FRUIT CULTURE. 



$43 



on the surface when the trees reach a bearing aye and 

 need more support. Bone meal mixed with burnt earth or 

 wood ashes forms a useful top dressing for Apricots w hen 

 the trees are in free bearing, bul when young the trees, il 

 the soil is ill the character already described, « I«» not require 

 manorial stimulants. In purchasing Apricot trees it is a 

 wise plan to visit, it possible, the nursery, and selecl only 

 those trees which have clean healthy stems and are making 

 thoroughly healthy growth ol moderate strength. Maiden 

 trees, it there is time enough, generally succeed, but cut 

 back ones will do well if carefully selected. Examples are, 

 however, sent out bom some nurseries even now thai 

 cannot have a long existence, either owing to imperfect 

 unions or unsuitable stocks. In good nurseries these trees 

 are chopped up and burnt. 



Priming'.- -The voung trees must at first be headed 

 back to secure shoots sufficient to form the base. f our or 

 five on each side w ill suffice, and afterwards, by selecting 

 the right shoots to lay in, the wall may be filled up without 

 any severe pruning. The fan system of training is the best 

 for Apricots, and the one generally adopted. II the centre 

 of the tree be kept open until the base ol the wall is well 

 furnished, handsome fertile Apricots w ill be the reward in 

 a lew years. The Apricot begins to bear when young il 

 it is succeeding, but over-cropping in youth must be 

 avoided. The trees, as in the case of the Plum, will bear 

 on both natural and artificial spurs, the former forming 

 on the sides ol well-ripened voung wood. Artificial 

 spurs are created by summer pruning or stopping back 

 the breast wood at that season. Bulb these kinds of 

 spurs should be encouraged, but it is not well to let the 

 artificial spurs get too far from the wall. Prune as much as 

 possible in summer by stopping the young shoots (except 

 those required for extension) to loin leaves. In June and in 

 the autumn, when the leaves have fallen, finish the pruning 

 by shortening long snags left from the summer shortening 

 back. Cut out dead wood at this time, too. If shreds are 

 used in training, be sure that they are sufficiently loose to 

 allow for growth, and remember that nails must not be 

 driven in near enough to a branch to cause injury. Healthy 

 trees not grow n in a too rich soil are not likely to " gum " ; 

 but if there is any tendency to undue luxuriance, excessive 

 pruning, or injury from nails, the careless use of the hammer, 

 or even ladder, will bring on gumming. Apricots use up a 

 considerable amount ol lime in the formation of the fruit 

 stones, and fruit dropping when this takes place may be due 

 to an absence of lime in the soil. 



Insect PestS.— The trees are not very subject to insect 

 attacks. When in decrepit condition they are sometimes 

 attacked by green fly ; bul these can soon be destroyed by 

 using tobacco powder or syringing over them a mixture of 

 tobacco powder and soft soap in solution, Two ounces of 

 soft soap and the same quantity of tobacco powder in a 

 gallon of water, applied through the syringe or by dipping 

 in the young shoots, will soon vanquish insect pests. 

 Maggots are sometimes found curled up in the leaves, but 

 these may soon be destroyed by hand picking. 



Thinning the bails should be partly done when they are 

 small, and completed later, at the time stoning is finished. 

 The "thinnings" will be welcomed for tarts. It is difficult 

 to define what should be a good crop of fruit, as assistance 

 can be given to a well-loaded tree by mulchings and liquid 

 manure when the fruit is swelling freely, especially during 

 the stoning period and until ripening commences. 



In a fairly sheltered garden a single, or in the case of 

 severe frost a double, thickness of fishing nets will suffice to 

 keep the flowers safe. The nets are cheap, and if taken 

 care of they w ill last many years, and may be used lor other 

 purposes, such as protecting ripe fruit from birds. Wasps 

 relish Apricots, and in a warm season, when these fruit 

 robbers are likely to prove troublesome, hang up bottles 

 partly filled with honey and beer in good tin e. 



Varieties. — The Apricot most largely planted is the 

 Moorpark. It bears large handsome fruits of delicious flavour 

 freely, but, unfortunately, the tree is much subject to disease. 

 Branches die away suddenly w ithout apparent reason, more 

 so than in the case of any other variety. The Peach Apricot 

 is a line handsome Iruil related to the M | ark. Royal 



George, a hardy free-bearing variety, iiucns before Moor- 

 park. HemskirU makes a good tree, and bears heavy crops, 

 which usually ripen early in August. I he Iruit is not quite 

 so large as that ol Moorpark, and the tree is less subject to 

 i he brant lies dying. 



BUSH FRUITS. 



Gooseberry, The.- -The soil should be deep and well 

 broken up some time before planting, and well manured. 

 Well-developed Gooseberry bushes will require spares till. 

 square, to give room to move among them to gather 

 the Iruit, and do (he necessary pruning and lop dressing. 

 If less space is allowed, a good deal of the bearing wood 

 has to be pruned away to give the necessary access to the 

 plantation. ( loose-berries may either be planted round the 

 margins or the border near the walks, or be gathered 

 together into one plot. 'I he latter plan is the most con- 

 venient, as il necessary the bushes can be more easilv 

 netted up. Under favourable conditions the (looscherry 

 hears very heavy crops, especially when space enough is 

 allowed ha lull development, and consequently annual 

 top dressings are very desirable. If the ground be well 

 trenched before the bushes are planted, the steel fork will 

 do all the digging required afterwards. In hot weather, a 

 light mulch ol manure or compost ol some kind is very 

 beneficial. But il nothing can be given to cheek evaporation, 

 keep the surface loose by using the hoe. 



Pruning 1 . It is belter to do the pruning as soon as the 

 leaves fall, as this permits of the cuttings being cleared 

 away and bin nl, and the space between the bushes manured 

 if necessary, and lightly forked over to aerate the soil. Il 

 birds are troublesome, dust the bushes when damp with a 

 mixture of soot and lime ; or the bushes may be syringed 

 first with a solution ol sunlight soap and dusted with soot 

 and lime immediately. The soapy water will cause the 

 soot and lime to adhere better. In pruning a Gooseberry 

 bush, first look over it and remove dead wood, if any. If 

 there should be a dead branch, removing it first gives a 

 chance of leaving a voung shoot to take its place. Next go 

 round the bottom of the bush, anil take oil all branches 

 which are too near the ground ; then go regularly over the 

 bush and thin out the young wood, leaving sufficient well- 

 placed young shoots to give a regular crop all over the 

 bush. The centre ol the bush should lie lelt open, and in 

 pruning all crossing shoots should be cut out. I he young 

 shoots removed will lie spurred in to within l\n. of the old 

 wood. The Gooseberry bears on spurs, but il a lieavv crop 

 is wanted, leave in a young shoot wherever there is space 

 tor it to grow freelv without obstructing the sunshine and 

 air. Alter the pruning is finished and the symmetry of 

 the bush has been considered (and a properly pruned fruit 

 bush should always be well balanced), shorten the ends of 

 the leaders a little, always considering that the more young 

 wood there is left the heavier the crop will be. It may be 

 mentioned that liquid manure or house drainings may be 

 applied beneficially at almost any season, but especially 

 during the time the berries are swelling. 



Varieties. — 1'or gathering green, plant Whinham's 

 Industry, Crown Bob, Whitesmith, Keepsake, and London. 

 The above are also ol tine flavour when ripe. If more 

 are wanted, add Companion, Broom Girl, Ironmonger, 

 Antagonist, Snowdrop, Dan's Mistake ; and lor preserving, 

 Red Warrington and Champagne. 



Propagation. — Take cuttings of the longest ami 

 straightest young shoots in autumn. Have them at least 

 lit. long. Remove all buds but the three upper ones. 

 Cut the bottom clean across just under a joint. Plant very 

 firmly in rows lit. apart and 4m. apart in the rows. 



CtirrantS, Black. I he Black Currant does best on 

 moist ground, and will do in partial shade. In poor, 

 shallow land the Iruil is small and inferior. A mulch or top 

 dressing of manure before the hot weather sets in is very 

 beneficial. II the bushes are not over-pruned, 6ft. will not 

 be too much space for each. In crowded plantations the 

 fruit is never so fine or the crop so heavy. 



Pruning is on the same lines as recommei ded for Goose- 

 berries, as the Black Currant hears chiefly on the young 

 wood. And it is not so necessary to keep the centre open; 



