PROCEEDINGS OF THE PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
104 
small, except behind a hedge or screen to shut it out of sight? 
Are we so much enslaved by prejudice or fashion as to blindly 
follow an absurd practice,—one that makes half the country 
barren, when, by utilising fruit trees in both their useful and 
ornamental characters, we might increase our supplies of fruit 
threefold from the space now occupied by totally unproductive 
subjects. Fruit trees in spring—peaches and nectarines, with 
their cheery blossoms, and cherries, plums, apples, and pears— 
form such sheets of bloom as to be quite striking; and when 
covered with fruit, I find them highly appreciated for purposes 
of decoration. Why, then, do we forbid their presence on lawns 
and in pleasure grounds ? We talk of Kent as the garden of 
England ; more than half its beauty is due to fruit trees being 
planted indiscriminately, that the eye always catches the beauti¬ 
ful effect which they produce according to the season of flowers 
or fruit. 
Hitherto I have been speaking of pleasure grounds on a 
more extensive scale. Let us for a few minutes see what 
could be done with smaller ones—say, nice little lawns at¬ 
tached to our ordinary gardens. What could be nicer than 
a row of well-kept pyramidal apple and pear trees around 
a lawn, or one here and there planted through the lawn, as 
I have seen them. Some varieties, such as Lord Suf- 
field, Stirling Castle, and the Emperor Alexander, are 
very showy indeed. Beautiful roses they are, either in the 
half-open bud or full bloom — roses which might even 
please the eye of a Reynolds Hole; and then how orna¬ 
mental in autumn to see such large fruit as Lord Suf- 
field, Stirling Castle, Lord Dunmore, Philip’s Seedling, 
and a host of others which could be named. The 
trees I have mentioned can be grown in as little space as 
an ordinary gooseberry bush. They can also be grown 
in little tubs or pots, and placed round the edges of walks, 
or in other empty spaces, for the time being. Only last 
y^ar I had one in a little empty butter tub, not larger than 
a three- or four-year-old gooseberry bush, with about two 
dozen of splendid apples on it, six of which enabled me at 
the Dundee Autumn Show to take the first prize in the 
Amateur Class for table apples; while the rest helped me in 
taking the second prize for five varieties of hardy fruit. 
I merely mention this as an encouragement to others 
to engag'e in the same pleasant pursuit. I could have 
said a great deal more on the subject had time per¬ 
mitted. I might have mentioned some of the old-fashioned 
small varieties I would cut out of our orchards and gardens, 
and the kinds I would substitute for them, or graft where 
I cut down; for let me here state that there is no need for 
digging up a healthy tree although the kind is not good. 
Another kind has merely to be grafted on it, and a large 
new tree will be formed in three or four years. I think a 
great deal can be done in the way of improving 
fruit by grafting our finer and more delicate kinds, 
on hardy and free - growing stocks. To make clear 
my meaning on this subject, let me give an example. 
Most of our fruitgrowers know well how fine yet how de¬ 
licate a pear “Louise Bonne of Jersey” is, and that in our 
climate it will only grow to perfection on a wall or under 
glass. It scarcely ever succeeds as a standard. A few 
years ago, an amateur friend of mine got some grafts 
of it, and by chance put them on a “Craig’s Favourite,’’ 
—a very healthy and free-growing kind, — and with 
the very best results. Two years ago, we had a very 
sunless summer, and although fruit was plentiful, it was 
neither large nor well flavoured; yet this friend’s grafts 
were loaded with large, beautifully-shaped pears, weighing 
nearly a pound each, and without a had spot. This shows 
the benefit of grafting the more delicate kinds on robust 
stocks. I might also have said a good deal about the 
various kinds of crab apples, which, I am happy to learn, 
are becoming fashionable in our more aristocratic pleasure- 
grounds for purposes of decoration; but if time and oppor¬ 
tunity occur, I may return to the subject on some future 
occasion. It is said that “ the man who makes two blades 
of grass to grow where only one grew before, is the bene¬ 
factor of his country.” If I have succeeded in convincing 
any one to try to grow fruit where none grew before, my 
end will be gained. 
In reply to questions, Dr Robertson said that birds 
were sometimes very hurtful to fruit, especially the bull¬ 
finch. The cause of the blossom falling off trees was the 
want of nourishment, which might be prevented by spread¬ 
ing manure pretty thickly round the roots, and also giving 
them a good supply of liquid manure. Peaches did not 
grow well in this country owing to the coldness of the 
climate, but with a good southern exposure, he had seen 
them successfully reared. He had seen them grow very 
well in Megginch gardens. A 16- or 18-inch flower-pot 
was quite capable of growing a tree which would yield 
about two dozen of apples. 
24th April, 1883. 
A Microscopical Exhibition was held within the Lecture- 
Room this evening, which was open to the general public, 
and was very largely attended. Twelve microscopes were 
