APPROACH OF SPRING. 59 



house, and by elevating a row or two of the flowers, they may 

 hardly be seen. Ventilate in fine weather, but shut up iu 

 frosty and windy days. As to the trees which have borne 

 during the past year, the amateur will know how to man- 

 age them ; that is, the roots which have penetrated through 

 the five holes — the best number — at the bottom of each pot, 

 must be cut off, and five or six inches deep of the old soil 

 being neatly picked out of the pots, to about four inches 

 of tlie edges, fresh good loam and manure must be added. 

 By no means let the trees be taken out of the pots, as ig- 

 norant gardeners will be sure to advise. Soak once or twice 

 with water, and place the trees with the others to rest. In 

 cold localities the house must be well shut up when the 

 weather is severe ; and should the temperature sink below 

 zero, then some dry hay among the pots or round them, and 

 over their surfaces, will be very useful. 



As February comes, place the trees three feet apart from 

 stem to stem in their places. A house of thirty feet will hold 

 at least thirty fine trees. I have many more, but these are 

 pyramidal or slender Cordons, and take far less room than 

 the bush trees. Therefore the amateur must be guided by 

 circumstances, as he can always remove superfluous trees in 

 July out of doors to make room for the rest.* Some of the 

 fruit-bearing bushes may also be placed close to a warm wall, 

 between the wall trees, to ripen their fruits, which they will 

 do a week or two later than if kept in-doors. I found the 



[* In our warmer climate, and brilliant sun, the trees may be removed to the 

 open air the 10th of June, where peaches more particularly will only acquire any 

 flavor. A peach grown in an orchard-house, unless the sashes are wholly re- 

 moved in June, is worthless, only to look at ; flavor it has little or none. Per- 

 haps plums and nectarines had better remain in until all danger of the curculio 

 is over, when they should be exposed to the open air, choosing, as Mr. Brehaut 

 advises, a sheltered place where the wind will not shake the trees or bruise the 

 fruit. Every tree left in the house is done at the sacrifice of quality, though the 

 beauty and size of the fruit may be enhanced. In September, when high winds 

 often occur, it may be well to remove pears back to the house to prevent the loss 

 of the fruit. 



Though most American cultivators know the character of the climate of Great 

 Britain, it may be well to remind them of the great difl'erence, by a brief state- 

 ment of the temperature of July, as compared with our own. The data are 



