20 RATIONAL FRUIT CULTURE. 



TUE SAME VARIETY IN LARGE BLOCKS. 



The same thing applies to fertilisation by hand. If the 

 varieties which are to be cross- fertilised are far apart, the 

 task is rendered much more laborious by the necessity of pass- 

 ing backwards and forwards from one to another, while it 

 is less likely to be properly done. In some orchards each 

 variety is planted in a large block, with the result that the 

 trees on the outside of each block generally bear heavier and 

 more regular crops than those in the middle, the reason being 

 that they get more of the pollen from the other varieties around 

 them. 



HOW TO INTERSPERSE UliFERENT \ARIETIi:s. 



Obviously, then, the best method of arrangement is to 

 keep together the varieties likely to fertilise one another — those 

 which flower at the same time — and to intersperse them. For 

 instance, if we have six of the self- fertile Apple, King's Acre 

 Bountiful, and three each of the more or less self-sterile varie- 

 ties, Charles Ross and Ecklinville Seedling, which yield much 

 larger crops when fertilised by it, we might arrange them 

 thus: — 



K.A.B. C.R. K.A.B. E.8. 



C.R. K.A.B. E.S. K.A.B. 



K.A.B. E.S. K.A.B. C.R. 



Similarly, if we had eight trees of the self-fertile Pear, 

 Ijouise Bonne of .Jersey, and two each of the more or less self- 

 sterile varieties, Cl;i|)p's Favourite and Marie Louise, and 

 also four of Doyenne du Cornice, which, like them, has 

 its crops greatly increased by the pollen of Louise Bonne 

 of Jersey, we might arrange them thus: — 



D.C. L.B. D.C L.B. 



L.B. M.L. h.B. M.L. 



C.F. L.B. C.F. L.B. 



L.B. D.C. L.B. D.C. 



