142 



THE GARDENER. 



[dec. 



Fruit Garden, — If the weather be not too severe, 

 continue the pruning of pear, apple, plum, and cherry- 

 trees. The pruning of wall trees should be finished, 

 if possible, in the beginning of the month. After 

 pruning gooseberries, currants, and raspberries, the 

 soil should be drawn from the stems to the middle of 

 the space, and there buried; for by so doing the attacks 

 of insects are, in a great measure, prevented. Prune 

 vines. Mulch new-planted fruit-trees. When dress- 

 ing fruit borders, however, use the fork in preference 

 to the spade, which injures the roots of fruit-trees 

 very seriously. 



Kitchen Garden^ Shrubbery^ Sfc. — Earth up ce- 

 lery for the last time, taking care to guard the hearts 

 from frost and rain ; by putting litter to the sides, the 

 earth becomes caked and able to resist, in a great de- 

 gree, the effects of frost and rain. Protect peas and 

 beans during frost and nipping wind with hurdles in- 

 terlaced with spruce fir leaves, ferns, or straw, and 

 lay I'eed mats over cauliflowers in all their stages, let- 

 tuces, &c. ; prepare hotbeds for cucumbers and ra- 

 dishes. Sow the early frame or Bishop's pea; make 

 and paint flower sticks and labels ; prepare shreds, 

 wattle hurdles, tie reed straw for mats, arrange seeds, 

 and, in short, keep yourself employed indoors at 

 everything that is requisite in the above way, when 

 the weather prevents out-of-door work. In hard frost 

 you cannot be better employed than in wheeling out 

 manure, and when it departs, you will find plenty to 

 do in digging, ribbing, and trenching. 



(JsEFDL Trees, Plants, Seeds, &c., for the 

 Garden. 



Por the guidance of young gardeners and amateurs 

 who may require to make a selection of fruit trees, 

 plants, seeds, &c., for the garden, the following list 

 of the various sorts of fruits and vegetables that are 

 most in favour at the present time will prove useful. 



