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THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



COVERING UP TO RETARD SMALL FRUITS. 



Red and white currants, and ^lorella cherries, planted on 

 north aspects should, as they ripen, be covered up with nets 

 to protect them from birds ; and many of the currant-bushes 

 may be covered with large garden-mats, which will preserve 

 them till a late period. The late and thick-skinned gooseber- 

 ries, red and white currants, in quarters or rows round the 

 sides of the walks, should be examined, and such as are best 

 loaded with fruit should be covered up with mats or nets. 

 Where these fruits are planted in lines in the quarters of the 

 garden, a quantity of wattled hurdles will be found extremely 

 useful for this purpose, placing a row of them along both 

 sides of the bushes, about two or two and a half feet distant 

 at the bottom, and brought together at the top and tied with 

 cords, placing each hurdle close to the other, so as to exclude 

 birds from getting in. In such places, as it is likely that they 

 will get in at, a few small branches of spruce, or other thick- 

 growing trees, should be drawn in, so as to thicken them suffi- 

 ciently. The ends of each row should be secured with a piece 

 of mat. At any time that birds should get in, they can be 

 easily killed or driven out, by opening the end mat and begin- 

 ning at the other, with a small stick drive them out. This 

 mode of preserving small fruits we have found to answer much 

 better than any other ; for if the bushes were summer pruned, 

 as already advised, a freer circulation of air passes among the 

 bushes, and prevents the fruit from moulding and spoiling, 

 which it is very apt to do when covered with mats ; and the 

 expense of hurdles is much less than that of mats, and can be, 

 if taken care of, made to last for several years, and are ex- 

 tremely useful for many other purposes in the garden, such as 

 shading newly-planted crops in sunny weather, and for pro- 

 tecting early spring crops from the effects of frost, &c. 



PLANTING STRAWBERRIES 



Strawberries may now be planted. The strongest plants 

 should be chosen, and if the roots be well puddled before 

 planting, and a good watering given as soon as planted, they 

 will soon strike root, and be established before the approach 

 of winter. 



