THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



89 



In 'which borders are dug while the plants 

 are invisible or nearly so; but as soon as 

 they begin to peep through, make all clean 

 and tidy, and sow any hardy annuals that 

 are required. But if the sowing of these 

 is deferred till next month, there will be 

 very little time lost. It is always best to 

 make sure that seeds will grow than run 

 the risk that they will rot. Herbaceous 

 plants of all kinds may be planted, and if 

 a little dry chippy manure is thrown over 

 their crowns after planting, it will be a 

 great assistance in very severe weather. 

 "When they begin to grow, they will push 

 through it easily enough. Look over the 

 rockeries, and take note of what deaths 

 have occurred. All alpines and curious 

 plants should be labelled with zinc labels, 

 so that they may not only be named cor- 

 rectly, but their places found when the 

 plants are gone. Towards the end of the 

 month alpines may be planted, but it is 

 best not to be in haste, in case of bad 

 weather. Planting ranunculuses and ane- 

 mones are important operations this month. 

 Get them in, if possible, before the 20th. 

 The soil should be deeply broken, and 

 abundantly manured with cow-dung. In 

 planting, draw shallow trenches three 

 inches deep and six inches apart. In these 

 place an inch of sharp sand or clean coal- 

 ashes, and lay the roots on the ashes, the 

 ranunculuses with their claws downtoards 

 and four inches apart. Sprinkle sand or 

 coal-ashes on them, and then cover with 

 an inch and a half of soil. Layer rhodo- 

 dendrons and hardy azaleas. Stir the 

 surface of the soil of pinks and pansies, 

 and if the plants have been lifted by frost, 

 tread them in firm. Prune roses, if early 

 bloom is wanted. It is a good plan to 

 prune some and leave some to prune next 

 month. Any roses not yet planted must 

 be got in without delay. Grass plots 

 should be well rolled. If any repairs 

 needed, let them be done at once. Spread 

 fine coal-ashes over parts that are mossy. 



Fruit Garden. — Trees and bushes, 

 lifted with care and replanted quickly, 

 will carry their fruit pretty well hereafter, 

 but it is late for all trees in bearing to be 

 moved. Where, however, it has not been 

 possible to complete operations, there is 

 still good time to plant fruit trees, because, 

 even if they produce little this season, they 

 will gain a season's growth on the ground, 

 and that is so much gain. Let all prun- 

 ing be completed quickly ; mulch trees 

 newly planted ; prepare scions for 

 grafting, and heel them in till wanted. 

 Get protecting materials ready for wall 

 trees, bush fruits, etc., that are likely 

 to require it. Judicious protecting will 



always pay for the trouble and outlay it 

 occasions. 



Frame Sow seeds of auricula in 



pans and boxes, cover the pans with pieces 

 of flat board, tile, or hand-glasses, and 

 place them in the frame. They ought 

 never to taste artificial heat. Give plenty 

 of air to carnations, alpines, and other 

 subjects in frames, and increase the sup- 

 plies of water during bright weather. 

 Auriculas must have water, or they will 

 bloom miserably. Sow a few pans of any 

 favourite hardy annuals for blooming in 

 pots, or to plant out. Bedding plants may 

 be propagated rapidly by making a sweet 

 hotbed to forward plants for cuttings, and 

 to strike cuttings of such as are fit to cut 

 from in the greenhouse. Sow in pans, and 

 place on gentle heat Salvia patens and 

 Lobelia speciosa. These come true from 

 seed, and make capital plants for bedding. 

 Cuttings already rooted to be potted off, 

 and helped on by a sweet and moist heat. 

 If any outbreak of mildew, increase the 

 heat, and promote a dry atmosphere ; at 

 the same time, dust the plants with sul- 

 phur or fine peat dust. 



Greenhouse.— A general shifting of 

 all plants that are now coming into 

 growth will be necessary, but those near 

 their time of blooming must not be dis- 

 turbed. All established plants that have 

 filled their pots with roots, and are making 

 way towards bloom, must be well soaked, 

 as at this season the balls are often hard, 

 through getting dry during hard weather. 

 The degree of heat must depend on the 

 nature of the stock ; where there are 

 mixed collections, a generous tempera- 

 ture may be maintained, with moderate 

 ventilation on fine mornings, and a de- 

 cided lowering of the temperature at 

 night. Cinerarias, cytissuses, primulas, 

 cyclamens, or other plants in bloom, or 

 coming into bloom, must have good places 

 and enough water. Camellias ought now 

 to be in perfection ; those in bloom to be 

 kept rather cool, but as soon as the bloom 

 is over they must have warmth and a 

 close, moist air, to induce a healthy 

 growth. 



Stove. —Now is the time to repot and 

 start a number of fine subjects, such as 

 Gloriosa superba, crinums, begonias, 

 gloxinias, Luculia gratissima, various 

 orchids, etc. There may be an increase of 

 heat as the month advances, and with it, 

 also, an increase of atmospheric moisture. 

 Remove all flowering plants to cool places, 

 to prolong their beauty. Train in and 

 prune climbers, and keep a sharp look-out 

 for vermin, for there will now be a general 

 wake up in the insect world. 



