Stream Corner

It is possible to grass down in between cordon trees and much of the mowing can, of course, be done mechanically. The grass underneath the cordons themselves has to be cut from time to time by hand, but can be allowed to lie there as a mulch. I often uses the excess from in between the cordon rows as a mulch in the rows themselves, and this does discourage the growth of grass underneath the cordons to reduce the amount of handwork, in consequence, to a minimum. For the very small garden there is a lot to be said for the Family tree.

As the result of this leader pruning, laterals or side growths are produced, and these are thinned out, if necessary, so that they are spaced at about 7 to 8 inches apart. When these shoots are about 9 inches long they are pulled down by means of wires so that they are absolutely horizontal. At the end of the year these laterals are cut back by half. It is not long, of course, before little horizontal laterals are formed. This means that the laterals which develop higher up can be hooked. down to the stiff horizontal laterals below. Unfortunately, these spindle bushes do need supporting and a stake must be used, 8 feet long, driven 2 feet into the ground. This method of growing apples may easily give 400 bushels of apples an acre four years after planting.

Several of the Family trees grouped together give a continuation and selection of fruit throughout the season.

Family trees can be bought bearing (a) three cooking apples, i.e. early, mid-seascn and late; (b) three eating apples for mid-season; and (c) one cooking and two eating apples; or (d) three late varieties of dessert apples. Choice varieties of apples are is Arthur Turner. It is a regular and abundant cropper, grows fairly upright and will pollinate Bramley's Seedling. A nice dark green round apple with slight orange-red flush on one side. Season Aug.-Oct. Resistant to scab.

Belle De Boskoop is a heavy cropper, fruit round, yellowish skin through grey-russet, slightly scarlet flush. When peeled smells aromatic. Season Oct.-Mar. Resistant to scab.

Blenheim Orangs is a delicious apple that unfortunately takes years to come into cropping unless worked on M.IX stock. Fruits large, skin dull yellow with slight flush on one side, has lovely nutty flavour. Season Nov.-Dec. Susceptible to scab but resistant to mildew. Bowden's Seedling is probably a seedling from Jonathan and is in fact very much like it, but of better quality. A tall oval apple, pale yellow skin, covered with a scarlet flush, makes the apple almost red. Season Nov.-Dec. Resistant to scab, but very susceptible to mildew.