When fruit trees are grown with root or other crops, it is well known that such root crops will not do without manure. In this operation the trees steal a little intended for the root crops. Hence trees so grown are very likely to have a green, nice color, in strong contrast with neglected trees in grass. It must not be forgotten that trees need as much food as any other crop, and that there is no better way to feed them than by applying at this season on the surface; give them something, if only ditch cleanings. Pruning of fruit trees should be completed as soon as possible, and as a general thing the least pruning the better. In apple or pear trees, strong stout sprouts are apt to come out along the main branches of the tree. These are best cut out, as in time they take to themselves the food destined for the branches beyond, and in this way injure those branches. At other times a branch for some time bearing becomes weakened by some cause, in which case it is often a benefit to cut this off back to a vigorous sprout.

This is particularly the case when bark gets what the gardeners call hide-bound. In this case the branches are bettered by slitting the bark longitudinally, or by cutting back to a young sprout as aforesaid.

Some have found injury to the trees from slitting hide-bound bark. The writer practiced it for years on apple and pear trees, and always with excellent results. In pruning dwarf pears cut out the weaker branches where pruning is believed to be at all desirable, even to thinning out the spurs, rather than cut back the strongly vital wood which many do.

The grape is very apt, when trained on trellises, to get its bearing wood weakened. In this case it is always wise, in pruning, to watch for a chance to get a strong young branch from near the base as a renewal cane.

Manuring of grapes should be regulated by the nature of the soil. If it be damp - in most cases a bad condition for grape growing - stable manure in great quantities means diseased vines. In dry ground, it has a beneficial effect. Many persons of small places have grapes in damp ground, or can have none. They must take care to keep the roots near the surface; never crop the ground about them to destroy the small fibres, if it can be avoided; and even good may often follow, when the vines seem failing, to carefully follow up the roots, lift near the surface, and encourage, as much as possible, those remaining there. Wood-ashes, bone-dust, and such like fertilizers are best for grape vines in low ground.

In the vegetable garden the work for February will for the most part consist of preparations for future operations, and particularly for dealing with the manure question. All those kinds that are grown for their leaves or stems, require an abundance of nitrogenous manures; and it is useless to attempt vegetable gardening without it. To this class belong cabbage, lettuce, spinach, etc. The other class which is grown principally for its seeds or pods, as beans, peas, etc, do not require much manure of this character; in fact they are injured by it. It causes too great a growth of stem and leaf, and the earliness - a great aim in vegetable growing - is injuriously affected. Mineral manures, as wood-ashes, bone-dust, etc., are much better for them. For vegetables requiring rich stable manure, it is best that they have it well rotted and decayed. Nothing has yet been found so well fitted for the purpose as old hot-bed dung; though to the smell no trace of "ammonia " remains in it.