132 GARDEN GUIDE 



tioned eire not all of the good ones, they have been selected for their 

 superiority in vigor and production. 



These do best in a rich, loamy, well drained soil, in a position 

 preferably facing the east or southeast. This situation protects the 

 trees from north and west winds and retards blooming in Spring, 

 thereby often preventing the destruction of the blossom by late Spring 

 ' frosts and the consequent failure of the crop. In 

 APPLES pleinting, select a three-year-old tree, which can be 

 prociured at any reliable nursery, and insist on this 

 being true to name, because a mistake at this point means 

 years of disappointment. Nothiug is more annoying thein to find, 

 after a period of six years, that the Red Astrachan you planted 

 turns out to be some other variety, which upsets your plan of suc- 

 cession of fruiting. Do not make the usual mistEike of planting your 

 tree in a small hole, or planting too deeply, but be liberal in all your 

 treatment and your tree will respond accordingly. Prune all broken 

 and damaged roots, eind after spreading the remaining roots evenly 

 in the hole, cover with fine earth and give the tree a slight shake. 

 Allow the earth to sift down among the fine roots, then put on more 

 soil and tread in firmly, finish filling the hole, and put on a generous 

 mulching to keep the soil about the tree moist, for upon this mulching 

 often depends the life of the tree. After the tree is firmly planted, 

 prune in the head to five or six branches and reduce these to half 

 their original length. Attach a label to the tree and it is ready to 

 take a permanent place in the garden. 



During its first season of growth all superfluous shoots should 

 be cut out, keeping in mind the futme form of the mature tree. The 

 second season the previous year's growth should be cut back about 

 half, and after this the tree will usually need only thiiming out the 

 centre and such shoots as cross each other, to secure abimdance of 

 Ught and sunshine. The shoots which come out of the stem should 

 be rubbed off as they appear. This treatment applies to standards, 

 which should be planted at least twenty-five feet apart, but in a small 

 garden trees known as pyramids, cordons, and espsdiers may be grown 

 with success. These can be purchased in that form, and are used for 

 covering arches or for growing against buildings, walls or fences. 

 They have the advantage of producing fruit quicker than standards, 

 and in taking less space in which to grow, a consideration where room 

 is limited. Pyramids could be planted in a row ten feet apart, 

 cordons three feet apart against a wall or to form an arch over a walk, 

 and espaUers along each side of a walk or against a wall or building, 

 thus making the most of restricted space. Their pruning is more 



