ON REARING COMMON FRUITS. 



99 



6. — Apple Tree^ 



Apple trees of large size are quite unfit for tlie small 

 gardens treated of in this book, except at the out-corners, 

 or as wall trees ; but a few dwarf standards, about twice 

 the size of a gooseberry bush, may be admitted ; or one 

 or two trained as espaliers, that is, in form of a hedge. 

 "When planted as wall trees, the farther the roots can be 

 conveniently put from the wall the better, as is shown in 

 the following figure, while the mode of training the 

 branches in a hanging position is shown on 

 the gable wall of the cottage in the title-page. 

 It may be observed, however, that apple trees 

 seldom bear well when trained to a wall ; and 

 where a garden is bounded by a wall, this may 

 be much more profitably occupied by pear 

 trees. Where a convenient space can be 

 devoted to a row of apple trees trained in the 

 manner of espaliers, their produce will be abun- 

 dant, and they will occupy very little room. 

 But if, in the part devoted to kitchen crops, a 

 row of apple trees is planted on each side of 

 the walk, and at about two or three feet frc 



the verge of the walk, 



with a bed of straw- ^^^^^^^^^^^ 

 berries or parsley be- " ~ ' ' 



neath them, they will ^ 

 produce a very profitable and useful crop. 



The most productive sorts are the Ha-vvthornden for 

 summer use, and the Court of Wick for autumn and 

 winter ; codlins are certainly good, but they are too strag- 

 gling and vigorous in their growth for small gardens, and 

 there is none so well adapted for this purpose, or so pro- 

 fitable, as the Hawthornden. The trees must be procured 

 from a nursery ready grafted, where they may generally be 

 obtained at from two to four shillings each : or a practised 

 gardener may be requested to gi^aft any required number 

 of crab stocks, or, what is much better, French paradise 

 stocks, which latter will check any exuberance in the 

 growth of the graft, and render it more fruitful. This 



