270 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f September 20,1888 
THE APPLE AND ITS CULTIVATION. 
Head by JIr. Hugh A. Pettlgrsw at a Sleeting of the Toting Hen’s Improvement Society, 
in the Castle Gardens, Cardiff.] 
The Apple (Pyrus malus) botanically belongs to the natural order of 
Rosace®, an order which contains all the best of our fruits, such as the 
Pear, Peach, Plum, Cherry, Strawberry, &c. It is found growing in a 
wild state in most of the temperate countries of Europe. But, like our 
grains and vegetables, it is not known from whence the first cultivated 
Apple came or who introduced it. The fruit is considered by authorities 
to be one of the healthiest grown in temperate climates. 
There are several ways of propagating the Apple, but the most 
common is that of budding and grafting. The wild Apple, or Crab 
stock, is the best to bud or graft on, and for this purpose the fruit of 
the Crab is gathered in autumn, and stored in heaps outside mixed with 
sand to decompose. In the spring the seeds are sown in beds, and in the 
following year the plants are lifted and planted in nursery rows. In 
about three years after sowing they are large enough to be budded or 
grafted. Budding is generally practised by nurserymen, but those plants 
that fail to take are grafted in the following spring. 
There are several stocks used for grafting the Apple on besides the 
Crab. There are small-growing varieties called the English Paradise, 
and the French Paradise or Doucin ; varieties worked on these stocks 
never grow into large trees, and come into fruiting sooner than those 
grafted on the Crab, which is called the free stock on account of its 
vigorous growth. But I am inclined to think there are very few varie¬ 
ties now worked on the real Crab stock, as nurserymen generally procure 
the refuse from the cider press, which contains the seed of the cider 
Apple, and pass oil Apple trees raised from these seeds as worked on 
Crab stocks. 
Orchard trees should be planted at the distance of 30 feet apart 
each way. They should have clean stems of 0 feet before branching, 
and not be more than three years old from the time of budding. Trees 
that have stood in nursery rows for years, and have been pruned re¬ 
peatedly to keep their heads within bounds, when lifted have scarcely 
any fibrous roots, and after planting become stunted and fail to make 
any growth for several years, whereas young vigorous trees planted at 
the age mentioned start into growth at once, and soon become large and 
fruitful. In planting, the pit should be made large enough to hold all 
the roots without being cramped, and a strong stake driven into the 
centre of it to tie the tree to. It should not be placed deeper than it 
was when growing in the nursery rows. It should be placed close to the 
stake, and the roots spread out on all sides, then covered with the finest 
of the soil, finishing with the rougher, then made firm and mulched with 
manure to exclude air and to keep down evaporation. In securing trees 
to stakes, which is important, means must be adopted for preventing 
abrasion of the bark. 
The principal culture of these trees consists, after the first few years, 
in cutting out all the useless and cross branches, and top-dressing the 
ground with good manure to keep them in a vigorous and fruitful 
state. As young cattle and sheep are generally grazed in orchards and 
often injure the bark of the trees, I advise all, when making a new 
plantation to protect them with barbed wire cages, similar to those 
that are used here for protecting the avenue trees. They are much 
cheaper and answer the purpose better than any other kind of pro¬ 
tection that I know. So much for the orchard. 
In the kitchen garden Apple trees are planted and treated quite 
differently. The trees here are planted by the sides of the walks, some 
6 to 8 feet from the Box edging, and 12 feet asunder or more to suit the 
quarter they are planted in. I have recommended that the orchard 
trees be three years old from the time of budding, but for planting in 
the garden I prefer maidens, or plants of one year’s growth from the 
bud, to those of four or five years’ growth, for the same reason that they 
will grow much faster than the older trees, and can be trained to 
the form desired much easier than those mentioned. To form pyramids 
they should be carefully planted and mulched, and the first year cut 
down to within 18 inches of the ground. The following year they will 
produce three to four shoots ; the centre one should be retained to form 
■ a leader, and if vigorous left 18 inches long, and the other shoots which 
are to form the base or framework of the tree cut back to 1 foot in 
length ; but a great deal depends upon the strength and ripeness of the 
wood. In all succeeding years the leading shoot will produce from four 
to five branches, and the central one of these should always be retained 
as a leader, leaving the others if well placed to fill up the sides of the 
tree. In pruning 1 foot or more should be left of the shoot according 
to its position and strength every year, and if possible it should be cut 
at a strong leaf bud which points outwards, and all the branches that 
cross each other or points towards the centre should be cut clean out 
until the tree has attained its full size and shape, after which the-trees., 
may be spurred in regularly every year at pruning time to. form fruit 
buds. I do not believe that stopping and pinching the young shoots 
during the summer adds to the productiveness of the tree ; besides, it is 
impossible in large gardens where there is a great collection of trees to 
find time to do so. 
I do not advise root-pruning to be practised except in cases where 
the roots have penetrated a cold, wet subsoil, in which the trees produce 
strong, rank, unfruitful wood. When such is the case, and the trees 
young, they should be lifted entirely, the strong roots cut back, and the 
fibrous roots spread out near the surface ; but when the trees are large 
it is advisable to dig a trench some 3 or I feet distant from the trunk 
all round, cut back the strong roots, and add some good soil to encourage 
fibry roots to grow near the surface. The foregoing remarks have 
special reference to the trees worked on the free stock. 
Apples worked on the Paradise are generally grown as bush trees, 
espaliers, or cordons, and can be planted much closer together. They 
produce a few fine fruit when well grown, but the trees do not live so- 
long nor produce the same quantity as either standards or pyramids, nor 
have they the same noble appearance. Their principal advantage is for 
amateurs with small gardens, where a great variety may be grown in a 
small space. They are pruned and trained somewhat after the style of 
Gooseberry bushes, open in the centre, and attaining the height of 
G or 7 feet. 
Espaliers are trained on wire trellises, something similar to the way 
we train Tear trees on walls—they may be horizontal or fan shape, ac¬ 
cording to the taste of the cultivator. Cordons may be trained either 
single or double on wires on the edge of garden walks, or near the base 
of low walls, a foot or more from the ground. These trees are easily 
protected from frost or birds, which is one of the advantages claimed irs 
favour of their culture, but they can never produce a sufficient quantity 
of fruit to make them popular with market gardeners. 
I have said nothing yet about the insect pests or the diseases to 
which the Apple tree is subject. The canker is the most difficult to 
deal with. Some varieties of the Apple are more subject to it than 
others. When planted in low damp situations the trees get covered 
with moss and lichen. They are also subject' to attacks of American 
blight, and this, in my opinion, is one of the principal causes of canker, 
but there is great diversity of opinion upon this. When once a tree is 
attacked with canker it is almost impossible to cure it. Moss and 
lichen can be destroyed by dusting the trees with newly slaked lime 
on a damp morning during the winter months, and American blight 
can be kept down by frequent syringings of petroleum mixed in water- 
in the usual way, a glass of petroleum to a gallon of water. It should 
be kept in perpetual motion when being applied. 
Gathering and Storing Fruit.— Fruit for storing should never 
be gathered until it is perfectly ripe, which can be easily ascertained 
by cutting an Apple through the centre and examining the seeds ; if 
they are found to be black they may be gathered with safety and stored 
in proper places. . 1 
I have often wondered why Apple trees have not been planted in 
our hedgerow’s. If landlords were to plant a certain number of the best 
and most suitable varieties in the hedgerows of every farm, and make 
an arrangement with the farmer to have them properly pruned and 
kept in good condition, also to replace any that died or met with 
accident, I have no hesitation in saying that they would produce 
enormous quantities of fruit; and further, that this system, if generally 
adopted, would in the course of twenty years become a source of wealth 
to the country, of which the farmer and the landlord would have a good 
share. 
POTATOES IN 1888. 
It may be thought early in the season to write about the Potato 
crop, but unfortunately the state of it even now is so pronounced as 
to fully indicate its condition, and that may be briefly described as very 
bad ; indeed it is the most peculiar Potato year I ever experienced. I 
do not as a rule approve of monstrous Potatoes. They are not half so 
good as medium-sized tubers for the table, but for exhibition it is 
necessary to have them rather large and showy, and I grow a few 
every year for competition. These are produced in much richer soil than 
the general crop, and at the beginning of April last some were planted 
in compost that ought to have produced huge tubers, but in the best 
soil they have not gained the size generally attained by those in the 
ordinary quarters, and the latter are very small. In fact, all the 
Potatoes, like the Apples and Pe^rs, are much below the average in size, 
and they will not grow any more now, as the leaves and stems have died 
down. Many of the early and midseason sorts have been quite withered 
in the stems since early in August, and now most of the late ones are 
in the same condition. This applies to gardens over a wide district, and 
