354 THE GARDENER. [Aug. 



■which can be saved would scarcely pay for gathering. Nets are ex- 

 pensive articles. In their absence, a tame bawk or two would do 

 much to keep away birds. We often go over the fruit and pick them 

 as they change for ripening, and lay them on dry clean shelves to ripen. 

 Vineries and Peach houses, cleared of their fruit, suit well for ripening 

 stone fruit. Wasps are easily trapped with beer and sugar placed in 

 bottles and hung up among the branches. Lumps of sugar keep insects 

 engaged while the fruit is ripening. Hexagon netting will save much 

 trouble and anxiety. Young growths on fruit-trees may now be kept 

 well cleared off, to allow the fruit-bearing wood to ripen. Thickly- 

 matted trees are generally followed by an absence of fruit. There is 

 generally too much time wasted in nailing in or tying up wood on wall- 

 trees ; half the quantity of wood is often enough. The injury done 

 to walls by the undue use of nails cannot be too strongly denounced. 

 Now is the time to do justice to the trees : train out as many leaders 

 as will cover the wall and be about 12 inches apart at top ; gross wood 

 may be stopped, and the consequence will be a number of smaller shoots 

 will break out, and they can be placed in position if they are required ; 

 the side shoots are to be retained to cover the wall, always allowing 

 room for the foliage to develop itself; everything growing straight 

 out from the wall should be taken clean off. 



If growth is over-luxuriant, it may be checked by moving away 

 some of the soil from one side of the tree, getting under the trunk ; 

 and if any roots are growing straight down, they might be cut clean 

 off : but, while advising this, the destruction of good fibry roots is to 

 be avoided. IMake the soil thoroughly firm under the roots, replacing 

 it carefully. The tree will soon overcome this, and the roots will 

 again be growing by autumn. 



If the growths have not been taken from Pears and Apples piece- 

 meal, they should have attention now. Go over the upper part of the 

 trees first, and after a week or two go over the lower part. Let the 

 fruit be well exposed to sun and air. If red-spider should appear, let 

 the engine play freely over the foliage. 



If the desired quantity of Strawberries have not been planted, let 

 them be got in without delay. Give plenty of space if the ground 

 is deep and rich, and abundance of water. If there are no young 

 plants, some of the best of the outside crowns may be taken from 

 plants which are to be trenched down. If they are planted firmly on 

 well-manured ground, they will soon be fine fruitful plants. But cer- 

 tainly this practice is not in preference to young plants, or those forced 

 last season. 



The chief work in the flower-garden now is picking off decaying 

 flowers, cutting in growths within bounds, to keep the beds and bor- 



