,,dwarf ,,fruit ,,trees ,,other ,,books ,,by ,,the ,,same ,,author ,illustration ,,landscape ,,gardening ,,plums ,,and ,,plum ,,culture ,,fruit ,,harvesting1 ,,storing1 ,,marketing ,,systematic ,,pomology ,illustration3 ,,dwarf ,,cherry ,,tree ,two years planted ,,dwarf ,,fruit ,,trees ,,their ,,propagation1 ,,pruning1 ,,and ,,general ,,management1 ,,adapted ,,to ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,and ,,canada ,by ,f4 ,a4 ,,waugh ,,illustrated ,,new ,,york ,,orange ,,judd ,,company #aijf ,,copyright1 #aijf ,,by ,,orange ,,judd ,,company ,,preface ,the commercial interests have so continuously and completely held the horticultural stage in ,america during the last two decades that it has been impossible for amateur horticulture to get in a word edgewise4 ,any public speaker or writer has had to talk about several acres at a time or he would not be listened to4 ,he has been obliged to insist that his scheme would pay on a commercial scale before anyone would hear1 much less consider1 what he had to tell4 ,but now a change is coming4 ,different conditions are already upon us4 ,a thousand signs indicate the new era4 ,with hundreds--yes thousands--of men and women now horticulture is an avocation1 a pastime4 ,they grow trees largely for the pleasure of it2 and their gardens are built amidst surroundings which would make commercial pomology laugh at itself4 ,and so ,i undertake to offer the first ,american fruit book in a quarter century which can boldly declare its independence of the professional element in fruit growing4 ,i am confident that dwarf fruit trees have some commercial possibilities1 but they are of far greater importance to the small householder1 the owner of the private estate1 the village dweller1 the suburbanite and the commuter4 ,in other words1 while ,i hope that all good people will be interested in dwarf fruit trees and that some of them will share the enthusiasm of which this book is begotten1 ,i do not want anyone to think that ,i have issued any guaranty1 expressed or implied1 that dwarf trees will open a paying commercial enterprise4 ,because the argument that a thing pays has been so long the only recommendation offered for any horticultural scheme1 many persons have formed the habit of assuming that every sort of praise stands on this one foundation4 ,f4 ,a4 ,,waugh4 ,massachusetts ,agricultural ,college1 #aijf4 ,,table ,,of ,,contents ,,page ,,preface v ,i4 ,general ,considerations #a ,,ii4 ,advantages and ,disadvantages #h ,,iii4 ,propagation #bb ,,iv4 ,pruning #cc ,v4 ,special ,forms #da ,,vi4 ,general ,management #ea ,,vii4 ,dwarf ,apples #fc ,,viii4 ,dwarf ,pears #gf ,,ix4 ,dwarf ,peaches #hc ,x4 ,dwarf ,plums #ij ,,xi4 ,bush ,fruits #ii ,,xii4 ,fruit ,trees in ,pots #ajf ,,xiii4 ,personalia #aab ,index #abe ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,dwarf ,cherry ,tree ,frontispiece ,,fig4 ,,page #a ,dwarf ,apple ,trees in ,western ,new ,york #c #b ,trained ,cordon ,apple ,trees #e #c ,bismarck ,apple #g #d ,pear ,tree ,trained as an ,espalier #i #e ,bush ,apple ,tree #aa #f ,plums as ,upright ,cordons #ag #g ,paradise ,apple ,stocks in ,early ,spring #be #h ,the ,western ,sand ,cherry #cj #i ,upright ,cordon ,plum #ca #aj ,bush ,apple #cd #aa ,bush ,apple1 ,three ,years ,old1 ,before ,pruning #cg #ab ,bush ,apple1 ,same ,tree1 ,after ,pruning #cg #ac ,cordon ,pears ,before ,pruning #ci #ad ,cordon ,pears ,after ,pruning #ci #ae ,pears in ,double ,u ,form #dc #af ,pears in ,u ,form #de #ag ,apricots in ,u ,form #dg #ah ,pear in ,espalier #dh #ai ,old ,espalier ,pears on ,farm ,house ,wall #di #bj ,horizontal ,cordon ,apple and ,other ,dwarf ,trees #eb #ba ,design for a ,back ,yard ,fruit ,garden #ec #bb ,dwarf ,fruit ,garden #ee #bc ,fruit ,gardening and ,landscape ,gardening ,combined #ei #bd ,a ,fruit ,garden ,containing ,many ,dwarf ,trees #fa #be ,dwarf ,apples on ,prof4 ,l4 ,h4 ,bailey's ,farm1 ,new ,york #fe #bf ,upright ,cordon ,apples #fg #bg ,horizontal ,cordon ,apple ,trees #ga #bh ,young ,orchard of ,dwarf ,pear in ,western ,new ,york #gf #bi ,dwarf ,pear in the ,old and ,profitable ,yeomans ,orchard1 ,new ,york #gg #cj ,orchard of ,dwarf ,duchess ,pear1 ,lockport1 ,n4 ,y4 #gi #ca ,pyramid ,pears in a ,german ,orchard #hj #cb ,dwarf ,peach in ,nursery #hd #cc ,espalier ,peach1 ,hartford1 ,conn4 #he #cd ,peach in ,fan ,espalier on ,wall--,england #hg #ce ,peach ,trees ,trained ,under ,glass #hh #cf ,plum ,trees ,trained as ,upright ,cordons #ia #cg ,burbank ,plums on ,upright ,cordons ,trained to ,trellis #ie #ch ,currants as ,fan ,espaliers on ,trellis #ajj #ci ,gooseberry ,fan ,espalier #ajb #dj ,tree ,form ,gooseberry #ajd #da ,a ,fruiting ,peach in ,pot #ajh #db ,a ,fig ,tree in a ,pot #aaj #dc ,dwarf ,pear #aag #dd ,chenango ,apples in ,prof4 ,l4 ,h4 ,bailey's ,orchard #aba ,,dwarf ,,fruit ,,trees ,i ,,general ,,considerations ,a dwarf fruit tree is simply one which does not reach full size4 ,it is not so large as it might be expected to be4 ,it is smaller than a normal tree of the same variety and age4 ,there are indeed some trees which are normally dwarf1 so to speak4 ,they never reach a considerable size4 ,they are smaller than other better known and related species4 ,for example1 the species ,prunus pumila besseyi is sometimes called the dwarf sand cherry1 simply because it is always notably smaller than related species4 ,the ,paradise apple is spoken of as a dwarf because it never attains the stature which other apples attain4 ,but in the technical sense1 as the term is used by nurserymen and pomologists1 a dwarf tree is one which is made1 by some artificial means1 to grow smaller than normal trees of the same variety4 ,these artificial means used for making dwarf trees are chiefly three3 7#a7 propagation on dwarfing stocks1 7#b7 repressive pruning1 and 7#c7 training to some prescribed form4 ,,dwarfing ,,stocks ,the most common and important means of securing dwarf trees is that of propagating them on dwarfing stocks4 ,these are simply such roots as make a slower and weaker growth than the trees from which cions are taken4 ,this will be understood better from a concrete example4 ,the quince tree normally grows slower than the pear1 and usually reaches about half the size at maturity4 ,now pear cions will unite readily with quince roots and will grow in good health for many years4 ,but when a pear tree is thus dependent for daily food on a quince root it fares like ,oliver ,twist4 ,it never gets enough4 ,it is always starved4 ,it makes considerably less annual growth1 and never 7or at least seldom7 reaches the size which it might have reached if it had been growing on a pear root4 ,this is1 somewhat roughly stated1 the whole theory of dwarfing fruit trees by grafting them on slow-growing stocks4 ,the tree top is always under-nourished and thus restrained in its ambitious growth of branches1 as seen in ,fig4 #a4 ,while the tree is made thus smaller by being grafted on a restraining root1 it is not affected in its other characteristics4 ,at least theoretically it is not4 ,it still bears the same kind of fruit and foliage4 ,bartlett pear trees budded on quince roots yield fruit true to name4 ,the pears are still ,bartletts1 and can not be told from those grown on an ordinary tree4 ,sometimes the fruit from dwarf trees seems to be better colored or better flavored than that from standard trees2 but such differences are very delicate and usually receive slight thought4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #a--;,,dwarf ,,apple ,,trees ,,in ,,western ,,new ,,york ,dwarf fruit trees have not been very largely grown in ,america1 but have been much more widely used in ,europe4 ,this statement holds good either for commercial plantations or for private fruit gardens4 ,they are coming into more common use in this country because1 in both market orchards and amateur gardens1 our pomology is coming to be somewhat more like that of ,europe4 ,our conditions are approaching those of the ,old ,world1 even though they will always be very different from those of ,europe in horticultural matters4 ,dwarf fruit trees are particularly valuable in small gardens2 and small gardens are becoming constantly more popular among our urban1 and especially our suburban1 population4 ,this matter is discussed more fully in another chapter4 ,fruit of finer quality can be grown on dwarf trees1 as a general rule1 than can usually be grown on standard trees4 ,every year there are more people in ,america who are willing to take any necessary pains to secure fruit of extra quality4 ,this remark applies particularly to amateur fruit growers and to owners of private estates who grow fruit for their own tables1 but it is no less true of a certain class of fruit buyers1 especially in the richer cities4 ,although #c a barrel is still a high price for ordinary good apples1 sales of fancy apples at #c a dozen fruits are by no means infrequent in the city markets every winter4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #b--,,trained ,,cordon ,,apple ,,trees ,from ,loebner's ,zwergobstbaeume ,in this respect also we are approaching ,european conditions4 ,in the markets of the continental capitals in particular fancy fruits are frequently sold at prices which seem almost incredible to an ,american4 ,single apples sometimes bring #ej cents to a dollar1 and peaches an equal price4 ,just recently a story has been going the rounds of the newspapers that the caterer for the ,czar's table sometimes pays as high as #ae apiece for peaches for the royal table4 ,hereupon a solemn ,american editor remarked that if the whole royal family should live upon nothing but peaches it would still be cheaper than carrying on the ,japanese war4 ,now if there is anywhere within reach a market for apples or peaches at #c a dozen specimens--and there unquestionably is--then it will pay to grow fancy fruits with special care to meet this demand4 ,this kind of fruit can be grown better upon dwarf trees than upon standards in many cases1 if not in most4 ,at least such is the conviction of the present writer4 ,moreover this has been the experience in the old country4 ,with such facts in view there seems to be a possible future for dwarf fruit trees1 even for commercial purposes4 ,their present utility in amateur gardens and on wealthy private estates can not be questioned4 ,these various amateur and commercial adaptations of dwarf trees will have to be more carefully analyzed and discussed in a future chapter1 and the subject may therefore be dropped for the present4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #c--;,,bismarck ,,apple1 ,,first ,,year ,,planted #bb inches high2 bearing #d fruits ,,ii ,,advantages ,,and ,,disadvantages ,it is a good prejudice which expects every man who writes anything to be enthusiastic over his subject4 ,such enthusiasm doubtless leads a writer many times to over-state his case1 and to claim more than the calm judgment of the multitude will ratify4 ,and on the other hand1 readers usually tacitly discount the statements of any man who writes about any matter in which he is plainly interested4 ,the present writer knows that he is also under the ban1 and that the reader firmly expects him to claim more for dwarf fruit trees than their merits will fairly warrant4 ,this expectation the writer hopes to disappoint4 ,it will be enough to set down here the obvious advantages and disadvantages which the horticulturist will meet in handling dwarf fruit trees4 ,these statements are mostly of matters of common experience and they need no coloring to make them serve their present purpose4 ,we may fairly set down the following good points standing more or less generally to the credit of dwarf fruit trees3 #a4 ,early bearing4--,this is a sufficiently obvious advantage4 ,the ,alexander apple will bear the second year after planting when grown as a dwarf1 while it requires six to ten years to come into bearing as a standard4 ,this habit of early bearing proves valuable in many ways4 ,it encourages men to plant trees4 ,the disinclination of old men to plant trees rests upon the slenderness of the chance that they will ever gather of the fruit4 ,but a man may plant dwarf trees whenever his expectation of life is two years or more4 ,such trees would serve octogenarians1 consumptives and those sentenced to be hanged for murder4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #d--,,pear ,,tree1 ,,trained ,,as ,,an ,,espalier ,early bearing--to return to the subject--makes dwarf trees valuable to that large and unfortunately growing class of citizens who rent the premises where they live4 ,they do not expect to stay more than five or six years in any one place4 ,in that length of time ordinary trees would not begin to yield any fruit4 ,but with dwarf trees there is excellent probability of seeing something ripen4 ,then again early bearing is a great advantage when one is testing new or old varieties4 ,it is a great advantage when a commercial orchard is designed and when dwarf trees are used for fillers as explained below4 #b4 ,small size4--,the very smallness of the dwarf trees has many advantages in it4 ,the trees are easier to reach and to care for4 ,they are easier to prune and to spray4 ,this facility in spraying is what has chiefly recommended smaller fruit trees to commercial fruit growers in recent years4 ,particularly in those places where the ,san ,jose scale is a perennial problem a very large tree becomes an impossibility1 and the smaller the trees can be the better it suits4 ,the small size of dwarf trees permits the planting of larger numbers on a given area4 ,this is specially worth while to the amateur who has a small garden where only three or four standard trees could grow1 but where he can comfortably handle forty or fifty dwarfs4 ,yet it is also worth the consideration of the commercial fruit grower who is trying to earn a profit on expensive land4 ,if he can increase the number of bearing trees on each acre1 especially during the early years of establishing his orchard1 it almost certainly means increased income4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #e--;,,bush ,,apple ,,tree1 ,,three ,,years ,,planted #c4 ,high quality4--,it is not perfectly certain that every kind of fruit can be produced in higher quality on dwarf trees than on standards1 but such is the general rule4 ,this is notably true of certain pears1 as ,buerre ,giffard and ,doyenne du ,comice1 and it is generally the case with all apples that can be successfully grown on ,paradise roots4 ,one can secure size1 color1 flavor and finish on an ,alexander or a ,ribston ,pippin1 for example1 which can never be secured on a standard tree4 ,one who has not seen this thing done will hardly understand it2 those who have will not need more argument4 ,such plums as we have fruited on dwarf trees have shown similar improvement in quality1 being always distinctly superior to the same varieties grown on standard trees4 ,the significance of these facts will appear at once to any one familiar with the course of the fruit markets in ,america4 ,there are greater rewards awaiting the fruit grower who can produce fruit of superior quality than the one who succeeds merely in increasing the quantity of his output4 ,,special ,,uses ,,for ,,dwarf ,,trees ,these various items of advantage recommend dwarf fruit trees for several specific purposes1 some of which are worth pointing out in detail4 #a4 ,for suburban places4--,a large and increasing percentage of our population now lives the suburban life--in that zone where city and country meet4 ,they have small tracts of land1 which1 however1 they too often lease instead of owning4 ,on these they do more or less gardening1--usually more1 in proportion to the size of their holdings4 ,for them dwarf fruit trees are a precious boon4 ,it is possible to plant three hundred to five hundred dwarf fruit trees on a quarter of an acre1 where less than a dozen standard trees would flourish4 ,this gives the opportunity to experiment with all sorts and varieties of fruits1 a privilege very dear to the heart of the commuter4 ,the dwarf fruit trees also work more readily into a scheme of more or less ornamental gardening1 where fruits are combined with vegetables and flowers4 ,especially if some sort of formal gardening is attempted1 the cordons1 espaliers and pyramids exactly suit the demands4 ,then the fact1 already mentioned1 that the dwarf trees come into bearing much sooner1 is a consideration of the highest value to the suburban gardener4 ,he fully expects to move from one home to another at least once in ten years1 if not once in five4 ,with the best of intentions and the most favorable of opportunities he can hardly expect to settle down anywhere for life4 ,the suburbs themselves change too rapidly for that2 and the place which today is away off in the country may be all covered with factories five years from now4 ,it is terribly discouraging1 under such circumstances1 to plant a tree knowing that ten years must pass before any considerable fruitage can be expected from it4 ,it is altogether another feeling with which one plants a tree which promises fruit within two or three years4 ,so that1 whatever the drawbacks to the planting of dwarfs1 they are the salvation of the suburban garden4 ,for such circumstances they can be freely recommended1 without exception or reservation4 #b4 ,for orchard fillers4--,as commercial orcharding becomes more refined1 under the stress of modern competition1 and as good orchard land increases in value1 up to one hundred1 two hundred1 or even three hundred dollars an acre1 new methods must be adopted with a view to increasing the returns4 ,this opportunity looms especially large for the first few years after the establishment of the commercial orchard1 more particularly the apple orchard4 ,when standard trees are planted thirty-five to the acre1 which is now the usual practice1 the land is not more than one-fourth occupied for the first five years1 and not more than half occupied for the first ten years4 ,indeed it is full twenty years from the time of planting before the thirty-five apple trees will use the whole acre4 ,and since a good farmer can not afford to let expensive land lie idle he has before him a very pretty problem to determine how the space between the standard trees shall be utilized during the early years of the orchard's growth4 ,several different methods are in vogue for the solution of this problem2 but probably the best one is that system which supplies fillers or temporary trees between the standard or permanent ones4 ,in an orchard of standard apple trees these fillers may very properly be dwarf apple trees2 or between standard pears dwarf pears may be planted4 ,if there are thirty-five standard apple trees to an acre1 and if a dwarf tree is placed half way between each two standards in every direction1 including the diagonal direction1 this will make one hundred and five dwarf trees1 or one hundred and forty trees in all1 instead of the thirty-five trees with which the acre of apple orchard land is more commonly furnished4 ,the dwarf apple trees will be bearing good crops at the end of five years at most2 and they can be kept on the land for five years longer at the least1 before they will begin to crowd the permanent standards4 ,during these five years1 if the orchard has a paying management at all1 they will easily pay all the expenses of the enterprise1 and should leave a substantial balance of profit4 ,as this system of filling1 or interplanting1 commercial orchards is becoming more and more common1 the suitability of dwarf trees1 for this purpose1 becomes more generally evident4 #c4 ,for school gardens4--,thus far school gardens in ,america have been mostly temporary and experimental affairs4 ,but we are already satisfied that they have come to stay1 and that gardening in some form will be a permanent feature of the curriculum in many of our best schools4 ,as soon as a school garden becomes a permanent institution1 with ground of its own to be held in use year after year1 the dependence on annual crops will give way to the use of various perennial plants1 shrubs and trees4 ,and among these dwarf fruit trees will naturally be one of the first introductions4 ,their small size adapts them to the school premises1 their habit of early bearing again serves to recommend them most strikingly1 and the special opportunity which they offer to pupils to observe details of pruning and other items of tree management1 make them almost a first necessity in the permanent school garden4 #d4 ,for covering walls and fences4--,there are many places about every farm1 suburban establishment1 or even about many city homes1 where back walls and fences could be put out of sight very agreeably by almost any sort of foliage4 ,various ornamental climbers and creepers are in vogue for this service2 but a certain number of such unattractive walls and fences could be treated quite as acceptably1 from the esthetic point of view1 with trained fruit trees1 and the result would be more satisfactory in some other ways4 ,apples or pears trained as cordons or espaliers1 or peaches1 nectarines1 or cherries in fan forms1 will thrive on almost any brick or wooden wall1 except those with a northern front4 ,it is necessary only to supply a proper soil1 to plant sound trees of proper sorts1 and to give them the prescribed care4 ,the result is not only a thing of beauty but one of practical utility as well4 ,there are many places where the owner of a city or suburban lot can secure the fun and the substantial benefits belonging to the fruit grower on land that would be otherwise wasted1 if he will only build a woven wire fence on the property line between him and his not-too-agreeable neighbor1 using this fence as a support for a row of cordon plums1 pears or apples4 ,if he has time and inclination to do a little more work with the trees he can better plant ,u-form peaches1 nectarines or apricots1 or he can grow plums in ,u-form1 or he can have fan-form cherry trees1 or apples or pears in ,verrier-palmettes4 ,one of the most interesting and productive lots in the author's dwarf fruit garden is a row of plum trees on such a woven wire trellis4 ,the trees in this row stand two feet apart1 and form a perfect screen4 7,fig4 #f47 ,the majority of the trees which were necessarily taken for planting this row were not propagated on suitable stocks1 and many varieties were introduced for experimental purposes which were obviously unadapted to this mode of training1 but nevertheless the net result has been highly satisfactory4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #f--,,plums ,,as ,,upright ,,cordons1 ,,set ,,two ,,feet ,,apart ,in a very similar manner apple1 pear or plum trees may be trained so as to form an arched arbor way4 ,in this kind of make-up they present a most agreeable novelty4 ,an example of this kind of training is shown in the illustration1 page #e4 ,for this purpose cordon trees are usually best2 though peach or apricot trees in ,u-form or double ,u-form will answer very well4 ,even apple trees or pears formed as palmettes-,verrier can be carried up over an arched trellis4 ,mr4 ,geo4 ,bunyard in ,the ,fruit ,garden tells of carrying apple trees up over the slate roof of an outbuilding1 with marked success4 ,the fruit-bearing portion of the trees1 lying there on the slate roof beautifully exposed to the sun above1 and assisted by the heat absorbed and radiated by the slate1 yielded large crops of apples of very superior quality4 ,,some ,,disadvantages ,there are1 of course1 some disadvantages in growing dwarf fruit trees1 and these should be examined with as much care as the advantages4 ,the more important ones are as follows3 #a4 ,greater expense4--,the trees are somewhat harder to propagate1 and therefore cost more4 ,there is no general demand for them in ,america1 so that they are carried by only a few nurseries and are not looked upon as staple goods even with those dealers2 and on this account the price is necessarily increased4 ,thus each tree costs more than a similar tree of the same age and variety propagated in the usual way4 ,but the greatest increase of expense comes from the fact that many more trees are required to plant the same area4 ,there is often an advantage1 as already argued1 in planting more trees to the acre1 but it costs something to gain this advantage4 ,an acre of ground can be planted with thirty-five standard apple trees set thirty-five feet apart each way1 and these trees will cost1 roughly estimating retail prices at #ab a hundred1 #d4bj4 ,to plant an acre to dwarf apple trees1 setting them six feet apart each way1 which is about as thick as these trees should ever be planted1 will require #a1baj trees4 ,estimating the retail price roughly at #ae a hundred this would make the first cost #aha4ej--;a considerably greater initial investment in the orchard4 #b4 ,the trees are shorter lived4--,this statement is true for certain kinds of dwarf trees1 but not for others4 ,certain varieties of pears1 for example1 which do not unite well with the quince root1 naturally make short lived trees4 ,on the other hand other varieties of pears appear to live as long and thrive fully as well on quince roots as on pear roots4 ,there is a common belief1 especially in ,england1 that apples worked on ,french paradise roots are apt to be short-lived4 ,the nurserymen who hold this belief contend1 however1 that the so-called ,english ,paradise1 more properly called ,doucin1 supplies a stock on which apples will live to as great an age as on any other stock whatever4 ,there is some evidence to show that vigorous varieties of plums worked on ,americana roots or on dwarf sand cherry are shorter lived than the same varieties on freer growing stocks4 ,in many cases1 however1 dwarf trees live as long as standards2 and in almost all cases they live long enough4 #c4 ,they require more care4--,this objection stands particularly against the dwarf trees trained in special and intricate forms4 ,such trees undoubtedly do require more careful attention1 more frequent going-over1 and more hand work in the course of the year4 ,it is probably not true that apples1 pears1 plums or peaches in bush or pyramid forms require any more labor or attention than standard trees to secure equally good results4 ,on the other hand it must not be forgotten1 as has already been pointed out1 that whatever care may be required is much more easily given the dwarf trees than the standards4 #d4 ,they are not a commercial success4--,this statement1 too1 though undoubtedly having some truth in it1 can not stand without qualification4 ,it is certainly true that no one could grow ordinary varieties of apples1 like ,baldwin or ,ben ,davis for instance1 on dwarf trees in competition with men who are growing the same varieties on standards4 ,it is probably true that fancy varieties of apples can be grown with profit on dwarf trees1 but even this can not be strongly urged4 ,so far as apples are concerned the chief value of dwarf trees for modern commercial enterprises in ,america will come through their use as fillers between rows of standard trees4 ,in the case of pears the situation is somewhat more favorable to dwarf trees4 ,there are a number of orchards in this country where pears have been successfully grown for market1 these many years1 on dwarf trees4 ,the famous and everywhere planted ,bartlett succeeds admirably on the quince stock wherever the soil is suited to it4 ,no successful commercial orchards of dwarf peaches or plums can be cited in this country1 individual trees of these kinds even being extremely rare2 yet there is good reason to suppose that under favorable conditions dwarf peaches and plums may have some commercial value4 ,such value may be more in the way of supplementing standard trees than in superseding them1 but it is still worth consideration4 ,so that1 after all1 when we say that dwarf fruit trees are not a commercial success we mean merely that they will not take the place of standard trees4 ,the large market orchards must always continue to be made up of standard trees2 but in their own way the dwarf trees will find a limited place even in commercial operations1 and this use of them seems destined to be more general in the future than it has been in the past4 ,,iii ,,propagation ,the propagation of dwarf fruit trees is in some senses a more critical and interesting problem than the propagation of ordinary nursery stock4 ,the successful production of a dwarf fruit tree depends primarily on its propagation4 ,the selection of stocks for dwarfing purposes is necessarily a complicated matter4 ,under the terms of the problem it is impossible that the stock and the cion which are wedded together should be very closely related4 ,the stock must be distinctly different and pronouncedly dwarfer in his habit of growth4 ,it is not always an easy matter to find a stock which is thus distinctly different from the tree which it is desired to grow and which will at the same time form with it a vigorous and long lived union4 ,it is necessary further that the propagation can be carried on with ease and with a fair degree of success in commercial nurseries4 ,if difficult methods of grafting are required1 or if only a small stand of nursery trees can be secured1 the undertaking becomes too expensive from the nurseryman's point of view4 ,the methods of propagating dwarf trees are for the most part the same as those used in reproducing the same kinds of fruit on standard stocks4 ,as a matter of fact nearly all dwarf trees are propagated by budding4 ,apples1 pears1 and plums can be readily grafted1 but budding is simpler1 speedier1 and usually the cheaper process in the nursery4 ,in the upper ,mississippi ,valley1 where plums are somewhat extensively worked on ,americana plum roots1 grafting is rather common4 ,the side graft and the whip graft are the forms most used4 ,the theory of the production of a dwarf fruit tree by the restraining of its growth has already been mentioned in another chapter4 ,the dwarf stock simply supplies less food than is required for the normal growth of the variety under propagation1 and the tree is1 in a sense1 starved or stunted into its dwarf stature4 ,as the selection of proper stocks--the adaptation of stock to cion--is one of the fundamental problems in dwarf fruit growing1 we may now address ourselves to that4 ,we will take up the different classes of fruit in order4 ,,the ,,apple ,everyone who has observed the wild or native apples which grow in ,new ,england pastures must frequently have noticed certain dwarf and slow-growing specimens4 ,it it not difficult to find such which do not reach a height of five feet in ten years of unobstructed growth4 ,if the cions of ordinary varieties of apples like ,greening and ,winesap should be grafted upon these stocks1 the result would be a dwarf ,greening or ,winesap4 ,if these dwarf wild apples could be produced with certainty and at a low price1 they would furnish a source of supply for dwarf apple stocks4 ,the ,paradise apple so-called 7,fig4 #g7 is simply one of these dwarf varieties which can be reproduced freely and cheaply4 ,this reproduction is secured nearly always by means of mound layerage4 ,as the variety does not come true to seed1 any more than such varieties as ,king or ,hubbardston do1 some such method of propagation is necessary4 ,this ,paradise apple is naturally inclined to stool out somewhat from the roots4 ,this habit is encouraged by cutting the plants back to the ground4 ,when the young shoots are thrown up they are banked up with a hoe or by plowing furrows up against the rows of plants4 ,the young shoots then form roots at the base and these rooted shoots or layers are removed when one year old4 ,they are then planted in nursery rows in the spring1 where they are usually budded the following ,july or ,august4 ,these ,paradise stocks are largely grown in ,france4 ,practically all the supply comes from that country4 ,the nurserymen who grow dwarf apple trees in ,america import their stocks from ,france during the winter1 plant them in nursery rows early in the spring1 bud the stocks the following ,july or ,august1 and have the dwarf apple trees for sale the second year following4 ,this ,paradise is the dwarfest stock known for apples4 ,its effect on nearly all varieties is very marked1 causing them to form very small trees and to bear very early4 ,some of the more vigorous varieties1 like ,northern ,spy for instance1 do not submit kindly to such treatment4 ,for this1 or possibly for more recondite reasons1 a few varieties do not succeed well on ,paradise roots4 ,the writer would be glad to give a list of such varieties which are not adapted to the ,paradise stock1 but confesses he is unable to do so4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #g--,,paradise ,,apple ,,stocks ,,in ,,early ,,spring ,the ,doucin stock is simply another variety of dwarf apple4 ,it is more vigorous and larger growing than the ,paradise1 and1 therefore1 produces a tree1 when ordinary varieties are grafted upon it1 about midway in size between the ordinary standard apple and the same variety growing upon ,paradise4 ,this ,doucin is sometimes called the ,english or ,broad-,leaved ,paradise1 but this name is misleading4 ,it will be well to remember this in buying stocks or in buying trees in ,england4 ,dwarf apples are largely propagated in ,england1 but the trees which are said to be on ,paradise roots are often on ,doucin4 ,this confusion comes about from the ,englishman's habit of calling ,doucin the ,broad-,leaved ,paradise4 ,the ,doucin is perhaps better for the free-growing bush form trees1 especially where excessive dwarfing is not needed4 ,for orchard planting in the ,united ,states this ,doucin stock would be likely to suit many growers better than ,paradise4 ,for trees which are to be kept within very narrow bounds1 or those which are to be trained in particular forms1 the ,paradise stock is better4 ,for all sorts of cordon apple trees1 the ,paradise is essential4 ,,the ,,pear ,dwarf pears are always propagated on quince roots4 ,any kind of a quince may be used as a stock for pears1 but the one commonly employed by nurserymen is the ,angers quince1 named after ,angers1 ,france1 from which place the supply largely comes4 ,almost all the quince stocks used by nurserymen in ,america are imported from ,france4 ,as in dealing with apple stocks1 the importation is made during the winter1 the stocks are planted in nursery rows in the early spring1 and are usually budded in ,july or ,august of the same year4 ,a few varieties of pears do not make good unions with the quince4 ,in some cases this antipathy is overcome by the expedient of double-working4 ,the quince root is first budded with some variety which unites well with it4 ,after this pear cion has grown one year1 the refractory variety is budded upon this pear shoot4 ,the complete tree1 when it leaves the nursery1 consists of three pieces1--a quince root below1 a pear top above1 and a short section of only one or two inches in length of some other variety of pear which simply holds together the two essential parts of the tree4 ,this practise of double-working is sometimes undertaken with other kinds of fruit for special purposes4 ,there are no other cases1 however1 in which it becomes a generally recognized commercial practise4 ,,the ,,peach ,the peach is dwarfed by budding it upon almost any kind of a plum root1 especially upon the smaller growing species of plums4 ,the stock most used is the ordinary ,myrobalan plum4 ,this is simply because the ,myrobalan stock is commoner and cheaper4 ,the ,st4 ,julien plum probably furnishes a better dwarfing stock for peaches1 but it is more expensive and harder to work4 ,the ,americana plum1 now somewhat largely grown for stocks in the ,states of the upper ,mississippi valley1 furnishes a good dwarfing stock for the peach4 ,according to the writer's experience the ,americana stock gives better results with peaches than either ,myrobalan or ,st4 ,julien4 ,it should be observed that this stock requires budding rather early in the season4 ,the dwarf sand cherry1 which is further discussed below under plums1 also makes a good stock for peaches4 ,as this stock is very dwarf1 it produces the smallest possible peach tree4 ,the peach cion rapidly overgrows the stock and the tree can hardly be expected to be long lived4 ,the growth is very vigorous and satisfactory during early years1 however4 ,i have not had an opportunity to determine how long peaches will live and thrive on this stock4 ,nectarines can be grown in dwarf form in exactly the same manner employed for peaches4 ,,the ,,plum ,in all the old books it is said that dwarf plum trees are secured by working on ,myrobalan stocks4 ,this statement is hardly true according to our present standards1 and is certainly far from satisfactory4 ,this rule came into vogue at the time when only large growing ,domestica plums were propagated in this country and the stocks used were mostly either horse plums or ,myrobalan4 ,the ,myrobalan stock does give a somewhat smaller tree than the old fashioned horse plums2 but this ,myrobalan stock has been for many years the one principally used for propagating all kinds of plums in ,america4 ,it has come to be looked upon as a standard rather than a dwarf stock4 ,when we think of dwarf trees1 therefore1 we expect to see something smaller than what will grow under ordinary circumstances on a ,myrobalan root4 ,the ,americana plum1 already mentioned1 is a first-rate stock in nearly all respects except that it can not be bought so cheaply as the ,myrobalan4 ,it is now grown to a considerable extent by nurserymen in ,minnesota1 ,iowa and the neighboring ,states4 ,if grafted1 or budded early1 all varieties of plums take well upon it4 ,the trees on ,americana roots make a good growth in the nursery and are easily transplanted4 ,the tree produced on this stock is only moderately dwarf4 ,still this dwarfing effect is always well marked1 this result being shown by the overgrowing of the cion4 ,the top thus appears to outgrow the root1 and such trees are apt to blow over during wind storms4 ,suitable precautions should be taken to guard against damage of this sort4 ,prof4 ,a4 ,t4 ,erwin of ,iowa writes on this subject as follows3 ,regarding the ,americana as a plum stock1 ,i would state that we are using it by the thousands out here2 in fact1 have about quit using anything else4 ,as a stock for the ,european and ,japanese sorts1 it does dwarf them1 and the cion tends to outgrow the stock at the point of union1 causing an enlargement4 ,the union is also not very congenial1 and they frequently break off on account of high winds4 ,however1 in my experience and observation1 this is not the case when the ,americana is used as a stock for ,americana varieties4 ,it does not dwarf the trees seriously and the union is splendid4 ,it is by all odds the best stock we have for plums1 and since we do not grow anything but ,americana varieties1 it works first rate4 ,it does tend to sprout some1 though there is little trouble in this regard after the trees come into bearing4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #h ,,the ,,western ,,sand ,,cherry ,prunus pumila besseyi ,the sand cherry seems to be the dwarfing stock par excellence for the plum4 ,this sand cherry is a heterogeneous species1 or as some botanists think1 is three species1 ranging throughout the ,northern ,states from ,maine to ,colorado4 ,the narrow leaf upright form growing about five feet tall1 known as ,prunus pumila1 is found along the ,atlantic coast4 ,the broad leafed dwarfer form known as ,prunus pumila besseyi or ,p4 besseyi1 is found in the ,western ,states4 ,another rarer form of more irregular growth known as ,prunus pumila cuneata1 or as ,p4 cuneata1 is found in the ,north ,central ,states4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #i--,,upright ,,cordon ,,plum ,with buds set into the naked trunk ,all of these different forms may be used for propagating plums or peaches4 ,the western form 7,p4 besseyi7 7,fig4 #h7 is in some respects the best1 producing the dwarfest and apparently the best trees4 ,in our experience1 however1 nearly all varieties of plums and peaches give a better stand of trees when budded on ,p4 pumila4 ,prunus cuneata is inferior to the others4 ,the eastern form1 ,p4 pumila1 has another advantage from the standpoint of the nurseryman in that it is more easily propagated from cuttings4 ,for the most part the western sand cherry is propagated from seed4 ,both forms can be propagated from layers4 ,,nursery ,,management ,dwarf trees are managed in the nursery very much the same as standards of the same varieties4 ,there are no special points to be observed except in the formation of the tops4 ,western ,new ,york nurserymen1 who now grow the principal supply of dwarf apple and pear trees1 have the custom of forming their nursery stock with high heads4 ,that is1 the heads are formed at a height of eighteen inches to three feet from the ground4 ,in this matter the pattern is taken after the usual style of standard trees4 ,this is quite wrong4 ,of course1 some planters might like to have dwarf trees with trunks two or three feet tall1 but the best form has a much shorter stem4 ,at any rate the buyer of dwarf trees ought to be at liberty to form the head within three or four inches of the ground if he so desires4 ,this becomes very difficult if the tree is once pruned up to a height of two or three feet4 ,in order that the planter may reach his own ideal perfectly in this matter1 it is sometimes necessary to buy one year old trees1 what the ,english nurserymen call maidens4 ,this1 of course1 enables the tree planter to form the head wherever he desires4 ,,iv ,,pruning ,,dwarf ,,fruit ,,trees ,the pruning of dwarf fruit trees is a matter of the greatest consequence1 for on proper pruning depend both the form and the productivity of the trees4 ,some of the details of management will be explained in the succeeding chapters1 dealing with the particular kinds of fruits1 but a few general statements should be set down here4 #a4 ,the trees are severely headed in4 ,this applies more particularly to bush and pyramid forms4 ,by the term heading in we refer to the shortening of the leaders4 ,such shortening is usually given at the spring pruning1 while the trees are dormant4 ,the leaders may be headed in at times1 however1 during the latter part of the growing season1 in ,july4 ,such stopping of growing leaders will be practised more often on young trees just coming into bearing than on old trees4 7,fig4 #aj74 ,constant heading back of some sort1 however1 is required in nearly all cases1 if the tree is to be retained in its dwarf form4 ,the mistake has often been made of thinking that a tree propagated on a dwarf root would take care of itself4 #b4 ,summer pruning is essential4 ,in most ,american orchard practise one annual pruning 7sometimes one pruning every five years67 is considered sufficient1 and systematic summer pruning is seldom or never given4 ,now summer pruning tends much more to repress the growth of a tree than winter pruning does4 ,in fact1 heavy winter pruning leads rather to increased vegetative vigor4 ,aside from any special system of pruning1 therefore1 this rule is to be remembered1 that summer pruning is desirable1 on general principles1 for dwarf fruit trees4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #aj--;,,bush ,,apple1 ,,three ,,years ,,old ,showing strong leaders formed during the summer #c4 ,side shoots usually need pinching during the growing season4 ,leaders are more frequently allowed to grow unchecked throughout the season1 or are stopped only late in their period of development4 ,in the pomaceous fruits1 which form distinct fruit spurs1 the checking of these side shoots helps toward the production of fruit buds4 ,as long as every bud is allowed to push out into a strong shoot no fruit spurs can become established4 ,thus the summer pinching of the side shoots on apples and pears has the purpose of encouraging the formation of fruit spurs4 ,on peach and plum trees equally distinct fruit spurs do not form2 but if the side shoots are allowed to push forth unrestricted they are apt to choke one another4 ,there will be too many of them1 they will not get light enough1 their growth will be weak and sappy1 and they will not form fruit buds4 ,good fruit buds on a peach tree1 for example1 form on strong1 clean1 healthy shoots of this year's growth for next year's crop of fruit4 ,it is seen1 therefore1 that in nearly all sorts of dwarf fruit trees the summer pruning is especially directed to the suppression or regulation of the growth of side shoots4 ,this part of the treatment becomes of prime importance in dealing with cordons and espaliers4 #d4 ,the control of the fruit spurs or of the side shoots here contemplated requires that the trees be gone over more than once during the growing season4 ,in fact1 four successive examinations of the tree are usually required4 ,old trees can sometimes be managed with two or three1 but young ones1 on the other hand1 will sometimes require six or more4 ,of course1 there are usually only a few shoots that need attention at each succeeding visit1 and the work can be very rapidly performed4 ,the first pruning1 or pinching1 falls about three weeks after the trees have started into growth4 ,the next one comes ten days later1 the next one ten days later again1 and the fourth pruning two weeks after the third4 ,from this time onward the intervals lengthen4 ,these specifications1 of course1 are only approximate and suggestive4 ,some judgment is required to select just the proper moment for pinching back a shoot and even more to select the time for a general summer pruning4 ,those trees which enjoy the sympathetic presence of the gardener every day are sure to fare best4 ,the bulk of this pruning can be done with the thumb nail and forefinger1 but ,i find a light pair of pruning scissors pleasanter to work with4 #e4 ,root pruning is sometimes advisable4 ,since the whole program is arranged to check the growth of the dwarf tree1 root pruning would naturally fit well with the other practises recommended4 ,root pruning checks the growth of a tree about as positively as any treatment that can be devised4 ,when dwarf pear or apple trees seem to be making too much wood growth and not enough fruit1 they can be taken up1 as for transplanting1 during the dormant season and set right back into place4 ,this digging up and replanting is always accompanied by some cutting of roots4 ,the whole root system is disturbed and has to re-establish itself before the top vegetates very strongly once more4 ,such root pruning ought to be done late in the fall4 ,it is a special practice1 suited to refractory cases1 and the gardener is not recommended to indulge in it too freely4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #aa--;,,bush ,,apple ,three years old1 before pruning ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ab--;,,bush ,,apple ,same tree after pruning #f4 ,a certain equilibrium between vegetative growth and fruit bearing should be established at the earliest possible moment1 and should be maintained thereafter4 ,of course1 some such equilibrium is sought in the management of a standard tree2 but it is secured earlier in the life of the dwarf tree and should be much more accurately maintained4 ,the tree must make a certain amount of growth each year1 but this must be only enough to keep it in good health1 and to furnish foliage enough to mature the fruit4 ,beyond this wood growth the tree should bear a certain amount of fruit every year1 for annual bearing is not only an ideal but a rule in the management of dwarf trees4 ,this equilibrium once established must be maintained not by haphazard pruning1 but by some suitable system4 ,if there is the proper balance between summer pruning and winter pruning1 combined with proper control of cultivation and fertilization1 then the balance between vegetation and fruitage can be kept up4 ,it is a delicate business1 like courting two girls at once1 but it can be carried out successfully4 #g4 ,the training of trees into mathematical forms is largely a mechanical process4 ,for the most part the trees are shaped while they are growing4 ,the young shoots are twisted and bent to the desired positions1 and are tied into place until the stems become hardened4 ,there are many clever little tricks for expediting this sort of work and for making the results more sure1 but a rehearsal of them here would be tedious4 ,the most important rule to remember is that constant attention must be given the shoots while they are growing4 ,mistakes are corrected with difficulty after an undesirable form has been allowed to harden4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ac--;,,cordon ,,pears ,before pruning ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ad--;,,cordon ,,pears ,after pruning ,v ,,special ,,forms ,,for ,,trained ,,trees ,we have already explained the connection between dwarf trees and the practise of training them in special forms4 ,it is true that this practise looks childish to ,american eyes4 ,it seems to be only a kind of play1 and a rather juvenile sport at that4 ,nevertheless we should understand that in some parts of the world it is a real and profitable commercial undertaking4 ,we should consider also that in other places1 where fruit of very high quality is better appreciated1 perhaps1 than it is in ,america1 the extra trouble is thought to be worth while for the superior quality which it gives the fruit4 ,as this matter is coming to be of more importance in ,america also1 and as the interest in amateur fruit growing is enormously increasing1 we may fairly begin to talk about these methods4 ,the formation of trees into bushes and pyramids1 by means of systematic pruning according to a definite plan1 as explained in the succeeding chapters1 while apparently simpler and more reasonable to our ,american eyes1 it is still a method of training the tree4 ,the fruiting branches are placed at definite points and the fruit spurs are encouraged to grow in regular succession4 ,it is not a very great step from this to a distribution of the branches into a more precise form4 ,the different forms which are used most commonly are named and classified in the following outline3 ,a4--,forms of three dimensions3 a4 ,vase or bush b4 ,pyramid c4 ,winged pyramid1 etc4 ,b4--,forms of two dimensions3 a4 ,various espaliers b4 ,palmette-,verrier c4 ,fans or ,fan-espaliers d4 ,u-form and double ,u-form ,c4--,trained to a single stem3 a4 ,upright cordon b4 ,oblique cordon c4 ,horizontal cordon 7with one arm7 7with two arms7 d4 ,serpentine cordon1 etc4 ,among the forms of three dimensions none is of much practical importance besides the pyramid and bush or vase form4 ,these are sufficiently explained in the chapters on pears and apples4 ,here we need only to define them4 ,the pyramid tree is one which has a straight central stem with branches radiating therefrom4 ,it is especially adapted to upright growing varieties of pears4 ,the bush or vase form has several main arms or branches1 all standing out from approximately the same point and growing upward at a more or less acute angle1 thus forming roughly a vase4 ,the secondary branches put out from these1 bearing fruiting wood1 as the gardener may order4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ae--,,pears ,,in ,,double ,u-,,form ,from ,loebner's ,zwergobstbaeume ,the flying pyramid or winged pyramid1 described in all ,european books1 is considerably different from the ordinary pyramid and is more precise in its design4 ,usually six arms are brought out at the base of the tree4 ,these are grown in a direction approximately horizontal until they reach a convenient length1--say two to three feet4 ,they are then suddenly bent upward and inward and are conducted along wires set for this purpose until they meet in a common point with the main stem of the tree some four to eight feet above where the branches put out4 ,there is thus formed a precise mathematical pyramid4 ,along these main arms fruiting spurs are allowed to grow1 but no branches are expected to develop4 ,sometimes the flying pyramid is made more elaborate by bending the arms into a spiral form4 ,other more or less complex modifications are practised to some extent4 ,all of them are to be regarded merely as curiosities and as of no practical value4 ,the various forms of espaliers and fan-shaped trees have their special and legitimate uses4 ,it may be said here that the ,palmette-,verrier is regarded generally as being the most successful for the largest number of varieties of fruits4 ,it is a safe rule also that the simpler forms are generally the better4 ,with rare exceptions a tree confined to a moderately small space is more satisfactory than one trained over a large space4 ,great care must be exercised in forming these trees4 ,if the geometrical style of training is undertaken at all1 it should be carried out with considerable precision4 ,if one arm happens to be placed a little higher1 or at a little more moderate angle1 or otherwise more favorably than the corresponding arm1 it will very soon divert to its own use the major portion of food supplied by the top4 ,it will outgrow its mate and the form which the gardener designed will eventually be lost4 ,it will be seen at once that this condition makes the same care and precision necessary in all forms of training4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #af--,,pears ,,in ,u-,,form ,sometimes called two-arm upright cordons ,the ,u-form classifies somewhere between the cordon and the espalier4 ,it consists of two upright branches joined to a single trunk below by an arc of a circle4 ,the fruit is all borne on the two parallel stems which are treated essentially the same as upright cordons4 7,fig4 #ag47 ,the double ,u-form is made by growing two ,u's from the same tree4 ,the stem is first divided near the ground into two branches and each of these is immediately divided into two more4 ,the tree thus provides four parallel and equally spaced upright and fruiting stems equal to four upright cordons1 except that they are all supported from a single trunk4 ,the ,u- and double ,u-forms are employed mostly for plums1 apricots1 peaches and nectarines4 ,one occasionally sees much more elaborate schemes of training than any here mentioned4 ,there are complex geometrical designs1 even pictorial figures--birds1 dogs1 and beer-steins--and sometimes the initials of the gardener1 or the name of his kingly and imperial majesty4 ,in every case the method of producing these forms is practically the same4 ,a frame is built of wood or wire in the form which it is desired to give the tree4 ,branches are developed at suitable points on the tree and these are tied out while they are growing to the wooden or metal form4 ,it does not require any special care or ingenuity to produce the most elaborate designs in this method4 ,it is essentially a job of carpentry4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ag--;,,apricots ,,in ,u-,,form ,we come now to the cordons4 ,if we take the simplest form1 namely the upright cordon1 we have what we may call a tree of one dimension only4 ,the upright cordon has nothing but height1 eschewing both breadth and thickness4 ,a cordon is simply a tree trained to a single stem and this stem may be placed in any position4 ,the position or direction of the stem classifies the cordon4 ,there are1 therefore1 besides the upright cordon1 others which are oblique1 that is1 which make an angle with the horizontal1 those which are horizontal1 and those which are bent into various forms4 ,the serpent form is one of the simplest of these4 ,this form of cordon is simply bent back and forth against a trellis forming a series of ,s's one above another4 ,the horizontal cordons are of two varieties1 namely one-arm and two-arm forms4 ,it is altogether a matter of convenience which one of these forms is chosen4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ah--,,pear ,,in ,,espalier ,this tree is carrying over #bjj fruits ,in conclusion it may be pointed out that the slower growing trees1 pears and apples1 are the better suited to the more elaborate forms of training4 ,the more free and rapid growing species1 such as peaches1 nectarines1 cherries1 and ,japanese plums1 are better managed in somewhat simpler forms1 preferably the fan4 ,such trees do well1 however1 in the ,u-form or double ,u-form4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ai--,,old ,,espalier ,,pears ,,on ,,farm ,,house ,,wall ,,vi ,,general ,,management ,the general management of dwarf trees is naturally very much like the management of ordinary standard trees4 ,as dwarf trees are grown more often in gardens rather than in orchards they will receive garden treatment4 ,heavy tools and extensive methods of culture will hardly find application4 ,good soil culture may be regarded as essential4 ,whatever some ,american fruit growers may be saying about the propriety of growing apple orchards in sod1 no one has yet undertaken to adapt the sod system into the kitchen garden4 ,the close planting which is customary with dwarf trees makes culture comparatively difficult1 yet not unreasonably so4 ,apple and pear trees planted six feet apart each way can be worked for several years with a single horse and cultivator4 ,in fact if the trees are kept carefully headed in1 the time need never come when the cultivator will have to be abandoned4 ,when cordons or espaliers are planted in a garden large enough to warrant horse cultivation under ordinary circumstances then the rows of trained trees should be set six feet apart1 which will be enough to permit the continued use of the horse and cultivator between the rows4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bj--;,,horizontal ,,cordon ,,apple ,,and ,,other ,,dwarf ,,trees ,with cover crop of hairy vetch ,however1 the horse cultivator is certain to be definitely crowded out of some dwarf fruit gardens4 ,many of the men who have greatest reason for growing dwarf fruit trees are those whose backyard gardens were never large enough to justify the presence of a horse or horse tools4 ,in such cases the spading fork and the hand cultivator are the ready and proper substitutes4 ,our extensive methods of farming in ,america have bred a strong prejudice against all sorts of hand labor like this1 but experience will show that under some conditions it is quite worth while4 ,a very common mistake in all kinds of agriculture is to allow prejudice to rule experience4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ba--;,,design ,,for ,a ,,back ,,yard ,,fruit ,,garden #ej ,,ft4 ,,square ,north fence 7top of map71 peach espalier 7#d72 ,row #a1 bush apple 7#g72 ,row #b1 pyramid pear 7#g72 ,row #c1 currants and gooseberries 7#aa72 ,row #d and #e1 horizontal cordon apples1 with grass walk between2 ,row #f1 raspberry bushes 7#g72 ,row #g1 strawberries2 ,row #h1 plums in bush form 7#g72 ,row #i1 apples in horizontal cordons 7#d72 ,east fence1 apples as upright cordons 7#ca72 ,west fence1 pears in espalier4 ,garden culture means not only good tillage of the soil1 but good treatment in other respects4 ,it means good feeding and good spraying4 ,as for spraying we need make only two observations4 ,first1 the treatment to be given is almost precisely the same as that which is given to standard trees of the same species2 second1 the work is much more easily performed because the trees are smaller4 ,if one happens to have a considerable block of dwarf trees closely planted4 ,there may be difficulty1 it is true1 in driving in with a spray pump4 ,this difficulty is overcome by having long runs of hose on the spray pump1 so that the cart may stand on the borders of the garden while the operator carries the nozzle in among the trees4 ,in case of large plantings of dwarf trees alley-ways should be left every one hundred feet1 or better1 every eighty feet1 between the blocks4 ,these alleys will be useful for other purposes besides spraying4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bb--;,,dwarf ,,fruit ,,garden #aaa ,,by #add ,,feet ,from ,lucas' ,handbuch des ,obstbaues ,in the management of a small garden the gardener is expected to be liberal in his allowance of fertilizers4 ,while it is true that dwarf fruit trees should be liberally fed there is a possibility of overdoing it4 ,it has already been explained that the dwarfing of the tree depends in a certain way on its well-regulated starvation4 ,if the tree top could get all the food which its nature calls for it would not be dwarfed4 ,the rule in feeding dwarf fruit trees therefore should be to give enough fertilizer to keep them in perfect health and in good growing condition1 but not enough to force unnecessary growth4 ,fertilizer rich in nitrogen should be especially avoided1 and1 as the object in view is to secure an early maturity of the tree and to produce fruit always in preference to wood1 a larger proportion of potash would naturally be substituted for the diminished proportion of nitrogen4 ,of course the amounts and proportions of the different elements 7nitrogen1 potash and phosphoric acid7 to be applied will vary greatly with different conditions1--with the nature of the soil1 the age of the trees1 etc4 ,as a sort of standard we may say that under normal conditions of good soil with dwarf apple and pear trees in bearing there should be given annually for each acre3 #djj pounds ground bone #djj pounds muriate of potash #ajj pounds ,peruvian guano ,peaches and plums require more nitrogen during early growth1 and more potash when in full bearing4 ,for a new plantation of these trees the following amounts should be given annually for each acre3 #cjj pounds ground bone #djj pounds muriate of potash #aej pounds nitrate of soda ,for peach and plum trees in bearing1 the following formula may be suggested3 #djj pounds ground bone #ejj pounds muriate of potash #ajj pounds ,peruvian guano ,inasmuch as many owners of dwarf fruit trees will have so much less than an acre for treatment it will be best to repeat these formulas1 reducing them to a smaller unit4 ,making this reduction somewhat freely1 in order to avoid long and useless decimals1 we may compute the quantity needed annually for each one hundred square feet of land as follows3 ,,for ,,apples ,,and ,,pears ,,in ,,bearing #a pound ground bone #a pound muriate of potash #a_/d pound ,peruvian guano ,,for ,,peaches ,,and ,,plums ,,newly ,,planted #c_/d pound ground bone #a pound muriate of potash #c_/h pound nitrate of soda ,,for ,,peaches ,,and ,,plums ,,in ,,bearing #a_/d pound ,peruvian guano #a-a_/d pound muriate of potash #a pound ground bone ,cherries should be treated like plums2 gooseberries1 currants1 and most other fruits1 like apples4 ,in the home of dwarf tree culture1 that is1 in ,europe1 trained trees are extensively grown upon walls4 ,the gardeners utilize for this purpose not only the walls of stables and outbuildings1 and of the enclosed gardens1 but long ranges of brick are built for the special and exclusive purpose of accommodating fruit trees4 ,in southern ,germany1 in ,switzerland1 in ,belgium1 in ,france1 and especially in the neighborhood of ,paris1 there are hundreds of miles of these walls4 ,the walls may run north and south or east and west4 ,both sides of the walls are used1 even when one side faces the north4 ,currants and gooseberries are expected to thrive on north walls4 ,west walls are considered especially favorable for pears and plums4 ,the walls are nearly always built of brick4 ,they should have a height of ten to fourteen feet4 ,each wall usually has a coping at the top with a projection of ten to eighteen inches1 which sheds the rain1 protecting both the wall and the fruit trees4 ,where extreme pains are spent on the culture of fancy table fruits there are curtains hung from rods along the outer edge of these copings1 and the curtains are drawn to protect ripening fruit from too hot sunshine1 or to protect the blossoms in the spring season from late frosts4 ,brick walls1 with all their appurtenances1 are less important in ,america than in ,europe and the advantages to be expected from this particular method of culture are decidedly less4 ,walls would more probably be useful for peaches and nectarines in northern latitudes than for any other fruits4 ,cordons and espaliers require some sort of support1 however1 and where walls are not used trellises are necessary4 ,these may be of wood or wire4 ,there is a belief current that the wooden trellises are better because they reflect less heat1 but wire is so much cheaper and more durable that it will usually be chosen4 ,five or six wires are needed to make a good trellis for upright cordons4 ,these should be placed twelve to fourteen inches apart1 with the lowest wire thirty inches from the ground4 ,all wires should be tight1 and to this end stout1 well-set posts are necessary4 ,the wires should be loosened in the autumn1 before freezing weather begins1 and should be tightened again in the spring4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bc--;,,fruit ,,gardening ,,and ,,landscape ,,gardening ,,combined ,from ,lucas' ,handbuch des ,obstbaues ,the entire planting1 exclusive of the borders1 is made up of fruit trees and bushes4 ,dimensions1 #geb x #a1cfb feet4 ,for espaliers the woven wire fences are better4 ,in fact1 the woven wire fencing is excellent for all sorts of fruit trellises4 ,poultry netting makes a cheap and convenient trellis1 but it is neither so strong nor so durable as the better grades of woven wire fencing4 ,on the whole it is very poor economy to buy a cheap trellis or to put it up on poor posts4 ,these trellises will need to be comparatively high4 ,nothing less than eight feet will be satisfactory1 and for upright cordons a trellis ten to fifteen feet high will be much better4 ,of course1 this entire height is not needed the first year1 but upright cordon apples will cover a twelve foot trellis in five years4 ,peaches or ,japanese plums will cover the same trellis in three years4 ,in the selection of varieties for growing in a garden of dwarf fruit trees the horticulturist will naturally be guided by principles altogether different from those which control him in the selection of varieties for a commercial orchard4 ,he must1 of course1 consider which varieties are best adapted to the special stocks on which they have to be propagated4 ,he must also bear in mind that certain varieties are better adapted than others for the special forms in which he may wish to train his dwarf trees4 ,beyond all this lies the great consideration that in the very large majority of cases dwarf fruit trees are grown to secure fancy fruit1 not to produce a large quantity for a general market4 ,all varieties of inferior quality would therefore be eliminated from consideration at the beginning1 no matter how productive they might be1 nor how famous for other things4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bd--;,a ,,fruit ,,garden ,,containing ,,many ,,dwarf ,,trees ,a is the entrance2 ,b1 well or cistern2 ,c1 space to turn a horse and cart4 ,from ,p4 ,barry's ,fruit ,garden ,varieties of specially good flavor would be given special thought1 even though they might lack in hardiness or productivity4 ,the special favorites of the man who owns the garden should be chosen1 no matter whether they are popular or not4 ,then for similar reasons a comparatively long list of varieties will be chosen instead of the very short list always held to by the commercial grower4 ,from first to last one should remember that the growing of dwarf fruit trees is essentially the enterprise of an amateur1 not of a man who grows fruit for money4 ,,vii ,,dwarf ,,apples ,dwarf apples are the most interesting and valuable of dwarf fruits4 ,we have become so thoroughly accustomed to the standard apple tree in this country1 however1 and it so fully meets all the apparent requirements1 that there seems to be no call for dwarf apples4 ,nevertheless dwarf trees have some real advantages under certain circumstances4 ,some of these have already been pointed out in the general discussion in previous chapters1 and some of them will bear reiteration here4 ,where so much interest is taken in apple culture as in ,america1 the advantage which dwarf trees offer for the rapid testing of new varieties cannot be overlooked4 ,still more important is the value of the dwarf trees in producing extra fancy specimens4 ,thus in growing very fine apples for exhibition or for a particularly fastidious market1 one would naturally choose the dwarf trees4 ,inasmuch as dwarf trees are recommended chiefly to the amateur and are grown generally less for cash profit than for other considerations1 the great and obvious advantages of standard trees quickly disappear4 ,for men who like to play at fruit growing1 nothing can equal a selection of apple trees on ,paradise stocks4 ,they are the most engaging of all dwarf trees1 in fact of all fruit trees whatsoever4 ,the general matter of selecting stocks has been referred to under the head of propagation1 but the statement should be repeated here that the ,french ,paradise stock is preferable for very dwarf garden trees1 and is almost necessary for cordons and espaliers1 while the ,doucin 7sometimes called the ,english or broad-leaved ,paradise7 may be chosen where only a moderate amount of dwarfing is desired4 ,some of the most expert apple growers of ,north ,america are beginning to think that the ,doucin may be required for the commercial orchards in the future1 when spraying for the ,san ,jose scale becomes an established routine and smaller trees are an accepted necessity4 ,dwarf apple trees may be cultivated in nearly all the artificial forms ever given to fruit trees4 ,undoubtedly the simplest is the bush or vase form4 ,this requires less care and attention and probably gives as much fruit to the same area as any other4 ,the pyramid form is somewhat difficult to produce4 ,it can be secured successfully only with the varieties which have a tendency to grow strong1 straight branches1 as for instance ,sutton1 ,gravenstein and ,northern ,spy4 ,on the whole the pyramid is not to be recommended for dwarf apples4 ,apples succeed very well as upright cordons and in all the simpler modifications of this form4 ,as these trees can be planted very close together--as close as fifteen inches certainly--thus occupying very little room1 a large number of them can be planted in very limited areas of the city lot or backyard4 ,they are especially adapted to stand on the property line where they seem to use no space whatever1 and where in fact they do occupy space which otherwise would be lost4 ,the upright cordon can be bent into the form of an arch in order to make delightful arbors along the walks4 ,the illustration1 ,fig4 #b1 shows a good example of this sort4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #be--;,,dwarf ,,apples ,,on ,,prof4 ,l4 ,h4 ,,bailey',s ,,farm1 ,,new ,,york ,nearly all varieties of apples--indeed all as far as ,i know--succeed in this form4 ,the trees are not very long-lived1 however4 ,that is they cannot be maintained in good presentable form and prolific bearing indefinitely1 because it is difficult to reproduce the fruit spurs on the lower part of the stem4 ,nevertheless the trees are inexpensive and can be cheaply replaced4 ,as they come into bearing the first or second year after planting1 this task of replacing worn-out trees is a small one4 ,very fine specimens of fruit can be produced on these upright cordons4 ,indeed this form is superior to the bush form in this respect4 ,the apple is the best of all trees for horizontal cordons4 ,in this form it becomes the most entertaining plaything in the garden1 as well as one of the most rewarding trees in its product of fruit4 ,either the single arm or the double arm cordon can be used with success4 ,these horizontal cordons are naturally used along the borders of walks1 flower beds or plots devoted to vegetables4 ,they may sometimes be used along foundations of buildings1 where it is not desired to grow upright cordons or espaliers against the walls4 ,the fruit produced by horizontal cordons is probably superior in size1 color and finish to that produced on any other form of tree4 ,in climates where the summer's heat and sunshine are apt to be meager1 this advantage of the horizontal cordon will be comparatively greater4 ,conversely it will be less in places where sunshine and heat are very abundant during the summer4 ,it is probably true that on the plains of ,arizona and ,texas the horizontal cordon will not be a brilliant success4 ,dwarf apples need practically the same care and cultivation1 aside from pruning1 as standard apples4 ,the soil should be cultivated during the early part of the summer and allowed to rest during the latter part of the year4 ,cover crops may be sown during ,june or ,july1 according to the custom practised in the usual orchard management2 but the advantages of a cover crop in a small garden are less material than in a large commercial orchard4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bf--,,upright ,,cordon ,,apples #ah inches apart2 in author's garden ,the formation of the tree is discussed under another head4 ,it remains to be said only that careful and intelligent pruning are required to keep any dwarf apple tree to its work4 ,the more complicated and the more restricted the form of the tree1 the more careful and continuous must be this pruning4 ,the general system may be outlined in comparatively few words1 and may be explained in its simplest form as applied to the treatment of a horizontal cordon4 ,each horizontal cordon1 perfectly formed and full grown1 should have fruit spurs throughout its horizontal length1 which may be from three to fifteen feet4 ,the upright portion of the trunk1 from the point where the graft is set to the angle made by the bending down of the stem1 should be kept clean and bare4 ,constant care is required to remove the sprouts from this portion of the tree1 especially such as come up from the stock4 ,at the further end of the horizontal portion there should be one1 two1 or three strong shoots allowed to push forth each year4 ,these may be called leaders4 ,they represent the principal wood growth in each tree4 ,they draw up the sap from the roots1 their leaves elaborate this sap1 and from them the digested material is sent back for the support of the tree and the ripening of the fruit4 ,they are allowed to take an upright or nearly upright position and their growth is encouraged4 ,on all other portions of the tree growth is sternly restricted1 when not altogether repressed4 ,there is a constant tendency for strong shoots to start into growth all along the horizontal part of the stem and especially near the bend4 ,if any of these shoots are allowed to make headway1 the form of the tree is spoiled4 ,even if they are cut out after a year's growth1 thus retaining somewhat the form of the tree1 the fruit spurs are thereby lost4 ,it is the business of the fruit grower1 therefore1 to pinch back these shoots which start along the horizontal stem1 and this pinching is done at a comparatively early stage of their growth4 ,usually the first pinching should be given when the stems have grown long enough so as to have seven or eight leaves4 ,these shoots are then cut or pinched back to three leaves4 ,if the tree is in good vigorous condition1 these shoots will soon start into growth once more4 ,again they have to be pinched4 ,this time the pinching comes a little earlier1 taking the shoot when it reaches only about five leaves and the pinching is still more severe4 ,the shoots may start into growth a third time or even a fourth time1 but each time they are pinched back sooner and more severely than before4 ,in most cases two or three pinchings will suffice4 ,these constant repressions of growth tend to secure the formation of fruit spurs and fruit buds along the horizontal trunk of the tree4 ,some slight modifications of the plan here outlined will develop themselves in experience4 ,in particular it will be found that different varieties require slightly different handling4 ,some form fruit spurs more readily than others4 ,with certain varieties it is very difficult to repress the rampant habit of growth and to secure a proper formation of fruit buds4 ,these differences1 however1 are of minor importance as compared with the general management of the tree4 ,the system just outlined has in view the summer pruning of the horizontal cordon apple4 ,the upright cordon is pruned in almost exactly the same manner4 ,various forms of espaliers are handled in much the same way4 ,strong shoots or leaders are allowed to grow at the ends of the main branches to keep up a proper circulation and elaboration of sap1 while the growth of fruit spurs is encouraged along the sides of the stems by frequent and regular pruning4 ,in a somewhat less precise manner the same system of pruning can be applied to bush and pyramid forms4 ,each bush1 for instance1 is made up of a certain number of fruiting branches4 ,the fruit is borne on spurs on the sides of these branches1 while the woody growth is made by the leaders appearing at the ends of these branches4 ,these leaders are annually cut back and the constant formation of fruit spurs is encouraged by pinching whatever shoots are on the sides of the main stems4 ,it will be seen that the whole business of pruning falls into two general categories1 viz41 winter pruning and summer pruning4 ,the winter or spring pruning is given any time after the stress of winter is over and before the sap starts running in the spring4 ,this is the time when the ordinary fruit trees are customarily pruned4 ,the work at this season consists chiefly in cutting back leaders4 ,these are pruned off short1 that is the whole stem is taken off down to within two or three buds of where it started growth the previous year4 ,in some cases it is worth while to cut even further back1 going into wood two or three years old4 ,at this spring pruning the defective or diseased branches are of course removed wherever they are found4 ,cases requiring such treatment always occur even on the best trained cordons and espaliers4 ,whenever it becomes necessary an entire branch1 sometimes composing half the tree1 is taken out4 ,usually such branches can be replaced without great loss of time4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bg--;,,horizontal ,,cordon ,,apple ,,trees ,after this winter or spring pruning comes the summer pruning which has been outlined above4 ,this usually begins ,may #ae-be1 and continues until ,july #be-ca1 differing1 of course1 in different latitudes4 ,practically all varieties of apples can be grown as dwarfs1 though some succeed on ,paradise roots better than others4 ,some varieties also are better adapted for special forms1 as for cordons1 than are others4 ,such requirements are not very strict1 and a careful gardener can grow practically anything he wants to4 ,patrick ,barry1 in his ,fruit ,garden1 recommends twenty very large and beautiful sorts for dwarfs1 having in mind ,american conditions1 and especially his own experience in ,rochester1 ,n4 ,y4 ,his list is as follows3 ,red ,astrachan ,large ,sweet ,bough ,primate ,beauty of ,kent ,alexander ,duchess of ,oldenburg ,fall ,pippin ,williams' ,favorite ,gravenstein ,hawthornden ,maiden's ,blush ,porter ,menagere ,red ,bietigheimer ,bailey ,sweet ,canada ,reinette ,northern ,spy ,mother ,king of ,tompkins ,county ,twenty ,ounce ,wagener ,in ,europe1 where greater attention has been paid to these matters1 the opinion has settled down to a comparatively limited number4 ,for example1 ,mr4 ,george ,bunyard in ,the ,fruit ,garden recommends the following varieties for cordons3 ,mr4 ,gladstone ,aug4 ,devonshire ,quarrenden ,aug4 ,james ,grieve ,sept4 ,wealthy ,oct4 ,margil ,oct4 ,king of ,pippins ,oct4 ,mother ,oct4 ,calville ,rouge ,precoce ,oct4 ,cox's ,orange ,pippin ,oct41 ,feb4 ,st4 ,edmund's ,pippin ,nov4 ,ross ,nonpareil ,nov4 ,duchess of ,oldenburg ,aug4 ,pott's ,seedling ,sept4 ,lord ,grosvenor ,sept4 ,adams' ,pearmain ,dec4 ,hubbard's ,pearmain ,dec4 ,allington ,pippin ,nov41 ,feb4 ,scarlet ,nonpareil ,jan41 ,feb4 ,norman's ,pippin ,jan4 ,lord ,burghley ,feb4 ,duke of ,devonshire ,feb4 ,rosemary ,russet ,feb4 ,sturmer ,pippin ,very late ,allen's ,everlasting ,very late ,fearn's ,pippin4 ,very late ,lord ,derby ,nov4 ,bismarck ,dec4 ,lane's ,prince ,albert ,jan41 ,march ,lord ,suffield ,sept4 ,grenadier ,sept41 ,oct4 ,golden ,spire ,sept41 ,oct4 ,seaton ,house ,sept41 ,oct4 ,sandringham ,feb4 ,alfriston ,feb41 ,march ,calville ,malingre ,feb4 to ,mch4 ,calville ,rouge ,feb4 to ,mch4 ,the same authority recommends the following varieties to be grown on ,paradise stocks as bushes3 ,beauty of ,bath ,july1 ,aug4 ,red ,quarrenden ,july1 ,aug4 ,lady ,sudeley ,sept4 ,worcester ,pearmain ,sept41 ,oct4 ,yellow ,angestrie ,sept4 ,duchess' ,favorite ,sept4 to ,oct4 ,king of the ,pippins ,oct4 ,early ,white ,transparent ,j'ly4 ,lord ,suffield ,aug41 ,sept4 ,pott's ,seedling ,aug41 ,sept4 ,lord ,grosvenor ,aug41 ,sept4 ,early ,julien ,aug41 ,sept4 ,ecklinville ,seedling ,sept41 ,oct4 ,grenadier ,sept41 ,oct4 ,stirling ,castle ,sept41 ,oct4 ,golden ,spire ,sept41 ,oct4 ,cox's ,orange ,pippin ,nov41 ,feb4 ,beauty of ,barnack ,nov4 ,allington ,pippin ,dec41 ,feb4 ,gascoigne's ,scarlet ,dec4 ,christmas ,pearmain ,dec4 ,winter ,quarrenden ,dec4 ,baumann's ,reinette ,jan4 ,lord ,derby ,oct41 ,nov4 ,stone's ,apple ,oct41 ,nov4 ,tower of ,glamis ,oct41 ,nov4 ,warner's ,king ,oct41 ,nov4 ,bismarck ,oct41 ,nov4 ,lane's ,prince ,albert ,dec41 ,mch4 ,bramley's ,seedling ,dec41 ,mch4 ,newton ,wonder ,dec41 ,mch4 ,max ,loebener in his book on dwarf fruits recommends the following varieties for dwarf apples3 ,red ,astrachan ,july1 ,aug4 ,yellow ,transparent ,aug41 ,sept4 ,charlamowsky ,aug41 ,sept4 ,transparent de ,croncels ,sept41 ,oct4 ,prince ,apple ,sept41 ,jan4 ,danzig ,oct41 ,dec4 ,dean's ,codlin ,oct4 to ,feb4 ,landbury ,reinette ,nov41 ,feb4 ,cox's ,orange ,nov4 to ,mch4 ,requires good soil ,winter ,gold ,pearmain ,nov41 ,march ,ribston ,pippin ,nov41 ,april ,good warm soil ,canada ,reinette4 ,nov41 ,april ,hardy ,belle de ,boskoop ,nov41 ,may ,virginia ,rose ,aug4 ,red ,peach ,summer ,apple ,aug41 ,sept4 ,lord ,suffield ,aug41 ,oct4 ,cellini ,sept41 ,nov4 ,alexander ,oct41 ,dec4 ,gravenstein ,oct4 to ,jan4 ,for moist soils1 bears late ,yellow ,richard ,nov41 ,dec4 ,bismarck ,nov41 ,feb4 ,yellow ,bellflower ,nov4 to ,april ,requires good position ,baumann's ,reinette ,dec41 ,may ,inasmuch as the advantages of the dwarf trees apply especially to the growing of fine fruit1 only the better varieties should generally be propagated in this way4 ,on this basis1 therefore1 rather than on the basis of adaptation learned from experience1 the following varieties may be suggested among the well known ,american sorts for growing in dwarf form3 ,baldwin ,esopus ,mother ,williams' ,favorite ,sutton ,king ,northern ,spy ,grimes ,winesap ,yellow ,transparent ,mc,intosh ,red ,astrachan ,alexander ,wolf ,river ,ribston ,pippin ,wealthy ,wagener ,of course1 one propagating dwarf apples would always select his own favorites4 ,it should be noticed that in the list given above are some varieties which are notable for beauty of appearance rather than for superior quality4 ,they are recommended on the former consideration4 ,certain varieties in the list1 for instance ,alexander1 are known to succeed especially well as dwarfs4 ,,viii ,,dwarf ,,pears ,pears are the fruit most largely grown in dwarf form in ,america4 ,there are a few well established and successful commercial orchards of pears1 especially in western ,new ,york and ,michigan4 ,the pear is the fruit most assiduously cultivated in dwarf and trained forms in ,europe4 ,at the same time it is the one with which ,i confess ,i have had the least satisfaction4 ,this is perhaps because ,i have always experimented in a country where pears do not naturally succeed1 and because1 further1 my fancies have run more to other kinds of fruit4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bh--,,young ,,orchard ,,of ,,dwarf ,,pears ,,in ,,western ,,new ,,york ,it is probably true that the pear is improved more in quality than any other fruit by being grown in dwarf form and trained as cordons and espaliers on a suitable frame or wall4 ,this is emphatically true in cold and inclement climates1 where indeed some of the best varieties of pears will not succeed at all unless given this advantage4 ,a west wall is recommended as giving the very finest results4 ,it should be noted1 however1 that some varieties do better on walls than others4 ,those which grow vigorously in bush1 pyramid1 or standard forms receive comparatively less benefit from wall training4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bi--;,,dwarf ,,pears ,,in ,,the ,,old ,,and ,,profitable ,,yeomans ,,orchard1 ,,new ,,york ,the pear is the best of all trees for training in pyramid form4 ,sometimes very tall slim pyramids are made1 becoming almost pillars of foliage and fruit in their old age4 ,these may be in fact upright cordons which are trained with strong stems and allowed to support themselves without a trellis4 ,some of the less upright growing varieties are difficult to form into pyramids1 and such may be pruned in the ordinary bush or vase form4 ,in growing dwarf pears commercially1 as is sometimes done1 it is probably best to give most varieties the bush form4 ,the pyramid is rather harder to maintain4 ,the pear succeeds well as a cordon tree4 ,perhaps the best form is the oblique cordon1 one placed at an angle of about forty-five degrees with the horizon4 ,the upright and horizontal cordons may also be used1 though neither of these forms is specially well adapted to pears4 ,all of the better types of espaliers are suited to pear trees4 ,probably the ,palmette-,verrier is the best1 although the old fashioned espaliers are often used4 ,the ,u-form and the double ,u-form also succeed if well built4 ,the pruning of the pear tree is substantially the same as that of the apple4 ,where pear blight is a factor in the problem1 due allowance must be made for it4 ,it sometimes happens that entire branches or arms have to be cut away on account of blighting4 ,the system of pruning therefore should furnish a means of renewing such members promptly when necessity requires4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #cj--,,orchard ,,of ,,dwarf ,,duchess ,,pears1 ,,lockport1 ,n4 ,y4 ,the quince root prefers a fairly heavy and even moist soil4 ,a heavy clay loam is best1 although a strong clay will answer4 ,light sandy soils or loose gravelly soils will not give such good results4 ,on the other hand any clay soil which holds water to a considerable extent will answer4 ,as these are the requirements for quince roots1 they become also the requirements for dwarf pears4 ,any attempt to grow dwarf pears on a light loose soil is almost certain to prove a failure4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ca--,,pyramid ,,pears ,,in ,a ,,german ,,orchard ,it is often said that dwarf pears should be planted deep in the ground when they are set out4 ,the rule is to put them deep enough so that the bud union will be buried beneath the surface of the soil4 ,with such treatment the pear itself often throws out roots and eventually establishes a feeding system of its own1 becoming independent of the quince stock4 ,it is then no longer a dwarf tree except by the authority of the pruning knife4 ,it is probably true that many varieties of dwarf pears are longer lived when treated in this way4 ,in planting1 therefore1 it becomes a question whether one desires chiefly a long-lived tree or a strictly dwarf one4 ,the ease with which dwarf trees are replaced makes longevity a less important factor than in commercial orchards of standard trees4 ,of course1 it is understood that if the dwarfest form is to be maintained1 the tree must be planted high enough to leave the union out of the ground1 thus preventing the pear from throwing out roots of its own4 ,the varieties principally grown in this country as dwarfs are ,angouleme1 ,bartlett1 ,anjou1 and ,louise ,bonne4 ,in ,european nurseries the list of pears propagated on quince roots is much larger4 ,the following varieties are recommended for ,england by ,mr4 ,owen ,thomas1 and are said to be particularly good for training on walls3 ,buerre ,giffard ,clapp's ,favorite ,jargonelle ,williams' 7,bartlett7 ,buerre d',amanlis ,fondante d',automne ,triomphe de ,vienne ,buerre ,bosc ,buerre ,hardy ,buerre ,brown ,comte de ,lamy ,louise ,bonne de ,jersey ,pitmaston ,duchess ,la ,france ,buerre d',anjou ,buerre de ,jonghe ,doyenne d',alencon ,glou ,morceau ,marie ,benoist ,winter ,nelis ,buerre ,diel ,nouvelle ,fulvie ,buerre ,sterckmans ,easter ,buerre ,le ,lectier ,olivier de ,serres ,seckel ,conference ,doyenne du ,comice ,marie ,louise ,thompson's ,duchesse d',angouleme ,passe ,crassane ,ne ,plus ,meuris ,bergamotte ,esperen ,buerre ,rance ,josephine de ,malines ,,ix ,,dwarf ,,peaches ,the peach as a dwarf tree is almost unknown in ,america4 ,it is not very often grown as a dwarf even in ,europe1 except when it is trained on walls or grown in houses4 ,the species1 however1 is easily dwarfed and makes a good tree in various forms when well propagated4 ,the methods by which dwarf peaches are propagated are fully described in the chapter devoted to that subject4 ,peach trees growing on plum stocks and formed in vases or bushes make excellent garden trees4 ,naturally they should be headed low1 best within three to six inches of the ground4 ,they then make fine1 regular1 well balanced tops which are easily kept opened out in the desired vase form4 ,such trees usually come into bearing one or two years earlier than those propagated and trained in the usual way4 ,in a country like ,new ,england where peach growing is largely a system of gambling against cold weather1 and where the business largely resolves itself into a race for getting a crop before the trees freeze back1 the smaller stature and the earlier bearing of the dwarf tree are obvious advantages4 ,it has not yet been shown that this may be turned to account on a commercial scale1 but there seem to be possibilities in it4 ,in case the peach grower undertakes the method of laying down his peach trees and covering them during the winter to save them from freezing1 the smaller growth of the dwarf trees would prove a decided advantage4 ,this method of handling peach trees has proved a practical success under certain conditions4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #cb--;,,dwarf ,,peach ,,in ,,nursery ,headed back and formed into bushes ,the peach does not succeed as a cordon4 ,the nearest that this form can be successfully approached is the ,u-form4 ,the double ,u-form is probably even better4 ,the fan form of training is the best of all methods of training for the peach4 ,the tree makes wood so rapidly that considerable space has to be provided for the annual growth4 ,the fan form being less definite in its makeup can be more readily adapted to the exigencies of rapid growth and severe cutting out4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #cc--;,,espalier ,,peach1 ,,hartford1 ,,conn4 ,on account of its more vigorous growth the peach demands even more drastic pruning than that already described for apples and pears4 ,the method of managing a peach tree1 however1 differs in some details4 ,there is not such a distinct establishment of leaders at the end of the shoot2 and since the peach never forms fruit spurs like those of the apple1 the pruning of the fruit-bearing wood is necessarily different4 ,the best fruit buds are formed on the strong clean shoots of the current season's growth4 ,these must be allowed to grow far enough and vigorously enough to ripen good fruit buds4 ,if they make too much growth1 however1 the side buds start secondary branches and the fruiting prospects are reduced4 ,the management of the tree must be such as to keep this growth of new wood in just the proper balance4 ,in order to carry out the idea thus outlined1 an early spring pruning is given while the trees are dormant1 and several successive prunings are administered during the growing season4 ,at the spring pruning a considerable amount of wood is cut out from all portions of the tree1 the amount thus removed being much greater than that from the pear or apple trees at the same season4 ,the old decrepit and diseased branches are taken first for removal1 and then one year old wood is cut back where necessary1 so as to leave two or three buds at the base of each branch4 ,the first summer pruning is given about ,may #aeth to #bjth1 after the growth has well begun4 ,a vigorous tree will start more shoots than there is room for1 and these are thinned out until all have sufficient space4 ,a few of the most vigorous ones are pinched back at this time4 ,one week to ten days later the trees are gone over again1 at which time the principal pinching back is done4 ,the shoots which are making too much growth1 especially on the interior of the tree or on the main arms1 are stopped4 ,a third pruning is given about ,june first1 and consists chiefly in removing weak shoots or those which are crowding one another1 and cutting back those which are growing too far4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #cd--,,peach ,,in ,,fan ,,espalier ,,on ,,wall1 ,,england ,the peach usually requires a comparatively light soil and a warm exposure4 ,the plum root upon which a dwarf peach is budded will usually succeed in a considerably heavier soil1 and the method of budding on plum is therefore sometimes practised with the specific object of adapting the peach tree to heavier soils4 ,inasmuch as various kinds of plums succeed in all soils on which any crop can be grown1 from light sand to heavy clay1 it is not difficult to meet any reasonable requirements in this respect4 ,all varieties of peaches and nectarines seem to succeed equally well as dwarfs4 ,those varieties which are grown as dwarfs in ,europe are naturally the ones which are favorites there4 ,in this country the favorite varieties are almost altogether different and we would expect to choose such sorts as ,late ,crawford1 ,foster1 ,old ,mixon1 ,belle of ,georgia1 ,champion1 ,waddell1 and other choice ,american varieties for our use4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ce--,,peach ,,trees ,,trained ,,under ,,glass ,the nectarine is in large favor in ,europe and is much more extensively grown than in ,america4 ,the merits of this fruit seem to have been strangely overlooked in this country4 ,when nectarines are properly grown under glass1 they are one of the most delicious and beautiful fruits known in this world of limitations and disappointments4 ,the nectarine is a fruit which will in general bear more extensive cultivation in ,america and which is to be especially recommended for dwarf fruit gardens4 ,this is not to say that it should supersede the peach1 or even that it should take equal prominence1 but simply that it should be well represented in every selection of fruits for an amateur's collection4 ,x ,,dwarf ,,plums ,most amateur and professional fruit growers are less interested in plums than in other tree fruits4 ,perhaps ,i am prejudiced1 but ,i feel that this is not fair to the plum4 ,plums yield some profit when rightly cultivated commercially1 and no end of satisfaction when cultivated for the gardener's own entertainment4 ,the large assortment of varieties which one may secure is in itself a claim to interest1 and a source of much delight to the collector4 ,the fact that different types of plums furnish fruit of very diverse characters makes the collection more valuable from every standpoint4 ,so far as the writer knows dwarf plums have seldom been grown to any extent in ,america4 ,they certainly have no present claim based on experience for recognition in commercial orchards4 ,nevertheless they have possibilities even for the growing of market fruit1 and for cultivation in the garden1 dwarf trees are altogether worth while4 ,in the chapter on propagation1 reference has been made to the stocks used for plums and that subject need not be discussed here4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #cf--,,plum ,,trees ,,trained ,,as ,,upright ,,cordons ,when plum trees have been secured budded on suitable dwarfing stocks1 as1 for example1 ,americana or sand cherry1 they may be trained in a variety of ways4 ,probably the ordinary bush form is the best4 ,most varieties of plums do not form either a satisfactory pyramid or a strictly vase form4 ,some of the better growing ,japanese varieties of plums approach the latter form fairly well4 ,red ,june1 ,satsuma1 and ,chabot may be mentioned as particular examples4 ,with such varieties a true vase form can be maintained as well as with peaches4 ,in dealing with a majority of varieties1 however1 a simple bush-like head without a mathematically constructed frame work is about the best that can be secured4 ,in most cases the head should be formed low1 preferably not more than six inches from the ground4 ,still considerable latitude has to be allowed the gardener's fancy in dealing with dwarf trees1 and the writer can easily imagine a garden design which would require trees to be high headed4 ,it would be practicable and excusable in some cases to form heads four1 five1 or even six feet from the ground4 ,this is often done in ,england and ,germany with all sorts of fruit trees1 this form being referred to as a standard4 ,a head can be secured at almost any point on a plum tree of good growth1 by heading back at the desired height4 ,four to six branches should be allowed to grow the first year and in course of time these will be increased to eight1 twelve1 or even more4 ,that is1 there will be this number of what we might call main branches because they are all of approximately equal importance4 ,at the end of the first year after the tree has been headed back the main branches1 which have now formed1 are to be cut back in turn4 ,with all strong-growing varieties it is best to remove from one-half to two-thirds of the annual growth from these main branches1 if the tree is to be restricted to a comparatively narrow spread4 ,a considerable number of strong shoots will put forth the next year4 ,these should be thinned out as soon as they start to a number approximately twice that of the main arms4 ,these new branches should be distributed as symmetrically as possible4 ,the tree top is now formed and subsequent pruning consists essentially of a severe heading in during the latter part of the dormant season1 that is1 about ,march1 followed by two1 three1 or four summer prunings somewhat after the manner described for the peach4 ,at the time of these summer prunings the young growing shoots should be thinned out enough to prevent any choking of the tree top and should be headed in wherever it is necessary to retain the symmetrical growth4 ,the manner of forming the fruit buds or spurs is so diverse in the different kinds of plums that no general rule can be given for encouraging them4 ,close observation of each variety will soon enable the gardener to direct his pruning in such a way as to assist in this important process of fruit bud formation4 ,in a rough general way it may be said that the ,domestica and ,americana varieties of plums form distinct fruit spurs along the sides of one and two year old branches1 and that1 for the encouragement of these1 considerable light should be admitted and the growth of the interior shoots rather rigidly checked4 ,the ,japanese and ,hortulana varieties on the other hand fruit best from very short spurs or clusters of buds which form along from the strong one and two year old branches4 ,the main object1 therefore1 with these latter varieties is to maintain a succession of clean1 sound1 well matured shoots4 ,this is done by a moderate thinning of the main shoots early in the year1 resulting in the forcing of those which are left4 ,these strong growing shoots are checked late in the summer in order that they may ripen up thoroughly1 but the pinching which is done to this end is delayed long enough so that the pinched shoots will not start into growth again4 ,moreover1 this pinching is done well out to the ends of the shoots4 ,certain varieties of plums succeed fairly well as vertical cordons4 ,the varieties least adapted to this purpose are the ,hortulana offspring and their hybrids and a few of the rank-growing ,japanese1 like ,hale and ,october ,purple4 ,in the dwarf tree garden at the ,massachusetts ,agricultural ,college the writer has a row of plum trees containing a large assortment of varieties and species4 ,these trees were picked out at random from various sources and very few of them were propagated on dwarfing stocks4 ,on this account the trees were set two feet apart1 which is more than is usually recommended for upright cordons4 ,they have now been growing three years1 and they furnish much interesting testimony regarding the feasibility of growing plums in this form4 ,contrary to expectation such varieties as ,red ,june1 ,abundance1 and ,burbank have done well under this treatment4 ,these varieties all fruited the next year after planting4 ,some varieties of the ,domestica group are bearing the third year after planting1 which is unusually early4 ,all of them seem to be fairly well adapted to this method of treatment4 ,varieties like ,wildgoose and ,wayland1 and such hybrids as ,gonzales1 ,waugh and ,red ,may1 can hardly be controlled in the restricted space allowed them in a row of vertical cordons4 ,they give very little promise of success4 ,it is probable that all these varieties would make a better showing if they were propagated on some such stock as sand cherry4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #cg--;,,burbank ,,plums ,,on ,,upright ,,cordons ,,trained ,,to ,,trellis ,plums are seldom--almost never--propagated as horizontal cordons4 ,i have never yet undertaken it myself1 but propose to do so at the first opportunity and with some expectation of moderate success with certain varieties4 ,the slow growing sorts like ,green ,gage1 ,italian ,prune1 and ,agen seem to offer special promise4 ,in the form of espaliers plums are often trained against walls4 ,indeed this is the favorite way of producing fancy plums in ,england1 and the same practise prevails to a considerable extent on the continent of ,europe4 ,in this country walls are not required1 and in most cases would be of no advantage4 ,where it is desired to cover back fences or sides of buildings1 however1 plum trees in espalier form can be confidently recommended4 ,the ,domestica varieties of highest quality such as ,bavay1 ,jefferson1 ,victoria1 ,pond1 ,bradshaw1 and ,coe's ,golden ,drop would have first choice4 ,the ,japanese varieties can also be grown on trellises or walls1 but the freer forms1 such as the fan espalier used for the peach1 are better suited to their habits of growth4 ,the following varieties of plums can be recommended for dwarf bush forms3 ,green ,gage ,jefferson ,bradshaw ,agen ,grand ,duke ,bavay 7,reine ,claude7 ,mc,laughlin ,pond ,bleeker ,italian ,prune ,cluster ,damson 7or other ,damsons7 ,such varieties of the ,japanese class as ,abundance1 ,chabot1 ,red ,june1 ,satsuma1 ,burbank may be grown on dwarf stocks in bush forms1 but they are not altogether satisfactory4 ,there are two objections against them3 7#a7 ,it is difficult to keep them in restricted bounds1 such a result being dependent on constant and severe heading in4 7#b7 ,they overgrow the dwarf stocks very strongly and thus do not have a very firm hold on the ground4 ,they are apt to blow over or break off after a few years1 unless carefully staked up4 ,the following varieties can be recommended for upright cordons1 in which form they will give moderate success if properly managed3 ,coe's ,golden ,drop ,agen ,victoria ,grand ,duke ,abundance ,burbank ,bradshaw ,bavay ,lombard ,chabot ,cheney ,aubert 7,yellow ,egg or ,magnum ,bonum7 ,also most of the clean-growing ,americana varieties such as ,smith1 ,terry1 ,stoddard1 etc4 ,mr4 ,owen ,thomas recommends for growing on walls in ,england the following varieties3 ,green ,gage ,brandy ,gage ,denniston's ,superb ,gage ,comte d',athem's ,gage ,transparent ,gage ,transparent ,late ,gage ,jefferson ,reine ,claude ,violette ,brahy's ,green ,gage ,bryanstone ,gage ,oullin's ,golden ,gage ,golden ,transparent ,gage ,reine ,claude de ,bavay ,coe's ,golden ,drop ,kirke's ,blue ,washington ,,xi ,,bush ,,fruits ,the bush fruits1 so far as ,i know1 are never cultivated as dwarfs4 ,to speak more exactly ,i should say that no dwarf stock is ever used to reduce the size to which the plants grow4 ,on the other hand1 bush fruits are often systematically pruned back in order to restrict their size1 and are sometimes trained in elaborate forms as dwarf fruit trees are4 ,to this extent they are managed in the same way and might properly be treated in the same general category4 ,what is more to our purpose1 they are almost always included in the plan of any private fruit garden on a restricted area1 such as we have had chiefly in view in this discussion of dwarf fruit trees4 ,these reasons make it appropriate1 if not indeed essential1 that something should be said regarding these fruits here4 ,all bush fruits can be grown in such forms as cordons1 espaliers1 etc4 ,anything of this sort which the gardener wishes can become a part of his garden of little trees4 ,gooseberries and currants offer the most entertainment and remuneration when subjected to special pruning and training1 and indeed they should not be omitted from any garden scheme of this kind4 ,raspberries are less amenable to this kind of education and should be introduced with some care4 ,blackberries are necessarily difficult to handle and no very complicated schemes of pruning and training can be successfully applied to them4 ,such other fruits as ,loganberries1 strawberry-raspberries1 ,june berries1 etc41 may be introduced at the owner's risk4 ,any of them will submit to a certain amount of correction with the pruning knife1 and may add to the variety of fruits grown in the amateur's garden4 ,of course1 it is distinctly understood that these special methods of treatment are not commercially recommended for any of the bush fruits in ,america4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ch--;,,currants ,,as ,,fan ,,espaliers ,,on ,,trellis1 ,,hartford1 ,,conn4 ,probably the most interesting and practical way for handling gooseberries and currants in dwarf fruit gardens is the form known as standards4 ,this form consists of a small round fruiting top of almost any desired variety grafted high upon a straight clean trunk or stem4 ,this stem may have any convenient height from two to ten feet1 the most common and practical height being about four feet4 ,the stock used is the flowering currant1 ,ribes aureum1 which forms a sufficiently strong and upright growth for this purpose4 ,nevertheless it is almost always necessary to support these standards with a convenient stake apiece4 ,for the present these standard gooseberries and currants can be obtained only of the ,european nurserymen4 ,at least the writer knows of no one who propagates them in ,america4 ,there are several importers1 however1 who make a business of supplying ,european stock and who are always glad to import these on order4 ,the finer varieties are especially chosen for growing as standards4 ,this applies particularly to gooseberries1 which are more widely grown and which are more highly prized in ,europe than in this country4 ,the varieties grown in ,europe are usually finer table fruits than the ,american varieties4 ,it is generally understood that the finest fruits for eating fresh out of hand are secured from the standard gooseberries4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ci--;,,gooseberry ,,fan ,,espalier ,variety ,industry1 trained on wire trellis ,gooseberries and currants are also adapted easily to the espalier form4 ,the most elaborate palmettes and other geometrical designs can be worked out4 ,nevertheless the simplest and most practical form for trained gooseberries and currants is the fan shape4 ,if a suitable trellis is provided1 the vines may be easily tied out upon it in very attractive fan forms and these are found to be quite satisfactory1 both as regards their looks and their product of fruit4 ,they are also easily sprayed1 which is a consideration worth mentioning when one has to fight the currant worm4 ,in general1 it is best in our latitude to run these espaliers north and south1 because they receive too much sun when the trellis runs east and west4 ,this rule1 however1 is not absolute4 ,probably the most convenient and practical way for growing these fruits in the dwarf tree garden is to plant standards at regular intervals in a row1 say six feet apart1 and to plant a certain number of fan shaped bushes between each pair of standards in the row4 ,if these standards were six feet apart1 two plants for fan training would be enough between each pair4 ,the top of the trellis on which the fan forms are tied1 would not be above four feet high1 better only three4 ,the heads of the standards then rise well above the top of the trellis4 ,this furnishes some support for the stem of the standard and economizes space4 ,economy of space is one of the first principles of this style of gardening4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #dj--,,tree ,,form ,,gooseberry ,no list need be given here of the varieties of gooseberries and currants to be recommended for this class of planting4 ,it may be said that any of the favorite varieties of currants grown in this country1 as for example1 ,fay1 ,victoria1 ,red ,versailles1 etc41 may be chosen1 and that these are indeed the varieties usually preferred in ,europe4 ,with respect to gooseberries it may be remarked that the ,english1 ,french1 and ,german varieties are mostly very different from those grown in ,america1 and that while they have some shortcomings in our climate1 they are for the most part to be recommended for the purposes which we here have in view4 ,,xii ,,fruit ,,trees ,,in ,,pots ,those who are used to seeing large fruit trees in orchard plantations where each specimen has #a1jjj to #b1jjj square feet of space1 with unlimited opportunities downward1 find a fruit tree in a pot a curiosity4 ,it seems remarkable to see a tree in vigorous health and bearing fruit with less than one cubic foot of soil4 ,nevertheless this method of handling fruit trees is entirely practicable4 ,in some places it is practised extensively in an amateur way1 and occasionally reaches almost commercial proportions4 ,for those who grow fruit trees for recreation there could hardly be a more interesting experiment4 ,the pots mostly used are the nine1 ten1 eleven and twelve inch standard earthenware pots4 ,with most trees it is best to begin with small sizes and gradually shift forward to the larger ones4 ,a bearing tree may be maintained for several years in a twelve inch pot or even in a ten inch size4 ,sometimes wooden tubs are substituted for pots4 ,these look better1 but are not so good in any other way4 ,trees may be grown in pots out of doors1 although there is no particular advantage in doing this4 ,if such practise is undertaken the pots should be plunged their full depth in good garden soil4 ,perfect drainage should be secured by having some broken brick or coarse cinders underneath4 ,usually potted trees are grown under glass4 ,they are kept in a cool greenhouse1 that is one with little heat4 ,sometimes they are without artificial heat4 ,in fact this is probably the best way4 ,the houses which are purposely constructed for fruit trees may have a single line of pipe if this is convenient1 so that the chill may be taken off the air in severe cold weather4 ,to reach anything like real success1 houses must be devoted exclusively to fruit trees4 ,occasionally trees may be grown with other plants1 as in cold graperies1 but the results are not the best and often come very close to failure4 ,in building houses for fruit trees exclusively1 the even span construction is nearly always used4 ,houses eighteen or twenty feet wide1 and five feet high at the eaves1 will answer the purpose very well4 ,the leading greenhouse designers are prepared to furnish plans for such houses and it is usually best to follow the advice of their experts4 ,all kinds of fruit trees can be grown in pots4 ,this includes apples1 pears1 peaches1 plums1 nectarines1 and cherries4 ,those which give the best returns are plums and nectarines4 ,apples in pots are very interesting and furnish a superior quality of fruit when grown under glass4 ,apples1 plums and nectarines take a finer finish and a higher flavor when grown in this way than when grown in any other4 ,all fruit trees to be grown in pots should be propagated on the dwarfest of dwarfing stocks4 ,this means practically that apples should be on ,paradise1 pears on quince1 peaches and nectarines on sand cherry1 plum on sand cherry or ,st4 ,julien plum1 and cherries on ,mahaleb4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #da--;,a ,,fruiting ,,peach ,,in ,,pot ,the trees should be potted in good rich soil1 preferably the best garden loam4 ,this should have enough sand and gravel in it to insure good drainage4 ,a considerable amount of drainage material should be placed in the bottom of each pot4 ,the trees should be repotted in fresh soil annually in ,october or ,november4 ,trees in pots require liberal feeding4 ,besides being given well enriched earth at the time of repotting1 they should be supplied from time to time with small amounts of fertilizer4 ,good soluble chemical fertilizers can be applied either dry or dissolved4 ,a good formula is one part nitrate of soda1 two parts of muriate of potash1 two parts of high grade phosphoric acid4 ,a very little sprinkling1 say a tablespoonful1 of this can be given on each pot once a month during the growing season which lasts roughly from ,december to ,may4 ,in place of this1 or alternately with this1 moderate waterings with liquid manure may also be given4 ,these small doses of food are especially useful at the time when the fruit is forming on the trees4 ,the trees are usually brought into the house at the time of potting1 say ,november #a4 ,if early fruit is desired1 they are kept in a house with some heat4 ,it is necessary only that the temperature should be kept constantly and safely above the freezing point4 ,rapid forcing with a high temperature is not desirable and is hardly possible4 ,if kept simply above the freezing point1 these trees will start into growth in ,january4 ,they can then be kept somewhat warmer during ,february1 the heat being slightly increased in ,march4 ,peaches and nectarines will stand fairly high temperatures after the fruit is well set and especially toward ripening time4 ,by this method of mild forcing1 plums1 peaches1 and nectarines can be brought into fruit as early as the latter part of ,may4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #db--;,a ,,fig ,,tree ,,in ,a ,,pot ,the main crop of potted fruits1 however1 need not be expected until ,june or ,july2 that is not very much in advance of the outdoor crop4 ,the object of growing fruit under glass is not so much to force it ahead of season as it is to improve the quality4 ,trees which are to be kept in a cool house without heat need no particular attention except to see that they are watered occasionally and that some plant food is given after growth begins4 ,even if the temperature goes down considerably below freezing during the winter months in this cold house where the potted fruit trees are1 no damage need be expected4 ,of course1 special care will be given to prevent damage from attacks of fungi or insects which occasionally become troublesome in the houses4 ,the small size of these trees makes such work comparatively easy4 ,the methods of pruning are the same as those recommended for pyramid and bush form trees4 ,these forms are the most practical for pot culture1 though pot trees are occasionally trained in cordon forms4 ,,xiii ,,personalia ,many persons have a strong prejudice in favor of the concrete4 ,on general principles they object to generalities4 ,they choose rather the specific case4 ,personal experience1 they say1 means more to them than theory1 even though the theory be the sublimation of all experience4 ,for the benefit of such people ,i am going to set down an account of some of my own attempts at growing dwarf fruit trees1 and to that ,i will add brief opinions and experiences of some friends of mine4 ,the first dwarf fruit tree that ,i ever saw1 so far as ,i remember1 was in the grounds of the ,kansas ,state ,agricultural ,college when ,i was a student there4 ,this tree was an apple1 on ,paradise stock1 and at two years after planting it bore six or eight very fine ,yellow ,transparent apples4 ,it was one of several dwarf apples planted by ,professor ,e4 ,a4 ,popenoe1 but the other trees did not much attract my attention4 ,this particular specimen had a straight1 clean trunk of about thirty inches1 after the absurd style of heading dwarf apples practised in most ,american nurseries4 ,but the crown was full and symmetrical1 and the fruit was incomparable4 ,that particular tree has always been a sort of ideal and inspiration to me4 ,later1 when ,i planted an orchard in ,oklahoma1 ,i put in some dwarf trees1 particularly pears1 but ,i did not stay there long enough to see what came of them4 ,the next fruit garden in which ,i became interested was in ,vermont4 ,this had in it some dwarf pear trees1 dwarf apples and dwarf plums1 and my own personal experience had fairly begun4 ,the dwarf apples proved to be an almost complete failure1 for reasons which ,i can not now satisfactorily explain4 ,a few years later ,i planted a few dwarf apple trees in another ,vermont garden1 where they did reasonably well4 ,but1 at any rate1 the whole undertaking was unsatisfactory1 for it did not give me a vital understanding of the trees4 ,i never got onto terms of real personal goodfellowship with them2 and until a gardener does that his work is some sort of a failure4 ,the dwarf pears did somewhat better4 ,they seemed to understand their business1 and they kept about it without much attention from me4 ,i never cared much for pears1 anyway4 ,but the plums were the brilliant success1 at least with reference to my own interior personal experience4 ,every plum tree meant something to me4 ,a stub of a root and two scrawny plum branches would at any time arouse my imagination like the circus posters' appeal to a boy4 ,in this ,vermont garden which ,i adopted when it was about four years old1 there were various plum trees1 mostly of domestica varieties1 growing on ,americana roots4 ,they had come from the ,iowa ,state ,college1 where they had been educated that way4 ,they had been given those ,americana roots1 not primarily to dwarf them1 but to insure them against damage from the cold winters4 ,the tops had not been cut back1 and the whole treatment was just such as would have been applied to standards4 ,later ,i saw the bad results of this treatment1 for several of the trees blew over in high winds4 ,from subsequent experience ,i feel sure that if they had been headed low at first1 if they had been kept closely headed back and otherwise handled like real dwarfs1 they would have lived to a greater age and would have made everybody happier4 ,at this time also ,i began1 on a somewhat comprehensive plan1 the propagation of plums on all sorts of stocks1 including ,americana1 ,wayland seedlings1 ,miner root cuttings and sand cherry1 all more or less efficient dwarfing stocks4 ,by this time ,i was into it head over ears1 as far as the plums were concerned4 ,this having been the largest chapter in my personal pomological experience1 ,i suppose it ought to form the largest portion of this chapter in the book2 but my plum work and my experiments in propagation have been so often and so fully reported elsewhere that it would be a vain repetition to go over them again now4 ,they are all written down in the proper places where they may be consulted by the enthusiastic or ill-advised student4 ,and then ,i came to ,massachusetts2 and here the first project1 almost1 to which my hand was turned was the installation of a garden of dwarf fruit trees4 ,from the following memorandum of the trees growing in this garden any reader may surmise the enjoyment ,i have found in it4 ,there is one row of dwarf plum trees set six feet apart and trained1 rather unsatisfactorily1 into bush form4 ,the trees were many of them too large when they came from ,france1 and1 though ,i cut them back severely1 they did not form such low bushy heads as my ideal species4 ,they are on ,st4 ,julien roots1 which serve the purposes in hand fairly well4 ,though the trees had a hard trip across the water only one out of forty-six has died in three years4 ,unfortunately these trees have not yet borne fruit1--not one of them4 ,next year many of them will bear4 ,earlier fruitage can certainly be secured on sand cherry stocks and under other methods of training4 ,besides the bush plums1 the garden contains a row of upright cordons4 ,most of these were not propagated on dwarf stocks at all1 and were not expected to suffer any such drastic training as ,i have put upon them4 ,they were taken from the college nursery and from the nurseries of several of my correspondents1 just wherever ,i could find the varieties ,i wanted1 and without reference to the stocks on which they were growing4 ,a few are on ,americana stocks1 several are on peach roots 7of all things71 and probably a majority are growing on the usual ,myrobalan roots4 ,these trees are planted two feet apart in the row and are tied up to a trellis of chicken wire4 ,there are about thirty varieties in the row1 numbering most of the different botanical types more frequently cultivated in ,north ,america4 ,many of the varieties are totally and very obviously unsuited to this method of treatment1 and presently ,i will replace them with more amenable varieties4 ,but many of the varieties have fruited1 especially the ,japanese kinds1 and some of them1 like ,burbank1 have proved most unexpectedly docile4 ,altogether this row of unsuitably propagated and unsuitably selected varieties of plum trees has been one of the most interesting1 instructive and entertaining elements in my dwarf fruit garden4 ,next there comes a trellis bearing some espaliers1 including plums1 pears1 apples1 peaches and cherries2 but these have been recently planted1 and as yet they have done nothing worth relating4 ,there is one row of twenty-three dwarf pears1 mostly trained in pyramid form4 ,these have not done well1 but the reason is not far to seek4 ,the soil is light and full of gravel1 and quite unsuited to pear or quince4 ,pears never thrive on it4 ,several of the trees are bearing a crop this year1 but some of the trees are also dead1 and the whole row looks like the finish of a bargain sale on the remnant ribbon counter4 ,the row of upright cordon pears is a trifle better1 but that is only an accident1 ,i think4 ,the varieties which are growing there seem to be rather better adapted to withstand the unpropitious surroundings4 ,these trees also are bearing4 ,when we come to the two rows of horizontal cordon apples1 though1 the real fun has begun4 ,nearly all these trees are in bearing1 and a few of them have borne every year since they were planted out4 ,they are set only three feet apart in the row1 which is not enough2 and they suffered terribly the first year from a midsummer attack of aphides2 and the pruning was neglected to allow them to recover from that scourge1 so that the form was somewhat injured2 but they have never ceased to be a joy to me and a wonderment to visitors4 ,they are mostly of ,european varieties1 but ,bismarck is the showiest and most fruitful one in the collection1 though far from the best to eat4 ,then there are standard gooseberries and currants1 of which there is little to be said4 ,they haven't been there long1 but they are at home and are going to stay4 ,next year ,i am going to put in some gooseberries and currants in espalier form4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #dc--;,,dwarf ,,pear ,,in ,,pyramid ,,form ,two years planted2 author's garden ,very few persons know what a medlar is4 ,for the benefit of the ignorant and to increase the kaleidoscopic effect on my fruit garden1 ,i have some medlar trees1--,hollaendische ,monstroese1--which ,i bought of ,louis ,spaeth1 ,baumschulenweg1 ,berlin4 ,a wire trellis1 built much like a grape trellis1 only higher1 carries the row of upright cordon apples4 ,some of these bore fruit the first year they were planted1 and there has been a fair sprinkling of fruit every year since then4 ,this has been one of the most satisfactory lots in the make-up4 ,there are two rows containing forty-six bush-form apples on paradise roots set six feet apart4 ,some of these have borne every year since planting out1 many of them showing a good crop this year4 ,again ,bismarck is the most fruitful1 but the least pleasing to eat4 ,alexander has made a good record1 and this year ,calville d',automne shows a very pretty crop4 ,it is customary with visitors1 especially those already interested in fruit-growing and those of a practical turn of mind1 to depart with the judgment that all those other schemes are curious and interesting1 but the bush form apple trees look the most like business4 ,i think so too4 ,in fact my experience with dwarf apples might be summarized by saying1 bush trees for business1 cordons for fun4 ,one row of peach trees on ,st4 ,julien plum roots set fruit buds in abundance the first year1 but they were killed by the freeze of the following winter4 ,the second year the experience was the same1 except that the tops froze with the fruit buds4 ,new tops were grown at once1 however1 and the following year nearly every tree bore a small crop of fruit4 ,dwarf peach trees are worth while4 ,this garden has also a row of cherry trees1 including ,morello1 ,richmond and ,montmorency2 but these trees were set the second year of the garden making and have borne only a small crop of sample cherries4 ,the last planting in this garden consists of one row of nectarines1 twenty-two trees4 ,this little garden1 containing considerably less than a quarter of an acre of land1 has now growing upon it #edh fruit trees of the kinds named4 ,and ,i am not yet done planting4 ,there are various other things that ,i want to put in1--quinces1 apricots1 and perhaps raspberries1 dewberries1 and other bush fruits4 ,in fact1 ,i should like to make it a ,paradise like good old ,gerarde's or ,dodoens'1 in which all the fruits good for food or physic might be brought together and represented in a little space4 ,it would be quite wrong to close this experience meeting without giving the observations and quoting the opinions of some other and better men4 ,patrick ,barry1 in his delightful ,fruit ,garden1 recorded his belief that dwarf fruit trees were well worth while4 ,the apple1 said he1 worked on the ,paradise1 makes a beautiful little dwarf bush4 ,we know of nothing more interesting in the fruit garden than a row or little square of these miniature fruit trees4 ,they begin to bear the third year from the bud1 and the same variety is always larger and finer on them than on standards4 ,speaking of pears1 he said3 ,on the quince stock the trees bear much earlier1 are more prolific1 more manageable1 and consequently preferable for small gardens4 ,the late ,mr4 ,e4 ,g4 ,lodeman1 who wrote the most comprehensive ,american monograph on dwarf apples1 concluded his essay rather pessimistically in these words3 ,from all the evidence which ,i have been able to collect1 therefore1 ,i cannot advise the planting of dwarf apple trees for commercial rewards1 but it seems to me1 nevertheless1 that they are worth experimenting with for this purpose4 ,mr4 ,lodeman recorded and endorsed the common opinion that apples grown on dwarf trees are handsomer and of better quality than those grown upon standards2 but he did not seem to consider that fact of much importance4 ,those who are acquainted at the ,lazy ,club in ,cornell ,university1 and especially those who know ,bailiwick1 have heard of ,professor ,l4 ,h4 ,bailey's dwarf apples4 7,fig4 #dd47 ,these were planted six or eight years ago1 and most of them are now in bearing4 ,there are a good many different varieties1 nearly all ,french4 ,my understanding of the scheme is that it was as much as half intended to be a commercial venture2 but up to the present time little else but confusion and fun have been gathered with the fruit from those dwarf apple trees4 ,when last ,i asked the proprietor for his experience with dwarf apples he said that he was having a lot of experience1 only he didn't know what it was4 ,dwarf pears have been planted frequently1 especially in ,western ,new ,york and ,michigan4 ,i asked ,professor ,s4 ,a4 ,beach for his observations of them1 to which he replied3 ,with regard to dwarf pears ,i will say that the variety which is most generally grown in commercial orchards is ,bartlett4 ,almost without exception this is grown as a standard4 ,other important commercial varieties are ,seckel1 ,bosc and ,winter ,nelis4 ,all these are generally grown as standards4 ,the variety commonly grown as dwarf is ,angouleme4 ,a few fruit growers of my acquaintance are making some money from orchards of dwarf ,angouleme4 ,the other varieties which are often propagated on dwarf stock as ,clairgeau1 ,anjou and so forth1 are seldom profitable4 ,in fact ,i have heard it stated that outside of ,ellwanger and ,barry's orchard there is not a profitable orchard of ,anjou in this ,state4 ,from these statements ,i wish you to derive the conclusion that in ,new ,york ,state under present conditions there is little encouragement for planting dwarf pears commercially4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #dd--;,,in ,,professor ,,bailey',s ,,orchard ,chenango apple on ,doucin stocks1 interplanted between standard trees ,mr4 ,e4 ,w4 ,wood1 for many years chairman of the fruit committee of the ,massachusetts ,horticultural ,society1 says that under the right conditions the dwarf pear tree is a necessity for commercial pear growing4 ,the growers in ,revere and ,cambridge would feel they could not get along without the dwarf trees4 ,putting the pear on the quince stock does not change the wants of the roots of the latter1 and it is no use setting them on a light1 dry soil1 as the roots being confined to a small area of unsuitable soil1 will make a feeble growth and finally die outright2 or1 if in an exposed situation1 blow over4 ,most all the varieties may be grown as dwarfs4 ,the ,angouleme and ,clairgeau1 both good market varieties1 cannot be successfully grown in any other way4 ,recently ,mr4 ,m4 ,b4 ,waite has written me the letter quoted below1 giving some conclusions from his experience with dwarf pears in ,anne ,arundel ,county1 ,maryland4 ,he says3 ,i planted out #a1jjj dwarf pear trees nine years ago4 ,they were largely ,duchess 7,angouleme71 but there are some ,manning1 ,howell1 ,anjou1 ,louise ,bonne and ,lawrence4 ,i have not been entirely satisfied with the results4 ,we have not had the proper quantity of fruit4 ,there has been some fruit every year since the fourth year1 and two years ago there was quite a good crop1 but nothing to compare with the yield per acre of ,kieffer1 ,le,conte and ,garber1 for instance4 ,of course1 these are higher-priced fruit and large yields are not required for good returns4 ,only the ,duchess and ,manning1 however1 have produced sufficient to pay at all1 and the orchard has not as yet really paid financially4 ,we have a nice crop this year1 however1 more than the total yield up to this season1 and perhaps from now on we may win out4 ,my dwarf pears are on a soil too dry and sandy for the best results1 and ,i think we are at ,washington pretty near the southern limit1 at least at low altitudes4 ,in the mountains of ,virginia and ,north ,carolina they can be grown further southward4 ,they require a moist1 preferably clay-loam soil even in their naturally favored districts1 such as ,new ,england1 ,new ,york and ,michigan1 but such a soil is still more desirable when rather too far south for their normal range4 ,they require high culture1 manuring and fertilizing1 and thorough pruning and spraying in any locality1 and these requirements are still more exacting in ,maryland4 ,a slight neglect in cultivation1 pruning or spraying in one season results in a mass of blooms the next spring1 but little or no fruit set4 ,of course1 this extra attention which has to be devoted to dwarf pears as compared with ,oriental pears1 peaches1 apples1 etc41 to be profitable should result in larger yields1 but does not usually do so in this latitude4 ,on the other hand1 we may say in favor of the dwarf pear that the quince root is a healthy1 reliable root for the pear tree2 that the trees attain their seasonal growth early1 and therefore are not as susceptible to pear blight as standard pears4 ,furthermore1 they are more easily sprayed1 pruned1 and otherwise handled than the high standard trees4 ,my friend1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,w4 ,kerr1 of the ,eastern ,shore of ,maryland1 who owns one of the oldest and most picturesque orchards of dwarf pears ,i ever saw1 says that ,angouleme 7,duchess7 is the only variety that pays for growing in that form4 ,thus the experience of many men in many parts of ,america sums up as we began4 ,the conclusion of the whole matter seems to be about this3 ,dwarf fruit trees have not yet played any prominent role in ,american commercial horticulture2 but they have been profitable in a few special cases1 and the probability seems strong almost to the point of certainty that1 with the development1 refinement and specialization of our commercial fruit growing1 a wider field of usefulness will be opened for dwarf trees4 ,in the realm of amateur fruit growing1 on the other hand1--a realm now daily widening1--dwarf fruit trees are of capital importance4 ,the owners and renters of small grounds1 the cultivators of little gardens--the great majority of ,american home-makers1 in fact1--will find in them an unfailing source of pleasure1 inspiration1 and even of profit4 ,,index ,,page ,advantages of dwarf trees1 #h ,apple1 propagation of1 #bc ,apples1 #fc ,apples1 recommended varieties1 #gb ,bailey1 ,h41 quoted1 #abj ,barry's ,fruit ,garden1 #aai ,bismarck apple1 #g ,boundary fences1 #af ,bush fruits1 #ii ,commercial value1 #bj ,cordon trees1 #df ,currants1 #aja ,definition of dwarf tree1 #a ,designs for fruit gardens1 #ec1 #ee1 #ei1 #fa ,disadvantages of dwarf trees1 #ah ,double-working1 #bg ,doucin apple1 #bf ,dwarf tree1 definition1 #a ,early bearing1 #h ,erwin1 ,a4 ,t41 quoted1 #bi ,expense of dwarf trees1 #ah ,fertilizers1 #ed ,fillers in orchards1 #ac ,forms for trees1 #da ,gooseberries1 #aja ,heading young trees1 #cb ,houses for dwarf fruits1 #ajg ,j4 ,w4 ,kerr1 quoted1 #abd ,lodeman1 ,e4 ,g41 quoted1 #aai ,longevity of dwarf trees1 #ai ,management of dwarf trees1 #ea ,management of trees in pots1 #aji ,nectarine1 propagation of1 #bh ,nursery management1 #ca ,paradise apple1 #bd ,peach1 propagation of1 #bg ,peaches1 #hc ,pear1 propagation of1 #bf ,pears1 #gf ,pears1 recommended varieties1 #ha ,personalia1 #aab ,pinching1 #ce ,plum1 propagation of1 #bh ,plums1 #ij ,plums1 recommended varieties1 #ig ,pots for fruit trees1 #ajf ,propagation1 #bb ,pruning apple trees1 #fh ,pruning dwarf trees1 #cc ,pruning peach trees1 #hf ,pruning plum trees1 #ib ,pyramid tree1 #db ,quality of fruit1 #aj ,root pruning1 #cf ,sand cherry1 #cj ,san ,jose scale1 #aj ,school gardens1 #ae ,selection of varieties1 #fj ,suburban places1 #ab ,tillage1 #ed ,training in special forms1 #ch ,trellises for trees1 #eh ,u-form trees1 #dd ,uses for dwarf trees1 #ab ,waite1 ,m4 ,b41 quoted1 #abb ,walls and fences1 #ae ,walls for dwarf trees1 #eg ,wood1 ,e4 ,w41 quoted1 #abb 4444444444444 ,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,in the plain-text version of this ebook italics are indicated by underscores4 ,obvious typographical errors in spelling and punctuation have been corrected without comment4 ,one example of an obvious typographical error is on page #abd where the word an was changed to on in the phrase 444 on the other hand4444 ,other than obvious typographical errors1 the author's original spelling1 punctuation1 hyphenation and use of accents has been left intact with the following three exceptions3 #a4 ,on page #ib a hyphen was added to the term one-half4 #b4 ,in the ,index 7page #abe7 an accent mark was added in the term3 ,san ,jose scale4 #c4 ,in the ,index 7page #abe7 the entry ,j4 ,w4 ,kerr was changed to ,kerr1 ,j4 ,w4 to correspond with other similar entries4