138 



THE GARDENER. 



[nov. 



sunk, and filled with the above compost, instead of ap- 

 plying it profusely over beds, and they frequently put 

 down the bulbs with a dibber. Whatever be the in- 

 gredients or the proportions of the ingredients used in 

 the composts, they ought to be prepared and blended 

 together a long time before they are used. Take up 

 Dahlias. 



Fruit Garden. — Continue the pruning of goose- 

 berry and currant-trees ; cut down raspberries and 

 remove suckers ; towards the end of the month 

 you may prune apples, pears, &c., also the peach 

 tribe under glass, and likewise those on walls 

 as soon as their leaves have fallen. Where it is an 

 object to have early and fine strawberries, either 

 of the two modes of winter treatment following may 

 be recommended for the purpose : — " Choosing a shel- 

 tered place, which however must be open to the south, 

 drive in a line of stakes of convenient height and 

 length, according to the number of plants (in pots or 

 boxes) to be stowed away, and in the direction of east 

 and west. Nail some old boarding to these stakes, 

 and then spread a layer of dry ashes, about three inches 

 thick and feet in width, on the south side of the 

 boards. On this lay a row of pots on their sides, with 

 their bottoms towards the boards, and their rims pa- 

 rallel with the outside of the layer of ashes. Fill in 

 well between the pots, and also between the bottoms 

 of the pots and boards, with ashes ; then proceed with 

 another layer of ashes, and then another row of pots, 

 and so on till you come to the top of your boards, plac- 

 ing each row of pots a little nearer to the boards than 

 the row below it, so that when finished the whole may 

 present a sloping surface to the sun. The whole must 

 then be covered with boards in the form of a coping, 

 of sufficient breadth to protect the lowest row of 

 plants from slanting rains, and with a slight inclination 

 to the back, so as to throw the rain oiF to the north 

 side. If care be taken that the ashes be quite dry 



