THE APPLE. 



127 



THE APPLE. 



Soil, — The apple will grow in more humid soil than 

 is suitable for the pear, but it prospers most in soils of 

 medium consistency, rather sandy, but moderately cool. 



Choice of Trees. — The directions already given for 

 pears apply equally to apple trees. 



Grafting. — The apple is grafted upon apple stocks 

 grown from pépins^ upon Doucin stocks grown from 

 layers, and upon paradise stocks also grown from layers. 



The most vigorous stock of the three is the apple,* 

 which is only employed when high- stemmed standard 

 trees are desired. The Doucin stock is less vigorous, 

 and is chosen for pyramid, espalier, and vase-formed 

 trees. The paradise stock is used for dwarf trees, 

 trained in the form of small vases or bushes, the fruit 

 of which is abundant and of excellent quality, and 

 appears at the third year. Unfortunately these dwarf 



* Apple stocks, also called free stocks, are used for standards for 

 orchard planting. They are raised in numbers from the residuum 

 in cider-making. Apples grafted upon these stocks are much longer 

 in coming to bearing. The best stock for apples is the crab ; the trees 

 are hardier, and the fruit better. The Doucin or French stock is not 

 equal to the paradise for dwarf trees. The paradise stock is chiefly 

 used for trees to be grown in pots, for miniature orchards, and for 

 ornamental trees in the flower-border. 



