62 THE FRUIT GARDEN 



men make it an invariable rule. I do not say that failure would ensue the 

 first season afterwards if the trees were not repotted, but in the succeeding 

 years there would be great risk incurred, even if artificial manures were used. 

 What should be aimed at is the regular production, year by year, of fibrous 

 roots, rather than those of stouter growth, and this can best be secured by the 

 annual system of repotting. At the annual repotting no plant is put into 

 a larger pot without the mass of soil and roots being first reduced ; in fact, 

 it is necessary to exercise great care in the matter of using larger pots. As a 

 rule, we give a larger pot to, say, one plant in twelve, and in every instance it 

 depends upon the vigour of the plant. On the other hand, if a plant shows 

 symptoms of weakness, a smaller pot is used. The reduction of the soil and 

 roots should not be done in a half-hearted manner ; if it is decided to replace 

 the plant in a pot of the same size, remove sufficient to allow of the use of a 

 good deal of fresh soil, both around the sides, at the bottom, and upon the sur- 

 face. As a guide in this work of reducing the root mass, at least sufficient room 

 should be allowed for the hands to be passed freely around between the pot and 

 the former when reduced. A tool with two short teeth is useful for this work. 

 A sharp knife should be used to prune the largest roots. Two or three sizes of 

 soil rammers are required, so as to make the soil as firm as possible ; by potting 

 firmly the formation of fibrous roots is encouraged. The results of this will be 

 seen the following season, both in the growth and in the roots too. In finishing 

 off at the surface take care to leave space to hold water, say i inch deep. If 

 the tree roots are at all dry at the time of potting, they must be well soaked in 

 a tub of water. Neglect this, let the roots become still drier, and imperfect bud 

 development and bud-dropping will ensue. 



Top-Dressing. — Top-dressing with good soil affords great assistance to the 

 trees during active growth ; this work we like to get done when the fruits are 

 fast developing, say when the size of nuts. It will soon be noticed afterwards 

 that the roots are permeating the new soil. In applying this top-dressing, 

 room is left for watering around the stem ; the fresh soil should be built up 

 above the rim of the pot, very firmly, with the hands alone. The surface soil, 

 before the top-dressing is applied, should be lightly disturbed with a sharp- 

 pointed stick. A top-dressing is of great advantage to all fruit trees in pots, 

 in developing both fruits and growth for the ensuing season. 



Soil. — The soil that we use at Gunnersbury is composed of two sorts of 

 loam (loam, it is well known, varies considerably ; in some districts, no doubt, 

 it would not be necessary to use other than the local soil). We make use of 

 the Banstead loam, which to a certain extent is calcareous, and mix with it a local 

 soil that contains some iron. These two make a good mixture ; the former 

 by itself would be too heavy, the latter being tougher in texture remedies this. 

 These are used in about equal proportions. To the loam we add (at the rate 

 of about one to eight) decomposed stable manure, not old mushroom bed soil. 

 No sand is used, but old mortar rubble well broken up takes its place, and in 

 addition this affords, through the lime it contains, a food essential to the develop- 

 ment of all stone fruits. In artificial manures we find this in the phosphates 

 therein employed. For cherries only we add a ^mall proportion of artificial 



