Sept. 27th, 1884. 
57 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Common Pear stock. It is these stocks which produce 
our standard orchard trees, and, indeed, up to a certain 
period, all our Apple and Pear trees. With Apples 
the dwarfing stocks used are of French growth chiefly, 
and are called Paradise and Doucin, but the Paradise 
is the most largely used kind. 
There are, however, two kinds of the Paradise stock, 
the French or narrow-leaved, and the English or broad¬ 
leaved, though both are chiefly grown in France all 
the same. It was the first-named kind which our 
fruit growers employed to create dwarfing trees 
when first the practice was adopted, but in course of 
time it was found that many kinds of Apples died or 
the same results follow. Hence we have been able 
during the past twenty years practically to revolutionize 
our fruit-tree culture, at least as far as it relates to 
Apples and Pears. 
It may well be asked what special features are there 
in these dwarfing stocks which enable them to produce 
in trees grafted on them results so divergent from 
those seen in ordinary Apple and Pear trees. Those 
features are found first in the fact that these kinds of 
stocks when in the form of natural trees always have 
a moderate compact habit of growth, and that habit 
is when employed as stocks communicated to the trees 
grafted on them; and, secondly, that these Paradise, 
soil in the form of a deep trench around the tree and 
the clean cutting off of the main roots and also the 
severance, if possible, of any roots which have struck 
downwards into the soil is a practice called root- 
pruning, is meant as a corrective of this free growth, 
and in some cases proves efficacious, but as a rule it 
is not a desirable method of culture, because it is the 
undoing of all nature has been building up in previous 
years. With patience these robust rooting and 
growing trees will in time produce fine crops of fruit, 
but their place is in the orchard and not in the 
garden. It is just there however where the miniature 
or dwarfed trees are at home. In the light, rich soil 
literally became stunted and useless. It presently 
became apparent that the French Paradise stock did 
not swell or expand relatively to the growth of the 
tree, and hence in time the tree became as it were 
strangled. Such mishaps brought the system of 
dwarfing trees very much into disrepute, until very 
fortunately it was found that by employing the broad¬ 
leaved stock all that was desirable resulted, this stock 
being more expansive, more hardy, and enduring, 
and in all respects seems to be the very best kind 
which can be obtained. What the Paradise stock is 
to the Apple the Quince stock is to the Pear, and just 
tloucin, and Quince stocks, are all fine or surface- 
rooters, and all trees of that class fail to produce that 
robust free growth found in strong deep-rooting trees. 
Naturally the Apple and Pear stocks in common use 
root deeply and coarsely, hence the deeper and wider- 
spread the roots go, the coarser and freer is the tree 
growth. That growth which is good for orchard or 
standard trees intended to remain and produce fruit 
through generations, prevents free early fruiting for some 
years, and results season after season almost wholly in 
the production of wood or growth much of which must 
be removed yearly by hard pruning. The removal of 
of kitchen gardens and planted at intervals of several 
feet in the quarters and just within the path margins, 
the fine surface roots feed upon the rich soil and 
produce short stout wood that is full of fruit-buds and 
in most years produce crops of very fine fruit. A little 
long manure spread over the roots in summer promotes 
growth and makes a soft bed for any falling fruit. It 
is now the season for planting fruit trees and Dwarf 
Apples and Pears specially command our warmest 
approbation. Those who intend planting this season 
should lose no time in selecting their trees in the 
nursery, October being the best month for planting. 
