FRUIT CULTURE. 



545 



the Yellow Four Season.-, are the best, the fruits remarkably 

 sweet and good, and very prolific. 



Planting". The time to planl is just when growth 

 ceases at the end ol October, 01 even earlier if the plants 

 make an early growth, which is sometimes the case. October 

 planting is preferable for various reasons, the most important 

 one being thai the plants grow away more freely the next 

 season, as, having a fibrous root growth, they make new 

 roots or gel bold of the soil as soon as planted. At the 

 same time these fruits, like all others, may safely be planted 

 until the end of March if they are well attended to as 

 regards moisture during the summer months. The distance 

 between each plant should not be less than 2ft. in the 

 row, with 4ft. to 6ft. between the rows. Less will suffice, 

 but when given more space, say 9ft. between the 

 rows, it is easy to crop with small-growing things 



between the rows — for instance, Salads in si iei 



and Coleworts or dwarf Savoys in winter. Train 

 Raspberry canes as litile as possible, as by good 

 culture the canes will be sufficiently strong, and little 

 training needed. If three canes are left at a stool, and 

 loosely tied, thai treatment will suffice. This is nol the 

 most tidy method. The best, and probably the neatest, is 

 to strain a couple ol wires from supports at each end ol the 

 row. with the lower wire al 2ft. from the soil and the 

 upper one at 4ft. Grown thus, the fruits are more readilj 

 gathered and ripen better, whilst there are fewer losses from 

 decay in wel seasons. 



Priming' and feeding are simple details. After planting 

 early in the spring, cut down the canes to within i^in. ol 

 the soil, as this will induce stronger shoots to come from 

 the base, and only two should be encouraged the first 

 season. These by the end of August w ill be 4ft. to 6ft. in 

 height, and will fruit well the loll,, wing summer. Early 

 in March they may be topped to the top wire, or say nol 

 less than 5I1. in height, and, given support, little attention 

 will be needed the first season other than keeping clear, if 

 land be well trenched and manured, and when planted a 

 mulch of short manure may be given in the shape of a top 

 dressing the second year, about November. When the 

 plants are in lull vigour and bearing finely, they are greatly 

 benefited by applica- 

 tions of liquid manure 

 during the growing 

 season, especially if the 

 soil is at all light or 

 porous. 



The after manage- 

 ment is simple. Everv 

 season, as soon as the 

 crop is taken-— indeed, 

 the earlier the better — 

 cut out the old fruiting 

 canes, and retain lour 

 to five of the strongest 

 e urrent season's growth 

 for next season's crop. 

 Every year, therefore, 

 the old fruiting canes 

 are taken out, new 

 ones occupy their 

 places, and the plants 

 are wonderfully pro- 

 lific. They al way's 

 make a quantity of 

 new growths at the 

 base. These must be 

 reduced in the summer 

 to four or live, as il all 

 are lelt until autumn 

 those required for fruit- 

 i n g a r e g r call y 

 weakened. A strong 

 fruiting cane is im- 

 portant. It has been 

 mentioned that the 

 canes should be re- 

 duced to four or live, 



K.'.SPSIRRY YELLOl 



but there may be losses dining the ripening of the fruit, 



such as breakages, and it is well to have an extra cane to 

 fall back upon. Those not needed alter the strongest have 

 been selected may be cut out when the old fruiting canes 

 are removed. 



The autumn-fruiting Raspberries require quite different 



treatment, as the pruning is done in the spring. Ag J 



system is to cut down all the canes to the ground at the end 

 ol February or early in March, according to the season, 

 and they then produce the fruit on the new growth. 'Thin 

 out the canes to, say, three to five at a stool, and train these 

 to a lence or wires, as already advised, as, making their 

 growth later ar.d ripening w ith shortening days, it is essential 

 to give them ample space and light to mature. Like the 

 earlier fruits, these will repay food in the shape of a liberal 

 lop dressing, or liquid manure during the summer. It 

 is also well to grow these more thinly than the summer- 

 fruiting varieties. 



THE FIG. 



Forced and on Open Walls. - Doubtless the 



readiest way to grow Figs is either in pots or tubs, or in 

 wdiat may be termed a restricted root space, as lew fruits 

 need more attention in this matter. On the other hand, 

 splendid results are obtained from trees planted out, 

 providing there is ample room for the lop growth to 

 develop and plenty ol new wood yearly, at the same time 

 cutting out useless growth to prevent overcrowding. 



Pot Culture mav be taken first, as many can grow 

 Figs thus who cannol devote a house to the trees. In 

 growing Figs in pots, the trees at certain seasons ot the 

 year mav be placed in the open and the house used for 

 other purposes, so tint they do not require space indoors 

 during the whole twelve months. One need nol describe 

 the raising or propagating of the trees, as they are grow n at 

 a small cost, and il purchased in bin. or 7111. pots are 

 in condition to build up into good forcing material, as the 

 cuttings are usually struck early in the spring, and the plants 

 grown on a single leg or stem. This is the best method 

 to adopt with all kinds of Figs, as these fruits are much 

 inclined to produce sucker growths, which are difficult to 



keep down il not 

 restricted to a single 

 growth at the base. 

 ( hie seas, in 's growth 

 will produce a good- 

 sued tree for the start, 

 but of course not large 

 enough lor forcing. 

 Quite two seasons' 

 growth would be 

 needed, but even when 

 purchased of this size 

 the trees are not expen- 

 sive, and what is so 

 important to the pur- 

 chaser is that they 

 are sturdy and have 

 well - balanced heads, 

 that give little trouble 

 in future if the shoots 

 are kept well pinched 

 back. With 1 lot or 

 other trees it is im- 

 portant to stop new 

 growths closely; 

 indeed, levy, it any, 

 fruit trees require such 

 close attention in lliis 

 respect as the Fig. 

 Once the shoots or 

 main branches are 

 formed, all side 

 growths must lie kept 

 short lo produce good 

 fruit. A too liberal 

 top go iwth means few 

 fruits, and all wood 



AN1 1 1 '/- /CP. 



