Monthly Calendar of Work. 499 



For directions in gathering and keeping grapes, see p. 115. 



Top-dressing orchards may be performed any time during the 

 month. 



Grape-vines in green-houses should have their growing shoots 

 pinched in ; and vines in cold houses, as soon as the fruit is picked, 

 should be thrown open and exposed to the air. 



NOVEMBER. 



Transplanting may be continued at any time during mild weather, 

 so long as the ground remains open and the air is not freezing. 

 Register in a book the name of every tree set out, and this record 

 may be referred to in future years when the labels have gone. 

 Young trees in windy places should be either staked, or stiffened 

 against the wind by a mound of earth, p. 64. Mice may be ex- 

 cluded from young trees by small conical mounds a foot high, 

 made smooth and perfectly compact, carefully excluding turf from 

 them'. 



Trees received late from a distance may be heeled in for spring 

 planting, as directed on pp. 66, 67. 



Protect half hardy raspberries by bending down and covering 

 slightly with earth. Cover strawberry beds with coarse stiff straw, 

 or with cornstalks or evergreens. Grape layers should be separated 

 from the vine and pruned, and packed away in moss, or heeled in 

 the earth. 



Cuttings of quinces, gooseberries, and currants should be made 

 and treated in the same way. Cut grafts for spring use, carefully 

 labelling each sort and packing away for winter, p. 37. Stocks for 

 root-grafting are to be taken up and packed in boxes in cellars for 

 winter use. 



Plough between nursery-rows, to carry off surplus water in winter. 



DECEMBER. 



Examine the directions for last month, and promptly complete 

 all jobs not finished in season. Finish cutting grafts ; apply winter 

 mulching to young trees ; collect stakes, tallies, labels, etc., which 

 are out of use, and tie up and pack them away. Examine the 

 directions for January, and perform any work which may be in 

 season. 



Grape-houses. In early houses the vines pruned last month will 

 begin to swell their buds. Give a regular and moderate tempera- 

 ture during the present month. Prune vines in green-houses and 

 cold houses, and protect the latter with a covering of leaves. 



