6 GARDENING 



and drought set in, some covering should be placed 

 round the roots to keep out the drought. 



All weak shoots should be cut away in the 

 spring and summer, and all new branches nailed 

 horizontally to the wall, and in the autumn, when 

 the trees have done growing, the branches should 

 be unnailed and the vigorous branches cut off to 

 eight or nine inches long, and the weaker ones to 

 five. When the shoots are shortened they should 

 be nailed again as straight as possible, but great 

 care must be used every year not to injure the 

 spurs of the preceding year's growth, to shorten 

 branches at the winter pruning in such a manner as 

 to throw out fresh wood in every part of the tree, 

 and to cut away all superfluous wood. 



Frost and wasps are deadly enemies to apricots. 

 When there are showers in the daytime and frost 

 follows in the night, a light net should be put on for 

 protection, but it is best to remove the net in the 

 daytime. For the wasps some wide- mouthed bottles 

 should be tied among the branches, filled with beer 

 and a spoonful of gin, with a piece of paper over 

 the mouth and a hole pierced in the centre for them 

 to crawl in ; the bottom of the paper should have 

 preserve smeared over it. The fruit should be 

 thinned when large enough to make tarts of. This 

 thinning may be twice done, when the apricots 

 should be about four to five inches apart. 



A good mulching to the roots is good when 

 the fruit is swelling, and afterwards liquid manure 

 given at its last growth. The best kinds to grow 

 are Moor Park, Red Muscadine, The Royal, 

 and Museh Muscle. 



The fruit of the apricot is best picked before it 

 is quite ripe. 



