THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. GO 



remained for the season, they were never stopped or transplanted, or 

 assisted with linings, and yet they ripened good crops, and, indeed, 

 the crop of the little Queen Anne's melon was prodigious. 



In Selecting Sorts it is necessary to bear in mind that, as a 

 rule, green-fleshed melons are the best. The Beecliwood, Small 

 Egyptian, and Bromliam Hall are fine old sorts, that will render 

 good service if the seed be true. Bellamore Hi/bn'd, Prhice of Wales, 

 and Victor!/ of Bath are newish varieties of the green flesh section, 

 that may be trusted for beautiful fruit of the finest flavour. The 

 best scarlet-fleshed variety is Scarlet Gem, which requires more heat 

 than Little Heath (here figured) which is in every way good, besides- 

 being hardier and more prolific. An extremely nice melon, with 

 rich pink flesh, is Princess Alice, a handsome, netted fruit of a bufl"- 

 yellow colour. Queen Anne's Poclcet is valued for decorative pur- 

 poses, but for eating is comparatively worthless, or at the best only 

 fit to amuse children. 



S. H. 



SEASONABLE WOEK IN THE KITCHEN-GAKDEN. 



BY GEORGE GEAT, 

 Head Gardener, Ewell Castle, Surrey. 



j,HE month of March is a busy time in the kitchen-garden;^ 

 because so many of the, main crops, both for summer and 

 winter use, have to be sown, or planted, and those who 

 take the necessary steps to secure thoroughly good 

 crops have plenty of work to occupy their head and 

 their hands. It is, in the case of the majority of the crops, most 

 essential that they should be sown or planted at the right moment, 

 to insure the best possible results. Therefore every eff'ort should 

 be made to have the seed in readiness for sowing immediately the 

 ground is in proper condition for its reception. The time of sowing 

 and planting must to a certain extent be regulated by the situation 

 and the character of the soil. As, for example, some crops may be 

 sown on naturally dry, warm soils, or in southern counties, in the 

 early part of the month, which if the soil is naturally cold and wet, 

 must not be sown until quite the end of the month. As a rule, all 

 the crops that will be alluded to must be sown as soon as the soil is 

 in a nice working condition. The most important of the crops to be 

 sown now are : cabbage, brussels sprouts, and winter greens gene- 

 rally ; onions, carrots, and other root crops ; peas and beans ; and 

 successional supplies of such things as lettuce and spinach. 



The cabbage and winter greens should be sown in beds and 

 transplanted. As it is not good practice to sow the seed so thick 

 that the plants smother each other as soon as they commence to pro- 

 duce rough leaves, a bed about four feet in width and eight or ten 

 feet in length should be provided for each subject. The best course 

 is to select a border similar to that recommended for the length of 



March. 



