fl6 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



HORTICULTURAL NOTES FOR THE MONTH 



TiiiNSiXG Fruit. — Dwarf pear trees are loaded 

 Trith fruit, and will require much thinning. It is 

 a great mistake to let the trees bear all they will. 

 The fruit is small, and poor in quality, and the tree 

 so weakened that it will bear very little next year. 

 Many trees we have seen this summer will require 

 the removal of two-thirds of the fruit. Out or 

 pinch out the smaller and imperfect fruit first, but 

 do not spare even those that are large and fine 

 ■when too tliick. Let the fruit be evenly distributed 

 on the ti-ee and on the diSerent branches. Dwarf 

 pears set out last fall or this spring will frequently 

 set fruit, but it should not be allowed to mature, 

 or at least not more than two or three specimens 

 on a tree. 



The same remarks will apply to dwarf apple 

 trees. All dwarfed trees have a tendency to over- 

 bear and exhaust themselves. But though of 

 greater importance, the process of thinning fruit 

 should not be confined to dwarf trees. It is very 

 beneficial in all cases where trees are heavily loaded. 

 The reason why apple trees so generally bear fruit 

 only on alternate years, is that they are allowed to 

 mature such a large crop one year that the trees 

 are exhausted and will not bear the next year. 

 If half tlie crop was removed, other things being 

 the same, they would bear every year. 



SuMMKB Pruning is too much neglected. Pinch 

 off the ends of too vigorous and irregular shoots, 

 and train the tree into good shape. It promotes 

 fruitfulness, and saves the necessity of much winter 

 pruning. The shoots of grape vinee, if not already 

 done, should be pinched off, leaving two or three 

 leaves above the bunch. If attacked with mildew, 

 apply 8uli>hnr immediately. 



Strawbehrt beds, as soon as the fruit is off, 

 should receive attention. Keep down the weeds 

 and oat off the runners, unless they are required 

 to form new beds. If the system of " cultnre in 

 alternate strips" is adopted, the runners should be 

 thinned out when too thick, and kept free from 

 weeds, and allowed to get well rooted before the 



old plants are spaded under, say about the middle 

 of August. 



Layering is one of the best methods of propagat- 

 ing many ornamental shrubs, roses, grape vines, &c. 

 Spade and prepare the ground around the plant ; 

 bend down some of the shoots of new wood and 

 fasten them in the ground with a peg. If a slit be 

 made half through the shoot, just below a bud, and 

 extending an inch or so above the bud, it will root 

 sooner and more freely. The top of the- layered 

 shoot should be put in an erect position above the 

 ground, so that the slit made below will be kept 

 open ; the sap is thus arrested at the cut part, and 

 goes to form roots. 



Dahlias, and all taU-growing plants, should be 

 staked and carefully tied up, or they will break 

 down when their heads are heavy with bloom. 



Keep the ground clean. — Weeds rob the soi] 

 of moisture and the food of more useful plants— 

 a trite truth better expressed by the great dra- 

 matist. 



" Go root away 

 The noisome weeds, ihat without profit suck 

 The soil's fertility from wholesome flowers." 



Late peas may be sown on good, deep, rich soil 

 Dwarf Blue Imperial and Knighfs Dwarf Mar- 

 row are good varieties for late crop. 



Dwarf Beans and Sweet Corn may still b( 

 planted; and also the seeds of cucumbers foj 

 pickling. 



Celery. — It not already done, prepare trenchei 

 for celery. Dig the trenches eighteen inches deep 

 fill in with six or eight inches of well-rotted man 

 ure, and cover with four or five inches of rich sur- 

 face soil. Set out the plants in a single row, abou" 

 a foot apart in the trenches. The London gard 

 eners sometimes make the trenches three or foui 

 ffeet wide, and plant three or four rows in each 

 trench. It involves too much trouble, however, ii 

 earthing up to be practical in this country, unlesi 

 it is impossible otherwise to obtain sufficient space 



The plant grows very slowly at first, and wil 

 need watering if the weather is dry. Stir the soi 

 with the hoe, and apply the water a few inches 

 from the plants so as to avoid washing tlie eartl 

 into the hearts of the celery. In this, as in aL 

 other cases, give a thorough soaking, so that the 

 water will penetrate to the roots. Slight watering* 

 are generally worse than useless. 



Cabbages for the main crop may now be ae' 

 out. Grubs are apt to be very destructive to tlien 

 in the early part of this month. A correspondent 

 says: "If the roots, at the time of transplanting, 

 are dipped in fish oil and then in plaster of Paria 

 it will not only annoy the worms and keep then 



