EEPORT OF THE APPLE AND PEAR CONFERENCE. 



73 



the roots in a pasty medium. Trees of home growth — that is, from 

 one's own nursery, which every fruit grower should have — may be 

 planted much earlier than others brought in direct from a dis- 

 tance. All trees should be carefully divested of faulty or injured 

 roots by a clean cut with a sharp knife ; they should never 

 be allow^ed to become dry, and each root and fibre should be 

 spread out in a horizontal position, lightly covered, and watered 

 home. 



In the arrangement of trees, the rows, if convenient, should 

 run from north to south or north-east to south-west, as three out 

 of the four sides then receive an equal share of sun and light. 

 The old fault of planting them too close should be carefully 

 guarded against, as good fruit cannot be expected when the heads 

 grow into each other and the roots are constantly shaded. 

 Standards of upright-growing varieties may be placed thirty 

 feet apart each way, whilst forty feet will not be found too much 

 for spreading trees like Flanders Pippin and Blenheim Orange. 

 Trees, again, of one variety, or a similar habit of growth, and 

 which ripen their fruit at the same time, should be kept together, 

 or in rows, alternating with others of a spreading or upright 

 character. By observing this rule at the outset the general and 

 orderly appearance of the nursery will be greatly improved, and 

 much time and labour will be saved when gathering the fruit. 

 The same rule applies also to pyramids and bushes, which, by the 

 way, should have plenty of room for extension in every direc- 

 tion, as no extensive planter can afford to prune close home 

 upon villa garden principles, especially when the best of the 

 fruit is cut away by the process. Thinning the shoots and 

 branches annually, of course, is necessary, but beyond this and 

 maintaining the balance by tipping a gross shoot, I should let 

 each tree go. The distance apart will depend upon the kind of 

 stock, as trees on the French Paradise may be grown for years 

 at distances of four to six feet apart each way. On the English 

 Paradise or Doucin, which I like best, tliey grow stronger, con- 

 sequently more room is required. Twelve feet from row to row, 

 and six feet from tree to tree, will give them room for a long 

 time, but eventually it may be necessary to transplant every 

 alternate tree, when those left will stand equidistant, viz., twelve 

 feet from stem to stem. Some I know plant much closer, but 

 when it is borne in mind that a well-developed head turns off not 

 only more, but better fruit than a small one, abundance of room 

 is a decided advantage. Moreover, plenty of space favours a 

 spreading growth, which keeps the heads nearer the ground, safe 

 from wind and easy of access for pruning, manipulating, and 

 gathering. When standards are planted they should be well 

 secured to the stakes previously driven, but in a way that will 

 allow them to settle with the subsiding soil, otherwise the roots 

 will drag and strangle. If on pasture land, they should be w^ell 



