|4Q THE ORCHARD. [Feb. 



Admit fresh air to the trees every mild day when sunny, espe- 

 cially after they begin to bud and shoot, either by sliding down 

 some of the upper sloping glasses two or three inches, or drawing 

 some of the uprights in front a little way open, shutting all close 

 towards the afternoon, or as soon as the weather changes cold; 

 giving air more fully as the warm season increases, and as the trees 

 advance in blossom and shooting. 



Give also occasional waterings both to the borders and over the 

 branches of the trees before they blossom; but when in flower and 

 until the fruit is all fairly well set, desist from watering over the 

 branches, lest it destroy the fecundating pollen of the anthera des- 

 tined for the impregnation of the fruit. 



The iires maybe continued till towards May, being careful never 

 to make them stronger than to raise the internal heat to about 60° 

 of Fahrenheit's thermometer, in peach and cherry-houses, and 70° 

 in vine-houses; for in vineries, having only principally vines in 

 forcing, the heat is generally continued stronger, as they bear it 

 in a higher degree, whereby to forward the fruit to the earliest 

 perfection. 



According as the fruit advances to full growth, continue assist- 

 ing them by waterings, and give them free air every warm sunny 

 day; and when advancing towards ripening, encourage a strong 

 heat in the middle of the day, by admitting less or more air, in 

 proportion to the power of the sun, to forward their maturity, and 

 promote a rich flavour. 



Thus the fruits will ripen earlier by two months or more in 

 some, than their natural time of perfection in the open ground and 

 full air. 



In the above forcing departments you may also place pots of cur- 

 rants, raspberries, and strawberries, &c. 



THE ORCHARD. 



The feelings of a lover of improvement can scarcely be expressed 

 on observing the almost universal inattention paid to the greater 

 number of our Orchards, and that people who %o to a considerable 

 expense in planting and establishin«- them, afterwards leave them 

 to the rude hand of nature, as if the art and ingenuity of man 

 availed nothing, or that they merited no further care; however, it 

 is to be hoped that the good example and the consequent success of 

 tin- careful and industrious, will stimulate others to pay the neces- 

 sary attention to these departments, and thereby to serve them- 

 selves as well as the community- at large. 



At this season you can conveniently perform the very necessary 

 and important works of pruning, of scraping and rubbing oft' moss 

 and other parasitic plants, and of manuring the ground where 



