1869.] HINTS FOR AMATEURS. • 403 



getting the wood well hardened and brown, they sometimes omit to men- 

 tion the necessity of keeping the foliage and roots healthy. Our early 

 Peach-trees, which ripened their fruit in June, are now quite green 

 in foliage. The wood is brown all over, and when the hand is drawn 

 over the fleshy leaves they fall easily off, and the wood is clustered 

 with buds. The roots are near the surface, and both water-pot and 

 syringe have been freely used hitherto. With a current of air passing 

 over the whole surface (dryness is now necessary for a time), we could 

 always keep trees on walls in similar condition. Healthy fibre is the 

 principal agent in securing success. Our late trees, which are very 

 heavy in crop, were punished in the spring by keeping the ventilation 

 open in all weathers. Many of the newly-formed fruit fell off, but plenty 

 remained to be thinned off. Raspberries done fruiting may have the old 

 wood cut out to let air in among the young canes ; but where the canes 

 are liberally treated, there will be plenty of fruit till the frost takes them 

 off. Good mulching in spring secures all we require till October, though 

 some tell us we have to get "perpetual-bearing" Rasps for autumn supply. 

 We can manage nicely with Falstaff. A quantity of a wild white kind 

 brought in from the woods last spring, and planted on a trench well 

 filled up with dung and leaf-mould, is now bearing crops of fruit, many 

 of which are an inch through. The canes were cut down to within 2 

 feet of the ground. Morello Cherries and Currants to be kept for some 

 time on the trees should be kept dry if possible. Thin canvas keeps off 

 wasps and lets in air, but rain splits the Cherries and rots the Currants. 

 Oil-cloth to take off and on would be useful if the fruit were worth the 

 expense. Trees in great vigour should have their roots half lifted, cutting 

 any tap ones clean off, and make the ground hard under them. Dung 

 placed under the roots is a great mistake, as it leads them downwards. 



All watering may now be done in the morning ; more care is ne- 

 cessary, as plants require less of it. Drainage should now be kept 

 well cleared, and no worms in pots should be tolerated. Clean pots 

 and open healthy surfaces are of great importance. 



Stake Chrysanthemums, if not already done. Let the wood 

 cover the stakes as much as possible ; nothing is less in accordance 

 with good taste than a mass of sticks propping a plant. Dah- 

 lias and all other autumn - flowering plants require to be well 

 secured against wind. If Carnations, Pinks, &c., are to be grown in 

 pots, they should be lifted carefully, and potted in good turfy loam 

 and sand, free from wire worms, and placed on a hard surface where 

 the water would drain off freely. A frame with lights which can be 

 pushed on to keep off heavy rains is of great advantage. We leave 

 hundreds of red and white Clove-layers on the stools all winter, and 

 plant them in well-prepared ground in March. They bloom well from 



