THE FARMER'S MANUAL. 143 



with raspberries, strawberries, currants and goosber- 

 ries ; not forgetting the choicest apples and grapes 

 in the richest variety and profusion, have rewarded 

 your labours from early in June, without intermission, 

 down to this time, and your grapes, if carefully pack- 

 ed in clean sand, or saw-dust, may be preserved on the 

 cluster, fresh, round the year. 



Make up your stock of grape wines for the year, 

 in October ; it is less expensive (on account of su- 

 gar) than the currant, and far superior. 



DECEMBER. 



Plant out your vines, strawberries and raspberries, 

 and prune such as stand, and give your garden a tho- 

 rough preparation for the next season. Prune your 

 stone-fruit generally this month, particularly your 

 vines. Remove from your vines part of the bearing 

 wood of the last season, and all straggling shoots ; 

 preserve such shoots of the last summer's growth as 

 you wish to have stand for fruit the next season ; from 

 these only will spring the bearing shoots. To im- 

 prove this fruit as much as possible, shorten those 

 shoots of the last summer's growth, down to about 

 six joints, and cut from half an inch to an inch from 

 the eye, when you divide the shoot. All unthrifty 

 branches must be removed. 



Plant out of your nursery, such trees as you wish 

 to have stand for fruit, and plant such peach-stones 

 as you wish to propagate, and where you would 

 choose to have the trees stand, and guard them by 

 stakes. Take up such shoots as have sprung from 

 your quince-trees, and other trees and vines, and 

 place them where you wish them to grow. Dress 

 all your fruit-trees and vines with rich compost, or 



