356 G££E:I^H0US£ MA:tTAa£UEl«T. 



noon of bright days. After the seeds begin to form it 

 will be well to either top-dress the plants with horse or 

 sheep manure or to apply liquid manure. 



If the crop set is a large one, the surplus fruits 

 ehould be removed. The distance at which they should 

 be left will depend both on the growth of the plant and 

 the number of fruits upon it, but except for the cheny 

 and plum they should not be less than six inches apart, 

 and if well distributed a single fruit upon a shoot or 

 spur will be ample. 



After the crop has been gathered and the end of the 

 growing season approaches, water should be gradually 

 withheld and all the Tentilation possible should be given. 

 This will aid the trees in ripening their growths and in 

 securing firm fruit buds that will be less likely to be 

 affected by changes of temperature during the winter, 

 than when they are loose and open. If in pots it is often 

 well to place the trees outside for a few weeks in the 

 fall, but they should be returned to the houses before 

 severe freezing weather comes. During the winter they 

 may be packed closely together and the space that they 

 occupied in the summer can then be used for some other 

 crops. During the winter the trees should be pruned. 

 This will consist in cutting the new growth back about 

 three-fourths and the thinning out of surplus shoots. In 

 the case of the peach and nectarine, especially, this should 

 be thoroughly done. After they have been pruned, it 

 will be well to spray the trees thoroughly with a strong 

 solution of copper sulphate, and just before the buds 

 start Bordeaux mixture can be nsed to advantage. For 

 aphides and other insects that may appear, the usual 

 remedies should be nsed. 



While the labor of watering can be lessened by 

 plunging the pots to their rim, during the summer, in a 

 light litter of some kind, care must be taken that the 

 roots are kept in the pots, and it \riU be <l^rable to have 



