regular by pruning out any useless autumnal after-shoots, and nail the others close to admit the sun, to give the fruit its proper flavour.
Gather ripe apricots before they become too soft and meally tasted; they are in best perfection while firm, and a poignant flavour.
Complete all that remains to be done of summer pruning in wall and espalier trees, as in the two last months; and prune out all ill-placed and unnecessary after-shoots. Train and fasten in all the requisite supply of proper shoots close to the wall and espalier in regular order, and as they advance in length without shortening; both to preserve the necessary regularity of the trees, to admit the sun and free air to improve the supply of young wood to best perfection; and for the advanced fruit to have all possible benefit of the sun to accelerate its ripening in a regular manner, in the fullest state of perfection and richness of flavour.
In vines still advancing in the summer shoots, displace the improper, and continue to nail in close all the fruit-bearing and other proper shoots in the most regular order.
Espalier trees of apples, pears, plums, and all other trees in that order of training, divest of all ill-placed, disorderly and superabundant shoots, and let the others be trained to the espalier in proper order.
Defend the choicest sorts of wall-fruit ripening, from birds and insects; the former by hanging nets before the trees, and the latter by placing phials of sweetened water, &c. to decoy and drown them; such as wasps and flies. If annoyed with ants, place cuttings of common, or Spanish reed, hollowed elder, or any thing of a hollowed pipe-like kind, in which they will harbour and may be destroyed.
SEPTEMBER.
AS all principal summer pruning in wall and espalier trees was completed in the two or three last months, nothing material of that operation will now be wanted, except adjusting any disorderly shoots that project from the wall, or have sprung from their places, or training along any that have extended in length, or to reduce others that have overtopped the walls or run considerably out of their limited space, so as to keep the whole in perfect regularity, that the sun may be admitted to ripen the fruit of the season, in most sorts advanced to near or full growth.
Vines must be particularly attended to, it being the principal ripening season of the grapes, which in this country demand every possible assistance of the sun, by still keeping the vines cleared from all improper shoots, and nail the others along close and regular to the wall, to admit the sun's warmth in full