328 



PRUIT CULTURE : 



orchard culture we must look for the increase of our sup- 

 plies. The word orchard is familiar enough in our ears_, but 

 a really good orchard is as rare round country seats as if it 

 were not a British institution. There are farmers and 

 market gardeners and fruit growers who have the finest 

 orchards; but at the country seat_, with generally every 

 opportunity to select a good site^ it is surprising how rarely 

 even a presentable thing of the kind is attempted. Indeed, 

 in some parts of the country it is never thought of — the 

 ordinary type of kitchen garden being considered sufficient 

 for all attempts at fruit growing. I say attempts advisedly, 

 for what do half the gardens in the country show ? The 

 surface cannot be devoted to standard trees, as they hide 

 the Kght from the necessary crops, and the walls and dwarf 

 trees, if such there be, are those upon which the gardener de- 

 pends. Now good wall culture is not common, even in 

 places where a regular staff of gardeners is kept ; and in 

 hundreds of cases where there are not, the trees are " aban- 

 doned to themselves.^^ But supposing that the wall culture is 

 good, and that the most is made of the space, it is hardly 

 sufficient to yield a crop of fi^uit such as one would like for 

 eating, cooking, preserving, and presents. If the walls 

 supply a good dessert for a reasonable length of time, it is 

 as much as is expected of them, and more than they gene- 

 rally do. They who secure a good crop of winter Pears, 

 who can command really eatable specimens of this fruit 

 during the winter and spring months, are luckier than most 

 persons in possession of garden walls. The walls can only 

 supply a portion of the choicest fruit — chiefly of those kinds 

 which require the additional heat of a wall for their perfect 

 development and flavour. 



Let us next glance at the frait trees in the garden itself. 

 Standards we see are not much grown; they shade the 

 ground too much, and the crops are better when fully 

 exposed to sun and air. In some places the culture of 

 bush and dwarf pyramidal trees is carried on successfully, 

 but in general it is so backward that nothing like a good 

 crop is gathered. Besides, all dwarf closely pruned and 

 accurately trained trees require considerable expense and 



