106 THE MESriATUEE FEUIT GhAEDEN 



them while in blossom, and a crop of fruit thus insured. 

 All the varieties recommended fof pyramids may be cul- 

 tivated as bushes, and for suburban gardens they should 

 be subjected to exactly the same treatment as recom- 

 mended for apple bushes, page 81.' 



PLUM TEEES AS OOEDONS 



The plum forms a most prolific lateral double cordon 

 and gives very fine fruit, when pruned and trained after 

 the fashion of pear trees. Owing, however, to the fruit 

 •often receiving injury from heavy rains, it is almost in- 

 dispensable to have a space under each tree paved with 

 tiles, and it is a work of necessity to protect the trees 

 from spring frosts, for they (the trees) come into blossom 

 so early, owing to their receiving the reflected heat from 

 the soil in early spring, that seldom or never does the 

 young fruit survive the month of April. One of the 

 best modes of protection is that of the ridges of glass 

 ■described on page 93, for if placed on bricks they may 

 remain over the trees till the commencement of the first 

 "week in June — here a period of rejoiciug, for not till 

 then are we safe from the fruitgrower's scourge — a 

 severe spring frost. There is a method of cultivating a 



' The plum is apt to produce very strong succulent shoots at 

 irregular intervals ; this growth should be stopped as soon as per- 

 ■oeived by very close pinching. 



