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HOYAL TIORTICTTLTTJEAL SOCIETY. 



developed, the pots are lifted and the protruding roots cut off ; 

 the soil taken out halfway down, and the roots so far cut within 

 a few inches of the stem ; fresh soil is put in, a little water given 

 to the tree, which is placed on the hot border again for about a 

 couple of weeks, and then kept dry till the leaves fall and for 

 some time after. The root-pruning is going on from the end of 

 September to the end of October (I believe it should always be 

 performed before the leaves fall) ; and by giving water and heat the 

 trees do not flag for more than a day, and heal their wounds at 

 once. No doubt much has to be learned here, and it will require 

 many seasons to find out the best treatment. My object is to 

 get the trees to cast their leaves very soon after the wood is 

 mature, and to stop the long herbaceous growth that our damp 

 autumns produce. I need hardly mention that close summer 

 pinching is practised, so that very little winter pruning is needed. 

 The dry heat soon sends the leaves off, and a long rest is given to 

 the trees during the autumn. Some are placed under glass to 

 ripen their fruit ; and all would be, if I had sufficient extent of it ; 

 for as the trees are merely resting, a small space accommodates a 

 great number, as they may be packed close together, and, the pots 

 being dry, no mildew need be feared, as they have at this time 

 plenty of air. Finally, as soon as the rains of autumn are over 

 and the cold weather sets in, the hardy trees are again put into 

 the hot border. 



As may be expected, the flavour of the fruit is first-rate, and the 

 additional length given to our summers allows many kinds to 

 come to perfection that otherwise we cannot ripen. A month or 

 six weeks is certainly thus added. We have plenty of light from 

 our long days in summer ; but, excepting for July and part of 

 August, we have no heat in the ground, and during our long cold 

 and wet autumns the rootlets of our trees rot and die, and they 

 have to grow again before the trees have strength to swell their 

 fruit. I tried three trees of Beurre Superfine last year, all grafted 

 at the same time and equal in vigour — one in the open ground, one 

 in the orchard-house, and one with root heat and no glass. The 

 pears from the open border were about the size of walnuts, those 

 from the orchard-house fair-sized and good, but those from the 

 hot border were larger and finer than I have ever seen in the 

 south of England : and it must be remembered that the season 

 was one especially favourable for the open border, the trees in 

 which had not been disturbed for three years, and were kept well 

 mulched during the hot weather. 



