148 
GARDENING CALENDAR FOR APRIL. 
THE FRUIT GARDEN. 
General Directions. — Disbudding, thinning 
the fruit and blossoms, protecting, grafting ; 
and also cutting down and grafting the inferior 
sorts ; hoeing, and gathering, or destroying 
of caterpillars, must all be attended to, and 
will form the leading features of management 
during this month. 
Almonds. — Protection may still be required 
in a few situations; the quantity of fruit and 
the shoots left should be adjusted according 
to the state of the trees. 
Apples. — In exposed places protect the 
blossom of the finer sorts. Look sharply for 
insects ; wash with soft soap and warm water 
those infested, or likely to be so, with the 
American blight ; for the green fly syringe 
with tobacco water ; for caterpillars resort to 
hand picking, dredging with the powder of 
white hellebore, or syringing with a decoction 
of its roots ; do the whole promptly, and per- 
severe until the means are found effectual. 
Apricots. — Again disbud and thin, both 
the shoots and fruit ; it may be necessary to 
unnail where any branches or fruit are 
cramped; two fruits to every square foot is a 
fair crop for a healthful tree. 
Cherries. — The green fly must be arrested 
early by fumigating or syringing, and dusting 
the leaves when wet witli Scotch snuff; thin 
the shoots and fruit moderately. 
Currants. — In addition to the other modes 
of killing the aphides, syringing with soot 
and lime-water is a good method ; have the 
ground neatly hoed among the trees, and if 
near the border also raked. 
Figs. — Lose not a moment if these are not 
nailed ; those shoots which are most forward, 
may be thinned moderately. 
Gooseberries. — Have the ground neatly hoed ; 
the caterpillar must be scrupulously watched ; 
in addition to the other remedies may be men- 
tioned that of dusting the powder of white 
hellebore root on the foliage when wet, or 
syringing with a decoction of the same. 
Filberts. — Keep thoroughly clean, and rub 
off a few of the misplaced early shoots. 
Mulberries. — From their lateness in pro- 
ducing foliage, they may still be transplanted; 
choose a spot where they will be surrounded 
with green velvety turf, on which, if the 
fruit falls, it will sustain no injury. They 
are also ornamental trees. 
Nectarines. — Proceed with the gradual 
thinning of wood and blossoms, and, at the 
end of the month, of the fruit also ; two 
fruits to a square foot is a fair crop, for a 
tree in ordinary vigour ; allow more if the 
tree is luxuriant, and less if sickly. 
Peaches. — The coverings of most wall 
trees may be taken off at the end of the 
month, but this depends on the weather, and 
state of the trees ; disbud and thin the super- 
abundant crop. A slight fire may be desi- 
rable where flued walls are at command, and 
if so, keep on the external cover. Mulching 
transplanted trees may also be requisite, if 
the weather is dry and searching winds pre- 
vail ; syringe in the morning, when the fruit 
is set, with clear soot and tobacco water. 
Pears. — The protecting of the early blos- 
soms of the fine sorts in severe weather may 
still be attended to ; and as pears have often 
bad roots, those trees lately planted may be 
watered and mulched with advantage. All 
foreright and redundant shoots must be rubbed 
off at their first appearance; and so also with 
an overcrop of fruit. 
Plums. — Crops are often lost from an over 
abundant blossom being allowed to expand ; 
the remedy of duly thinning may be yet par- 
tially applied with effect ; make provision to 
lay in young wood. 
Raspberries. — Hoe deeply amongst them ; 
some of the early suckers may be removed. 
Strawberries. — Have these thoroughly 
cleaned before the runners begin to spread ; 
but where a stock of young plants is not 
required, it is better not to allow runners to 
remain ; water if dry, also mulch. 
Vines. — Little can be done here ; a syring- 
ing might be given in the mornings, to assist 
the breaking of the buds; defer the thinning 
until next month. 
THE FORCING GARDEN. 
General Directions. — With the advancing 
season, increased and unceasing vigilance is 
necessary. The same principles which en- 
sured success early, will do the same later in 
the season, with this difference, that the arti- 
ficial means of attaining certain ends are sup- 
planted by natural ones, which are more sure 
and simple. The progress of vegetation and 
increase of evaporation will render additional 
waterings necessary ; and the sap which is 
now circulating rapidly, and finding new 
channels, will have to be conducted, without 
waste, to the perfecting of the fruit, and 
building up of the plant, by pruning and 
regulating ; no small skill and attention is 
necessary to maintain this in free and con- 
stant play, allowing at no time any cause to 
come into operation to produce either a 
stagnancy, or an over luxuriance. Avoid 
extremes of cold, heat, or food-giving, and all 
sudden variations. 
Asparagus. — Temperature, 60 to 65 degrees 
by day, and 55 degrees at night. Use every 
shoot, and if the bed is in a good state, no 
additional one is necessary. 
Cherries. — Temperature, from 55 to 70 
degrees by day, and 50 to 55 degrees at 
