i52 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The scope of the teaching embraces the site, soil, subsoil tests for 
drainage, breaking up the land, its mechanical division, water filtration, 
drainage — either natural or artificial — air circulation in the soil, liming 
and manuring. 
Then come the best time and right method of planting; the selec- 
tion of the trees ; the treatment of trees when received from the nursery ; 
the scheme of arrangement ; economy of space ; the combination of " top ' 
and " bottom " fruit, or otherwise ; distance apart ; the special value and 
use of pyramid, cordon, standard, and bush. In the planting attention is 
called to the risk of barm from an undue exposure of the roots ; to prun- 
ing the bruised ends of roots ; to the proper depth to plant ; to packing 
the roots in fine soil ; to the importance of soil pressure about the roots, 
and of staking when necessary. 
The only thing that was at all vague or speculative about such plant- 
ing lessons in a county where so little attention had been given to fruit 
culture was in the selection of varieties. Preference was given to well- 
known hardy, free-cropping varieties, to which were added as many 
other good ones as space could be found for. Two trees of each variety 
were planted in order that the trial should be a fair one, most of them 
being Apples, with a fair quantity of Plums and a few Pears. 
In the first two idiots there were about fifty varieties of Strawberries, 
also some dozen of Rhubarb. The later plots have only a selection of the 
best of these. Of bush fruits there are the best varieties of Currants, 
Field and Garden Raspberries, and Blackberries. Gooseberry bushes 
were selected for some special feature, such as market value for ripe fruit, 
or early green fruit for flavour, and for early or late ripe fruit ; and 
cordons were planted for a comparison of varieties and to exemplify 
<^conomy of space. At Kingston we have the Logan Berry and 
Wineberry. 
Evolution. 
In size the stations range from a quarter to half an acre, and I may 
say, after seven years' experience, that half an acre is ample for an 
instructional fruit plot. Each station is under the charge of the local 
.secretary. I do the whole of the pruning myself ; and as I allow no 
digging among the trees or bushes, feeding the roots by surface dressings 
of chemical manure, the annual cost for labour and manure is not 
heavy. 
At the Duffield Station the trees and bushes are fast filling the 
allotted space. Most of the Apple pyramids are about twelve feet high 
and eight feet in diameter at the base. By the exercise of due care 
in pruning and training, they have developed into perfectly symmetrical 
specimens, objects of beauty and utility — especially the latter. The 
guiding principle is fruit — not merely on the ends of the branches, 
but on every part of them. To secure this, air and light around 
every tree, branch, and spur is an inflexible rule, and fifteen inches 
is the minimum distance from branch to branch, ten feet from tree 
to tree. 
All Apple trees at all the stations are on the broad-leaved Paradise 
stock : their vigorous growth, healthy condition, early and abundant 
production of blossom — buds, and fruit, leave nothing to desire. Take, 
