CALENDAR FOR MAY. 
119 
minds to appreciate the value of sanitary improvements ; and we 
strongly recommend the perusal of the work, not only to towns¬ 
men but to our country friends, were it only for the sake of what 
may be termed the general information bearing upon the ques¬ 
tion. To those for whose benefit it is chiefly designed, a full 
knowledge of the subject is indispensable, for, in order to relieve 
themselves of existing inflictions, they must be prepared to 
support every advance till they secure what may be truly deemed 
a great national measure. 
CALENDAR OF FRUIT AND FORCING GARDEN 
OPERATIONS. MAY. 
Fruit Garden . Keep a continual watch upon all grafted plants, 
and loosen or remove the ties as soon as they become too tight 
for the growth of the stock and graft; also continue to remove 
all suckers and shoots from the stock as soon as they appear, 
and thin out the shoots of the graft itself, leaving only one, if a 
standard is wanted, and regulating wall or espalier trees by 
leaving a few only of the best-placed and most vigorous shoots. 
Keep the ground well hoed and deeply stirred among the stocks, 
so as to encourage a strong and healthy growth. As soon as 
the fruit of apricots and cherries are sufficiently advanced, so as 
to indicate the healthiest fruit, begin to gradually thin them, 
removing at the same time all badly-placed or unnecessary shoots 
and buds. The same attention is also necessary with peaches, 
nectarines, and other stone fruits in particular ; the sooner they 
can be relieved of supernumerary fruit or shoots, so much the 
more is the tree strengthened. Remove weak and fore-right 
shoots from figs, and stop those intended to produce fruit when 
about six inches long. This is best done by breaking them over 
with the thumb and finger, as the fig is impatient of the knife at 
all times. It is a practice with some to let the broken tops 
hang on the shoots for a day or two until they become withered, 
and the piece of bark by which they hang is then cut through 
with a sharp knife. Strawberries should be deprived of their 
runners, except in the case alluded to last month; the borders 
should also be well hoed, and the plants mulched with clean straw 
or other materials before the plants advance too far. Keep the 
vines thin of shoots by removing the weak and badly-placed ones. 
