126 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN 



«ach tree a shovelful of rich compost, and not pruning 

 their shoots till April, will bloom delightfully all the 

 autumn, never dropping their leaves towards the end of 

 summer, and not becoming, as is too often the case, 

 blighted and blossomless. 



If the soiLbe very rich, so as to induce the trees 

 planted in it to make a growth of eighteen inches in 

 one season, they may be removed annually till this 

 vigorous growth ceases. If the trees make an annual 

 growth only of ten to twelve inches, the trees may be 

 removed hiermialjy or occasionally ; and I may add that 

 in soils in which trees grow slowly, root-pruning is more 

 advantageous than removal, as less check is given to 

 vegetation. 



PYRAMID OECHARDS 



A FAIR return ought to be made from an acre planted 

 with pyramid trees, but, like everything that is really 

 worth having, the realisation of profit must necessarily 

 be slow. Supposing that it is intended to plant an 

 acre of ground as a pyramidal orchard, I should recom- 

 mend the planter to mark ofi" a quarter acre, and to 

 prepare this for the first plantation. If possible, 

 trench the ground to about twenty-four inches ; if you 

 can persuade the labourer to do this honestly, so much 

 the better ; but many workmen will throw the soil loose 

 and high, giving the digging an appearance of depth, 



