MONTHLY CALENDAR. 283 



its leaves we should always be prepared, for we never know when the enemy 

 •will come. 



771. Ap2^^^-^ ^'i*^ Fears. — Pruning these should now be finished, and this is 

 the last month for planting until the autumn ; the various operations of graft- 

 ing and budding are now in full j)rogress. This is especially the season for 

 crown-graftin;r, where it is desired to use some vigorous old tree bearing an 

 indifferent fruit. In this case, the grafts should be taken from t^f trees before 

 the buds begin to swell. 



772. Root-2)ru7iing Exjndients. — If the cause of unfruitfulness be over- 

 luxuriant growth, root-pruning must be resorted to. This, in the case of old 

 trees, is best carried into effect iii August, and the readiest means is to dig a 

 trench a few feet from the stem, according to the size of the tree, and to cut 

 all those roots which appear to penetrate deeply into the soil, and which grow 

 beyond the range of the others. This will induce the growth of a number of 

 small fibrous roots at the extremities, which roots, in some way or other, 

 appear connected with the fruitfulness of the tree. Another means of check- 

 ing too gross a habit is to bore a hole with an auger completely through the 

 stem of the tree, about six inches from the ground, and before the sap begins 

 to rise, filling up the hole so made with a piece of thorn. This will prove an 

 outlet for superabundant sap, and by checking growth will be found frequently 

 to throw the tree into bearing. When one or both of these methods fail, it 

 may be useful, especially in the case of pear-trees, which send out an abundance 

 of tall upright shoots, to bend all the leaders down by tying weights to their 

 extremities. But if none of these expedients is found to answer, and the tree 

 continues vigorous in growth without forming blossom-buds or bearing fruit, 

 all that can be done is to cut off the head and work the stem over again, care- 

 fully selecting scions from good bearing trees. — D. 



773. Sirmchernes. — British Queens, hitherto protected, should be uncovered 

 now, and the beds weeded, and the plants trimmed ; the soil stirred round the 

 roots with the fork without disturbing the dung. Runners placed in a nursery- 

 bed last autumn should now be removed to where they are to remain for 

 fruiting. Where fruit of a large size are required, open a trench, as if for 

 celery, filled half up with well-rotted dung, and dig it well into the bottom of 

 the trench, and fill in the soil previously taken out, and plant immediately. 

 Where they are planted between dwarf fruit-trees, it is good practice to keep 

 each plant or stool separate for the first two years, and then allow them to 

 cover the ground. Where plants have been growing in the same place for 

 several years, weed the beds well before they begin to grow, stir the soil, 

 and sow some guano over them in showery weather. 



774. Gooselerines and Ctirrant-trees bear on the young as well as on the 

 two-year-old wood, generally upon small spurs rising along the sides of the 

 branches. In autumn or winter, when digging between the bushes, sow fresh- 

 slaked lime copiously over the whole ground, more particularly round the 

 stems and about the roots, before forking it over. About the latter end of 

 March repeat the operation, raking the ground afterwards. In a fortnight or 



