296 AROUND THE YEAR IN THE GARDEN 



are kept where moisture collects, even to a small extent, as 

 it does in most cellars and dark store-rooms. Open up 

 windows or doors every week or two on a bright dry day, or 

 for a night, if it is not too cold; and don't forget to keep this 

 up, at intervals, during the winter. Most vegetables, and 

 fruits, will keep best in a cold temperature — about 35 de- 

 grees — where the air is not too dry. Squash and sweet 

 potatoes, however, keep better in a rather warm tempera- 

 ture, — 45 degrees or over — and a very dry atmosphere: a 

 place near the chimney in the attic, or in the cellar near 

 the heater, furnishing the right conditions. 



Clean up the Outside Jobs 



Take advantage of every warm bright day to clean up any 

 outside jobs there may be left to do: any day now may 

 bring weather conditions which will mean the cessation of 

 work of this kind. 



Don't leave until spring any garden debris or rubbish 

 that can be cleaned up or burned up now. The vegetable 

 garden that is left full of dead vines and pea-brush and to- 

 mato and bean poles, is not only the most desolate of sights 

 and the most aggressive signboard of sKp-shod methods, 

 but a pleasant and safe winter resort and encampment for 

 all sorts of insects and disease spores. 



In making the final roimds of inspection, look carefully 

 over your fruit trees, and small fruits. Go over the cane 

 fruits — blackberries, raspberries, etc. — and cut out all old 

 canes that fruited this year, if they have been left till now. 

 Cut out and burn any new ones which show signs of borers. 

 Carefully examine currants and gooseberries for borers 

 also: — a light-colored sHghtly wilted shoot will enable you 

 to recognize where one is present. The bushes may be 

 thinned or cut to shape now if desired, but as a general rule 

 it will be better to leave pruning until late winter or early 

 spring. Grapes however may be pruned now to advantage, 

 as soon as other outside work has been attended to. 



