68 



THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



runners where required, and remove 

 the others entirely. Stir, clean, and 

 top-dress the ground, that the plants 

 may grow and ripen in autumn, rest 

 in winter, and start in the following 

 spring with renewed vigour." 



In addition to the sections on rou- 

 tine culture, the treatise contains 



a carefully arranged, " Calendarial 

 Summary," Descriptions of Thirty-four 

 leading varieties, " Hints on exhibi- 

 ting the strawberry," and " Instruc- 

 tions on raising new varieties." With 

 such an instalment, we look anxiously 

 for other treatises in continuation of Mr. 

 McEwens course of " Fruit Culture." 



MARCH WORK IN THE GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE. 



Planting may still be performed, but 

 every day*?* delay now increases the 

 risk, for it is a positive injury to any 

 deciduous tree or shrub to move it after 

 the buds have began to swell. Those 

 who have yet such w T ork to do, should 

 finish the deciduous kinds first, as 

 most evergreens may be deferred till 

 next month if needful, and roses espe- 

 cially should be got to their final 

 quarters quickly. Digging of vacant 

 ground should be proceeded with, and 

 wherever the surface of beds, borders, 

 or allotment-plots, can be pointed over 

 rough, either to get the soil dry for 

 sowing, or to admit the night-frosts to 

 the soil, it should be done. Manure 

 may be dug in where required, when 

 the weather is unfavourable for other 

 operations, and any pruning not yet 

 completed, should be got over without 

 delay. This is a good time to clean 

 fruit trees from blight; and cuttings of 

 bush fruits and of apples and pears 

 may still be put in. 



KiTCnEN Gaeden. — The main crops 

 may be sown, at the first opportunity, of 

 all the leading vegetables, except beets, 

 but it is advisable for all small holders to 

 make successional sowings of small patches 

 rather than large ones, of any kind of ve- 

 getable. Good breadths of peas and beans 

 may be got in, with spinach between the 

 rows of peas. Sowings of marrow and 

 Prussian blue peas should be made for 

 succession. JBrussel's sprouts, two or tlu'ee 

 sorts of kale, chou de Milan, Shillings 

 queen, West ham, and early York cabbage, 

 a small pinch of horn carrot, cauliflower, 

 leek, and lettuce, short top radish and 

 small salads should be sown in small 

 patches every fortnight. The first pans 

 of celery may be pricked out towards the 

 middle of the month, on a warm border 

 which has not been dug, but covered with 

 six inches of dung, with a sprinkling of 



bght earth on the top. About the middle 

 of the month sow the main crop of onions ; 

 these should have a piece of de ply-dug 

 strong ground, worked with manure, and 

 the seed should be covered with a sprink- 

 ling of fine charred rubbish. Potatoes 

 appearing above ground shoidd be gently 

 earthed over, or, better still, covered with 

 sawdust to protect the young tops from 

 the night frosts, and if there is any pota- 

 toe planting yet to do, the sooner it is ac- 

 complished the better, for experience has 

 proved again and again that the heaviest 

 and soundest crops are only to be had by 

 early planting. The best mode of planting 

 is to trench them in with the spade, so 

 that the ground has not to be trodden on, 

 either immediately before or after their 

 insertion ; the use of the dibble is one of 

 the many causes of potatoe failures. As- 

 paragus should be planted towards the 

 end of the month, and the best plantations 

 are made by sowing the seed where it is to 

 remain, and thinning to the required chV 

 tance. Seakale may also be planted any 

 time this month; the small "thongs" 

 make the best beds, but there is a little 

 difficulty owing to the prejudices of gar- 

 deners, in getting them. 



Flo wee Garden. — Sowings may be 

 made of perennial and annual ilower- 

 seeds, and even half-hardy kinds, but the 

 latter will of course not appear above 

 ground until the temperature is sufficiently 

 elevated for them. Old borders should 

 be trenched up, and the perennials divi- 

 ded and replanted, and they will bloom 

 much stronger in consequence this summer, 

 besides having more neatness, and enabling 

 the cultivator to adopt new arrangements. 

 Any stock required for the flower garden 

 should be got in without delay, and espe- 

 cially of such things as Chrysanthemums, 

 Delphiniums, Phloxes, &c. Eockeries 

 may now be planted with alpines and se- 

 lected dwarf growing annuals and peren- 

 nials, and roses of choice sorts may be 

 grafted on well rooted stocks, theprunings 



