83G JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 
than has been hitherto generally done if he wishes to make a 
commercial success. Farmyard manure is a complete plant- 
food, but varies in strength considerably. For fruit trees in full 
bearing twenty tons per acre will not be too much, but I prefer 
chemical manures, as being equally effective, easier to apply, 
and they can be given at any time of the year if the trees 
exhibit any signs of exhaustion in producing their crops. On a 
light soil I have employed chemical manures entirely for ten 
years with excellent results. For Apples, Pears, Plums, and 
bush fruits the following has proved very good : 3 cwt. muriate 
of potash and 5 cwt. superphosphate per acre. On heavier soil 
5 cwt. of bone-meal per acre answers well. For Strawberries 
2 cwt. of muriate of potash and 2 cwt. of nitrate of soda per 
acre is very stimulating, and increases the size of the fruit. The 
best time to apply these manures is immediately the fruit is set, 
as it will then assist it to swell and develop into large size. If 
applied before the crops are set there is still a risk of there being 
no fruit that season owing to climatic or other causes, and then 
the manure would force a strong growth, and thus do more harm 
than good in many instances. 
Peuning. 
The value of judicious pruning can scarcely be over-estimated, 
as thousands of trees are so mutilated annually that good crops 
become an impossibility. No elaborate pruning is necessary, but 
simply to regulate the branches, so that each one may have 
plenty of light and air to mature the wood and bloom-buds, 
Trees that have a gross and unfruitful habit can frequently be 
brought to free bearing by merely thinning out of the congested 
growth, and permitting those shoots that remain to grow on 
almost uncliccked. In two years trees so treated will, as a rule, 
produce excellent crops. 
Insect Foes. 
The limits of this essay will not permit a detailed account of 
these and" their destruction ; but more attention to this matter 
is imperative to make fruit culture profitable. We must com- 
mence to deal early with the enemies, as it is much easier to 
destroy them in tlieir infancy. 
One of the best methods of destroying insect enemies is an^ 
