46 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 



curtli round each tree to sustain as mucli fruit as 

 ought to grow, for the object is to obtain a small pro- 

 lific tree. 



I iind that in the course of years a perfect mass of 

 fibrous roots is formed, which only requires the annual 

 or biennial operation (the former if the tree be very 

 vigorous) of a trench being dug, and the ball of earth 

 heaved do\s'n to ascertain whether any large feeders 

 are making their escape from it, and to cut them.oflF. 

 But it must be borne in mind that this circular mass 

 of soil will in a few years be exhau:^ted ; to remedy 

 which, I have had left round each tree, eighteen 

 inches from the stem, a slight depression of the soil, 

 or, in other words, the trench has not been quite filled 

 in. This circular fmTow I have had filled, in Decern 

 ber and January, with fresh liquid night soil, cover- 

 ing it with a coat of burnt earth two inches thick, 

 Avhich has had a most excellent effect. Any other 

 liquid manure would undoubtedly have been equally 

 efficacious, but my soil was poor, and I thought it 

 required strtnig manure. As it did not come in con- 

 tact with the roots, no inj my resulted from using such 

 a powerful raw manure. 



There is no absolute necessity for liquid manuring 

 in winter, as common dung may be laid roimd each 

 tree in autumn, and suffcnd to be washed in by the 

 rains in winter, and drawn in by the worms. In 

 mentioning li(j[uid manure, I give the result of my 

 iiwn ]>ractice. The great end to attain seems (to ii^o 

 an agricnllural jilirasc) to be able " to feed at home ;" 

 that is, to give tlie mass of s[H)ngioles enough nutri- 

 ment in a small space. A tree will then make shoots 



