In small kitchen gardens where it is necessary to combine use with ornament as much as pollible, it will be found exceedingly interesting to form arches of both Pears and Apples.

We have planted a whole kitchen garden with, first two Pears on each side of the walk opposite to one another then two Apples, the two Hybrid Perpetual Roses, and so on all round. this winter it is proposed to introduce some fo the beautiful-leaven American Vines.

But I should advise all parties commencing, where the garden is large, to make the arches wider at the bottom than we have done. Our walks are grass, 6 feet in width, and we have planted close up to the edge. Eight feet would be much better, as it gives a higher arch and better proportion, but for small gardens 6 feet would be sufficient. It also takes the bottom line of the plants back from the edge, which I find in the garden for arches for the summer plants an advantage, but still keeping to the 10 feet in the space between each arch.

It will be found that the Pears and Apples will simply require upright stakes, three to each, for a season or two. When the trees are planted they are headed down to within 18 inches of the ground, the object being to get them into the form of fig. 1, training the shoots up at 2 feet from the stem, this can only be done by making the eyes break near the bottom; they are then trained up the stakes until they reach the height of where the arch commences; part of one season's shot being allowed to grow higher makes little difference, but if they are allowed to get strong before the shoots are trained to the bend, they are apt to break.

The arches for these are best to be of wood, or something that can be removed. When the shoots reach a little over the top they are inarched, fig. 2, and after one season, when sufficiently united, the temporary arch is removed. they will continue to support themselves in future, unless it happens that they are heavily cropped when the wood is young. this happened in our case with a Washington and Victoria Plum, the weight of the fruit completely breaking the arch down after being three seasons inarche; but Pears and Apples seldom bear so heavily on young wood.

It is advisable to have the opposite trees of Pears and Apples of different varieties as the inarching frequently assists a sort that may be weaker by taking the surplus sap from the stronger-growing and equalising it and making both bear better. We find this to be the case to a great extent on the walls, particularly with old trees; for example, five very old and fine-looking trees, that never bore any fruit, were inarched all into one another seven years ago; the second year they had a crop, and have been bearing less or more ever since.

Where Roses and Vines are used I would recommend iron for supports, as wood becomes troublesome and unsatisfatory--or, where the owner is partial to Plums, permanent iron supports would be useful; and I doubt if they would get sufficiently strong to bear the enormous crop that roo-pruning and pinching insure under five or six years.

Orchard-house treatment demonstrates most distinctly that nearly all our fruit trees become more productive under dwarfing treatment, such as these arches, &c., and they are exceedingly interesting and ornamental.

Cliveden

M. Fleming.

QUO.