128 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 
will require to be cut away finally. We like this 
plan better than any rude attempt to strip them sud¬ 
denly away; such stripping disturbs the balance of 
the tree too much, and is very apt to cause the 
embryo fruit spurs to become changed into rambling 
breast wood. They are, therefore, better kept as a 
counterpoise for awhile, or until the over-rapid and 
fitful growth—to which all healthy fruit-trees are 
liable in early summer—has somewhat passed away. 
In this manner they act as a kind of “ safety valve ” 
for awhile ; and, by pinching off the tops merely, a 
slight check is given to the root action, for let every 
one be assured that not a leaf or a twig can be 
removed from a tree, when in a growing state, with¬ 
out a corresponding amount of influence for good or 
for evil to the root, so that mutilations injudiciously 
carried out are not performed with impunity. We 
will return to this subject shortly ; in the meantime 
we must glance at most of our other fruit-trees, for 
all want particular attention at this period. 
Mulching. —In the first place, we would inquire, 
are all mulching processes duly carried out according 
to former suggestions in this work ? If not, pray do 
not delay; it will be readily seen, by looking over the 
back pages of The Cottage Gardener, to what sub¬ 
jects it should be applied. 
Black Currant. —In seasons such as this, when 
such fearful havoc has been made amongst fruits 
in general by the April frosts, any crop winch has 
escaped should be held doubly valuable, and no pains 
should be deemed too much to assist in securing and 
perfecting it. Our present subject seems to have suf¬ 
fered as little as most, at least in this part of the 
kingdom (Cheshire); and, as it is so very liable to 
suffer from drought, we advise liberal waterings—if 
with soapsuds or dunghill drainings so much the 
better. If the latter is used, care should be taken 
that, if strong, it has plenty of water added to it; let, 
however, a thorough soaking of some kind be applied 
forthwith, unless very wet weather occurs. It is as¬ 
tonishing what an amount of moisture the black cur¬ 
rant will enjoy; and no fruit will better repay this 
labour of watering. 
Aphides, too, which are so destructive to this fruit, 
■will in general be found to prevail in a corresponding 
ratio to the amount of dryness. This is rather sin¬ 
gular - , but we know it to be a fact after many years’ 
close observation; and we also know that plenty of 
water, at the period the aphis commences its ravages, 
will check their increase amazingly. The reason we 
conceive to be this:—a dry period thickens and 
sweetens the sap, through a high course of elabora¬ 
tion; for the completeness or intensity of the latter 
process is dependent on the ratio which exists be¬ 
tween the supply of the raw material from the root and 
the amount or rate of elaboration. Thus, when the 
root supplies, what we may be permitted to term, this 
vegetable chyle in an amount perfectly equivalent to, 
or more than sufficient for, the purpose of elabora¬ 
tion, the insect, although present, does not prosper ; 
but invert this course, and we soon have the bushes 
smothered with the destructive insect. This is a fact 
not confined to the black currant alone; we have 
witnessed a similar course in most cases of plant- 
lice. Mulching is of eminent service with the black 
currant: indeed, if we could not obtain a slight co¬ 
vering annually for our crops, we would cut plenty of 
grass out of the neighbouring ditches and cover the 
ground with it, or spread a layer of fresh dug peat, 
if at hand, over the surface. Indeed, a slight soiling 
over the roots would be productive of benefit. Every 
one who watches the root action of this fruit must be 
struck with its peculiar habits of producing a vast 
profusion of fibres dose to the surface of the soil; thus 
evincing, we suppose, its partiality for the gases of 
the atmosphere, together with atmospheric humidity. 
Cheery. —As we before observed, the cherry aphis 
will begin to commit havoc on the trained trees. 
We cannot hope to dress large standard trees for 
this pest; but those in a course of close training, or 
under a dwarfing system, must have particular atten¬ 
tion at this period. Before training the young 
shoots iu, whether on a wall, on pales, or trained on 
stakes, a wash of tobacco-water should be provided. 
Tobacco-paper at the rate of 1 It) to six oz. of strong 
shag tobacco, will make one gallon of liquor, which 
will destroy these pests at one dipping. To be sure, 
the trees may be syringed over; but this requires 
much liquor, and is, therefore, rather expensive. 
We prefer dipping the young ^hoots, which is easily 
accomplished; a small bowl or basin in one hand, 
and the other hand occupied in bending the twigs 
into the bowl, will be found a sure process. The 
shoots must be dipped fairly overhead in the liquor. 
Plums. —These will require the same kind of dip¬ 
ping as the cherry: that is to say, all superior kinds 
about which any interest is felt. These are liable to 
damage from a grub, also, which curls itself up in 
the foliage; such must be hunted for by hand pick¬ 
ing. 
Apricots. — Some of the breast wood of these, 
where a healthy constitution prevails, will by this 
time begin to assume a luxuriant character. When 
such is the case, and the shoot or shoots in question 
are not wanted for training in as leaders, the points 
should immediately be pinched or stopped. If this 
course is taken in time, embryo fruit spurs of a 
genuine character will be found formed at the base 
towards autumn. Indeed, this is the reason why 
overgrown apricots, in some of our kitchen gardens, 
are inferior in produce to those we occasionally find 
on the houses of cottagers in some parts of the king¬ 
dom. The latter are not pampered; their soil is 
moderate in point of richness; there is no digging 
and manuring over the roots for cauliflowers, celery, 
and such gross feeders; therefore, a slow, but safe, 
and certain root-action continues; and the tree is 
altogether placed in circumstances approaching those 
of the apricot in its native clime (the Caucasus); the 
only prime condition wanting being a greater amount 
of solar light in the aggegate. Not by any means a 
greater intensity, for our southern aspects in Britain 
are quite bright enough on sunny days; but the mis¬ 
fortune is, we have so many murky ones as a set off 
compared with our brethren of the south. How¬ 
ever, what nature does for them, art must do for us; 
and if we cannot make sunlight, we can at least pre¬ 
vent gross and superfluous shoots from shading in 
an unnecessary degree those natural spurs which are 
intended by nature to produce successive crops. 
Strawberry. —We hope that our readers have 
contrived to put something under their strawberry 
plants, to prevent the fruit coming in contact with 
the soil. When clean new straw is used, it is neces¬ 
sary to guard against the attacks of mice, which aro 
almost sure to be attracted to the spot by the grain 
remaining in the straw. Traps should bo set the 
moment the strawberries aro about commencing to 
ripen. If the weather is dry, they will be much 
benefitted by another good watering, particularly the 
later kinds. The Alpines, especially, should receive 
water and high cultivation, cutting away all weak 
and crowded runners, and by all means keeping 
them free from weeds. 
