Planting also, where any still remain to be done, should be wholly completed in the different sorts of wall, espalier, and standard trees; but particularly the early shooting kinds, finish the first week, and the late kinds as soon as possible; they will yet succeed if well watered at planting, and afterwards once a week till they have taken root.
Water new planted trees in dry weather moderately, about once a week.
If any winter pruning is unfinished, let it be entirely completed the beginning, or by the middle of this month, especially apricots, peaches, nectarines, figs, vines, plums, cherries, &c.
Young budded and grafted trees divest of all shoots from the stock, below the bud or graft.
Finish grafting early in the month; apples, pears, and other late shooting kinds will still succeed.
If any webs of caterpillars now appear on young and other fruit-trees, clear them off before they spread, to prevent the insects from devouring the advancing leaves.
Finish planting wall and espalier trees, and winter pruning, early in the month, as also standards.
Defend early wall-trees, now in blossom, and young fruit, particularly apricots, peaches, nectarines, and others of the principal kinds, continuing to nail up mats in frosty nights, or with cuttings of evergreens, as directed in March.
Rub off useless buds in early shooting wall-trees, as peaches, nectarines, and apricots; their bud-shoots will now be advancing, rub off close the fore-right ones, and others where too numerous, and such as are ill-placed, or where not wanted.
MAY.
THE principal business in this month in the fruit-garden, is to commence the summer pruning, by disbuddling early all the fore-right and other ill-placed, and evidently unnecessary shoots; and to thin the young fruit, where set in clusters; likewise to water new planted trees in dry weather. The operation of summer pruning at this early season is performed without a knife, the buds being tender; the useless growths are most easily disbadded, or detached with the finger and thumb, by rubbing them off close to the old wood. Go over peaches, nectarines, and apricots, and rub off all the fore-right and other ill-placed shoot-buds of the year; likewise disbuds in a thinning order, part of the superfluous shoots where evidently too numerous in any parts of the trees, and the remaining shoots when of due length train in close and regular. Vines likewise, which will be now advancing in numerous shoots, go over early, and displace all the improper and ill-placed shoots of the