THE CHRISTMAS GARDEN 



Any Path-making that is required may be done now, Dec. 

 and the materials needed should be carted in while the 16-31 

 ground is hard with frost, to avoid cutting up the surface. 

 Particulars were given in a previous chapter. 



Fruit 



Big Bud on Black Currants. — If some of the buds on 

 Black Currants become swollen into small balls, they 

 contain a mite, which is 

 very destructive, and often 

 ruins the bushes. The 

 swollen buds should be 

 picked off, and next spring 

 the bushes may be dusted 

 with two parts of sulphur 

 and one part of air-slaked 

 lime on three separate 

 occaisions : the end of 

 March, the middle of 

 April, and the beginning 

 of May. 



Canker. — If fruit trees 

 are affected with canker, 

 cleanse the decayed wood 

 out of the wounds, if 

 these are not very large, 

 and paint with tar. At 

 the same time spread the 

 following mixture round 

 the trees at the rate of four ounces per square yard 

 as far as the branches extend : twelve parts of super- 

 phosphate, ten of nitrate of potash, eight of sulphate of 

 lime, one of sulphate of iron, and four of common salt. 

 403 



Fig. 100— Big Bud on Black Currant. 

 a. Big buds. b. Normal buds. 



Big buds. 



d. A big bud. 



