536 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



but once in four years a good dressing of strong farmyard dung is recommended, say at forty 

 loads to the acre, in a plantation, and a dressing of a cartload to twenty young trees in an orchard; 

 In the latter case, it is best placed on the surface a short distance from the steins, so that the 

 feeding roots may at once assimilate it. In a short paper of this description it is not possible 

 to give full details, but enquirers are referred to Pearson's " Hardy Fruits for the Midlands," 

 Wright's "Profitable Fruit Culture" (the prize essay of the Fruiterers' Company), and 

 Bunyard's " Fruit Farming for Profit," fourth edition. 



TENANCY OR FREEHOLD. — It is at once evident that planters should be owners of 

 the land they propose to plant, but this is not always possible for a novice. While he may 

 have enough capital to carry on a fruit farm until it pays its way, he cannot always 

 purchase the fee simple. There is, however, a growing disposition on the part of landlords 

 to meet enterprising clients, either by supplying trees which the tenant plants and maintains, 

 or by allowing a tenant a lease on lower terms, if the tenant does all the work and also 

 purchases the tree and bush fruits. In Kent the landlords find the orchard trees and the 

 tenant the bush fruits, which will be a fair arrangement on a fourteen years' lease ; but in 

 any case a business-like arrangement should be embodied in the lease before a tenant risks 

 his money or before a landlord enters into outlay. If a novice has a small capital he 

 might buy a little farm, and pay down part of the purchase money and mortgage the rest 

 at 4 per cent., which would yet leave him a small rent; but he would retain the power 

 of redemption and be his own master. After a long experience, I have never known an 

 energetic man fail in fruit culture. There are some failures, such as a bad season over- 

 taking a farmer who has borrowed money to start with ; but that event arises rather from 

 speculation than business-like foresight. With attention to small details, with industry and 

 energy, there is a fair return for outlay, and sometimes beyond that a bumper profit to 

 be made ; when a good season comes a careful man will lay by a nest egg to meet a 

 possible adverse season in the future. 



BEST MARKET FRUITS. — 1 now give a list of the best market fruits in each family, and 

 1 keep to as few kinds as possible : 



APPLES. — Early dessert kinds : Mr. Gladstone, Worcester Pearmain, Lady Sudeley, 

 Beauty of Bath, Duchess Favourite, Devonshire Quarrenden. Store dessert: King of the Pippins, 

 Allington Pippin, Cox's Orange Pippin, Baumann's Reinette. Early cooking : White Trans- 

 pa r e n t , 

 Lord Gros- 

 v e n or, 

 Grenadier, 

 Stirling 

 Castle ; 

 and for 

 n o r t h e r n 

 districts, 

 E c k 1 i n - 

 v i 1 1 e , 

 Domino, 

 Golden 

 S p i re. 

 Store 

 cooking : 

 Warner's 

 King, 

 Bism arck, 



A MODEL FRUIT ROOM. Newton 



