iKlSH GARDENING 



47 



luents of the coming season should be at once 

 made good. If not ah'eady in-ocured. this is a 

 favourable time to lay in a supi)ly of chip baskets 

 and punnets for small fruits, as manufacturers 

 will in many cases be pinched for storage, and 

 better terms can be obtained now than later on. 



MuLCHiN(; Lately-planted Tree.s and 

 Bushes. — Having regard to the unavoidal)le 

 depletion of the root system incurred in moving 

 trees long journeys from one place to another, 

 the largest roots suffering from curtailment and 

 mutilation — sometimes through careless lifting to 

 an uni)ardonable extent — and the small or fibrous 

 roots suffer to a corresponding extent from 

 ex])osure. It is therefore essential that such 

 trees should be assisted in forming a new root 

 system, by protecting them at the roots from the 

 action of drying winds in spring and subsequent 

 drought in summer, with a mulching of about 

 two inches of well-rotted farmyard manure, 

 keeping it about two inches back from the stem 

 and letting it extend about a foot beyond the 

 spread of the roots. This manure should be such 

 as can afterwards be hoed on the surface ; it should 

 be neatly levelled and afterwards covered with 

 fully one inch of line soil to lessen loss Irom 

 evaporation. New plantations of raspberries and 

 gooseberries derive great benefit from liberal 

 mulching with good short farmyard manure, or, 

 if procurable, sep.-weed makes a suitable mulching 

 for all kinds of newly planted trees. 



Prunixct Young Trees. — Trees planted tluriug 

 the ju'esent dormant season should — subject to 

 certain (;onditions — be pruned about the end of 

 this month. The best time for this operation is 

 when the sap has begun to move and the buds 

 are swelling. Select the best and rightly jtlaced 

 bud. and with a sharp knife cut the shoot off just 

 aljove that bud, eiitering the knife behind and 

 about the sixteenth of an inch above the level 

 of the bud, drawing it through and making an 

 oblique cut coming out fully an eighth of an inch 

 above the level of the bud. If good trees have 

 been properly planted on well prepared land, and 

 the pruning done now, the growths ]troduced 

 during the ensuing summer may be relied on to 

 form part of the foundation of the tree : whereas 

 if left unijruned for a season, this growth (although 

 somewhat stronger) would be ])roduced a year 

 later after cutting of^" and behind fruit buds and 

 into two and three year old wood. Correct 

 ]>runing lies in assisting nature in tlie develoj)nieiit 

 of the highest ideal 1o which any ])articular species 

 or variety can attain, and the careful ])runpr will 

 from the first keep in view the different condi- 

 tions luider which the trees are gi-own, also the 

 habits of different species and varieties, and the 

 develo])ment of well balanced si)ecimens, with 

 their Vjranches disposed to the best advantage for 

 the pi-oduction of high-class fruit. Two year old 

 frees should l)e cut back to from foni' to six 

 inches from the l)ase of last year's gi-owth. 

 Maidens should lie cut to a uniform height. 

 Trees ])lanted on ill - pre]>ared land, or poorly 

 grown trees, should not be ))runed tlie season 

 they are jtlanf ed. as better residts will l)e obtained 

 by deferring the. first i)ruiung fill they have had 

 a year's gi'owth to estafjlish. then they may hv 

 cut hard back. New plantalions of i-aspl)erries 

 should have the canes cut l)ack about the end of 

 this month to within about nine inches of the 

 ground. To beginners this may appear a 

 sacrifice of fruit the first year, but the ultimate 

 gain the second year will many times more than 



compensate for the first year's loss, both in 

 increased quantity of fruit and vigour of canes. 



(iRAFTiNC;. — Ke-grafting is a simple and exi)edi- 

 tious way of converting undesirable sorts of 

 a|)ples and pears into a source of profit. Pears 

 are lirst to become ready, ])lums next, but as a 

 rule the latter are better budded. Ai)ril is 

 generally the best time for ap])les according as 

 the starting into growth may be controlled by 

 the particular locality or mildness of the weather. 

 Make sure, however, not to begin till the sap 

 begins to rise, which is easily ascertained by the 

 swelling of the buds and the bark being easily 

 i-aised from the wood. If the scions be dormant, 

 but fresh and plump, and i»roperly i)ut on when 



the sai> begins to rise there should l)e very few 

 failures. The trees having been some tinu" 

 previously cut down to williin a few inches of the 

 point intended to graft at, should now be cut 

 at the desired ))oint. and the end of the slock 

 made smooth with a sharp knife. For large 

 stocks or arms that recjuire several grafts, two or 

 three inches aparv , crowi\ or rind grafting is the 

 most suitable, simple and sure. The scions — 

 preferably of last year's growth, although two 

 year old wood may l)e used- having been for 

 some tinw^ heeled in damp maleria' and in a (ixd. 

 shady place, should have two <n- llu-ee eyes: the 

 lower half is cut with a flat .sIo])ing slice, which 

 should begin opposite to an eye and end in a thin 

 point. M should be cut so as to contain as little 

 jiilh ns possible. A notch or shoulder cut in the 

 upjier pai't will serve 1o r<'st the scion on the eiul 

 of the stock, and when the union takes jtlace the 

 scion will expand over and cover tlie end of the 

 stock. Jn using slender scions in strong bark, 

 slit the bark through with a clean, sharp knife, 

 making a ix-rpendicular cut to fidly the depth 

 of the scion to be in.sertcd, then, with a neatly 

 trimmed wedge of tough hard wot>d, open the 



