254 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



can be got out lias been removed, we go over the remaining ball 

 with a sharp knife, cutting right back all woody and all long fleshy 

 and wiry roots, but leaving all the small fibrous roots. Amateurs 

 are far more likely to err in not sufficiently pruning the coarse 

 roots than in the opposite direction, whilst gardeners who are 

 only such in name, but do not love their work, will be more 

 likely to cut away remorselessly at fibre as well as at coarse roots. 

 Pears (and Apples if any are so grown) especially require no 

 mercy shown to the long fibreless roots, else they would soon 

 outgrow the possibility of pot culture. 



When the trees are first received from the nursery they will 

 probably be found to vary much in size, and therefore at first 

 starting pots of various sizes will be used, but the smaller the 

 pots, in reason, the better. I say, in reason, because I have seen 

 pots used far too small, the short fibrous roots being obliged to 

 be pushed straight down the sides instead of being laid out 

 horizontally. There is no space in the house saved by stinting 

 the pot room, as a tree's head will always occupy more space 

 than its pot, however reasonably large. 



However the pots may vary at first, all fruiting trees will 

 in a year or two work into three sizes, viz. eights, or 12-inch 

 pots ; sixes, or 14-inch pots ; fours, or 16-inch pots, and of 

 these sizes we use by far the greater number of sixes. Pots 

 should, of course, be scrupulously clean and dry, and so should the 

 " crocks " be likewise. In repotting year by year, it will at first 

 be necessary to advance the trees one size of pot ; but as they 

 increase in age we almost always repot in the same sized pot as 

 before, only very occasionally giving an advance shift, and never 

 going beyond a " four," or 16-inch diameter pot. 



The pot well crocked, and a little soil placed over, the 

 ball of the tree is set firmly in the centre, and the upper two- 

 thirds of the fibrous roots are held upwards with the left hand 

 and compost rammed very firmly and evenly down in the lower 

 part of the pot. For this purpose a wooden rammer that reaches 

 easily to the bottom of the largest pot is used. A few more roots 

 are then laid out, more compost rammed upon them, and so on 

 till the pot is almost full, an inch and a half or two inches being 

 left at the top for future dressing. 



When the trees are all finished, which should be not later 

 than the first week in November, preferably a fortnight earlier 



