979 



THE GARDENER. [June 



lateral slioots : as many of tliem as may be wanted can be fastened to 

 the wall, and the others may be stopped to form spurs ; — the latter 

 should be formed close to the wall, rubbing every outward-growing 

 shoot off. This is the most important time to get well-formed trees 

 established. Old trees need not be kept too hard stopped in, as they 

 are not so likely to become too gross ; but in all cases, crowding of 

 wood and foliage is a great evil. Trees lately planted may require a 

 good soaking of water. The surface of the soil should not be allowed 

 to become hard and cracked. Standard trees may be helped to form 

 pyramids or neat bush trees by timely thinning and training. When 

 leading shoots are left to themselves, others suffer in proportion to the 

 vigour of the former. This also applies to Gooseberries and Currants ; 

 but time can seldom be spared to attend to these operations at this im- 

 portant season. Raspberries should be gone through with a fork, and 

 the superfluous suckers taken out, leaving enough for next year's supply. 

 "Where crops of fruit are set thickly they should be thinned by degrees : 

 — much may fall off stone fruit, Pears, and Apples. As a rule, all 

 thinning required, whether wood or fruit, should be done by degrees. 

 If insects make their appearance they must be promptly attacked — 

 delay with them is certain ruin. The curling of Apricot-trees is a signal 

 that enemies are encamped there, and can only be got rid of by hand- 

 picking. Alum and hellebore-powder mixed in w^ater and syringed on 

 bushes keeps caterpillars off. Soap-suds, with some water added to it, 

 is a useful application in the early part of growth. Strawberries will 

 now require straw or other material put down to keep the fruit clean. 

 Short grass is still used by some, but, to say the least of it, the practice 

 is a bad one : weeds and slugs have a benefit from this material, and 

 the fruit is apt to rot or get a bad taste from it. A good soaking of 

 manure-water does much for Strawberries when applied just as the 

 fruit is set, and mulching applied afterwards. 



If the season is showery, as it is while I write, weeds and grass will 

 give much labour. I can from experience sympathise with those who 

 have much of this to do with limited means, while other work is 

 also abundant ; gardening then becomes a struggle, and not a pleasure. 

 It is much better to limit the extent of lawns, walks, flower-beds, &c., 

 and do them well, rather than have a large space badly kept. Dande- 

 lions, Docks, and other deeply-rooted weeds, can be got rid of by putting 

 salt in the holes where the roots have been pulled out. Get as much 

 out of the ground as possible. Where lawns and walks are situated 

 near to old pastures and wild-growing plantations, deep-rooted weeds 

 will always be abundant. In flower-gardens most of the work in the 

 way of planting will be done : a free surface and plenty of moisture 

 are now the principal helps to secure free growth. Continued drench- 



