MAY. 247 



endanger the fruit crop, should frosts occur in May, as they often do. The 

 prospect now appears favorable for an abundant harvest of all fruits except 

 the peach. 



Grape Vines have been favored with the best of weather thus far, and the 

 early kinds are ripening off their crop in the finest condition. Later varie- 

 ties have also set their fruit well, from the same cause, and are now just 

 ready for thinning. Attend to this operation as soon as possible, and sup- 

 port the shoulders of heavy clusters ; keep the laterals well topped in plant- 

 houses, but allow them to ramble more freely in graperies, as the shade will 

 do no harm. Keep up a good temperature by lighting small fires every 

 cool evening. Vines in cold houses will now be breaking, and should be 

 well syringed every morning in fine weather ; air freely, and do not force on 

 the buds too fast. 



Strawberry Beds should now be cleared, and top dressed with guano, 

 or old decayed manure. New beds should be made during the month. 



Raspberries should be tied up to strong stakes, and the ground be well 

 manured and dug. 



Grafting should all be completed this month. 



Fruit Trees may yet be transplanted with safety. 



Insects should be looked after: the canker worms, when young, can be 

 easily destroyed by syringing with oil soap. The old tent caterpillars, 

 which are often allowed to defoliate whole orchards, may be readily de- 

 stroyed without the least trouble. 



FliOWER department. 



The month of May brings with it a variety of beautiful flowers, which 

 render the garden, the pleasure ground and shrubbery very attractive. 

 But notwithstanding the interest which they possess, nothing should be left 

 undone to keep up the interest of the greenhouse or conservatory ; no month 

 will they present a gayer aspect than now if the collection is judiciously 

 chosen. The geraniums, cinerarias, lantanas, calceolarias, &c., as well as 

 the few late camellias and azaleas, will display a greater mass of bloom 

 than at any period of the year. 



Continue to remove all plants that are out of bloom into frames or the open 

 air, if hardy enough, which will give more room for the finer specimens as 

 they come into bloom. Geraniums may be kept a long time in perfection 

 by a slight shade in the middle of the day in sunny weather. All plants 

 for bedding out will do much better by hardening them off in frames before 

 turning them into the ground ; all that is necessary is to protect them from 

 cold rains and frost. 



Already the labor of preparing plants for next season's blooming com- 

 mences; if neglected until late in the season, their growth willt be 

 greatly lessened. Such things as Euphorbias, Poinsettias, Gesnera oblonga, 

 &c., should be repotted, headed in, and started in a slight bottom heat. All 

 the finer twining plants, such as Stephanotus, Echites, Allamanda, &c., 

 should be attended to, giving them a warm place to get a vigorous growth 

 early. 



