CALENDAR FOR THE FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDENS. 
being done, remove nails with which the swelling 
fruit is likely to come in contact. Shoots hay- 
ing a tendency to grow too strong should be 
nipped; weak shoots on the lower part of the 
tree should be left, taking care, however, that 
they are inclined to the direction in which they 
must ultimately be nailed. 
Some of the early stopped vigorous shoots of 
Apples and Pears will have pushed a fresh 
leader; this should be cut back to about 2 inches 
from its base. Finish budding, and slacken the 
bands of buds where necessary. 
It is now a good time to make plantations of 
Strawberries. Plant the runners as soon as fit, 
18 inches apart in the rows, which should be 
3 feet from each other. Shade, if necessary, 
till the plants get fresh hold, and water accord- 
ing to the state of the weather. Continue to 
cut off runners, when not required for new 
plantations. Thin the young shoots of Rasp- 
berries, leaving from four to six of the strongest. 
After the crop is gathered from the bearing 
branches they should be cut, so that the young 
shoots for bearing next summer may have all 
the light and nourishment. 
FORCING DEPARTMENT. 
Mushrooms.—Prepare dung for beds, and mix 
one-eighth of good fibrous loam with it. Put 
enough of it into the beds, so that when it is 
rammed firmly there will be left 15 inches. 
Fermentation will follow when the heat of it is 
from 70° to 80°. Spawn at once, and cover the 
surface with 2 inches of good loam, and ram it 
down firm. 
Cucumbers.—lf the weather is dull and wét, 
the fires will require to be worked so as to main- 
tain a proper heat. Sow about the middle of the 
month for winter bearing. ‘Those out-of-doors 
should be dusted with flowers of sulphur to pre- 
vent mildew. Gather for pickling; in general 
all that are fit should be gathered, from the 
oldest to the youngest. By so doing a better 
succession of young fruit will be ensured than 
if a number of old fruit were allowed to grow. 
Melons.—Keep up a steady bottom-heat of 
80°, and as much top-heat, with plenty of air. 
Shade plants which are recently planted for a 
few days until the roots have taken hold of the 
soil. Encourage the foliage to become broad 
and thick in substance. Abundance of air night 
and day will render it robust. It is better to 
employ these means than to attempt checking 
luxuriance by limiting the supply of moisture at 
the root, for in this case red spider will be en- 
d51 
couraged. The supply of water must, however, 
be gradually diminished as the fruit is ripening. 
Pine- Apples.—Shifting should be completed 
before the middle of this month. The bottom- 
heat should be from 85° to 90°. Water at the 
root should be withheld till fresh roots are 
emitted; but the foliage should be daily mois- 
tened by syringing. At the time of closing the 
house the base of the plants should at all times 
be moderately moist. All suckers that appear 
on succession plants should be screwed out, 
leaving only one on each plant when the fruit 
appears. Suckers, as they can be taken off, 
should, with others in stock, have the same 
treatment as recommended for those started 
last March. 
Vines.—Dryness is essential to the keeping 
of ripe Grapes in good condition, till required 
foruse. Therefore, in dry, clear weather, abund- 
ance of air should be given during the day, and 
a moderate quantity at night; but when the 
weather is wet, with little or no sunshine to dry 
up the damp, a little fire-heat, with a free cir- 
culation of air at the same time, will have a 
beneficial effect. Vineries, in which the fruit is 
swelling, should be kept moist; and this will be 
difficult in such hot, dry weather as frequently 
occurs in this month. The paths must be 
sprinkled, but the foliage not syringed beyond 
the time the Grapes come into bloom. In such 
_weather, the leaves of a healthy Vine carry off an 
immense quantity of moisture by evaporation, 
and they cannot be long healthy if the loss by 
evaporation is not replaced. Remove superfluous 
shoots, and unhealthy and decaying berries. 
Frontignans, when ripe, are apt to shrivel when 
the bunches are exposed to hot sun, therefore 
the front ought to be shaded. : 
Figs.—Plants, on which the fruit is swelling, 
will require a good supply of water at this season. 
Once a day will not be generally sufficient, and 
for those trees in pots the best rule is to give 
them regularly as much water as they require. 
The soil in the pots or border should never be 
dry. Syringe the foliage frequently if red 
spider make its appearance. When the fruit 
begins to ripen, gradually reduce the supply 
of water, and take care that no suckers are 
allowed to spring up, for the sap will flow to 
them rather than to the fruiting branches. 
Peaches and Nectarines—When the crop is 
gathered, see that the border has not become 
too dry; and if it has, it should be well watered. 
The trees should be regularly syringed, and 
air freely admitted, in order to ripen the wood. 
If the weather is favourable, the lights may be 
