581 



THE ORCHARD. 



Apples and pear-trees that are in good health, may now be 

 pruned agreeably to the directions given in page 45, &c. to which 

 I particularly refer you; but it will be better to defer the pruning 

 of stone fruit trees to February, and of all trees that are in a bad 

 state of health to the beginning of March, in which month, (page 

 223, &c.) you will find the best methods of treating them for the 

 restoration of their health and vigour. 



Rub and scrape oft' moss wherever it appears on your fruit-trees, 

 it robs them of their nourishment, prevents their free perspiration, 

 and is an enemy to them in every way. 



You may now cart manure into the orchard, and spread it over 

 the whole ground, if necessary, or over the roots of such trees as 

 you think are in most need of it; this will not only be of very con- 

 siderable service to the trees, but also to any crops of grass or 

 grain, &c. that you expect oft" the place the ensuing seasons. 



It will be of considerable advantage to new planted trees to lay 

 long litter, &c. around their roots to protect them from frost, as 

 directed in the Fruit Garden for this month. 



The hedges which enclose your orchard and other compartments, 

 and that are grown tall, straggling, and thin, may now be cut down 

 and plashed, as directed in page 268; you need be under no appre- 

 hension of their suffering by frost, especially the white-thorns. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 



When the ground continues open in winter, or so much so as 

 not to interrupt the operation of ploughing, you may manure your 

 orchards, and plough such of them as you intend to lay down with 

 clover, or grass of any kind, or to raise crops of grain or potatoes 

 in. You may likewise continue to plant and prune all manner of 

 hardy fruit-trees, but particularly those mentioned in the Fruit 

 Garden for this month. Here I would recommend to your atten- 

 tion, the perusal of the article Orchard in January, page 45, Febru- 

 ary, page 140, and March, page 223. 



THE VINEYARD. 



In the middle and eastern states, little remains to be done in the 

 vineyard at this season; indeed it sometimes happens in the former 

 that the ground is open in the beginning of the month, in which 



