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FRUIT GARDEN. 
as possible after they arc up ; the weeds 
should be removed by hand, because the 
Onions may be thinned by drawing them veiy 
small: for they are good in salads before they 
nre large enough to be seen in a separate 
state. The smaller an onion is the better and 
sweeter it is in a salad. Examine stored 
Onions, and take away from the stock any that 
are soft, or damaged, or rotten. 
FRUIT GARDEN. 
Prune wall trees, and nail all the young 
strong bearing wood in their places ; take olf 
any i'oreright shoots, that is to say, shoots that 
grow straight out from the wall, unless, indeed, 
there be any bare place that requires covering, 
in which case they may be bent over and 
nailed in. All the branches to be retained 
should be so placed as not to be in each other's 
way, and the wall should be well covered with 
branches at equal distances, or as nearly so as 
possible. Old wood that has no lateral branches 
on it should be removed altogether as soon 
as you can find a reasonable quantity of 
young branches in a fair way to supply its 
place ; all the bearing wood should be retained. 
If the trees have been awkwardly nailed, and 
can be improved by unnailing and shifting 
their places, do not hesitate to alter it. Begin 
by keeping the lowest branches as nearly as 
possible horizontal, or bending downwards 
rather than upwards; this gives all possible 
room for the remainder of the branches, which 
may be placed in turn as clpse down as will 
just leave proper room to lay in bearing wood, 
and so improve the wall in appearance, and 
the tree in growth and bearing, as to make 
ample amends for the trouble. 
Prune standard trees, one-half of the 
branches of which are, in nineteen of every 
twenty cases, superfluous. When in full leaf 
neither sun nor air can reach the fruit, and if 
the season be at all good, there is twice the 
quantity that ought to be allowed to grow. 
Cut away a sufficient number of branches to 
give light and air inside the head ; remove all 
branches which cross each other, and head 
down all that are inclined to run up too tall. 
The nearer a tree is to the ground the better ; 
nobody grows better pears than the Guernsey 
and Jersey people, yet you may always reach 
to gather the top fruit. In market gardens 
standards are cut up pretty high in the trunk 
or stem to give room underneath for the other 
and shorter crops ; but even trees so circum- 
stanced should not be allowed to run up so 
tall as they are. Give a tree less work to 
do, and it will do the work better ; lessen 
the head of a tree in quantity of branches, 
and the remainder will bear more in value. 
The quantity of wood on the heads of trees is 
quite as fatal to the well-being of the fruit 
as neglected wall trees would be; but the differ- 
ence is, that in wall fruit trees the confusion 
and crowding of branches are under our eye, 
while standards never occupy our thoughts. 
Nobody ought to lose this month with an 
orchard; besides finding wood enough to last 
all the winter, and sell at a good price in 
faggots, every tree will produce better fruit, 
and many that have not done well for years 
will flourish when the quantity of head is re- 
duced. 
Vines. — The pruning should be done this 
month. Save the strongest wood exactly 
where you want it ; and if there be none ex- 
actly where it is required, bring it from the 
nearest place by bending it to the part you 
want to cover. The principal art in pruning 
the Vine, is to leave growing eyes where you 
want the wood for next year's bearing, and 
cut the bearing wood of last year back, and so 
place the wood of the last summer's growth, 
which is to bear next summer, as to cover the 
wall best and support the fruity Cut away all 
spindling and weak branches, all the useless 
shoots, and shorten the bearing wood for the 
next year to the length you require it; always 
remove old wood when you have strong, well- 
grown young wood to take its place. Vines 
may be spurred in some situations; that is, all 
the young shoots of each side the branches be 
cut back to two eyes, and so let the spurs be 
at such distance apart along the branches as 
will bear what it ought to bear and no more, 
and let only the same number of shoots perfect 
themselves for next season ; all others should 
be rubbed off as soon as they appear. Walls 
or house fronts should be covered equally, 
but not be crowded; one-half the vines in the 
country are spoiled, season after season, by 
reason of the too large a quantity of wood 
left on them. Almost the first thing to be 
done with neglected Vines is to cut away the 
greater part, and begin a fresh growth; at any 
rate, cut away every thin branch, and if one 
of the old branches have only thin shoots all 
over it, cut it right down at once, so that 
when the growth commences in the spring 
none but strong shoots be allowed to remain 
on, the others should be rubbed off as soon as 
they shoot enough to show their strength or 
weakness. Let the wood be nailed firmly to 
the wall by means of strips of woollen cloth 
round the branches, and the two ends nailed 
through. If you have an old vine, and do not 
like to lose all the fruit the first year, to get 
the wood in good order, save the strongest 
shoots, and cut them back to two eyes ; cut 
all the weak ones away. 
Currant and Gooseberry Bushes may 
be planted. They require good stiff soil 
well dressed, but the kitchen garden, if well 
kept up for other crops, is generally rich 
