62 THE FLORIST. 



Allow Peaches to advance very slowly, especially in dull weather; 

 aim at having a free admittance of air at all favourable occasions ; 

 and when the blossom is expanded, partially thin them. Keep up 

 a succession of Strawberries by placing another lot in the pit, or 

 elsewhere, under cover ; water those cautiously that may have shown 

 flower, and by no means allow the water to remain in the bottom- 

 pans, if they are so situated. Prepare beds for Cucumbers and 

 Melons, if wanted early; and make successional sowing of French 

 Beans. Look to the bottom-heat of Pines; those likely to show 

 soon should have every advantage of light, with an increase of tem- 

 perature, which, to ensure fine fruit, must be kept steady. Apply 

 fresh fermenting material to successional plants ; and have soil and 

 pots in readiness to repot them towards the end of the month. 



Fuchsias. Plants intended for specimens for exhibition should 

 now be pushed along in gentle heat ; if moist, so much the better, 

 drawing the syringe over them during the afternoon. Young stock 

 should be grown in heat, giving them sufficient room not to draw 

 each other up weakly. Continue to put in cuttings. 



Hardy Fruits. Proceed with pruning wall-trees, as well as trees in 

 the open quarters. Apricots, Peaches, and Nectarines may be pruned 

 and nailed in towards the end of the month. See that matting, canvas, 

 or other protective material is in order by the end of the month. 

 They should then be placed before the above to retard the opening of 

 their blooms, for by keeping them from opening till as late a period 

 as possible, the chances of their setting is increased. Fruit trees of 

 all kinds may yet be planted, observing to do this only when the 

 soil is dry, or nearly so. Spread out the roots regularly, and mulch 

 the surface after planting. Give a surface-dressing of rich manure 

 to Strawberry-beds ; do not dig this in, but allow it to remain on the 

 surface: digging only destroys the surface-roots. Prune Gooseberry 

 and Cun-ant bushes ; it is a useful plan to plant these in lines five or 

 six feet apart, and train them to sticks espalier fashion. Clean up 

 the prunings, and burn, or rather char them for top-dressings, and 

 fork over the ground underneath the trees, adding dung or fresh soil 

 when the land is poor or the trees are exhausted. 



Hollyhocks. Eepot autumn-struck plants, using good rich soil to 

 induce them to make stout, stocky plants, instead of starting prema- 

 turely to bloom. It is but of little consequence the plants being 

 small, so that they are not " leggy." Good cuttings, struck this 

 month, if properly encouraged, make excellent plants, and flower in 

 good time ; therefore continue to take them from the old stools, and 

 strike them in moist bottom-heat. Seed should now be sown. 



Kitchen Garden. When the land becomes somewhat dry, and the 

 weather is open, preparations must be made for the land to receive 

 the spring and summer crops : ground still undug should be imme- 

 diately turned over; and such pieces as have been dug up rough 

 some time, should be turned back with the five- grained fork — a better 

 implement than the spade for thoroughly mixing the soil. Land in- 

 tended for the reception of top-rooted plants — as Carrots, &c. — should 

 be well-worked to a good depth, that the roots may grow straight and 



