THE GARDEN AT HOME 



It will be seen that Conference is easily first. This is a 

 delicious Pear, and one that is to be strongly recom- 

 mended. 



Both Apples and Pears may be grown as cordons or 

 single stemmed trees ; these are especially well suited 

 to small gardens, since they can be trained against a 

 wall or wire trellis and take up little room. 



The Plum. Like all stone fruits, the Plum appreciates 

 a soil in which lime is present in appreciable quantity, 

 and the amateur can scarcely go wrong in spreading a 

 good dressing of lime rubble on the soil and digging it in 

 before he proceeds to plant l?lums. Firm planting is 

 most necessary, as with all fruit trees, and the uppermost 

 roots should not be more than 4 inches or so below the 

 surface. Plum trees, especially when planted against a 

 wall, are prone to start growing most vigorously a year or 

 two after planting, and if they are not brought back to a 

 proper condition there will be few or no fruits for the 

 grower to gather. The trees should be root-pruned in 

 October, and if raised so that the roots are brought nearer 

 the surface, so much the better. Providing gross growth 

 is kept in check by timely root pruning, fruit spurs will 

 form on the branches, and their formation may also be 

 helped by summer pruning the lateral shoots, as already 

 indicated in dealing with the Apple and Pear. But as 

 Plums often bear fruit freely upon the previous year's 

 shoots, some of these should be left untouched and trained 

 in wherever there is room for them. The list on p. 229, 



230 



