144 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 16,1894. 
steep are the slopes that some of them could not be cultivated 
agriculturally with the plough, and therefore ran into a waste of 
useless copse. This was trenched out, and tons of Gooseberries 
and Plums are now gathered and sold from the once profitless 
expanse, and hundreds of pounds a year invested in labour. The 
change has proved as advantageous relatively to the workers of the 
district as to the proprietor, for they receive at least ten times the 
amount of money that is earned by the land now than it could 
possibly yield before the change in routine—from Wheat and 
scrubby waste to Gooseberries and Plums mainly, with a great 
prospective output of Apples, to say nothing of other fruits and 
probable developments. 
In an hour’s survey of this extensive fruit plantation we 
ascended the southern slope, apparently one of the first sections 
planted with standard Apples and Gooseberries. Some persons 
object to this combination system, while others have Apples so 
firmly fixed on the brain as to almost or quite ignore the humbler 
bush fruits. Fortunately for himself and his workers Mr. Ellis 
was not one of these, and his Gooseberries have yielded gold, the 
Apples only silver in comparison. The trees are tall standards, 
and by no means all the varieties are likely to be profitable. Some 
of the trees show signs of weakness, as if when the roots passed 
down into the lower strata they could not find the essential food 
elements; and the best thing to do with some of these trees will be 
to graft them with other varieties that are found to be more at 
home on the land. There is as much difference between Apples as 
animals—sheep, for instance, some kinds of which will thrive 
where others would starve in a given locality or pasture. The 
method of increasing the value of still young but not profitable 
fruit trees by the simple process of grafting is not, generally 
speaking, sufficiently practised, and is well worthy of trial on 
numbers of trees, not at Bramley only, but in various parts of the 
kingdom. 
Such tall-stemmed trees are not the best for fruit farmers ; and 
this Mr. Ellis appears to have discovered, for his later plantations 
of thousands of trees consist of bushes, and the majority of these 
are making a splendid start on what it is hoped will be a profitable 
career. For this soil especially, or any soil where the underlying 
strata are not favourable to healthy growth, the trees are best on 
stocks of a surface-rooting nature, but yet not lacking in 
constitutional vigour. Stocks with broad leaves and stout 
young stem growth are altogether better than those with narrow 
pointed leaves and weak growth, call either by whatever name we 
may. The latter produce precocious trees ; very much too preco¬ 
cious some are. Though they may be looked on admiringly as 
little wonders, most of them are delusive regarded from a com¬ 
mercial point of view, which is the favourite point in these days. 
With a free surface-rooting system free growth does not mean 
fruitlessness under a proper system of branch disposal, but the 
reverse. Branch management consists in cutting back for a year 
or two for obtaining the requisite number of growths for exten 
sion, and then preventing the least semblance of crowding in the 
summer. There should be sufficient space between the branches 
for the sun to shine right through the trees, not in the winter or 
even the autumn, but in and all through the summer, and all 
growths impeding this should be cut out before they become 
obstructive. If that principle were followed, and it is simple 
enough, blossom buds would form in far greater numbers than is 
possible under the thicket system, which results from too much 
shortening of the branches and too little thinning. 
There are numbers of bush Apple and other fruit trees not 
only in the plantation in question, but in various parts of the 
country which have been planted three or four years, and made 
strong and even luxuriant growth, the result of free root action 
and winter pruning—branch-shortening. There are sufficient 
branches now for bearing, and in many trees more than enough. 
In this case the superfluous growths should be taken out at once ; 
not in a month or two’s time, but now. The mere tips may be 
pinched off the ends of those branches which are running ahead 
of the majority, and then immediately most of the leaves can be 
shaken or rubbed off by drawing the partially closed hand up, not 
down, the branches in the autumn, the trees should be taken up 
and replanted, quickly, yet carefully ; the strong broken roots cut 
smooth, any of a vertical nature transversely, those of a hori¬ 
zontal character slantingly, making a clean undercut holding the 
back of the knife to the stem of the tree. Neither an upper cut 
nor a side cut can be so conducive to new roots taking the right 
direction as an under cut, and as it takes no longer to make the one 
than the other it is better to choose the right. All young bush 
trees—say, 5 or G feet high, and nearly as much through, with 
summer shoots 2 to 3 feet long, and few blossom buds, can be 
brought into productiveness better by the summer thinning and 
autumn replanting methods indicated than by any other routine. 
To cut back such trees closely in the winter and leave the root force 
unchecked would be the best of all ways of preventing blossom 
bud formation, yet unfortunately it is a far too common practice 
in the case of men who appear to like to make a good show with 
the knife. 
It is because it is thought mere descriptions of gardens, 
without taking what may be seen in them as affording lessons 
for practical suggestions, is not the most acceptable method of 
treatment, that a departure from the mere narrative form has 
been to some extent taken in this instance, and in the hope that 
the hints, founded on experience, may be helpful to those readers 
of these lines who may not have had time nor opportunities for 
gaining something like a mastery of the principles that underlie 
successful fruit cultivation. 
The summit of the southern range of the Bramley fruit farm 
has been wisely planted with Filberts. Long rows of Apples, 
mainly, run down the sloce right into the bed of the gorge, and 
the trees that are in a fruiting state appear to be bearing equally 
well at all altitudes. A steep climb takes us up to the central range, 
on which are some acres of bush Pears, too many possibly, but 
that remains to be proved, and the site suggests itself as excellent 
for Red Currants. On the other side is another fine valley, 
chiefly of Plums and Gooseberries, also several Apples, with in the 
heaviest land Strawberries. Of the latter Noble has afforded a 
full crop this year, sold for Is. lb., so Mr. Ellis does not despise 
the variety. The eastern end of the farm, hill and valley, is 
mostly devoted to Plums and Gooseberries. How many tons of 
Victoria and Pond’s Seedling there are it would not be easy to 
guess. The crops are prodigious. Several other varieties are 
grown, the late Grand Duke being one of the favourites. Goose¬ 
berries bear bountifully. This is perhaps the best paying crop, 
Lancashire Lad, Whitesmith, and Crown Bob being the favourite 
varieties, and answer better than Whinham’s Industry. Keepsake 
and Early Kent are also grown for testing their distinctness, and 
the latter has made the better progress so far. 
A lesson in land preparation is afforded here. When 
this work commenced everything had to be learned, and 
ploughed land was thought good enough for Gooseberries. Know¬ 
ledge came with experience, and as a consequence thorough pre¬ 
paration, deep working, and careful planting followed, with the 
result that the bushes two or three years younger than the originals, 
are of more than twice the size and thrice their value now. The 
time has gone by for slipshod methods to prove in any sense satis¬ 
factory in fruit production. 
When the trees on this farm of bold hills and deep dales are in 
blossom a scene of great beauty must be afforded—like rolling 
clouds of pink and silver over a firmament of tender green. The 
effect can be nothing short of picturesque, and in its way must be 
unique. 
Favourite boxes for packing choice fruit are 20 inches long, 
12^ inches wide, and inches deep, sides ^ inch (fall), and ends 
4 inch, smoothly planed deal, well strapped at the corners to give 
strength combined with handiness and lightness, the owner’s name 
