MONTHLY CALENDAR. 867 



§5.— The Fruit-Garden. 



1053. -^s the health as well as the symmetr}' of the trees depends in some 

 degree on judicious and timely disbudding and stopping, nothing should inter- 

 fere with then' performance this month, bearing in mind, that as peaches, 

 nectarines, and cherries, bear their fruit on shoots of last yeai-'s growth, 

 new wood, both present and prospective, is absolutely requii'cd. If these 

 operations are properly done now, and to a sufficient extent, any extensive 

 use of knife and saw may be dispensed with. Weak trees will be strength- 

 ened, and fruitfulness promoted in vigorous ones, by summer-pruning ; and 

 the outward sign of good management is exhibited in trees equally balanced 

 both as to their young wood and fruit-bearing branches. Any dej^arture from 

 this equilibrium must bo remedied b}'- one or other of the expedients already 

 described. Eemove all fore-right and misplaced shoots, unless there is fruit 

 at the base, when they should be stopped, only leaving two or three leaves. 

 Thin the fruit slightly, if crowded. At the end of the month all protection 

 maybe abandoned. If insects infest the trees, wash with soap-suds from the 

 laundry, or soft soap prei^ared for the puri^ose, and syringe with tobacco- 

 water : a little flour of sulphur added is a preventive of mildew. 



1054. Ai^rkots. — Stop all leading shoots, and pinch off" to a few buds all 

 shoots not required to fill up vacant places on the wall. Thin partiall}'- all 

 jfi'uit where it is thickly set, but reserve the final thinning until the fruit has 

 stoned. The apricot, and especially the finest of them (the Moor Park), 

 is subject to a sudden paralysis, in which first a branch, then a side, dies 

 away, until scarce a vestige of the tree is left ; and this generally occurs on 

 fine sunny daj's in spring and early summer, when the sap-vessels are young, 

 and the sap easily exuded by a few sunny days. In this state a frost occurs, 

 the sap-vessels are burst by the thawing of the frozen fluid, and the whole 

 economy of the plant deranged. Under these circumstances a warm sunny 

 day occurs ; the injured limb having consumed the sap, can draw no fm-ther 

 supply ; it yields to the solar influence, languishes, and dies. Such is briefly 

 Mr. Henry Bailey's diagnosis of the disease under which this delicate tree 

 suffers. The remedy is to retard, or rather prevent, premature vegetation, 

 and when that can no more be done, protection ; for which he recommends 

 netting made of sedge, of about 4-inch mesh, with which he envelops the 

 main branches with a favourable result. 



1055. Towards the middle of the month all wall-trees should be carefully 

 'inspected. Where it is necessary to remove nets or other shelter to accom- 

 plish this, they should be kept ready at hand, and in order for being replaced, 

 should any indications of low temperature or spring frosts show themselves. 



t The object is now to search for insects and disbud superfluous shoots, espe- 

 cially where the trees arc old and walls indiS'erent. This can only bo 

 accomplished l^y examining them tree by tree and branch by branch. In this 



