THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
60 
May 1.] 
still not a blister can be discovered. Now, would it 
not be more logical to conclude, that the enormous dis¬ 
crepancy between root and branch, which exists at this 
j period, is a fertile, and, perhaps, only cause of such 
I mischief? Let us fancy a case of a south wall of peach 
j trees heated occasionally to 80° or 00° by sun-heat, 
i whilst the roots, in a border of some four or five feet in 
depth, in a sour soil, would not enjoy a temperature 
higher than 45°. This is not an uncommon state of 
affairs; and if the border over their roots be subject to 
the annual trespasses of tire spade, there is not, perhaps, 
a fibre nearer than eight inches from the surface. On 
the contrary, our trees have their fibres, like network, 
close to the surface; no spade ever enters; their soil, 
moreover, is only fifteen inches deep—a sound loam. 
This undug soil is now covered with a kind of network 
of small cracks—minute, indeed, but numerous—and 
1 indicating, at a glimpse, a ready sympathy with the 
increased atmospheric temperature. All this is the 
reverse of what gardeners term sourness ; and it may be 
affirmed, that root and branch are in a fair position for 
a constant reciprocation. The setting of the blossom, 
which was unusually fine this year, appears to have been 
most complete; and the little peaches are now, April 16th, 
just beginning to show their noses in the centre of the 
calyx. 
Disbudding. —At p. 33, the disbudding of the peach 
was adverted to ; we now turn to some other fruits. 
The Apricot. —There is seldom occasion for much 
disbudding with this fruit, at'least, if the trees are in 
proper order, for most of their lateral produce will then 
be in a position to pass into the character of blossom 
spurs, with a little management. If any gross shoots 
appear in a position where sufficient shoots of ordinary 
strength exist, they may have their points pinched off 
the moment they are a couple of eyes in length; or, if 
in a crowded part, stripped away at once. Gross lead¬ 
ing shoots on young trees should be carefully watched, 
and pinched betimes, but not all at once. Thus, suppose 
a tree of some three or four years standing possesses 
four or five leading shoots, which, although differing 
from each other in degrees of grossness, are yet too 
strong to be fruitful in themselves, we would pinch 
the points of the two which extend the furthest, when 
they are four inches in length; then wait a fortnight 
and pinch another or two, and so on with the rest; this 
practice will have a tendency to bring the trees into 
equal shape, and also to equalise the sap; which latter 
proceeding is carried out with facility during the period 
of rapid growth ; whilst, in the rest season, it can scarcely 
be effected by the most careful pruning. By this timely 
stopping, two very important points are accomplished. 
The check given to the keen impetus existing in the 
grosser shoots, is just so much power added to the 
inferior portions of the tree; the spurs on which, espe¬ 
cially at the lower portions of the wall, are apt to become 
lean through the monopolising character of the gross 
leaders, which, as shown in p. 33, plainly evince a 
tendency on the part of the tree to assume its native 
character of a standard, a state totally incompatible with 
the object sought in this country. Moreover, mauy 
apricots, as the Moorpark, bear tolerably well on the 
young shoots; but these, to possess such a prospect, 
must be of early growth, and of a moderate degree of 
Strength. This then, is a reason for stopping the gross 
leaders betimes, in order that a chance may exist of the 
branches proceeding from them becoming fruitful. 
Something more, however, must be done; much of 
the breast wood amongst the natural spur will be dis¬ 
posed to ramble, and thereby choke the spurs. The 
apricot dresser, therefore, should look over these care¬ 
fully; and all which are of moderate growth, and for 
which there can be found room, should be left to tie 
down, and the remainder, if extending too far, be imme¬ 
diately pinched. All these proceedings should be well 
attended to at the end of April, and beginning of May ; 
for, as we have before observed, the apricot needs all 
the sunlight and warmth a British summer can afford, 
and will enjoy a warm chimney at its back into the 
bargain. 
Above all let the caterpillar, the produce of the Red- 
bar moth, the Pcedisca augustiorana, be hunted out, and 
extirpated. There can be little doubt but that the de¬ 
vastation committed by these devouring caterpillars, is 
one of the chief causes of the unfruitfulness of the 
apricot in some situations. These rogues not only 
devour, but they curl up the leaves in such fascicles, as 
to much impede the elaboratory powers, on which, it is 
scarcely necessary to urge, the fructiferous principle de¬ 
pends. We know of no better way than hand-picking 
as soon as they can be discovered. 
Figs. —The winter protection is, of course, removed 
long before now, and if the trees are not pruned and 
trained, it must be done immediately. These things are 
always best performed when the bud of the fig is con¬ 
siderably advanced, for then may both the bearing wood 
of the present season, and that most eligible to be 
retained for future bearing, be readily distinguished. 
The wood of the fig must be kept very thin ; as a general 
principle, the old shoots may be laid down at about nine 
inches apart. We think that it would be found better 
practice still, to place them at a foot or fourteen inches, 
and then to tie down short-jointed shoots all the way 
up the old stems. We here confess to a bias towards 
this practice for all tender fruits, not excepting the 
vine; for we hold it a fundamental principle not to 
shade the whole of the wall with foliage, but to make 
use of alternate portions as a reservoir of heat, and this 
we could never so well carry out on any other plan. 
We, therefore, practice it with nearly all, excepting such 
as the Morello cherry ; and tie down shoots reversed on 
any portion of the old trunk, sooner than allow a naked 
portion, being anxious to make every inch of our trees 
assist in paying a rental. Trees thus treated will be 
found clothed with buds to the very stump, of which we 
have very many instances. To return to the Fig; a very 
liberal disbudding must be practised ; no tree produces 
more useless spray than the fig when in a growing state. 
However, if growing too freely, we advise root pruning 
forthwith. This must be done cautiously at this period, 
for fear of casting the young fruit; and it will suffice in 
most cases to open a trench at or near the extremities of 
the root, and to leave it open for a few weeks, making 
two or three inroads during that period on the roots. 
Strawberries. —Let us advise those who have not 
done so to mulch immediately. Ours have been done a 
fortnight, and the mulching is chiefly tree leaves and 
old litter mixed, in a half rotten state; this we have 
placed two inches in thickness. When the blossom 
truss is on the eve of expanding, we shall, unless the 
weather is rainy, give one unusually heavy watering, 
and another similar application, if needed, in about ten 
or twelve days; this, with the mulching, generally suf¬ 
fices. When the first watering is completed, we place 
clean, new straw, drawn and placed in straight bundles, 
beneath the trusses, and running nearly close to the 
collar of the plants. We are obliged, however, to begin 
trapping for the mice immediately; they are sure to be 
attracted if it be wheat straw, especially if badly 
threshed. It is probable rye straw would be much 
better, but we cannot obtain it. An early opportunity 
should be taken to destroy all useless runners, which 
impoverish both the parent plant and the soil, and should 
be well kept under. 
Vines. —Out-of-door vines will shortly be budding fast, 
and the finger and thumb must be put in requisition, 
for they are sure to produce a host of barren and useless 
or ill placed shoots, which are best nipped away the 
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