RATIONAL FRUIT CULTURE. 21 



Of course, these are merely suggestions. But they will 

 show how 'to arrange different varieties so as to have the best 

 chance of successful cross-fertilisation by the wind or by bees, 

 or to reduce the labour wheo it is done by hand. 



RISKS AFTER THE FRUIT IS SET. 



The blossoms wither and drop soon after they are ferti- 

 lised, and the tiny fruit which is then said to be " set," begins 

 to swell. The first stage on the road has been accomplished, 

 but the grower has still many risks to run. Strong winds 

 may bring the fruit to the ground; insects or fungoid diseases 

 may completely spoil it; a hot, dry summer may prevent the 

 greater part of it from growing to a suitable size. Over some 

 of these conditions it is difficult to exercise much control. 

 Hoeing will check evaporation from the ground, and so will 

 a mulch of manure laid round the trees, but, except in cases 

 of comparatively recent planting, it is rarely possible to give 

 enough water to reach the roots. The harm done by the wind 

 is very liable to be exaggerated. Unless the crops are sys- 

 tematically thinned, they are often heavier than the trees 

 should be allowed to mature, and the loss of some fruit may 

 be a blessing in disguise. This is Nature's method of thin- 

 ning — rather an indiscriminate method, it must be admitted, 

 and sometimes much too drastic. 



