441 



THE ORCHARD. 



Little remains to be done during this month in the orchard, but 

 to feast on its delicious productions: however, it will be very proper 

 to pick and carry away all decayed and fallen fruit, for the reasons 

 assigned in the fruit garden for this month. Should any of the trees 

 show canker or much gum, you may now cut out the decayed part 

 clean to the fresh wood, and give it a dressing of the medicated tar 

 prescribed in page 47, giving this medication a due consistence as 

 there directed, to prevent its melting away by the heat of the 

 weather; or you may apply Mr. Forsyth's composition, for which 

 see page 224. 



Where it can be done without injury, it would be of use to turn 

 pigs into the orchard at this season to eat up the fallen, decayed 

 fruit, and, consequently, to destroy the numerous brood of insects 

 contained therein. 



THE VINEYARD. 



In the middle states the grapes are generally set or formed about 

 the first week of this month; when all the loose hanging shoots are 

 to be neatly tied up to the stakes, and the useless weak growths, 

 as well as the suckers arising from the roots and lower parts of the 

 stems, cleared or cut away; but by no means divest any of the 

 branches of their leaves, as some unskilful persons too often prac- 

 tise; for these are absolutely necessary to the growth and protec- 

 tion of the fruit: the small side shoots growing on the main brandies 

 from the axillas of the leaves, should, if time permits, be nipped oft' 

 as they are produced, which will tend considerably to strengthen 

 the principal shoots. 



When the vines are suffered for some time to hang loose, and 

 trail about upon the ground, all their leaves grow upward; which, 

 on the shoots being afterwards bound in an upright position to the 

 stakes, are turned upside down; and until these leaves resume their 

 natural position, which they are commonly eight or ten days in 

 effecting, the fruit is at a stand, and consequently loses the advan- 

 tage of that length of time in the principal season of its growth. 



The ground should be kept constantly free from weeds, cither 

 by means of the plough and harrow or by hoe; for where there are 

 other plants suffered to grow, they not only rob the roots of the 

 vines of their nourishment, but also by perspiring, cause a damp in 

 the air, and prevent the sun and wind from exhaling and carrying 

 away the vapours arising from the earth, whereby the fruit would 

 3 II 



