1869.] HINTS FOR AMATEURS. 79 



given, as formerly advised. Any appearance of suckers should not be 

 neglected, but they should be cut off clean ; if only shortened, they 

 would come up in greater force. Hard paths over the roots of trees 

 may be slightly forked up and a good dressing of manure given ; but if 

 the trees are vigorous, the less stimulant they receive the better. 

 Peaches and Nectarines which have been unfastened and kept away 

 from the walls may still remain as they are, but if their flower-buds 

 are expanding from the mildness of the season, tying up cannot be 

 longer delayed. It is very common to see these trees overcrowded with 

 young wood ; that evil should be guarded against, as its effects are much 

 against successful fruit-growing. When trees are very thickly studded with 

 fruit-buds and the wood weakly, a good crop is very uncertain : to help 

 this the buds might be well thinned out, leaving those most prominent 

 standing singly. A boarded coping, projecting a foot or more from the 

 top of the wall, is of great service by keeping the trees dry : these boards 

 should be portable, so that they can be taken off in summer to allow 

 the dews and rains to fall on the leaves. Old trees may be renovated 

 by taking off a quantity of soil from the surface of roots and replacing it 

 with good loam, crushed bones, and a little rotten manure well mixed. 

 Where lawns are covered with moss and the grass inferior, and. weeds 

 likely to take possession, a mixture of lime, loam, and a little well-de- 

 cayed manure thoroughly turned and broken, may be spread over the 

 surface, and once or twice in the course of the month a rake may 

 be used freely to level the dressing and to make it fine ; and if 

 plenty of young grass does not make its appearance by the beginning 

 of April, a dusting of seed may be given, making the surface smooth ; 

 and when all is growing freely the roller may be used. Shrubberies 

 should now be all clean, as leaves would keep blowing out all the sea- 

 son ; but if a dressing of any common soil can be thrown over the leaves 

 to keep them in their place, the dressing would be of great service in 

 promoting free growth. Deeply digging among the roots of shrubs is 

 a very injurious practice. Rhododendrons, especially of the Noblei- 

 anum kind, will be flowering. If stakes and mats could be used to keep 

 out severe frost and off heavy rains, shrubberies might be kept gay for 

 a long time. Some of the early kinds of Rhododendrons have been 

 more or less in flower here all the winter ; some of them (January 12th) 

 are very fine, with hundreds of blossoms out and expanding. Tansies 

 are also blooming freely ; Wallflowers, Polyanthus, and Roses are plen- 

 tiful. The two latter are very useful in pots where glass protection 

 is limited. Deutzias and Lilacs in pots, which have been previously 

 forced, are making growth out of doors where litter has been thrown 

 over them during late frosts. Lily of the Valley forces remarkably 

 easy this season ; we have had a good supply since Christmas, by intro- 



