520 A KALENDAR OF WORK, ETC. 



this operation is going on ; and if some clean dry fern 

 can be had, the fruit should be laid upon it, reserving 

 as much as will cover it over as soon as frost sets in. 

 Fine dry fern is by far the best thing on which to lay 

 Apples, and to cover them also, of any material what- 

 ever, as it is perfectly sweet, and not liable to contract 

 any unpleasant smell, and it keeps sound much longer 

 than straw. 



December. 



Continue to prune and train wall trees and espaliers, 

 and to prune all standard and dwarf trees and bushes in 

 the orchard and garden. In looking over the espaliers, 

 where any of the stakes are decayed they must be re- 

 placed with new ones, and the whole put into a thorough 

 state of repair, previously to the commencement of 

 training. 



Where the trees and bushes have been pruned in the 

 quarters or on the borders, these places should be dug 

 over, leaving the ground rough to be acted upon by 

 the winter frosts ; and where manure was wanted, it 

 ought to have been dug in, which will benefit the trees 

 much more than it would if left till the spring. 



In the various operations directed to be done in the 

 different months in pruning and training of particular 

 fruits, it will be advisable, in all cases, to turn to those 

 fruits in the body of the work, previously to the com- 

 mencement of those operations. 



Little has been said in regard to the propagation of 

 the different fruits ; this will be found at length under 

 its proper head* 



