16 THE MINIATURE FEUIT GABDEN 



mass of .fibres will have become too much crowded with 

 small roots ; in such cases thin out some of the roots, 

 shortening them at nine inches or one foot from the 

 stem. This will cause them to give out fibres, so that 

 the entire circle of three feet or more round the tree will 

 be full of fibrous roots near the surface, waiting with 

 open mouths for the nourishment annually given to 

 them by surface dressiags and liquid manure. 



The gardener who does not mind extra trouble will 

 feel a real pleasure in every operation that tends to 

 make. his trees perfect in fruitfulness and symmetry. 

 The annual root-pruning may, however, be irksome to 

 the amateur ; nor is it always required in the south of 

 England, except for small gardens and in rich moist 

 soils in which pear trees are inclined to grow too 

 vigorously. In the cool moist summers of the northern 

 counties, annual root-pruning is quite necessary to 

 make the trees produce well-ripened wood. In other 

 cases, if the trees are summer-pruned, biennial root- 

 pruning will be sufficient to check over-luxuriance in 

 growth. 



The following will be found a good selection of 

 varieties for pyramidal trees on quince stocks. They 

 may be planted in rows six feet apaj-t, or a square may 

 be allotted to them, giving each plant six feet, which 

 will be found amply sufficient for root-pruned trees. 

 Some few esteemed sorts of pears do not grow well on 

 quince stocks, unless ' double-grafted '■ — i.e., some free- 

 growing sort is budded on the quince, and after having 



