The leading gardeners of this country have never given the orchard-house system of growing fruit-trees more than a very lukewarm advocacy, perhaps partly because it does not fill the fruit-room, and partly because it is after all but a fancy, as the growing of Auriculas or the rearing of pigeons. Hard pinching and root-pruning, like the pinch-ing-and-peace policy of our Government, seems an experiment which is about worked out, and, like the milliner's fashions, gives place to something very strikingly different - in this instance a return to a more liberal and natural mode of culture. The era of restriction seems waning fast: our venerable Vines and Pear-trees may yet see a generation springing up around them to emulate and perpetuate their fame. There is nothing new under the sun, an adage as old and of as good authority as the Decalogue. The Chinese grew fruit-trees in pots, and indeed many other trees, before the venerable Rivers; and no doubt the Celestials could show that they did so generations before our Christian forefather Adam began to dress and keep a garden. Certain it is that they can outdo Mr Rivers's Apple-trees 18 inches high borne down with fruit.

Also the extension system is not a new thing, but a very old system, the advantage of which we have just "awakened to see," as Mr Cannell has been telling us. There seems a good time coming for all fruit-trees, when their limbs shall fear no hook - nosed pruning - knife. Saynor must recognise the spirit of the age, and turn his pruning-hooks into spears. It is not many years since we were seriously invited to grow our Grapes on old snag-headed vines in pots, which were portrayed in all their grotesque ferocity for our encouragement. Seriously, we are glad to hail the advent of more enlightened notions on fruit-tree management. Good culture does not consist in cutting and pinching root and branch, but rather on food and warmth properly provided, watering, manuring, and protection - like the modern doctor, trusting more to nature, and assisting her to perfect herself, than to blood-letting and amputation.

We have for a long time been saying in effect to our trees, "If you don't bear fruit for us, we shall kill you by inches".

These remarks are written almost within the shadow of an old Marie Louise Pear-tree, a standard 30 feet high, whose branches certainly have not felt the knife for many years. Side by side are equally large and old trees of Brown Beurre and Flemish Beauty, and many more, with boles 12 inches in diameter, mossy standards which bear bushels of fruit; but we must say the size would be larger if the wood and fruit were thinner, and not left just so much in care of themselves. We believe that culture in every instance does not consist so much in the use of the knife; and even the quality of soil is secondary if climate is suitable to the subject - by climate we mean the average heat and moisture in the atmosphere. Much has been said and written on the climate of France, as compared with our own, bearing on the culture of fruit, some insisting that the difference in climate is nil, but that we fail in England in the matter of training, pruning, grafting, and pinching. Covent Garden, however, solves the difficulty, and our orchards improve as they advance southwards from York to Hereford, through Somerset to the Channel Islands, and thence to France. We suspect the French will have out-door fruit in spite of their clever vivisection and training.

The chief reason for growing fruit-trees in pots is, that we may be able to afford them a southern climate under glass, with the facility of moving them at certain times when desired. With a climate such as the southern counties of England and France enjoy, all pruning with a view to restriction is undoubtedly wrong and unprofitable. For the same reason all restriction of fruit-trees under glass is in the end also unprofitable, if the aim be continued crops of fruit. It is climate, also, which compels the cultivator to have recourse to budding and grafting, as well as for the perpetuation of varieties. In America and Australia the Peach has no need of being worked on the Plum; it does not require a hardy foster-parent to supply it with its daily food. The same must be said of many other varieties of fruit-trees. If this idea was more kept in view - the idea of the importance of climate over cutting and training of trees - how much it would simplify the operations of the gardener, and dry up the fountains of ink which overflow in elaborate diffusion on the mysteries of cutting and hewing the tree from its infancy to its death! The all-important ripening of the wood is the effect of climate. Where such is deficient it is often expedient to root-prune or periodically remove trees.

The check to growth simulates the effects of heat for a time. The same benefits would often result from allowing the tree more freedom to expand itself in growth. We have before us evidence on an unfortunately large scale of the injudicious, excessive root-pruning of old wall-trees on a dry bottom and light soil. It is a final effort between death and life. The constitutions of many-trees are ruined while young by excessive cutting of root and branch. It is well known that the most inveterate of weeds, with roots of strong vital tenacity, such as Horse-radish, the common Bind-weed, or Ash-weed, will yield to repeated cuttings of the tops; and if weeds suffer death from continued cutting, it is but reasonable to infer that fruit-trees may have at least their constitution much impaired by excessive pruning. The condition of the dwarfed fruit-tree in a pot, with no pruning at all, is much more natural, and more compatible with continued health and fruitfulness, than the same tree under the knife in the open ground. The former is like many a Scotch Pine or Birch, dwarf and stunted, grown out of the clefts of the rocks or on an old wall top, healthy and whole in all their parts, though dwarfed by the conditions of their existence.

The oldfashioned and unnatural system of disbudding away the young wood of Peach-trees is fast losing favour. This was the prolific source of bare and blind wood in the middle of the tree, especially with certain sorts, such as Noblesse, which after a time will scarcely make growth except from the points of the branches, the growth yearly going further from home. A lot of excellent specimens of this good old system of management is now under our care. We shall begin with young trees, and give them ample liberty to extend so far as winter-pruning is concerned, preserve an abundance of outlet for the energies of the trees by pinching the foreshoots instead of disbudding them, as well as laying in sufficient young wood, also pinching the leading shoots at the proper time and distance to encourage lateral growth - thus reducing disbudding to a minimum. We sometimes hear of astonishing crops of Figs secured by allowing the foreshoots to extend at liberty from the walls; in the south, however, also of wonderful crops of Morello Cherries. The same treatment would be found to answer with refractory old Pear-trees, with the exception that the young wood must be partially tied in.

The philosophy of the fruitfulness of the modern cordon on the French Apple of Paradise stock, and Rivers's patent selected ditto, is, that the knife is not required. So soon as it has to be brought into requisition disappointment ensues. Our old orchard standards, such as the Marie Louise before mentioned, innocent of the knife, are those which fill the market. Let us therefore, on whatever stock we grow our fruit-trees, whether free or dwarf, do so without abusing the nature of the tree, give them liberty, and cut with caution. The fates of fruit-trees are like those of nations - the vicissitudes of their existence are guided by those who wield the knife. There is the despotic era, when the subject must be managed by laws as stern as those of the Medes and Persians. No matter what the natural bent of the tree may be, it must be cut and hewed into order. The law is laid down to the very bud, and to that bud it must be cut. But the time comes with trees as with nations, when an enlightened regime must prevail.

Their capabilities encouraged, good fruit of large size is the result, filling the market as well as the fruit-room.

The chief use to which the pruning-knife should be applied is the thinning over - abundant fruit - spurs, or overcrowded branches, or thinning out old wood to making way for young. This is quite another thing from cutting back and cutting out young wood indiscriminately; and while advocating a sparing use of the knife, we can just as much admire good training, believing that liberal culture and a well-balanced tree are always accompaniments.

The Squire's Gardener.