l6 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



. SUCKERS. 



Suppose a quantity of suckers to come under treat- 

 ment from the beginning of August to the middle of 

 September- the time when suckers are generally in a 

 fit state to be taken from plants that have produced 

 the summer supply of fruit : let them be carefully 

 detached from the parent plants, cut their rugged 

 base smoothly off with the knife, and remove with 

 the hand the short scaly leaves which cluster round 

 their base, and under which appear the young roots. 

 The leaves should not be removed any higher up than 

 where these young roots assume a brownish hue. As 

 this operation is proceeded with, the suckers, for con- 

 venience, should be classed into two lots, the smaller 

 and the larger being placed by themselves. The 

 larger set, presuming that they are strong and healthy, 

 are to be potted in 8 -inch, and the smaller in 6 -inch 

 pots. The pots, if not new, should be well washed 

 both outside and inside. The crocking should be 

 efficiently performed, using rather finely broken crocks 

 with all dust sifted out of them. They should be 

 arranged in the bottom of the pots to the depth of 

 one and a half inch in the 6 -inch, and two inches in 

 the 8 -inch pots. Over the crocks should be placed 

 a thin layer of dry moss or the most fibry part of the 

 loam, and over all a sprinkling of fresh soot, which 

 acts as a barrier to worms and affords a stimulant to 

 the plants. 



In potting the suckers, place them sufficiently deep 

 in the pots to keep them steadily in their places ; 

 press the soil firmly about them with a blunt-pointed 

 piece of wood, and leave it about three-quarters of an 

 inch from the rim of the pots, that there may be no 



