362 THE GARDENER. [Aug. 



HARDY FRUITS- AUGUST. 



The season has now arrived when special preparation must be made 

 to do what is necessary towards securing fruit for next year. Every 

 tree should be examined, to see that the wood is hard, short jointed, 

 and free from dead portions. If any are in bad health, and others 

 too gross, and not too large to be lifted, mark them with a piece of 

 twine, so that they can be easily recognised in October, when they may 

 be lifted and replanted in healthy loam. Laterals must be stopped on 

 vigorous trees ; many of the crossing and unnecessary growths may be 

 cut well back — some taken out altogether, leaving always those which 

 are in the proper positions to aid in formation of handsome trees. 

 Netting of fruits must have attention, especially where fruits are to 

 be kept late. Gooseberries to hang for giving supplies during Sep- 

 tember and October may be easily saved by the use of hexagon net- 

 ting ; on walls the same may be used to keep wasps off : though they 

 seem scarce hitherto, they may yet come out in great force. Lumps of 

 sugar stuck in the trees may keep them off for a time, as they will eat 

 away at the sugar while it lasts and leave the fruit. In large gardens 

 such a practice would entail a heavy cost for fruit saved by lump- 

 sugar ; bottles half filled with beer and treacle or sugar are good traps. 

 Treacle -water and vinegar do well also. Our system with Peaches, 

 Apricots, Nectarines, and Pears is to pull them from the trees when 

 they part from the stalk with little difficulty ; they are then laid in 

 boxes or baskets in which is placed soft paper-shavings or wadding ; 

 clean paper is laid over, on which the fruit rests, and they are then 

 taken to a dry airy fruit-room, or to a vinery or peach-house at rest. 

 A better succession is thus kept up. The fruit (if not improved in 

 flavour) certainly does not deteriorate ; handling by "interested" visi- 

 tors is avoided, and vermin cannot destroy it. Currants (red and white) 

 keep late when well shaded with hexagon netting, allowing plenty of 

 air to pass through the bushes. Glazed cloth placed above the bushes 

 to throw off rain is serviceable. 



Where proper manipulation is carried forward during the growing 

 season, much may be done to reduce labour, relieve workmen from 

 perishing cold during winter, and have much handsomer and better 

 fruit-bearing trees. Apricots should have no shoots tied in except 

 what are really wanted ; and they ought to stand well clear of each 

 other. Gross trees may have the roots lifted at one side as soon as 

 the fruit is gathered. Any rank gross roots going straight down ought 

 to be gradually bent outwards ; but if they are not pliable, they had 

 better be cut off clean with a knife (not by a spade). Any broken 

 portions of roots should be cut clean off; and when filling in to the 

 roots is being performed, let the rammer be freely used as the soil is 

 returned. A mixture of lime-rubbish, chalk, and smashed bricks is of 

 great service to the trees. Lay the roots flat over this, if possible ; but 



