December 14, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



957 



POT CULTURE OF PEARS 



AND APPLES. 



! Of these fruits^ possibly the pears are 

 grown to a greater extent than the apples 

 m pots or in tubs. It is quite an easy 

 matter to understand the reason of 

 this in some instances — viz . , in districts 

 where really high-class pears are not so 

 easy to produce as in more favoured loca- 

 lities. If I had to give my choicej I should 

 certainly recommend the pear in prefer- 

 ence. i3oth are, however, very much im- 

 proved in many districts when so grown. 



Why some grow them in Pots> 



It is in this way that the very fine fruits 

 are produced that one sees in collections 

 of fruits at the best-known horticultural 

 sliows diuung the earlier part of the 

 autumnal season. At Shrewsbury, as a 

 case in point, many such are to be seen in 

 the best exhibits. There I have noted on 

 stn^eral occa'sions such pears as Doyenne du 

 Comice, Souvenir du Congres, Trioniphe de 

 Vienne, and Williams' Bon Chretien; and 

 of apples such as Ribston Pippin, Coxs 

 ( )range Pippin, and Washington, which 

 aie recognised as dessert kinds (at least, 

 the two first-named are at all times, and 

 the latter when grown in pots. or against a 

 wall). But I take exception to such apples 

 as Emperor Alexander and Gascoigne s 

 Scarlet being shown as dessert fruits, even 

 when they are grown in pots ; this is mis- 

 leading to the general pTiblic. Admittedly 

 they a re of ten r em a r k a b 1 y w e 1 1- g r o w 1 1 

 fruits, and in every way attractive in ap- 

 p3a ra nee ; and also very sevvicea ble^ be- 

 cause the same fruits will do duty several 

 times over. Sometimes one also sees the 

 stewing pear shown in pots, but surely this 



IS not in any sense ueorssary. 



Their Culture. 



Given a house with abundant means of 

 ventilation, with the maximum of light, 

 and no shade imparted from other plants, 

 it is a comparatively easy matter to pro- 

 diice very line fruits, and good croj^s also, 

 l-'orcing, however, is not advisable, as forc- 

 ing is generally understood. It has to be 

 done with extreme caution. Every tree 

 snonld he alio\^ed to start of its own accord ; 

 and itj by a little coaxing afterwards, it 

 can be induced to flower a fortnight or 

 so in advance of the outside trees, that is 

 all that should be aimed at. When the 

 fruits are set and fairly well on the move, 

 then a little encouragement may be given ; 

 but what should be aimed at, above all, is 

 to see that the trees in pots do not become 

 too cold at night. In other words, avoid 

 the sudden chills that at times (Kcnr out- 

 side, and known by us all as spring frosts. 

 Jt will be found that the fruits will, when 

 thus treated, swell away freely, and will 

 arrive at their full size quite early in the 



Then place the trees in the open, 

 ;m.l in a waini ]»osition, where every ad- 

 vantage can be taken of the warmth from 

 the summer sun. This will impart the 

 colour that is so desirable, and what, in 

 other words, is known as a perfect finish. 

 Of course, every care must be taken of 

 these fruits when put outside, as the birds 

 will at once mark them as being desirable 

 food. Thin-mesh netting strained over the 

 trees is the best means to adopt; and, if 

 ])ossible, fix up a framework, so that easy 

 nutans of a-t-cess is at ouco available for 

 watering and otlicr pui'[H).st\s. 



may be grown in pots with success, but I 

 only recommend Doyenne du Cornice and 

 Triomphe de Vienne of those so named ; 

 but, in addition, I recommend Durondeau, 

 Marie Louise, Emile d'Heyst, and Fon- 



for private consumption Riljston and 



Oiange Pi})])in.s. The best fruits I 

 ever ta.sted of the hii^t-najned were 

 from pot-grown trees. The flesh was so 

 sweet and the texture so granulated as to 



grow 

 Cox's 



have 



PEAR FONDANTE 



THIEEIOTT 



A finely fruited tree. 



Messrs. G. Buiiyard 

 R.H.S. meeting. 



at a recent 



Varieties to Grow. 



kiml 



dantede Thirriott. This makes half a dozen 

 excellent kinds for any cultivator to make 

 I hav(^ ahvadv alhuh-.j to some of these a start with. When mltivate^l in ]M>ts. 



i'itmaston Duch* ss is much nn]>ro\ rd m 



flavour. Of apples in pots I should only 



in prcracinii niv remarks as to why some 



indicate perfect ripening. These fruits, 

 too, be it nottnl. \\\\\ ki'e]> somul and good 

 when outsidt^grown fruits are passing oS. 



Hudson, V.M.H. 



s iwo grown. 



All of thr pears so named 



(umnersbury House Gardens. 



