1909.] Habits of Growth in Apple Trees. 



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The only point which the two varieties have in common is 

 that of abundant fruiting. But whereas Early Julyan, from 

 its great sturdiness, withstands the fruiting strain well, there 

 has been much difficulty in preventing Stirling Castle, 

 although on the free stock, from "fruiting itself to death." 

 Although the latter is an excellent early apple, it should be 

 liberally manured from the first unless the soil is naturally 

 rich, and pruned severely enough in its early stages to force 

 wood-growth before it is allowed to bear fruit. 



Potts's Seedling is a remarkably fine apple as far as its 

 fruit is concerned, and is almost a model grower in form 

 unless it is spoilt by canker. It is, however, exceedingly 

 liable to this disease, and for this reason I think it should 

 be condemned as a market variety. 



Lane's Prince Albert is perhaps the most valuable of all 

 cooking apples, as the tree is a great and regular bearer, and 

 the fruit is fine, handsome, and fit for use all through the 

 winter. Unfortunately, it is one of the weakest and most 

 awkward growers, producing many thin shoots pointing 

 inwards or downwards. It should be on the crab or free 

 stock even for a bush, and liberal manuring is desirable for 

 it. In pruning it every effort should be made to encourage 

 the growth of a limited number of branches as long as their 

 thickness renders safe, pointing upwards, though away from 

 the centre, to correct their drooping tendency, while much 

 thinning by the clean shaving of internal laterals is necessary 

 to keep it open to sunshine. The bark of this variety has 

 a peculiar liability to split in groups of shallow cracks. 



Lord Grosvenor is a sturdy grower, as well as a profuse 

 and regular bearer. It is one of the easiest varieties to prune, 

 as its natural tendency is to grow in symmetrical form, neither 

 too upright nor too spreading. 



Bismarck is of a spreading habit, but not of robust growth 

 on the paradise stock in my soil. It is one of the few varieties 

 which, while extremely liable to scab, will not withstand the 

 spraying necessary to remedy the disease. On some soils it 

 forms a fine standard tree if on the crab stock. Royal Jubilee 

 is a free grower of spreading habit, and yet tends to send 

 out a profusion of growths pointing inwards, which need to 

 be cut away. 



