266 
THE AMATEUR’S KITCHEN GARDEN. 
left alone prunes itself. The long rods become clothed with 
fruit spurs, and in time these produce fruits. The weight of 
the crop brings the long rod down, and an arching pendant- 
habit characterises, more or less, every fruitful tree. Now as 
the branch inclines to the horizontal its vigour is reduced, and 
thus fruit production checks growth, whereas pruning pro- 
motes growth, and by so doing postpones the production of 
fruit. 
The Apple will thrive in places where no other large- 
fruit will live, and as it flowers late, bad climates and bad 
seasons affect it less than most other fruits. For the orchard 
and to dot about the paddocks and home farm, apples on crab 
stocks are the most useful, but for a small garden bush 
pyramid trees on the true Paradise stock are the best. As 
there are many so-called “ Paradise ” stocks in the market, it 
is important to secure the best, which is known in the trade 
as the English as distinguished from the “ French,” the 
“Dutch” and others. But trade names are often deceptive, 
and the apple stock intended to be recommended now for the 
formation of dwarf trees is the Pommier de Paradis , that has 
been proved in the trial ground at Chiswick to supersede 
in compactness of growth and precocity of production the 
“English Paradise” and the “ miniature Paradise” employed 
by Mr. Rivers, the “Dutch Paradise,” and several others 
that do not favour either a compact growth or a healthy 
habit in the trees grafted on them. In addition to the true 
Paradise, the Doucin, and Scott’s Paradise, which is employed 
by Mr. Scott, of Merriott Nurseries, Crewkerne, Somerset, may 
be recommended as favouring neat growth and early fruitful- 
ness. The crab stock has been too much neglected of late- 
years, owing to the eager pushing of trade interests in 
objectionable Paradise stocks, but we have nothing else on 
which to raise free growing, handsome, long lasting, and 
highly productive trees, and when an orchard, in the proper 
sense of the term, is in contemplation, we are compelled to 
look to this stock for the carrying of the more robust growing 
and profitable sorts of apples. Espalier apple trees are 
scarcely to be desired, as the close pruning they are neces- 
sarily subjected to induces canker by lowering the vigour of 
the trees ; and where the roots are frequently punished by the 
spade, as must be the case with espaliers on the borders of 
the kitchen garden, decrepitude is soon manifested, and the 
