OCTOBER. 



703 



OCTOBER. 



keep the collar of the stem at the surface 

 of the soil, removing all diseased or bruised 

 fibres, spreading the roots out carefully, 

 and putting fine soil over them, keeping 

 the young tree firmly in its place by stakes, 

 without lifting or treading upon the roots. 

 The autumn rains will settle the earth 

 about the roots better than any other 

 means. 



Fruit - Trees, Rdot Pruning. Root 

 pruning should now be performed, either 

 by lifting the trees altogether and replant- 

 ing, or by digging a trench round them, 

 and removing or shortening old roots of 

 over-luxuriant or perpendicular growth. 

 The sign of root pruning being required is 

 found in over-luxuriant foliage, with an 

 absence of fruit ; but it requires to be done 

 with caution. Dig a trench round the tree, 

 I, 2, or 3 feet from the stem, according to 

 its size, so as to lay open all the roots. 

 All old roots which have ceased to throw 

 out rootlets or spongioles should be pruned 

 away close to the stem, the young roots 

 trimmed, and all having a tendency to tap- 

 root, or descend too deep, should be cut 

 away. This done, fill. up the trench with 

 suitable fresh soil or compost. Where 

 extensive root pruning is necessary, it 

 should be done partially in two or three 

 years, removing a portion of the objection- 

 able roots on each occasion. 



Plums. In wet seasons gather the late 

 sorts, with their stalks attached ; suspend 

 them in the fruit room, or, wrapped in 

 thin paper, they will keep for several 

 weeks. Quinces, medlars, and all sorts 

 of nuts, are also now fit to gather. 



Raspberries. Canes of the autumn- 

 bearing kinds should now be bearing a 

 good supply of fruit. If the weather be 

 fine, canes which have fruited should be 

 cut out, and the young ones left three or 

 four to a stool ; then manure, and dig 

 between them, leaving the young shoots 

 their full length until the spring. New 



plantations may now be made ; the im- 

 proved mode being to plant single canes 

 about 1 8 inches apart, and attach them to 

 espaliers, consisting of stakes set in the 

 ground at intervals of 6 or 8 feet, with 

 laths I inch broad and \ inch thick, nailed 

 or screwed to the stakes, in a horizontal 

 position, one about 12 inches from the 

 ground, another at the top, and a third 

 midway between the two. This will be 

 found a sufficient support for the canes, 

 which must be tied with bast or raffia to 

 the laths. 



Strawberries. Remove all runners from 

 the plants, and manure and dig between, 

 the rows, using the three-lined fork so as 

 to avoid injuring the roots. Runners may 

 be bedded out for new plantations, the 

 formation of which should now stand over r 

 however, till the spring. 



October. Glasshouses for 

 Fruit, &c., Work in. 



Figs. These may possibly be ripening 

 their third crop; if so, a brisk tempera- 

 ture of 65 or 73 must be kept up. If 

 the second crop is gathered, and a third 

 is not wanted, reduce the supply of water 

 and the temperature to a minimum, to- 

 induce rest or hasten maturity. 



Fruit-Trees, Starting, in Autumn. ID 

 our climate fruit must be cultivated under 

 glass, if at all, at this season of the year ;. 

 and those who wish for peaches or grapes 

 on their table in May must begin this 

 month. Early work calls for early rest ;. 

 and where this call is refused, the work 

 will either be badly performed, or the 

 machine will speedily be worn out. Hence, 

 if trees are required to move to any good' 

 purpose early in the autumn, they must 

 rest early in the summer. However, if 

 trees have had a good long rest, and if they 

 have first of all finished their summer work 

 well by thoroughly ripening their wood 1 

 before they went to rest, it is astonishing: 



