200 FOREST WORK FOR THE MONTH. [July 



f'oREST Work for the Month. 



ENGLAND. 



AFTER a cold May and a salubrious June, we may expect a 

 warm and brilliant July favourable to the gathering of the 

 hay crop, and to the luxuriance and mature perfection of our cereals. 

 The general characteristics of the month are clearness and heat ; 

 with occasional thunderstorms. The mean average rainfall is about 

 2^ inches, and the evaporation about 4^ inches. Last year the 

 rainfalls were recorded at different places as under : — 



At Greenwich, rain fell on 16 days, to a depth of 1*7 G inches. 

 At Edinburgh, „ 22 „ 4-63 „ 



At Glasgow, „ 25 „ 6-15 „ 



At Bristol, „ 19 „ 3'66 „ 



still indicating the heavier rainfall along the western division of 

 the country. 



Orchard.— Young fruit trees require a good deal of attention 

 to train them into developing good stems and habits. Prune dwarf 

 trees, by shortening shoots tending to over-luxuriance, checking the 

 strongest first, and the others as they develop) strength, but not 

 ■enough to bare the foliage too much at a time, 



Eences should be kept clear of weeds, and when these have 

 become strong before being hoed or cut down, it would be well to 

 remove them to the compost heap, to be rotted into a manure. 

 Continue clipping and dressing hedges where utility or ornamenta- 

 tion demands, and keep all fences in efficient repair, repainting iron 

 and wood fences where necessary. 



Plantations. — Continue, as circumstances will permit, to prepare 

 land for autumn and winter planting, by fencing, draining, and 

 preparing pits for the larger plants. Look through young plant- 

 ings, and clear away all rank-growing vegetation likely to overtop 

 or closely envelop the young trees, preventing a free circulation of 

 air amongst their branchlets, and excluding the beneficent effects 

 of the summer sun. I consider summer pruning very essential 

 amongst trees that have been planted a few years, and believe 

 the use of the pocket knife, standard tree-pruner, or other suit- 

 able instrument should be freely used in shortening contending 

 shoots, and removing other growths that mar the balance and 

 symmetry of the individual trees. If this treatment Avere more 

 general, it would tend to the production of finer timber, and avoid 



