5G0 THE GARDENER. [Dec. 



Beans coming tliroiigh the soil should be protected. Stake them at 

 once, and place evergreen branches among them. When the weather 

 is severe, coal-ashes sprinkled over them is useful in keeping off slugs. 

 Celery should be protected from frost with litter, but the covering 

 should be taken off whenever thaw sets in, as rotting would soon take 

 place. Earth up (but not to bury the leaves) all late crops requiring it. 

 There should now be no delay in getting fruit-trees planted which 

 still remain to be done. Those already planted (if standards) should 

 be well secured to stakes, but not tying so that the bark may be injured, 

 but using old cloth, leather, or straw-bands under the ties. Let mulch- 

 ing be placed over the roots before any injury from frost is sustained. 

 Those on walls should not receive their permanent fastenings, as the 

 newly-planted roots may subside with the soil, and serious injury to 

 the bark by the ties might be the result. All established trees on 

 walls and fences may be nailed as soon as they are pruned. Let the 

 shoots be placed as regular and close to the wall as possible. If shreds 

 are used, let plenty of space be left for the branches to grow. Strings 

 should not be tied so that they will cut the wood, as cankering would 

 then show itself. We seldom use shreds, because of their unsightly 

 appearance, and the harbour afforded for insects. There is also great 

 objection to pulling out and replacing nails every season, destroying 

 walls and making nests for vermin. When tying is practised, the same 

 nails may last for years by cutting away the shoot not required, 

 and tying its successor in the same place to the old nails. If all 

 the leaves have not fallen from Peaches and Apricots, the trees should 

 have a new soft broom swept over them. Any lateral growths 

 still remaining should be cut off, as anything that would tend to keep 

 the wood soft and green is very objectionable both to the health of 

 the trees and the crop for next season. Apricots and Peaches should 

 have the young bearing-wood unfastened from the walls, so that 

 they will be free to the action of the air all round to harden them. 

 Many experienced cultivators keep the young shoots off the walls as 

 long as possible in spring, so that they are not prematurely excited to 

 receive a check later in the season. Much of the failure of last 

 season's fruit can be attributed to the warm weather in February 

 bringing out the blossoms, to be checked by the cold frosty weather in 

 April. If the shoots had been free from the walls, less injury would 

 have been sustained, as the flower-buds would not have been so for- 

 ward; however, as we never had finer crops of all kinds of fruits. 

 Apricots excepted, we are less qualified to speak on the failure than 

 others. Pears are often a failure, both in crop and quality, from 

 having their spurs extended far from the walls, and the whole surface 

 of the wall entirely covered. The spurs should proceed from the sides 



