Gardening in Californi 



JANUARY. 



If it has not already been done, have all the necessary prun- 

 ing of fruit trees (including apples, pears, apricots, peaches, 

 plums, etc.) attended to at once; also prune roses and other 

 deciduous trees, climbers and shrubs, removing all decayed or 

 weak growth. If any show signs of ill health, take up the plants 

 and examine their roots; root-prune all unhealthy stock and 

 replant in fresh, well-cultivated, deep, rich soil. After pruning, 

 clear away all the clippings and any weeds which may be found 

 either in shrub-groups, flower-beds or walks. Weeds should 

 never be allowed to get foothold in any well-kept garden. 



When the hedges have all been clipped and the place has 

 been given a general clean-up, a clear, dry day should be selected 

 when the soil is in good condition, neither too dry nor yet so 

 wet that it will stick to the spade; after giving the soil a good 

 coat of at least three inches of old, well-rotted manure, spade 

 the surface of all shrubbery-groups and flower-beds to the depth 

 of at least one foot (except where the operation would interfere 

 too much with the roots of the plants), leaving the soil in as 

 rough and lumpy a condition as possible so as to allow the atmos- 

 phere to penetrate the soil. 



Plant out all kinds of fruit trees and also all kinds of decidu- 

 ous trees and shrubs, selecting a day when the air is soft and the 

 soil in good condition, avoiding days when the wind blows cold 

 and dry, or the soil is wet and soggy. 



In laying out new rose-beds, first trench the soil to the depth 

 of two feet and mix the soil freely with, at least, six inches of 

 half-decomposed horse-manure. The soil should be of a good 

 strong nature, not too sandy but not a heavy clay; a good mel- 

 low loam of any color, if well-enriched, suits the rose, a fairly 

 well-sheltered situation being selected. 



January is a good month for laying out new ground, making 

 walks, etc. 



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