The young housekeeper as daughter, wife, and mother; forming a perfect 'young woman's companion'. Compiled by the ed. of 'The Family friend'.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1869 Excerpt: ...the budded shoot must be neatly bound up with fine bass, well wetted previously, in such a way that there is no knot to press upon the incised bark, or cause a drip on the bud; the latter must, of course, be left peeping out, and the ligature must be as tignt as could be borne round the finger for a few moments without causing pain. I generally use soft worsted for binding up, and I insert a laurel leaf by passing the worsted round it at each end, so that it arches loosely over the bud, and defends it against sun and rain, both of which are prejudicial. The ligature must not be hurriedly removed; sometimes it may come away altogether in six weeks, in others it is better left on till spring; in any ease it should be first loosened by cutting it behind, hut so as not to injure the bark, and then, after two or three weeks, it may be removed altogether. Newly-worked stocks should be looked over occasionally, in order that if the ligatures appear to check the swelling of the wood, they may be loosened by untying or wetting them. Now here I beg to caution the amateur: against one of the errors of the nurserymen. Do not prune in a single tree till the autumn growth is stopped by the natural desoent of the sap. It is enough to drive one crazy to see how they mow down the wild branches of worked briers at the nurseries, at a time when the sap is up, and the roots require threads to work the sap. They do so under a fallacy that the buds will push stronger, and i the plants be strengthened; but no such ends are attained, and the plants are injured by the sudden amputation of active limbs. But they work roses to sell; you work them for use, and therefore wait till the upward growth ceases, which will not be till the beginning of November, and then shorten in the wild g...