MARCH. 



611 



MARCH. 



of a large size are required, open a trench, 

 as if for celery, filled half up with well- 

 rotted dung, and dig it well into the 

 bottom of the trench, and fill in the soil 

 previously taken out, and plant immedi- 

 ately. When they are planted between 

 dwarf fruit-trees, it is good practice to 

 keep each plant or stool separate for the 

 first two years, and then allow them to 

 cover the ground. Where plants have been 

 growing in the same place for several years, 

 weed the beds well before they begin to 

 grow, stir the soil, and sow some guano 

 over them in showery weather. 



Trained Trees, Trained trees not al- 

 ready disposed of should now be pruned 

 and dressed at once ; to delay till the buds 

 swell is to endanger them in the process. 

 In all cases, plums and cherries should be 

 taken first ; then the early pears, and after- 

 wards late pears. Peaches and nectarines 

 should always be left till the last. 



Washing Trees, &c. Generally speak- 

 ing, the pruning and nailing will be finished, 

 but the trees should be washed with the 

 garden engine or syringe, using tepid water, 

 with solution of sulphur and soot, or lime 

 wash, as a protection against scale and 

 other insects. 



March. Glasshouses for Fruit, 

 &c. 



Moistiire. March winds are not only 

 cold, but dry, In fact, in mercy to the 

 comfort of men and the well-being of 

 plants, it has been ordained that the colder 

 the air the drier it is. This fact renders it 

 of the utmost importance that every space 

 in forcing houses should be kept damp 

 during bright weather in the spring month. 

 The inside air is not only to be warm, but 

 it must be kept moist. Every particle of 

 outside air admitted becomes charged with 

 humidity, exhausting the moisture so 

 necessary to the existence of the plants, 

 extracting the water out of the leaves, and 



leaving them thin, dry, and parched. Lay 

 it down, then, as a principle of universal 

 application, that the less of the cold air 

 admitted this month, consistent with the 

 maintenance of a proper temperature and 

 a change of atmosphere in the house, the 

 better, and that the more you are compell id 

 to admit, the more water must be used fo 

 supply the demand that cold air makes 1 01 

 water. This principle reduced to practhe 

 will secure in every plant structure at s.ll 

 times that greatest of all cultural desiderata, 

 a genial, kindly growing atmosphere. 



Nectarines, drv. The instructions given 

 for the management of peaches apply 

 equally to nectarines and all fruit of this 

 class subjected to forcing under glass. 



Peaches. Guard against sudden or great 

 variations of temperature and cutting 

 draughts ; and syringe morning and even- 

 ing as soon as the fruit is set. Begin to 

 disbud the more forward woodbuds, leav- 

 ing the strongest and best-placed shoots. 

 This disbudding should be done very 

 gradually: say at five or six periods, 

 during the early stages of growth. Early 

 peaches, after they are stoned, will bear 

 a temperature of 70 with safety. They 

 should be exposed to all the light and air 

 possible, consistent with the principles 

 enunciated in the preface to these instrur 

 tions. 



Finery. Many of the fruiting plants 

 will not be showing flower. Maintain a 

 minimum temperature of 70, allowing a 

 rise of 10 or 15 in the sun, and a rather 

 diy atmosphere, until the blooming period 

 is over. Drip, or too much water on the 

 blossom, will prevent it setting. Unless it 

 set, that pip will not swell, and one pip 

 vacant in a pine destroys the beauty and 

 symmetry of the finest fruit. Water -w ith 

 water at 80 immediately after potting, to 

 prevent the roots receiving a check fiom 

 the cold soil, and maintaining a nice gr iw 

 ing heat of 65 to 70. 



