1879.] HARDY FRUITS. 563 



the top, so as not to rot out the centres of the plants. This should be 

 removed in spring, and a dressing of manure given and forked into 

 the surface in March or April, according to the forwardness of the 

 season. Where mulching is not necessary, crops of early Turnips, 

 Lettuce, and other salads which reach perfection rapidly, may be sown 

 between the rows of new plantations for the purpose of economising 

 the ground. A Gardener. 



HARDY FRUITS— DECEMBER. 



Fruit- trees ought now to be all planted, mulched over their roots, and 

 safe for the winter, and stakes placed to keep them secure from wind. 

 Former hints as to draining, trenching, and surface-dressing must 

 not be neglected where a fair return from the trees is expected. 

 Nothing is more tormenting in a garden than fruit-trees, which have 

 arrived at maturity, suddenly showing signs of canker and decay. 

 This can, in the majority of cases, be prevented by keeping the roots 

 clear of poisonous wet soil, and encouraging them to root upwards to 

 sun and air. Old trees may be greatly improved by clearing off the 

 unhealthy surfaces down to the roots, placing healthy loam and rotten 

 manure, well mixed, over the surface. The stems of the trees should 

 be kept clear of moss and other destructive parasites. Suckers should 

 have no existence. Scale and American bug should have prompt 

 measures. Thoroughly wash with soft-soap water at 120°, and paint 

 with Gishurst Compound, soot, and cow -manure made into paste. 

 All the soil should be removed from under such trees, and fresh loam 

 from a distance, where no fruit-trees are growing, used. Dustings of 

 soot, lime, and sulphur may be applied several times during the winter. 

 Where caterpillars and other vermin have been troublesome among 

 Gooseberries and Currants, the same measures (to prevent their 

 depredations next season) ought to be adopted as with other fruit- 

 trees. A painting of soot, lime, and cow-manure may be applied to 

 branches of fruit bushes, to prevent birds from devouring the fruit- 

 buds : this is, of course, applied after pruning has been performed. 

 The pruning of all trees except Peaches and Nectarines maybe done when 

 there is no frost. Cutting the wood during frost may produce canker and 

 other evils. Apples to be kept, such as Dwarf Standards (either bushes 

 or pyramids), may be freely thinned out, leaving the leading branches 

 clothed with spurs, regulating the distance between each — the more 

 equidistant the better. Orchard-trees ought not to become tangled 

 thickets, which bear only on the outside points. It is better to thin 

 out the larger branches, keeping the centres open. Large branches 

 should not be cut, unless such an operation cannot be dispensed with. 

 The same applies to Pears and Plums. Cherries do best when spurred, 

 but they are apt to canker when root-action is bad, or when gross 



