68 



NOTES FOE MAECH. 



KITCnEN GARDEN. 

 Get mainire on to tlie plots tliat are to be 

 sown or planted this month and next, and 

 dig the ground over deejDly, and leave 

 rough. Level down the ridges of ground 

 prepared last month, so as to be ready to 

 sow and plant as soon as weather permits. 

 Plant the main crop of ])0tatoes where 

 the ground is well drained at once, but 

 on damp* soils wait till next month. It 

 is not safe to manure for potatoes, but 

 charred rubbish, old mortar, and other 

 dry materials msiy be used to lighten the 

 soil and nourish the crop. For main crops 

 choose a plot that was well manured last 

 year; for early sorts, that are to come vip 

 before the autumn-rains set in, manure 

 may be dug into the trenches. Potatoes 

 are best planted in trenches, and covered 

 loosely with soil ; dibbling is apt to cau^e 

 rotting by the holes getting filled with 

 water. Horseradish may be planted in 

 any spare corner, but the ground should 

 be dug deeply, and the roots will come 

 finer if the subsoil is vs-ell manured. The 

 crowns should be planted fifteen inches 

 deep, and six inches apart every way, and 

 the holes filled with fine coal-ashes, or 

 the sets put in as the trenching proceeds. 

 Any part of the root will do as well as the 

 crowns, if cut into inch pieces. Mark out 

 onion-beds, and let the soil be liberally 

 manured. Get ready Ibr all successional 

 summer crops, so as to have the ground 

 firm and well sweetened in time to receive 

 them. 



Soiv turnip, long-radish, main crop of 

 parsnips, horn-carrot, cauliflower, cab- 

 bage, savoys, broccoli, main crop of onions, 

 peas for succession, lettuce of all kinds, 

 round -spinach, parsley, and small salads. 



CTJCUMBEHS AND MELONS. 



Keep up the heat by linings if necessary ; 

 give air on fine mornings, but beware of 

 chilling the plants. If the weather is 

 frosty, with bright sunshine, shade the pit 

 with netting to prevent scorching ; thin 

 the fruits if they set too freely. Sow cu- 

 cumbers and melons for succession, and 

 sow also Stockvi'ood cucumbers for ridging 

 out. For mstructious on the open air- 

 culture of cucumbers and marrows, see 

 page 82 of last year's volume. 



ELOWER GARDEN. 



Dig borders with care, not to injure 

 the roots of herbaceous plants, and make 

 the surface moderately fine, to give a neat 



appearance. Sow hardy annuals in the 

 borders, and put a tally to each patch ; 

 as soon as large enough to handle, thin 

 the patches, and plant out the thinnings 

 wherever required ; or pot them for bloom- 

 ing in the windows. Put stakes to newly 

 planted roses and other trees, and mulch 

 beds of roses to protect their roots from 

 dry bleak winds. 



GREENHOUSE. 



To keep the conservatory gay, put roses, 

 rhododendrons, azaleas, and early pelar- 

 goniums into a moderate warmth, to bring 

 ihem into bloom. Give plenty of water 

 and liquid manure to plants coming into 

 bloom, especially Americans, camellias, pe- 

 largoniums, and acacias. Plants done 

 blooming should be tended with care to 

 secure a healthy growth of new wood, and 

 be cut in if required before they spend 

 their strength at the ends of flowering 

 shoots. Give plenty of air, and increase 

 tlie heat in all plant-houses. Use the 

 syringe freely, to keep a clean foliage; re- 

 pot any plants that want more root-room ; 

 see to the training of greenhouse and con- 

 servatory climbers before they get into too 

 full a growth to be handled conveniently. 



Soiv tender annuals, and florists' flowers 

 of all kinds for blooming this season, or 

 for general increase of stock, but more par- 

 ticularly balsams, cock's-combs, Zinneas, 

 stocks, globe amaranths, portulaccas, sal- 

 piglossis, thunbergias, solanums, as well 

 as hardy kinds for early blooming in- 

 doors, and for beds to succeed the spring 

 bulbs. 



Auriculas. — These will require fre- 

 quent watering and plenty of air, but must 

 be sheltered from cutting winds. Weak 

 liquid manure will strengthen the trusses. 

 Green-fly will ajapear as the plants make 

 their new growth, and must be promptly 

 met by means of tobacco-smoke. Polyan- 

 thuses the same treatment. 



Azaleas. — Take up and pot such as are 

 wanted for furnishing, and put into a 

 moist heat of 55° by night, and 65'^ by 

 day. Use turfy peat and silver-sand, and 

 press the soil firmly into the pots round 

 the okl balls. Give plenty of water, and 

 train out into good shapes. 



Calceolarias may be struck in any 

 quantity for blooming this season ; a very 

 slight heat is sufficient. Use young tender 

 shoots, and root them in sandy peat. 

 Specimen-plants for early blooming will 

 come on nicely along with Americans and 



