Thinning, hoeing, and cultivating the growing crops, are the principal routine operations. Fork the ground between the rows of onions, carrots, and, indeed, all crops that it is desirable to keep in active growth, and the drier the weather, the more necessary the operation. The advantage of drained soils will again be apparent from the continued vigor and growth of the plants upon them. The increased porosity of the soil, consequent upon the admission of air to all its parts, enables it to absorb, to its fullest extent, the rain-water as it falls from the clouds. On the other hand, undrained lands (unless gravel or sand) cannot absorb an appreciable quantity of water during a heavy summer shower. It runs off at the surface to the lowest point; for this reason, drained lands really contain and have constantly present, more moisture than those unventilated.

Parsnips and beets may be transplanted to fill up vacancies; these will grow readily, if dull weather can be had for their removal; if not, pick off most of their leaves, to lessen their evaporating surface.

Celery

Toung plants, at least for the early crops, should be transplanted from the seedbed into a rich pulverized soil; set them about three inches apart, and they will remove with small balls of roots when wanted for final planting.

The striped bug is frequently on hand just as young melon and cucumber plants are at their most tender stage. We have seen them completely routed by watering the plants with a liquid mortar of clayey soil and cow manure, without any apparent injury to the young plants.

Mulching

If possible, mulch between the rows of all crops, abort grass from lawns, refuse bay, leaves - anything, in fact, that will loosely cover the ground, should be employed for this purpose. This will retain the moisture, and very effectually prevent the growth of weeds.

Hardy Fruit

The results of the past severe winter are now becoming apparent. Young fruit-trees that were seemingly unhurt, and commenced growth as usual, have produced a few sickly leaves, of a yellowish color, and ceased growing. On examination, it will be found that the bark is discolored, and parts easily from the wood, especially on the south side of the stem. They should be cut down at once to healthy wood.

Pears Or Quince

There are various opinions on the merits of so-called dwarf pears. We are too liable, in our horticultural zeal, to push matters to extremes. It requires a long series of well-tried and closely observed experiments to establish a horticultural fact. With the same treatment, a Bartlett will fruit as early on the pear as a Glout Moroeau on the quince stock, and, in nine out of ten oases, the latter will excel the former in growth. No doubt, grafting the pear on the quince was at first resorted to, with a view of rendering a few of the most luxuriant growing varieties more productive, and their success led to an indiscriminate use of the quince as a stock for the pear, without reference to the degree of vigor possessed by the numerous varieties. The same has happened with roses, and budded roses are now condemned by many, although amateur rose growers well know that many of their finest sorts are never seen in their greatest perfection, unless grafted on a suitable stock. Many pears grow with great vigor even on quince, and, unless skilfully managed during summer, by checking growth, they will not fruit earlier than when on a pear stock.*

The most essential point in the culture of fruit-trees undoubtedly lies in summer pruning. Without this, our best treatment will not prove continually remunerative.

Strawberries

Clean away all the young runners, unless required for increase, and keep the plants distinct, and free of weeds.

Raspberries

Thin out the young canes as they grow, and cut out the old stems as soon as the fruiting season is over.

Grapes

Pinch the points out of the fruit bearing branches four or five eyes beyond the fruit, but do not, as yet, disturb any of the lateral, or young side shoots, from the present year's growth. Thin the branches to one for each shoot. It is a notorious fact, that most of our hardy grapes are rendered unhealthy and unproductive through excessive cropping.

Vegetable Garden #1

Keep up a succession of tender, eatable vegetables, by sowing at intervals during the season. Early horn carrot, dwarf beans, turnip-rooted beet, radishes, lettuce, squash, and peas, may yet be sown. In a well-managed garden, a constant supply of young vegetables should be maintained. The chief requirement to insure success, is depth of loosened soil; unless trenched 18 inches deep, vegetable growth must cease in dry weather. It has been observed, that peas saved from the earliest spring sowings, and sown immediately, will afford a fall crop, exempt from mildew. In sowing seeds during droughts, a stream of water should be first run into the drills; a much better method of insuring germination than soaking the seeds.

Succory, for winter salad, should be sown now; a deep, rich soil is necessary. This valuable esculent only requires to be known to be appreciated.

The main crops of winter cabbages, savoys, cauliflower, etc., should be planted out; if the plants are hardy, and have not got drawn and weakly, they will not suffer by removal, especially if the roots are puddled before planting.

Preparation should be in progress for setting out the main crops of celery. This plant requires a deep, moist soil; the custom of digging out trenches is a very questionable mode of preparation. In doing so, the best soil is cast aside, and the plants have nothing but the subsoil, and what manure is applied at the time, to grow in. Manure and trench the ground thoroughly, and plant on the surface; the roots will then have a depth of good soil to depend upon, instead of the watering-pot. The soil required for blanching can be taken from the adjoining surface, and, if taken out to a greater depth than the roots, so much the better, as it will prevent it from rotting by excess of moisture during winter.

Planting in single rows takes up much ground; where it is an object to economize space, the plants may be set in a bed, say five feet wide; plant across the bed in rows, 14 inches apart, the plants 6 or 8 inches apart in the row. In hilling up for blanching, the soil is thrown in between the rows.

Herbs for winter use should be gathered when in flower; just as the flowers begin to fade is said to be the best time for preserving most of their properties. The herbary was a branch of gardening of greater importance formerly than it is in these days of patent medicines. To dry them, tie in small bundles, and hang up in an airy shed.

Loosening the soil among growing crops can hardly be overdone. A broad-tined fork is a very useful implement for this purpose; grass cuttings from the lawn may also be used, as a mulching; taking care that it is not laid down thick enough to ferment, which would render it more injurious than useful.

Vegetable Garden #1

Sowings of early beet, turnips, kidney beans, and peas, may yet be pat in. They will afford a desirable dish when tender vegetables of that kind are scarce, Spinach, to stand the winter, should now be sown; prepare a well drained border, and manure and dig deeply. The savoy spinach is the hardiest. At the same time, throw in a few seeds of lettuce, to be lilted by and by, and transplanted into frames for using about Christmas. Cauliflower for frames should now be sown, as also Early York and flat Dutch cabbage, to stand over winter.

Plantations of oanteloupes, melons, Lima beans, etc, that are growing slowly, should receive an extra deep forking-up of the ground between the rows. This will give them a stimulus to growth which will enable them to carry out a crop. This loosening allows a free access of air to the roots and the soil by which they are surrounded. The air furnishes the roots with an increased supply of substances essential to their growth, such as carbonic acid and ammonia, either generated by the air fevering the decay of organic matters naturally in the soil, or absorbed direct from the atmosphere. The mineral ingredients of the soil are also liberated, and brought into a fitting state for the use of plants. The subsequent effects of such cultivation is apparent in the increased vigor and deeper colored verdure of the plants. Stir the ground about celery plants, and dp not begin to earth it up until the plants are growing freely.