January

Observe the same rules for protection against frost, and give water, if necessary, as directed for December. In bright sunny weather the the ventilators -may be opened, to lower the temperature and prevent the blossom-buds from swelling prematurely.

February

Continue the same rules for ventilation and protection as directed for January: towards the end remove the trees to their summer stations, making one for each tree as directed in page 265.

March

Early in the month all the trees should be pruned according to the directions given under each kind of fruit. Watering may now be extended, unless the frost is very severe, giving a quart to each tree, and gradually saturating the earth.

If the weather be sunny, with sharp frosty nights, the shutters, both back and front, may be open from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m., and closed at night If the weather be cloudy with frost, the shutters should be closed night and day. Apricots will sometimes bloom in the middle of this month, before the other trees. If the frosts are severe at night, it will be well to throw a piece of tiffany over such as are in bloom, removing it in the morning; this is so light that the blossoms will not be injured.

April

Observe the same regulations as in March, as to ventilation. In the beginning of the month the trees will in most seasons be in full bloom. If severe frosts come on, which is sometimes the case, and the thermometer in the open air descends to 24° in the evening, a fire, consisting of 6 or 8 quarts of charcoal, should be placed in an iron pan in the centre of the house: for a house 30 feet long one pan will do; for one 100 feet long three pans will be required. Whenever charcoal is burnt, the ventilators over the door or doors in span-roofed houses should be left open, and a portion of the top ventilators in lean-to houses.

Towards the end of the month, when the fruit is set and commences to swell, syringe the trees morning and evening with soft water, or spring water that has been exposed to the air for a few hours. Place the syringe close to the under surface of the leaves. If the weather be dry and warm, the trees, if the earth is dry, may be watered in the evening, giving to each from 1 to 2 quarts of water. The aphides will now begin to make their appearance. Their destruction must be seen to, as directed in pp. 354, 355.

May

Observe the same regulations as to watering and syringing the leaves, as in April. Ventilation must now be strictly attended to: in all descriptions of weather the ventilators must be open by day from 8 a. m. to 6 p.m.; but, if the situation of the house is exposed, so that the N. E. wind can blow through it, it will be as well not to open the ventilators that will admit that or the east wind when it blows fiercely. Worsted netting, with meshes just large enough to admit the point of the finger, is a most excellent material to place over the ventilating openings inside, to remain all the summer. It softens the violence of a brisk gale, and yet admits plenty of air. It will be found most useful near large smoky towns, for the fibres of the worsted meet in the meshes and keep out sooty particles; insects also never attempt to enter. A clever orchard-house cultivator, living at Bow, near London, has found this worsted netting of great value, for his orchard-house trees are as green and as fresh in summer as if they were in the country, instead of being in the midst of smoke. Aphides will now be very active, and must be destroyed.

Apricots will also be infested with a caterpillar in their young shoots; the ends of them must be pinched, so as to crush it.

June

Syringing at 7 a. m. and 6 p. m. must now be strictly attended to; and, if the weather be hot and dry, the trees will require watering abundantly every evening. My trees in 13-inch pots and seven years old take one gallon each. All the ventilators should be open from 8 a. m. till 6 p. m. Some fresh top-dressing of the usual compost may now be added, if the surface of the earth in the pots has become hard and close.

Commence to thin the fruit and pinch in the laterals, as directed in page 268, particularly of the figs.

The red spider now requires particular attention, and the pocket lens must be brought into use. If syringing fails to completely extirpate it, lime and sulphur, as in p. 355, must be resorted to. Remove plum-trees to the open air, to ripen their fruit, if there is a scarcity of room in the house; also apricot trees (see pp. 266, 300).

July

Thorough ventilation must be attended to - it is a good practice to fasten back and front shutters, so that they cannot be closed. Syringing and watering as in June. If any of the trees are growing grossly and too rapidly (particularly figs) gently tilt up the pot on one side, and cut off all the roots on that side that are making their way into the soil, and a week after do the same with the other side. Renew the top-dressing, if the surface has become firm from repeated watering. Frequent top-dressings in summer are better than manure water. Pinch in lateral shoots to within two buds of their bases, to prevent the tree being crowded with shoots and leaves (see p. 268). The compressed earth in the pots gives vigor almost beyond belief.

Remove pear-trees to the open air to ripen their fruit; also peach and nectarine trees (see pp. 270, 305).

August

Ventilation and watering the same as in July; syringing till the fruit begins to color, or, if the house can be kept perfectly free from the red spider by lime and sulphur, discontinue it from the last week in July. Still pinch in laterals, and, at the end, pinch off the points of all the leading shoots, except figs; these will not require any further pinching.

Remove peaches, nectarines and apricots to the hedge orchard house, or to the open air, to retard their ripening, if required.

September

Ventilation as in August, unless the weather be peculiarly windy and stormy. In such weather the house may be closed: watering must be continued, but no syringing. Finch in laterals, if they still persist in growing.

October

Ventilation and watering as in September. About the middle of the month every tree - except late peaches with their fruit still on them - should be lifted, and all its roots cut off close to the bottom of the pot; and about the 24th, top-dressing must bo done (this is described in p. 264), and a gallon of water given to each tree. They may now be placed close together, so as to give room for other plants, particularly Chrysanthemums, which bloom well in the orchard house all the autumn. Prune vines in pots (see p. 306).