Culture of Wall-Fruit Trees. 145 



below the border. I intend to chamber about 200 ft. of vinery 

 frontage this season, and I am now preparing for it. 



It may be well to state to you, that I have planted all my old 

 vines again, and that they have made remarkably fine wood. 

 An old Muscat has 22 fine bunches of grapes upon it. I put in 

 a branch of the same vine, 10 ft. long, without roots, which has 

 made excellent wood, and produced a fine bunch of grapes : the 

 black Damascus and black Tripoli have done the same. 



I am, Sir, yours, &c. 

 WelbecJc Gardens, Ollerlon, Sept. 16. 1833. John Mearns. 



Further Observations on confining the Roots of Wall Trees, fyc. — 

 I am very certain that the peach, plum, apricot, &c, if judici- 

 ously planted and attended to, require but a very small space 

 for their roots to extend in. A depth of 14 to 16 in. is better 

 than a greater ; and a parallelogram of 9 ft. by 4 ft. is an extent 

 of sufficient capacity for a tree to cover profitably with its roots. 

 By attending to this, but a very small portion of the 12-ft. to 16-ft. 

 borders will be lost, as 3 ft. is the proper distance at which to 

 keep general crops from the walls, where there are proportion- 

 able borders. A few small things, which require protection, 

 may be put close under the walls, and upon the chambered bor- 

 ders, and will do no harm. The bottom of the walled pits for 

 each tree should be paved, and neatly set in good mortar (I 

 mean, with the stone squared, and mortised joints) upon che- 

 quered brickwork ; two to three or four layers deep, as the state 

 of the bottom may be, leaving three or four holes at the lowest 

 places for the wet to drain off. Plant the trees in fresh turfy 

 soil of a fine mellow hazel loam ; and, as required, mix fresh- 

 chopped turf occasionally with a little of the same. In the course 

 of five or six years it will be found that the roots have got much 

 matted round the walls, and that the tree has lost much of its 

 usual vigour in consequence, the fruit being not so fine : when 

 such is the case, cut out a trench from a foot to a foot and a half 

 broad round the walls which were put to confine the roots, and 

 take out the soil and roots completely to the bottom, filling the 

 space up again with the usual fresh-chopped turf. Take off the 

 top soil from the roots, and fill up with the fresh, forking it well 

 in amongst the roots, and mixing it with the remaining soil as 

 far as can safely be done. The trees will soon display an extra- 

 ordinary degree of vigour, with rarely the least appearance of 

 gum or canker, and will bear the finest fruit. 



It is an excellent method to take the trees completely out of 

 the pits every five or six years ; and to renovate the soil with the 

 fresh-chopped turf, taking part of the exhausted soil out, before 

 planting the trees again. If done with a judicious hand, a 



Vol. X. — No. 49. l 



