406 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



[May, 



and sunshine. Coverings, of whatever kind, should not be 

 taken off all at once ; they should be removed by degrees, and 

 the young shoots hardened progressively to the full exposure 

 of the air. Insects of all sorts will now be in full strength, 

 and care must be taken to keep them down, which, if taken in 

 time, will save much tiouble and expense. Pick off all 

 curled and deformed leaves of the trees as they appear, and in 

 so doing, take care not to injure the young shoots. Supply 

 all fruit-trees plentifully with water, if the season be dry, and 

 use the garden-engine over all the walls every afternoon, or 

 every alternate one, with sufficient force to dislodge the in- 

 sects, and wash off all dust and filth that may have gathered 

 on the leaves. If there be appearance of frost, prefer the 

 morning, before the sun acts fully on the trees ; and after frosty 

 nights, which we often have about the beginning of this month, 

 use the engine before sun-rise, that is, before the rays of heat 

 strike fully upon the trees, on eastern and southern aspects, for 

 the purpose of removing the effects of frost. Continue to sup- 

 ply all newly-planted fruit-bushes with water at their roots, 

 and occasionally over their branches. 



SUMMER-PRUNING CURRANTS, GOOSEBERRIES, AND RASPBERRIES. 



On this subject, Nicol observes, it is not a very common 

 practice to summer-prune currants and gooseberries, but it 

 is essential to their welfare, and to their production of fine 

 fruit, if judiciously performed. It also, in a gi'eat measure, 

 tends to prevent the ravages of the caterpillar. No doubt a 

 moderate degree of shade is conducive to the swelling of tlie fruit 

 to a full size ; but if, by too much shade, it be excluded from the 

 sun and air, it will be wanting in flavor ; therefore the hearts 

 of the plants should be regularly thinned of the cross and 

 water shoots ; and all suckers rising about the roots ought to 

 be carefully twisted off, as they appear. If part of the shoots 

 that rise about the stools of raspberries were twisted off, or 

 otherwise destroyed, at this time also, it would let in the air 

 about them ; the shoots left for bearing next year would be- 

 come stronger, and the fruit now upon the plants increase 

 in size. 



