THE FLOKAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



33 



plants of this kind keep up a moderately 

 moist atmosphere. 



1 i Azaleas and Camellias to he kept going 

 for succession. Take care they have enough 

 water while forcing; as the blooms open 

 use the syringe less, and remove them to a 

 cooler atmosphere to prolong the bloom. 



Fuchsias for beds may be propagated 

 to any extent from a few old plants, and a 

 very moderate temperature will set them 

 growing for the purpose. Take off the 

 young shoots when about three inches 

 long, with a heel to each. 



Specimen Plants will mostly want 

 pruning, repotting, cleaning, etc., pre- 

 viously to being started into growth. It 

 would be well to look over the stock of 

 such things at once, that valuable time 

 may not be lost. 



Bedding Plants. — Arrange the propa- 

 gation of these according to their habits. 

 Those that require to make a free growth 

 before they bloom to be got on first; and 

 those that come into bloom quickly may 

 be deferred. Petunias, heliotropes, gera- 

 niums, ageratums, nierembergias, lobelias, 

 cupheas, and lantanas to be cut from as 

 soon as the old plants furnish shoots for 

 the purpose. There need be no haste 

 about verbenas, dahlias, mimulus, perilla, 

 Oenotheras, salvias, and tropajolums; they 

 will make as good plants from cuttings a 

 month hence. Be sure that the old plants 

 are in vigorous growth before beginning 

 to cut at them. 



Begonias should now be repotted, and 

 have large[shifts when required afterwards. 



Gloxinias started now will make rapid 

 growth, especially if we are favoured with 

 a continuance of this bright weather. In 

 planting these use the compost in a mode- 

 rately damp state, and give no water until 

 the bulbs begin to grow; after which sup- 

 ply it with caution, until the plants have 

 a pretty good show of leaves. 



Propagation of climbers and tender 

 annuals should now be going on in earnest, 

 and there must be no more delay in pro- 

 pagating bedders, if a good early bloom is 

 wanted. Tropreolum elegans and Triom- 

 phe de Hyris may be delayed to the end of 

 March, as they bloom the better, and make 

 less growth, if propagated late; but gera- 

 niums, fuchsias, petunias, and verbenas, 

 should be cut from as fast as they furnish 

 shoots. 



New Holland Plants and Heaths de- 

 mand a great deal of attention now to 

 bring leggy specimens into shape, encou- 

 rage the growth of those going out of 

 bloom, and protect from cold draughts 

 and undue moisture those coming into 

 bloom. Continue to shift such as re- 



quire it, and any that are looking 

 out of health, turn out of their pots, 

 to see if the drainage is right, and the 

 stuff sweet and porous. The powdery peat 

 in which these plants are generally grown 

 at nurseries, is best got rid of as much as 

 possible from the roots, taking care not to 

 damage the delicate fibres, and in repot- 

 ting, use plenty of fibry turf and peat, 

 rough lumps, sifting out the fine dust if 

 needful, which will be useful in propa- 

 gating to pot young stuff in from the 

 cutting pans. 



Vinery. — Vines to be thinned as soon 

 as the berries are of sufficient size. Tie in 

 the young shoots and remove laterals 

 early, so as to accomplish the pruning as 

 much as possible with the finger and 

 thumb. Be particular to lower the tem- 

 perature at night. Very many of the 

 failures in grape growing arise through too 

 high a night temperature. Those swelling 

 fruit will require plenty of moisture. The 

 cause of cracking is, in the majority of 

 cases, insufficient drink ; and shanking 

 arises through sour borders, where the 

 drainage is imperfect. 



Orchard House. — Peaches and other 

 orchard house trees will set their fruit 

 more freely if there is a good breeze 

 through the house every day ; the atmos- 

 phere at the same time to be kept as dry 

 as possible. Peaches to be thinned and 

 disbudded judiciously ; do not remove all 

 the superfluous fruit and shoots at once. 

 Trees that have set their fruit to have 

 liberal syringes with soft water of the 

 temperature of the house. Figs setting 

 fruit to be kept in a rather dry air, but 

 with sufficient moisture at the root. 



Forcing. — Strawberries in the forcing 

 pit to have plenty of air, plenty of light, 

 and plenty of water. Tepid manure water 

 will assist in augmenting the size of the 

 berries, but there must be plenty of light 

 and air to insure flavour and colour. 



Asparagus. — The beds should be lined, 

 if the heat is declining ; the heat ought to 

 be near 60 3 to insure a quick growth of 

 eatable shoots. Ground for new beds 

 should he got ready at once, and tolerably 

 manured. 



Pines may have an increase of bottom- 

 heat, with liberal supplies of water, and 

 occasional syringing over-head. Put 

 suckers in a tan bed, or a sweet and active 

 dung bed, to insure a plentiful growth of 

 roots. 



Cucumbers recently turned out may 

 be suffering from excess of heat; in which 

 case draw some soil away from the bot- 

 tom of the hillocks. Make sure of a few 

 reserve plants. 



