■Mjiy 15, 1890. ] 
JOUEXAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
897 
■fcr entomologists, but since using the insecticide grubs Lave rarely 
'been found in the Rose garden. 
^lost plants which are subject to the attack of insects at an 
early period of their growth enjoy greater immunity after the 
application of this or some other insecticide at a similar stage. 
The Peach may be taken as a familiar e.xample. Almost before 
the leaves can be noticed the aphis sometimes begins its destructive 
work, and if once it gets a footing while the trees are in bloom the 
crop for both that year, and to some extent the succeeding one also, 
•is inferior. Even after a good winter dressing trees are occasion¬ 
ally infested at this critical time, and the remembrance of one house 
.which I once saw so attacked has made me dread its appearance. It 
was not in the garden of a slothful man where this occurred, and 
•the efforts to save the crop were tedious in the extreme. As far as 
ray experience goes a dressing such as I have described has been 
effectual in keeping them in check until fumigation and the syringe 
can be safely used. 
Again, how much of the general neatness of well managed 
gardens is the result of forethought exercised in that direction ? 
Weeds are prevented robbing the legitimate occupants of the 
■soil through being uprooted by the hoe in their infancy, and con¬ 
fusion is unknown by having a place for everything and everything 
■in its place. Remedies to effect a cure are quite common for all 
•diseases, but preventives are not so largely advertised.—M. D. 
NOTES ON FRUIT TREES—APPLES. 
(^Continued from ijage 355). 
Fruit trees shelter each other when established, and as they 
differ in growth and in hardiness it will suffice in most localities to 
•employ the stronger growing and hardiest as screens to the others. 
Northern Greening will stand quite as much wind as an Oak, 
iind prove far more satisfactory pecuniarily than Lime, Sycamore, 
•or other forest trees. Poplars and Willows are quick in growth 
nnd liable to the attacks of grubs and fungi. 
In many localities where suitable sites exist for fruit plantations, 
fhfidgerows have been allowed to attain proportions little inferior 
"to trees. Such ready-made shelters should be scrupulously pre¬ 
served entire on the north, north-east, and north-west sides, opening 
out somewhat on the east and west, but leaving enough, however, to 
break the violence of winds from those points. From south-east 
to south-west the hedge may be cut as judgment determines, so as 
to afford in due course the requisite protection against intruders. 
No more trimming should be attempted on the other parts than will 
contribute to the formation of a good fence ultimately, but keeping 
in view that shelter cor a few years is of primary importance. 
AV'here such ready-made shelters do not exist and the location 
is not very bleak, it will not be necessary to incur any ex(.ense 
in providing shelter by planting, for whatever is planted will 
take time to become established so as to afford protection in 
any way beneficial to the fruit plantation, and by that time 
similar results may be attained by a judicious employment of 
the hardier and stronger growing fruit trees on the most exposed 
sides. On the north, north-east, and narth-west sides Northern 
Greening alternating with MinchuU Crab may be planted ; 
anside those a line of Alfriston and Bramley’s Seedling ; and a 
third row of Baxter’s Pearmain and Galloway Pippin. Those 
planted alternately 30 feet apart will ultimately afford all the 
shelter required from those points, but as immediate shelter is re¬ 
quired the trees should have a temporary one planted between 
them in the lines, than which none stand wind better than Manx 
Codlin, Carlisle Codlin, Devonshire Quarrenden, Worcester Pear- 
raain, and Dumelow’s Seedling. Between the rows a line may be 
planted of Dutch Mignonne, King of the Pippins, Fearn’s Pippin, 
and Greenup’s Pippin (Yorkshire Beauty), so very efficient shelter 
would be provided by five rows of trees 15 feet apart, which would 
be profitable from the third year of planting, and in a dozen or 
more years will have amply repaid the first cost, independently of 
their value as shelter up to that time, when the other or permanent 
trees will have grown so as to necessitate their removal. 
On the east and west Dutch Mignonne, King of the Pippins, 
Fearn’s Pippin, and Lemon Pippin may be efficiently employed, 
the two first alternately in the second line, and the two former 
in the third, for as an outside line on those points Blenheim 
Pipp’n and Bess Pool are to have place alternately. Both are 
strong growers, stand almost any wind (I have seen Blenheim 
Pippin quite luxuriant over 500 feet above sea level in the Princi¬ 
pality), and they help sometimes after fifteen to twenty years’ 
uselessness in filling the fruit basket. The alternating di tance 
can be filled both in the lines and between them with the hardier 
free early fruiting sorts, so as to have the trees 15 feet apart every 
way. This will give an enclosed space, in which can be grown the 
kinds requiring shelter and warmth, and instead of the ‘‘ twopenny- 
halfpenny ” system of planting, let the whole of the space be covered 
with trees half the distance apart they are ultimately, both as to 
the rows and the trees in the rows to remain, and they will give in 
seven years a better account of themselves than under the usual 
plan of sticking in trees 24 to 30 feet apart, and getting only profit 
of a quarter the ground in seven years, and not half in fourteen to 
twenty-one years. 
To plant an acre at 30 feet apart only requires forty-eight trees. 
Seventy-five trees at 24 feet, and at 12 feet 302, or 15 feet 193, 
which is not overwhelming as regards first cost, and the trees do not 
have to struggle against wind for two or three years ere they become 
acclimatised (for we must bear in mind there is a great difference 
between trees grown in nursery lines not as many feet apart as we 
propose to put them in yards under the quarter distance system re¬ 
commended). Whatever may be thought of the distance, it is only 
what the nurseryman practises with trees under the dwarfing 
system, by which means they are much healthier, and though 
bearing maybe somewhat delayed, it is marked by a decided increase 
and enhancement of product. Anyone planting a mixed hardwood 
plantation—Oak, Ash, Elm, Sycamore, &c., 20 feet apart without put¬ 
ting in the nursing Larch, Scotch Fir, Spruce, Austrian and Corsi¬ 
can Pine—the 2614 in order to shelter and bring on the 108 hard¬ 
wood trees of the permanent plantation would be thought extremely 
careful of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, and it tells 
far more against the planting of fruit trees. They require shelter 
to rear to planting size, at least it is most profitable to do so, 
and as it is effected by having them at such distances as to shelter 
each other, it is strongly advised as the only means by which 
fruit can (recourse not being had to intermediate cropping) be 
grown to command the market and leturn a good per-centage on the 
outlay. This, of course, would necessitate trenching the ground, 
thereby adding to the first expense a sum equal to the cost of the 
trees. What of that ? It is the haphazard system of planting 
fruit trees anywhere and anyhow that has thrown the “ plums 
into the hands of the importers. If land will not pay to cultivate 
it is much better left alone, and instead of grumbling at those 
supplying our markets with wholesome cheap food, accord them the 
credit due to their superior knowledge, enterprise, and industry. 
By digging a pit in grass and sticking in trees 24 to 30 feet apart, 
we are as likely to supply the markets with British grown Apples 
as ever ; besides, it is a sheer waste of energy. 
Whether we have a fruit garden —i e., dwarf trees or an orchard, 
shelter is a foregone conclusion. It can be either of the trees 
themselves as before stated, or special sheltering subjects em¬ 
ployed. In dealing with a fruit garden it may not be necessary 
to employ large or standard trees, but have dwarf standards, or 
such as have stems of about 18 inches. These may be on the Crab 
stock, and planted 15 feet apart every way. The kinds and order 
of planting may be the same as detailed for orchards. Three lines 
will give all the shelter required, the trees being trained as bushes. 
The interior could be divided into quarters by lines of espaliers 
6 feet high running east and west and north and south, the quarters 
being about 25 yards square, which distance 1 find quite sufficient 
to break the curling or eddying force of wind after its force is 
broken by the sheltering trees, and the less the wind acts on the 
fruit quarters the less warm air is blown out of them, to be replaced 
by cold. The same thing in a different manner can be effected by 
planting lines the reverse way ; the others being north and south 
may have a cross row, or east and west, at every 25 yards instead 
of the espaliers. This does not materially interfere with the 
cultural operations, and it exerts considerable influence on the 
currents of air, which control the a’osorbing, retaining, and radiat¬ 
ing power more than is generally supposed. What we want is 
warmth in the enclosure and to retain it without liability to sudden 
transitions, which are more liable to occur on slopes than on level 
ground. With suitable soil and location sheltered from north, 
north-east, and north-west winds, with the easterly and westerly 
gales tempered by broken or open shelter, and a free clear 
embrasure between east and west to let in the sunbeams, fruit 
culture may be entered upon with every reasonable prospect of 
success. 
Fences. 
Whether a fruit garden or an orchard be made, a fence of some 
kind will be necessary. For a fruit garden oak palings (rended) 
are certainly durable, and being 6 feet high with a line of thick-set 
four-barbed fencing wire along the top a fence practically unassail¬ 
able is formed, and it has the advantage of being availanle on the 
interior for trained trees of ti e choicer kinds, the north aspect 
being equally eligible for larger fruited hardier sorts. As a hedge 
nothing surpasses a quickset or Thorn, with enough Holly to 
impart a cheerful appearance in winter. Seven Quicks and one 
llolly per yard, planted in ground properly trenched and manured 
