HABDY FBUIT GARDEN 



1035 



of aspect on the ripening or otherwise of 

 the wood and fruit. From the quantity 

 and intensity of the sunlight the plants on 

 south walls usually come to a state of 

 maturity first, and those on the east, west, 

 and north follow in the order mentioned. 



For the sake of cleanliness it is neces- 

 sary every year or so, after the fruits have 

 ripened and the leaves have fallen, to un- 

 loose aU the branches from the walls. 

 The latter may then be washed with a 

 strong solution of soft soapy water to 

 which a little sulphur or petroleum has 

 been added. This will prevent the accu- 

 mulation of vermin in the cracks and 

 crevices, and consequently becomes a safe- 

 guard to the trees against such a foe. 



When the re-nailing is done new clean 

 shreds should be used ; they should be as 

 narrow as possible and of a sombre hue, 

 as brilliantly coloured shreds very often 

 have an irritating effect on the eye- 

 sight. There are several substitutes for 

 the ordinary shreds, such as wall nails 

 with a flexible tag at the top that can be 

 bent round the twig or branch ; and also 

 a strong eyeletted shred already provided 

 with a naU to save time. But both these 

 contrivances are much more expensive 

 than the ordinary shreds. 



The trees on the north walls should 

 be nailed up first, as it often happens that 

 late in the year, when those on the south 

 waU have been first attended to, the 

 weather becomes warm and mild, and 

 starts the trees into an undesirable growth 

 again. On a sunny day there will often 

 be a difference of 20° to 40° between the 

 temperature of a south wall and one in the 

 shade, and if the branches are hanging 

 loose from the wall they are not so likely 

 to be excited with extra warmth, which 

 will however help in still further matur- 

 ing and hardening the wood assisted by 

 the free circulation of air. The trees on 

 the west, east, and south -Walls should 

 afterwards be nailed in succession, and 

 the result of doing the work thus will be 

 to give wall protection first to the plants 

 in the least favourable situations, and 

 consequently hasten the period of their 

 flowering and fruiting the following 

 season. 



The Selection of Fruit Trees. — 

 Only trees having a strong, clean, straight 

 stem should be planted, and care should 

 be taken to have them true to name. 

 Weak or crooked-stemmed plants should 

 be avoided as they ai-e often of a bad con- 



stitution. Young trees two to four years 

 old transplant better than older ones, 

 and are more easily trained. Particular 

 attention should be paid to the roots to 

 see that they are a mass of fibres, and 

 not damaged, twisted, or gnarled. The 

 sooner they are planted after being lifted 

 the better — always provided the weather 

 is mild and favourable, and neither frosty 

 nor over-wet. In the case of trees that 

 have travelled several miles by rail and 

 may have become dry and shrivelled, it 

 is a good plan to bury the whole— stem, 

 root, and branches — under moist soil. In 

 about a week— more or less according to 

 condition — the branches will have regained 

 their plumpness and freshness, and the 

 trees may then be planted in the usual 

 way. 



Training Fruit Trees. — It has 

 always been a favourite practice with 

 gardeners to make plants grow in some 

 other way than that designed by nature. 

 In the case of fruit trees many ingenious 

 devices have been invented to make them 

 grow in certain directions and assume 

 certain shapes, and in this process a 

 thorough knowledge of the plant and how 

 to prune are essential. 



1. The PyrwmiA or CoTie. — Most fruit 

 trees except those requiring the shelter of 



FIO. 142. — PYRAMID TREB. 



a wall may be trained in this form. Pears 

 are naturally pyramidal in habit, but 



