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FRUIT GARDEN. 



In this part of the world the Black Knot on the 

 Plum and Cherry commences to work in May. A 

 mere sappy abrasure, green and spongy, first appears 

 above the bark ; cut it out and burn as fast as it ap- 

 pears. It is no use to cut it out after a month old. 



Look sharp after insects. Last year we introduced 

 petroleum as an insect destroyer. It is the most 

 valuable discovery of modern times to the fruit 

 grower. In over- doses it is like tobacco, sulphur, 

 and others, fatal to the life of the trees. We have 

 found that just enough to make a barely purple 

 tinge on the water used for syringing is effectual in 

 destroying most insects. If one dose does not do 

 try another the next day. Better use a light dose 

 twice, than one heavy one, which kills plant and in- 

 sects both. 



V\ atch all young fruit trees against bearing too 

 abundantly while young, or the first season after 

 planting. There can be no objection to the ripen- 



j ing of one or two fruits on a tree the first f^eason of 

 setting out, in order to test the kind, or to administer 

 to curiosity, if the tree be otherwise growing freely. 



I If little growth is making, no fruit at all should be 

 permitted. It is a better practice to disbud or take 

 out soon after shooting all shoots that are needless 

 to the perfect shape of the tree, than to wait till 

 fall or winter. The pruning knife need then only 



I be used to shorten a branch in to where seve- 



I ral branches are desired to push, or to induce a more 

 vigorous giowth from the pruned parts. In the 

 gooseberry, raspberry and strawberry also, no more 

 shoots should be sufiered to grow than will be re- 

 quired to bear the next season. 



Where water can be commanded, there is nothing 

 so profitable as to well soak the soil about small 

 fruits ; first about the time that they have set their 

 fruit. Much of the value of this operation, how- 

 ever, will depend on the nature of the soil. The 

 advantages are least in a tenacious, and greatest in 

 porous soil. It is said that an animal derives most 

 benefit from food when it is hungry before it begins 

 to eat: it is certainly so with plants. Water applied 

 to soil already wet is an injury ; and water never has 

 so telling an advantage on vegetation as when every 

 leaf is about to wither up for the want of it. A 

 plant that never seems to want water is in a very 

 doubtful condition in regard to its health. 



In summer pruning or disbudding, it is also 

 worth while to watch for shoots pushing stronger 

 than others, and always take them out. This is the 

 only way that shoots of equal strength can be en- 

 couraged in every part of the tree. This is partic- 

 ularly true of grape-vines. If a shoot once get the I 



tart of the others in strength and vigor, the 

 others will gradually get weaker to the other's in- 

 creasing luxuriance. 



We gave in a former volume the pith of what 

 we considered the philosophy of vine pruning, and 

 as we have not yet seen anything to add to or take 

 from what we then expressed, we reproduce the 

 remarks here. 



As to the best system of pruning grapes, there 

 are several "schools," all contending that their 

 views are "decidedly best." In such cases, we have 

 generally found there is much to admire in them 

 all, — situations and peculiar circumstances deciding 

 the point in each individual instance. There are 

 a few points incontrovertable to insure success, and 

 it matters little what system of pruning is followed 

 so that they are . ecured. First, a healthy set of 

 roots of the previous year's growth is essential to 

 produce vigorous start of grolvth the year following. 

 Secondly, after starting, these roots can only be 

 kept vigorous by encouraging an abundance of 

 healthy foliage, to be retained on the vine as long 

 as possible. Thirdly, the leaves of the first growth 

 are at least of double the value to the plant than 

 those from secondary or lateral shoots ; they should, 

 therefore, be carefully guarded from injury. Fourth- 

 ly, checking the strong growing-shoots strengthens 

 the weaker ones, equalizes the fl w of sap to every 

 part of the vine, and insures regular and harmoni- 

 ous action between all the parts. Any system that 

 secures this, does all that is necessary for the gen- 

 eral health and vigor of the vine ; and where some 

 special objects are desirable, such as dwarfing, par- 

 ticularly early bearing, productiveness at the expense 

 of longevity, special means must be employed to 

 bring them about. 



VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



In the cultivation of garden crops, the hoe and 

 rake, should be kept continually at work. Weeds 

 should be taken in hand before they are barely out 

 of the seed-leaf, and one-half the usual labor of ve- 

 getable gardening will be avoided. Hoeing or earth- 

 ing up of most garden crops is of immense advantage 

 in nearly every case. One would suppose that in 

 our hot climate flat culture would be much more 

 beneficial ; but a fair trial, say on every other row of 

 a bed of cabbages, will show a great difference in 

 favor of the earthed-up plants. It would be easy 

 to explain the reason of this, but in this column we 

 try to confine ourselves to "hints," and leave rea- 

 sons to our other departments. 



Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Brocoli, are now set 



