PYRAMIDS ON THE PEAR, STOCK 57 



manures are equally useful, but the above is easily 

 -obtained and applied. I must firmly impress upon 

 the reader the strong necessity of applying lime or 

 chalk to soils deficient in this deposit ; I believe that 

 many so-called exhausted borders require only the 

 addition of lime in some form or other to renovate 

 decaying trees. 



Gas lime after an exposure to the air, superphos- 

 phate, gypsum, lime rubbish, or chalk will all be found 

 to act beneficially. 



There is no absolute necessity for liquid manuring 

 in the winter, as common dung may be laid round each 

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

 rains in winter and drawn in by the worms. The 

 great end to attain seems (to use an agricultural phrase) 

 to be able to ' feed at home ' ; that is, to give the mass 

 of spongioles enough nutriment in a small space. A 

 tree will then make shoots from eight to ten inches 

 long in one season (for such ought to be the maxi- 

 mum of growth), and at the same time be able to 

 produce abundance of blossom-buds and fruit. On 

 trees of many varieties the former will be in too 

 great abundance ; removing a portion in early spriag, 

 cutting them out with a sharp knife so as to leave 

 each fruit-spur about three inches apart, is excellent 

 culture. 



I have not yet mentioned the possibility of root- 

 pruning fruit trees of twenty or thirty years' growth 

 with advantage. Irregular amputation of the roots 



