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Growing Fruit Trees in Pots— By w. c. McCoiiom, 



BECAUSE OF THE PERFECT CONTROL OF CONDITIONS, YOU CAN IN THIS WAY OBTAIN 

 FRUITS OF EXQUISITE QUALITY FAR SURPASSING THE PRODUCTS OF THE ORCHARD 



New- 

 York 



V 



HERE are sev- 

 eral very good, 

 sound reasons 

 back of fruit 

 growing under glass. 

 One is the superb qual- 

 ity of the fruit thus 

 produced, surpassing 

 by far that which is 

 known in the best qual- 

 ity orchard product — 

 bunches of luscious 

 grapes, the individual 

 berries of which are as 

 large as fair sized 

 plums; peaches and nectarines that are 

 marvels in size and fine texture; plums of 

 delicate bouquet and spicy juice. When- 

 ever there is an adequate range of glass, or 

 the building of one is contemplated, the 

 thought of handling fruit trees inside nat- 

 urally arises. Indeed, this is the one great 

 general inducement to better greenhouse 

 building on a small place. 



The great drawback to fruit culture 

 under glass has been the amount of space 

 necessary when the trees were planted out, 



Five year old 

 Dwarf Bismarck 

 apple, eighteen in- 

 ches high, grown 

 on a porch 



Blue Rock plum, carrying over one hundred fruits 



necessitating special houses that could be 

 used only for this one purpose. But things 

 have changed during the past few years, 

 since the potted tree has become generally 

 available. 



No special house is required for the forcing 

 of these pot trees; they produce fruit very 

 quickly — in fact, in half the time of the 

 trees or canes in an open border; and you 

 can get a much wider range of varieties 

 for forcing, because of the fact that cherries, 



apples, pears, etc., can be added to the list 

 for pot forcing whereas the space they would 

 occupy in a house, if planted in a border as 

 a permanent fixture, would be prohibitive. 

 Pot grown trees can be purchased of such 

 a size that they will fruit the first season, 

 and by skilled handling can be kept in 

 bearing for a period of years. True, they 

 outlive their usefulness more quickly than a 



Guigne d' Annonay (cherry), twenty-six years old, which 

 has always been grown in a pot 



border planted tree, yet it is considerably 

 easier to replace pot trees and no time is 

 lost in the change. The big point in pro- 

 ducing results from these trees in pots is to 

 handle them so that you get the healthy, 

 fruit-producing wood without the rank 

 growth which characterizes the regular 

 tree outdoors, and which inside would 

 completely annul the fact of potting them. 



Stock should be ordered some time during 

 the winter for spring delivery. Any up-to- 

 date nurseryman can supply you with this 

 stock; but be sure to insist that the stock be 

 pot grown. Trees lifted from the open 

 and potted will not do at all. The right 

 tree is also one grafted on dwarf stock, as it 

 is impossible, when dealing with large 

 growing stock, to confine the plant to lim- 

 ited space without .injuring the possibil- 

 ities of fruit. So go to a reliable nursery- 

 man at once and explain exactly what you 

 want, since all their pot trees are imported 

 and generally only to order. 



When received, place the trees in a cooi 

 house until it is time to start them into 

 growth, and keep them rather dry than 

 wet. If the pots are plunged in the border 

 or bench it will prevent them from drying 

 out too fast. 



Any house where a temperature of 45 

 degrees, at night, can be maintained will be 

 suitable for starting trees into growth. But 

 remember it is well to hold back the trees, 

 retarding their growth as late in spring 

 as possible. This also gives ample oppor- 

 tunity at clearing out the house and making 

 room for these late comers, which are in 

 reality a summer crop for the greenhouse, 

 although the start must be made now. 



Now, as to the routine. When starting 



Apple trees only a few feet high, but fruits fifteen inches around ! 

 196 



