THE POOR MAN'S FRUIT GARDEN.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1734, 16 August 1883, Page 3

THE POOR MAN'S FRUIT GARDEN .

Fruit trees of many kinds possesses such a thoroughly ornamental ehaiacter as too entitle them to a place in the flower gat den. The appeal ance of the apple, pear, ohcrty, and many othei flint tree?, when in full bloom, is quite equal to that of any of the floweiinsj shrubs giown c\clusi\ely for their llowers. The apple and pear will, perhaps t.iUe the lead foi the splendour of their iloweis, the elegant character of the foliage, and the n'cli eolouung of the fruit. All fruits that aie most wanted in small gardens can be grown as pyramids or bushes, and, when tianted in either of these founs, take up no more space than nn ordinaiy shrub giown for 01 nament alone. The snow-berry is one of the most popular shiubs for small gardens, yet it is far inferior in beauty to either the apple, pear, or plum, all of which will give a good letitrn in the hhapc of flint tor the space occupied. With judicious airangement a shrubbery planted with fiuit trees alone will cqiul in eifect the most happy combination of doweling shrubs. Whore abeltof trees has to be planted a row of standauls may be placed at the back, at a distance of about twelve feet apart. In front of these plant a row of pyramids, and the fiont row may consist of bush-trees or can ant and gooseberry bushes may be substituted for them. Theie is nothing impracticable in having fclnubbeiics of fiuits instead of the oidinary shinbs now used, because all will glow as well in unfavoiuable situations as tho commonest shiub, and tlieie are few situations in A\hich the tteeawill not pioducc a fa-n crop. To buy and plant the tiees is easy work enough. The soil should be well broken up—say, to a depth of two feet—to enable the roots to go down beyond the reach of a few weeks of dry weather in the summer. Vciy rich soil is not required; but wheie the around has been occupied with shiubs, a diessing of lottcn manure will be necessary. It is a very common practice to give ground intended to be occupied with fruit tices heavy dressings of manuic pievious to planting ; but it is a serious mistake, for it tluows the tices into a luvuriant growth, and very little fruit is produced in consequence. The piopertimc for diessing the ground is after the trees have boine crops for several years, and have exhausted the soil of the particular form of nourishment necessary to ensure a healthy and somewhat vigorous growth. A fiuit tree shrubbery would]theiefore afford recreative employment as well as rectcitive sights, odouis, and fruits. It would tend to promote perfect harmony between the heart,' the head, and the hands. At all events, the consideiation of the subject is earnestly commended to all who cannot command both fruit gardens and shrubbeiies on so ample a scale as the scope of their desires.

Twenty-four Fruits for a Poor Man's Garden. Apples, Kitchen :—Keswick Codlin, Blenheim Orange, Hawthoinden, Dumelow's .Seedling, Lord Su{field, Northern Greening. Apples, Dessert: —King of the Pippins, Ribston Pippin, Baddow Pippin, Cellini. Pears : Jargonelle, William's Bon Chretien, Marie Louise, Louise Bonne of Jetsey, Winter Nellis, Beurro d'Aremberg. Plums, Kitchen : —Early Prolific, Victoria, Late Black Orleans. Plums* Dessert: —Early Favourite, Greengage, Reine Claude do Bavy. Cherries: —May Duke,, Morello.—G'trdeners' Magazine.

A Parisian dealer ia fireworks has invented a sort of rocket which when introduced into a rabbit burrow will find its way downward and when well into the bowels of the earth explode like a, shell, idriving out the hiippy family in dire dismay^ If this sevice succeeds as M'ell in the ground as on paper, the ferret's occupation will be gone. For the discomfiture of larger game, like the fox or the coney, the rocket will be arranged with a chemical attachment, which when the explosion occurs will give -off a poisonous yaponr immediately fatal to the uuluoky, pe^s't eabalin^iti, „,' % ,n,-r ,r , '' *,