46 THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. [February, 



Sir "W. Lawrence, Ealing Park ; and subsequently entered the service of the late Sir R. Peel, 

 Drayton Manor, and of J. G. Barclay, Esq., of Leyton. In 1856 he was appointed superinten- 

 dent of the Royal Gardens, Hampton Com-t, which post he held till his death. 



GARDEN WORK FOR FEBRUARY. 



FLOWERS. 



)NE of tlio most cheerful signs of the times (horticultural) is the growing 

 taste for Spring Floive7'S— Daisies, Violets, Primroses, Hepaticas, Forget- 

 me-nots, &c. ; for every year the roll of spring beauty is lengthening, the 

 demand for it strengthening. Search well amongst these plants for slugs, 

 which seem to have a special liking for sweetness and beauty ; they may 

 found feeding by night, and should be either picked up or dosed into 

 abstinence, as already prescribed. Should frost set in, look out for a sparrow 

 raid on Crocus flowers, and prevent it by suspending, a foot or so above the 

 expanding flowers, a well nigh invisible line of thread ; the slenderness of the 

 thread is an element in its effectiveness. Tulips and Hyacinths may be slightly 

 protected during severe weather by a surfacing of cocoa-nut refuse, tan, or moss, 

 or by sticking in a few boughs amongst them. Prepare the soil for planting 

 Gladioli ; they do best in a deep sandy loam, well enriched with thoroughly 

 decomposed manure. Ranunculuses delight in old cow-dung, a rather damp 

 situation, and a firm soil ; plant from 4 in. to 6 in. deep, and cover the crowns 

 with a light sandy soil. Anemones, Irises, Lilies of the Valley, or the Oxalis 

 Bowiei, the latter on a warm spot, may also be planted. The hardier Roses may 

 still be planted ; but the Tea-scented ones are better deferred tUl the end of 

 April ; finish pruning hardy sorts, but defer weak and tender ones for another 

 month or six weeks. Keep beds and borders sweet and clean by frequent stirrings. 

 Finish all digging and manuring, and see that all dead stems, leaves, and litter 

 are removed. All ground- work, laying of turf, walk drainage, &c., should 

 speedily be completed, and the turf swept and rolled, preparatory to mowing, 

 should the weather prove open. The chief secret of forming a velvety lawn is 

 early and continuous' cutting. 



In-door Plants, such as Camellias, Azaleas, Epacrises, Heaths, Primroses, 

 Cinerarias, bulbs, forced shrubs, &c., will now be in beauty. Maintain a tempera- 

 ture of 45'^ ; even Camellias don't enjoy less when in flower, and few other plants. 

 Avoid fumigating the show house or conservatory, for this not only robs even 

 Violets, Sweet Brier, or Lilac, of their fragrance, but it often spots the flowers 

 also ; such plants as Cinerarias, Calceolarias, &c., should be fumigated in a 

 pit or shed before entering there. Pelargoniums — Show, Fancy, and French — 

 must be shifted as they require it ; stop for late blooming, and train ; water with 

 great care after shifting, using tepid water, for the softer and more active the 

 roots, the greater the danger of a chill from cold water. Shift early Fuchsias as 

 soon as the young shoots have made an inch of wood ; these young shoots 

 heeled off strike like willows. Heaths, &c., in full growth, require liberal 

 watering ; remove every dead leaf and flower from the plants, as well as all 

 moss, &c., from the surface of the pots, and see that scrupulous cleanliness 

 and perfect order reign throughout every department ; the latter constitute more 

 than half the charm of every good flower garden and plant house. Stove 

 Plants and Orchids should all be thoroughly cleansed while dormant ; with the 

 exception of pure spirits of wine as sold by chemists, I have not found anything 

 that was certain death to mealy-bug. Stove jylants must now have an increase 

 of heat and water. It is safe practice to fumigate powerfully before any new 

 leaves are formed. Three times smoking in succession will generally do for the 



