112 THE MINIATUEE FEUIT GARDEN 



pears, become in two or three years tlie most delight- 

 ful fruit trees ever seen, for in spring they are perfect 

 nosegays of flowers, and in summer clusters of fruit 

 — if spared by spring frosts. 



The common Morello cherry on the Mahaleb stock, 

 cultivated as a pyramid, forms one of the most prolific 

 of trees ; but as birds carry off the fruit when only 

 half ripe, each pyramid should have a net placed over 

 it, and tied round the stem of the tree at bottom. 

 Any garden, however small, may grow enough of this 

 useful sort by planting a few pyramids, lifting and 

 replanting, or root-pruning them biennially, and pinch- 

 ing in every shoot to five leaves (as soon as it has 

 made seven) in June. The Kentish cherry, also a 

 most useful culinary sort, may be cultivated as a 

 pyramid with great success. A French variety grown 

 near Paris in large quantities, and known as the 

 'Cerise Aigre Hative,' which may be Englished by 

 calling it the Early Sour Cherry, is a useful kind for 

 the kitchen. By the side of the ' Rive Droite ' Railway, 

 between Suresnes and Puteaux, on the left, there are 

 large plots of dwarf trees, about the size of large goose- 

 berry bushes, and some very low trees, all covered (as 

 they appear from the railway carriage) with bright red 

 flowers. These are cherry bushes — literally masses of 

 fruit, of the above variety. I find, however, that it is 

 not equal to the Kentish in flavour or size in England. 



I need scarcely add that the culture of all the 

 Duke tribe of cherries by summer-pruned pyramids. 



