THE OPENING YEAR 



make the young shoots into cuttings when they start Jan. 

 growing in late winter. Others who have no "stock" ^~^5 

 plants may sow seed now, and they will then get strong 

 flowering plants by June. 



Bulbs in Pots. — The common and good plan of plung- 

 ing pots of bulbs in coarse cocoa-nut fibre refuse or 

 ashes in autumn has one drawback with amateurs. It 

 is often a case of "out of sight, out of mind." The 

 plants are forgotten, and they push growth into the 

 fibre — growth which is weak and blanched. Bulbs 

 potted in November should be examined in December 

 and January, and removed from the fibre when they 

 have made an inch of growth. 



Fruit 



Although fruit trees may be planted theoretically at 

 any time from November to March inclusive, January 

 is rarely a good month for planting. The soil is cold, 

 and perhaps " messy." But pruning may be done, and 

 it is often convenient to do this when the ground is 

 hard with frost, as the soil is not trodden up. The 

 fear that injury may accrue from pruning in frosty 

 weather is baseless. If early fruit is wanted under glass, 

 preparations may be made this month. 



Pruning. — The correct pruning of the different kinds 

 of fruit trees is a matter of considerable moment to fruit 

 growers. Fruit trees may be divided into two classes : 

 (i) those which bear on old wood or spurs : (2) those 

 which bear on young wood. Under (i) we have Apples, 

 Apricots, nearly all Cherries, Red and White Currants, 

 Gooseberries, Nuts, Pears, and Plums. Under (2) we 

 have Morello Cherries, Black Currants, Peaches, and 

 Nectarines. Even a beginner in fruit-growing can dis- 

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