108 FRUIT CULTURE. 



extremely cold weather. Moderate freezing and 

 uniform cold is desirable, but this must not ex- 

 tend to the degree of injuring the pots. These 

 trees may be brought into a forcing house at any 

 time after a short rest, and with a gradual start- 

 ing may be brought to maturity of fruit by the 

 latter part of May, and afterwards. Or they 

 may remain in the pit until April, and then be 

 brought out for open culture as soon as the 

 danger from severe frosts is past. The holes at 

 the bottom of the pots are to be cleaned, to 

 facilitate the protrusion of new roots. Under- 

 neath where each pot is to stand two shovelfuls 

 of cow or well-rotted horse manure are to be 

 worked into the soil. The pots are then to be 

 plunged as in the previous year, standing upon 

 the manure. The young growth is to be short- 

 ened-in, usually about one half, and as an aver- 

 age, each shoot should develop half a dozen 

 fruits, or from twenty-five to thirty to a tree. 

 By careful culture these trees may be continued 

 for several seasons, the roots being renewed at 

 the bottom each season, and also a shift into a 

 larger pot being made, as the size of the tree 

 increases. A new tree would be found best after 

 the third or fourth crop. The great danger at- 

 tending this plan is in the wintering, sharp 

 watching being necessary to guard against moist- 



