3o FRUIT TREES IN POTS [ch 



if of good quality, procure as much as possible, 

 as it will always keep. Soil is best when mixed 

 a week or two before using. If it can be placed 

 under cover, either in a potting shed or glass 

 house, so much the better. During the time 

 mentioned the soil should be turned over twice, 

 so that all the ingredients are well mixed together. 



The soil should not be cut into small lumps 

 or powder, but used in the form of lumps about 

 the size of a cricket ball, or even a little larger, 

 as the roots will adhere to them far better. 



Pots. — As pots play a fundamental part in 

 pot culture, I wish to impress upon all readers 

 the importance of their use. Never use pots of 

 too large a size, or the result will not be at all 

 satisfactory. The 11 -in. or 13-in. pots will be 

 large enough for the trees generally supplied by 

 nurserymen. If, a year later, a few of the trees 

 have made more growth than others, and have 

 but little soil to grow in, then these might be 

 potted in 15-in. pots. The remainder of the trees 

 can be repotted into the same pots as they grew 

 in the year before. 



The 15-in. pots will be large enough for trees 

 up to the age of eight or ten years. The age of 

 a tree is easily arrived at, as they are generally 

 two, three, or four years old when supplied. Of 

 course, as trees grow on for a greater number 



