each a good watering to the earth to settle it close about the roots and fibres, and to promote their taking fresh root.
Pruning should be entirely finished this month, in all wall and espalier trees; and also to standards where needful.
Shelter wall-trees in blossom in frosty weather, of apricots, peaches, the early, and longer principal kinds; by nailing up large mats before the trees at nights, in sharp frosts; or occasionally of days, when the frost is severe, and to protect the young fruit now in embryo, and its generative organs in the center of the flower. Or you may defend them while in blossom, by small cuttings of evergreens, furnished with leaves, as yew, laurel, fir, &c. stuck between the branches; so as the leaves may afford protection to the blossom; and to remain constantly till the fruit is set, and past all danger from frost.
Plant, for training, young year-old fruit-trees, as peaches, nectarines, and apricots, against walls, or palings; likewise young apples, pears, plums, cherries, &c.
Train young wall and espalier trees, now in their first or second year's shoots; pruning out fore-right and cross-placed shoots, &c. and in peaches, nectarines, apricots, and vines, shorten the remaining shoots more or less; to obtain a further supply of wood and shoots for bearers; but in apples, pears, plums, cherries, if well furnished with second and third year's branches, leave mostly entire, only cutting short any middle shoots in the vacancies, to force out laterals in summer to supply the deficiencies; and as soon as pruned, train in all the branches horizontally to the wall, and espaliers at regular distances.
Fig-trees finish pruning and planting as directed in February. Propagate figs by layers, cuttings, and suckers of the young shoots.
Finish pruning and planting vines the beginning of the month, if not done, as they bleed exceedingly by late cutting. Plant vine cuttings of the young shoots, two or three joints long, inserted in the ground to the uppermost eye or bud.
Plant suckers and cuttings of the several sorts of fruit-trees, that produce them, for new plants and stocks to bud and graft upon.
Perform grafting now on apples, pears, plums, cherries, quinces, medlars, services; this being the proper season for that operation.
APRIL.
IN this month must be completed all remaining planting and winter pruning, and the summer pruning commence by rubbing off the useless young shoot-buds of the year.