THE APPLE. ,43 



in good top spit loam. The tree, when it has been in the pot for a 

 year, is placed in a greenhouse in the middle of December. It then 

 flowers in February, and its fruit ripens in May. To ensure success 

 liquid manure should be given when the flower expands, again when 

 the pips are forming, and lastly when the fruit is about to ripen. 

 Simple as all this look.s, I cannot every year get the first apples of 

 the season, as much attention is required to ensure perfect success. 



In autumn, the fruit should be gathered when the apples come 

 readily from the tree ; and, as a matter of experience, to prevent 

 future shrivelling, apples should be left on the tree as late as they will 

 hang without dropping. I have observed that apples which readily 

 and prematurely drop, and which are usually called windfalls, are really 

 imperfect themselves, and have no pips, except indeed those which, 

 from the force of the wind, have been blown ofT with the adherent shoot. 

 When the apples are gathered, they should be kept in the dark at 

 a low temperature, with a slight current of air through the room. 

 All the apples should be placed on shelves, as far apart as is con- 

 venient. If they are placed on straw, an unpleasant flavour is trans- 

 mitted to the fruit ; and if they are absolutely frozen, the texture of 

 the fruit is destroyed. It is a good plan thoroughly to destroy fungus 

 by sulphur fumes before apples are housed in any room for the 

 winter, and then several kinds will last till new apples are produced. 

 Fungus in apples imparts to them a most disagreeable taste, and of 

 the two evils it is certainly better for them to shrivel than to remain 

 plump and be full to the core with fungus growth. The one great 

 test of a well-kept apple is an absence of fungus, and this is best 

 secured by burning on a red-hot coal, once or twice a week in the apple- 

 room, a piece of sulphur as big as a pea. This we always practise now. 



It has already been stated that my collection of apples comprises 

 nearly three hundred varieties. It is neither advisable nor expedient, 

 however, to have so many kinds ; but it is important to have both 

 dessert and kitchen apples for every day in the year. 



Every garden ought to have at least thirty kinds of dessert apples, 

 so as to command a variety of flavour and a constant succession. The 



