APPLE-TREE. 
them unsightly, and the fruit small and crum- 
led.” 
: The average distance from one another at which 
apple-trees upon crab-stocks ought to be planted 
for espaliers, is 20 feet for the smallest growing 
kinds, 30 feet for the middle-sized kinds, and 40 
feet for the largest growing kinds. Hxamples of 
the smallest growing kinds, among the long-es- 
tablished and generally known varieties, are the 
quina-apple, the golden pippin, and the pomme 
d’api; of the middle-sized kinds, the Margaret, 
the golden rennet, the aromatic pippin, the ren- 
nette grise, the white rennette, and most cod- 
lings; and of the largest growing kinds, the 
Kentish pippin, the Holland pippin, the mon- 
_ strous rennet, the royal russet, Wheeler’s russet, 
_ Pile’s russet, the nonpareil, the violet apple, and 
all the pearmains. 
Persons who have not ob- 
| served the vigorous growth of apple-trees, will 
_ think twenty feet for the smallest-growing varie- 
ties, and forty feet for the largest-growing varie- 
ties, too great distances, and will suppose that 
the trees can never so extend their branches to- 
ward one another as to cover the espalier; but 
if they will mark how widely standard-trees ex- 
_ tend their branches on all sides, and will remem- 
| occupy most of the space. 
_ trees are selected for planting, those of one year’s 
| growth from the graft ought to be preferred, and 
ber that espalier trees have to effect their lateral 
growth on only two sides, they will soon be con- 
| vinced that the distances are sufficiently close. 
| For the sake of both symmetry and economy, 
only trees of equal or very nearly equal habits of 
_ growth as to size, ought to be grown upon any 
| one espalier. Dwarf cherry-trees, currant-bushes, 
or other small fruiting plants may be planted be- 
tween the apple-trees, to bear for a few years, 
and to be cut away when the trees are ready to 
When young apple- 
all of greater age than two years’ growth from 
the graft rejected; the stocks should be sound, 
smooth, and free from canker; the small fibres 
of the roots ought to be entirely cut away, in 
order to prevent mouldiness in the ground, or 
any obstruction to the growth of new fibres; and 
the extremities of the roots ought to be short- 
ened, all bruised parts of the roots cut off, and 
all misplaced roots which cross each other cut 
away. The best season for planting is from Oc- 
tober to the middle or end of November, or either 
immediately or very soon after the fall of the 
leaf, in open and comparatively mild weather. 
A stake should be placed to each tree for the 
fastening of any precocious shoots; some tanner’s 
bark, rotten dung, or other protective covering 
matter should be placed about the roots, in the 
event of the winter being severe; and two or 
three stakes should be placed to each tree, before 
it begins to push in spring, to give the branches 
a horizontal fastening, and to effect for the tree 
a thorough establishing in its new quarters. In 
subsequent management, the knife ought to be 
wer sparingly used, and, except when there is an 
225 
absolute want of shoots to fill the spaces of the 
espalier, it ought never to be applied for the 
shortening of the branches; for when it is much 
used, it only multiplies useless shoots, and pre- 
vents branches from fruiting. The best method 
is to examine the trees three or four times dur- 
ing the growing season, to rub off all such shoots 
as are irregularly produced, and to train the 
others to the stake in their permanent position. 
The shoots, if gently bent from time to time as 
they are produced, will easily take the direction 
and place assigned to them, without the use of 
force or any risk of fracture. The cursons or 
spurs are the fruiting parts on all apple-trees, and 
will continue fruitful during many years, so that 
they ought never to be cut off. ‘“ Each variety of 
the apple-tree,” says Mr. Knight, “has its own pe- 
culiar form of growth; and this it will ultimately 
assume, in a considerable degree, in defiance of 
the art of the pruner. Something may never- 
theless be done to correct whatever is defective. 
When the growth of any variety is weak and re- 
clining, the principal stem should be trained to 
a considerable height, before it be allowed to pro- 
duce branches; and if any of these take an hori- 
zontal or pendant direction, they should be regu- 
larly taken off. One principal leading stem should 
be encouraged almost to the summit of the tree, 
to prevent a sudden division into two large 
boughs, of nearly equal strength ;¢for the fork 
which these form is apt to divide and break 
when the branches are loaded with fruit. All 
efforts to give the heads of young trees a round 
and regularly spreading form, whilst in the nur- 
sery, will be found injurious in the futuré stages 
of their growth. Large branches should rarely 
or never be amputated. In the garden-culture 
of the apple, where the trees are retained as 
dwarfs or espaliers, the more vigorously growing 
kinds are often rendered unproductive by the 
excessive, though necessary, use of the pruning- 
knife. I have always succeeded in making trees 
of this kind fruitful by digging them up, and 
replacing them with some fresh mould in the 
same situation. The too great luxuriance of 
growth is checked, and a disposition to bear is 
in consequence brought on.” 
Apple-trees for standards require, on the whole, 
to be transplanted and managed very similarly 
to trees for espaliers; but young trees of two 
years from the graft should be preferred, and 
older ones not rejected; such branches as cross 
each other or are ill placed should be cut away; 
the transplanted trees should stand at the dis- 
tance from one another of 50 or 60 feet in good 
soil, and 40 feet in inferior soil; stakes should 
be placed and fastenings made for protection 
against the winds, the fastenings so adjusted 
with the aid of haybands or woollen cloth as to 
prevent the bark from being rubbed or bruised; | 
strong fences should be maintained or erected 
for preventing the approach of cattle; the sur- 
rounding ground should be kept in a state of free 
