MARCH. 



610 



MARCH. 



along the side 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 three 

 weeks this liming should be repeated, and, 

 except under extreme circumstances, no 

 future attacks from caterpillars need be 

 apprehended. 



Currant and Gooseberry Bushes, Prun- 

 ing. In pruning gooseberry- trees, for which 

 January is a favourable season, keep the 

 tree thin of branches ; but let those left be 

 trained to some regular shape, and never 

 permitted to grow ramblingly across each 

 other, but radiating in a cup-like form from 

 their common centre, so as to be 6 or 8 

 inches apart at the extremities and hollow 

 in the centre. Prune out all worn-out 

 branches, retaining young shoots to supply 

 their places, retaining also, where practic- 

 able, a terminable bud to each branch 

 while shortening long stragglers. The same 

 remarks apply to currant-trees. Young 

 gooseberry- trees designed for standards 

 should be pruned back to a clean stem for 

 IO or 12 inches, retaining the best properly 

 placed shoots to form the head, cutting out 

 all irregularly placed shoots, keeping them, 

 as nearly as possible, of the same length 

 and form. 



Filberts. At this time of year, while 

 the male flowers, familiarly known as 

 "catkins," are in blossom, the trees or 

 bushes should be shaken frequently, in 

 order that the small female blossoms may 

 be fertilised by the pollen that falls on them 

 from the former. 



Grafting, how done. The stock should 

 be in an active state before the scion or 

 graft, which has all the better chance if it 

 remain dormant till the last moment. In 

 (act, the buds of the scion should not be 



showing signs of swelling before the oper- 

 ation of grafting is completed. The cuts 

 should be clean, as they will be if they 

 are made with a keen knife. The cut 

 parts of stock and scion should be brought 

 into contact immediately after the cut is 

 made, taking care that the cambium or 

 inner bark of the one is brought into con- 

 tact with the cambium of the other. This 

 done, the stock and scion must be bound 

 together firmly, but not so tightly as to 

 bruise or injure the back in any way, and 

 the whole plastered over with a mixture of 

 clay and cow dung, or some kind of grafting 

 wax, to exclude the air from the recently 

 cut surfaces. 



Nectarines and Peaches. The same may 

 be said with reference to these trees, whose 

 pruning and nailing, as it has been said, 

 should be left until the last. 



Protection. To those who will be guided 

 by reason, we say, Apply the most efficient 

 protection within your reach to the blossoms 

 of apricots, peaches and other wall fruit. 

 This will probably be found in temporary 

 wood copings, projecting 10 or 12 inches 

 from the wall, with canvas blinds attached, 

 which can be readily removed in fine 

 weather ; next to the coping, worsted 

 netting is, perhaps, the most efficient de- 

 fence against severe weather, with the least 

 obstruction to the necessary circulation of 

 air, light, and rain. Those who have 

 blinds will do well to use them, not only 

 against frost, but against the extreme ardour 

 of the noon-day sun, which will at once 

 retard and strengthen their blossom. 



Strawberries. Such sorts as British 

 Queens, hitherto protected, should be un- 

 covered now, and the beds weeded and the 

 plants trimmed ; the soil stirred round the 

 roots with a 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. 



Strawberries, Large Sized. Where fruit 



