OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



849 



of the wall, in which case one or two shoots may be left, 

 vines growing in hot-houses are equally improved in point of 

 size and flavour, as well as made to ripen earlier, by taking 

 away circles of bark ; the time for doing this, is when the 

 fruit is set, and the berries are about the size of small shot. 

 The removed circles may here be made wider than on Vines 

 growing in the open air, as the bark is sooner renewed by 

 the warmth and moisture of the hot-house. Half an inch 

 will not be too great a width to take off in a circle from a 

 vigorous growing Vine ; but I do not recommend the opera- 

 tion to be performed at all weak trees. I think that this 

 operation may be extended to other fruits, so as to hasten 

 their muturity, especially Figs, in which there is a most 

 abundant flow of returning sap; and it demonstrates to us 

 why old trees are more disposed to bear fruit than young 

 ones. Miller informs us, that the vineyards in Italy are 

 thought to improve every year by age, till they are fifty years 

 old. It therefore appears to me, hat nature, in the course 

 of time, produces effects sim-ilar to what I have recommended 

 to be done by art. For, as trees become old, the returning 

 vessels do not convey the sap into the roots with the same 

 facility they did when young; thus, by occasionally removing 

 circles of bark, we only anticipate the progress of nature ; in 

 both cases a stagnation of the true sap is obtained in the 

 fruiting-branches, and the redundant nutriment then passes 

 into the fruit. I have sometimes found, that, after the circle 

 of bark has been removed, a small portion of the inner bark 

 has adhered to the alburnum ; it is of the utmost importance 

 to remove this, though ever so small, otherwise, in a very 

 short space of time, the communication is again established 

 with the root, and little or no effect produced. Therefore, 

 in about ten days after the first operation has been perform- 

 ed, I generally look at the part from whence the bark was 

 removed, and separate any small portion which may have 

 escaped the knife the first time." 



Flowering Shrubs and Evergreens. 



To these we are indebted for much of the beauty and ele- 

 gance of our gardens ; and hence they justly merit every 

 care, though they produce little or no edible fruits. They 

 assist in forming an agreeable shade, they afford a great 

 variety of flowers, with leaves differently tinged, and are 

 standard ornaments, that give us pleasure without occasion- 

 ing much trouble. Many shrubs are raised from suckers, 

 others from layers, some from cuttings, and most may be 

 propagated from seeds, which produce the finest plants. 

 Before they are planted out for ornament, they should be 

 trained two or three years in a nursery, to be formed into a 

 full and regular-shaped head. Though deciduous shrubs 

 may be planted almost at any time, yet October is much the 

 best month, especially if a moist season ; the exception being 

 made as to a cold and wet soil, in which all sorts of planting 

 is best done in spring. Evergreens must be cautiously 

 planted, and they should not be ventured upon in winter ; 

 nor even in autumn and spring, in unfavourable weather. 

 They should be planted immediately after they are taken up, 

 exposing their roots as little as possible to the air, and pre- 

 serving them whole. If the shrubs are small, let them be 

 removed with balls of earth to them, trimming off the pro- 

 jecting ends. As sprfng is, on the whole, the fittest time for 

 removing evergreen shrubs, and as the deciduous sorts do 

 then also very well, shrubberies and clumps properly enough 

 become the work of March, a little earlier or later, according 

 to the soil and season. Light sandy soils should always be 

 planted in good time, and in fair weather. A good medium 



way is to plant the deciduous sorts the beginning of March ; 

 and, leaving places for the evergreen kinds, plant them the 

 beginning of April. The distances of the plants must be 

 according to the size they usually attain. Some sorts will 

 not require more than three feet distance, others four, five, 

 or six. The season of shrubs flowering and leafing, is a 

 material point to provide for, by a proper distribution, that 

 there may be a difference of decoration every month, in every 

 part; and in this business, an equally-diversified mixture of the 

 evergreen and deciduous sorts, is necessary to be observed. 

 A regularity in planting shrubs is ever to be avoided, except 

 just in the front, where there should always be some low ones, 

 and a border of flowers, chiefly of the spring kinds, of the 

 lowest growth, and rather bulbous-rooted. In open shrub- 

 beries, an edging of Strawberries is proper, and the hautboy 

 sort preferable, on account of its superior show when in 

 flower; but in these situations the Wood Strawberry is more 

 commonly planted, as it will produce fruit with less sun and 

 air than any other sort. 



The copious catalogue of Trees and Shrubs (see page 

 855) will enable the gardener or planter to select such 

 as may be most proper for particular or general purposes. 

 And for a particular description of all known flowers, flower- 

 ing shrubs, aromatic herbs, &c. with their mode of cultiva- 

 tion, see under their generic names in the first and second 

 volumes. 



THE GAKDENER'S CALENDAR, OR MONTHLY 

 COURSE OF LABOUR. 



FIRST MONTH. JANUARY. 



In the Flower Garden and Shrubbery. Plant Crocuses, 

 Tulips, Snowdrops, and other bulbous roots. Plant flower- 

 ing shrubs, and Box and other edgings : prune flowering 

 shrubs, taking care to remove their suckers. Protect Tulips, 

 Hyacinths, and other delicate flowers, from cold weather and 

 heavy rains, by coverings of litter or mats. Plant hedges 

 and ornamental trees. In open weather, dig over the shrub- 

 bery, and remove moss. 



In the Kitchen Garden. Prepare hot-beds for early Melons, 

 Cucumbers, Onions, Cresses, Mustard, and Radishes. Cover 

 Mushroom beds with straw, heath, &c. particularly during 

 frost. Plant Asparagus in hot-beds, and give it air, except 

 in stormy weather. Sow -Peas, Beans, Carrots, Cabbage- 

 lettuces, and curled Parsley. Provide for the succession of 

 Peas and Beans, by sowing at intervals of a fortnight. Sow 

 Spinach; earth up Celery and Broccoli. Pick the decayed 

 leaves from Cauliflowers standing under glasses, and give 

 them air at mid-day if the sun shines. In frosty weather, 

 when other work is hindered, wheel in dung, examine trees 

 for the nests of caterpillars, and seek out the harbours of 

 snails and other vermin. 



In the Fruit Garden. Loosen espalier and wall fruit- 

 trees, and in open weather prune Apple, Pear, and Quince 

 trees ; Vines, Gooseberries, Currants, and Raspberries ; re- 

 moving all cankered and decayed branches, and scraping off 

 moss with a blunt iron tool. If the weather be very cold, 

 spread rotten dung or straw, or the refuse of flax, over the 

 roots of the trees, not immediately at the bottom of the trunk, 

 but principally over the small roots at a distance ; for the 

 roots of trees generally extend as far as their branches. Plant 

 new Strawberry beds ; prepare hot-beds for raining the 



