43 



THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN - . 



supported with stakes for one or two years after com- 

 plete root-pruning. 



The following extract from a letter recently re- 

 ceived from C. Eoach Smith, Esq., the archaeologist, 

 is interesting, as showing the prompt effects of root- 

 pruning of trees : — " I have only been a horticulturist 

 for three years ; I took to two very beautiful old pear 

 trees, which must have cost no end of nailing, cutting, 

 and staking. On inquiry, I found that one (a Sum- 

 mer Bon Chretien) had never produced more than 

 one pear annually ; the other, upon a north wall, had 

 never given a single pear. I could get no aid from 

 any one what to do with these trees, and no book 

 then accessible helped me. I reflected on the natural 

 habit of the pear tree, and, coming to the conclusion 

 that the cause of barrenness was exuberance of roots, 

 I resolved to cut them. Before the leaves had fallen, 

 a friend sent me ' The Eetired Gardener,' an old book, 

 translated from the French. In it I found an account 

 of some experiments made in England, which fortified 

 me in the resolution T had taken. The first year the 

 Summer Bon Chretien 1 produced nine fruit. I 

 pruned the roots more closely, and this year (1859), 

 in spite of the ungenial spring, I saved fifty-nine 

 pears. The other tree yielded thirty-six, but of so vile 

 a quality that I have re-grafted the tree. A large 

 plum, treated in the same way, produced, the season 

 after being root-pruned, 2000 fruit." 



It will not, perhaps, be out of place here to enume- 

 rate a few of the advantages of systematic root-prun- 

 ing and removing or lifting of pear, apple, and plum 



1 This is one of our oldest varieties, and remarkable for being a very siiy 

 hearer 



