whereas, by the old plan of en- 

 couraging standards, or coarse overgrown trees, few vegeta- 

 bles were brought to- that perfection of which they are 

 capable ; indeed, I have frequently known gardens so smoth- 

 ered, that scarcely a well-grown cabbage could be obtained 

 in a perfect state. Lettuces, peas, and indeed most other 



