THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



61 



{i'Otentillas, and ssdum are the most useful. 

 Choice kinds of alpines should be grown 

 in duplicate in pots in cuse of losses, by 

 which means they can be replaced. 



Conservatory. — Frequent changes 

 should be made in this house, and as there 

 are now plenty of things coming into bloom 

 in the other structures, the task will not 

 be found a difficult one. Re-arranging 

 the plants will be found particularly bene- 

 ficial to the hard-wooded ones, as they will 

 not flourish long in a house of this descrip- 

 tion. All soft-wooded plants may be suf- 

 fered to remain till their bloom is gone ; 

 but overcrowding must be avoided, and 

 care must be taken to keep the foliage 

 clean and healthy. Prune overgrown 

 camellias. Oranges, citrons, camellias, 

 and other plants now in full growth to 

 have plenty of water and an occasional 

 supply of liquid manure. 



Orchid House will require an abun- 

 dance of atmospheric moisture now, and 

 general attention to plants newly potted 

 and those coming into seasonal growth. 

 Cive water cautiously to such as are yet 

 dormant, but encourage growth by sprin- 

 kling water about the floors, and keep an 

 average day-heat of 80\ The sudden out- 

 bursts of sunshine, with dry, cold winds, 

 at this time of year, frequently give rise 

 to disease in the plants. Shading during 

 mid-day may be used to advantage in fine 

 weather, and as most of the stock is now 

 in a growing state periodical steamings 

 will be beneficial. 



Greenhouse. — Greenhouse plants are 

 now in active growth, and require more 

 than usual care. Green-fly and all other 

 enemies will abound, and if not kept in 

 check, irreparable mischief will ensue. 

 See at night that there is water in the 

 house to warm and soften for next day's 

 use. Use the syringe among fuchsias, 

 acacias, and other subjects that are now 

 growing freely. Be careful in giving air 

 that there is no chill, and regulate water- 

 ing and ventilating by the weather. As 

 soon as the weather gets warm and settled 

 pass every potted plant through your hands 

 to shift those that need it, top-dress tiiose 

 not shifted, and to prune, train, and pro- 

 pagate as occasion may require. 



Bedding Plants. — Keep the stock 

 ■warm, and give little air. We shall soon 

 have bright weather, when they may be 

 more freely ventilated, to harden the wood 

 and check their growth. Let nothing 

 remain in the cutting-pans after forming 

 roots, as every day beyond the proper time 

 is a day wasted to the injuiy of the plants. 

 Cuttings put in now will bear more heat 

 than those put in a month ago, as vegeta- 



tion is more active with the advance of the 

 season. There is plenty of time now to 

 raise stock of verbenas, petunias, fuchsias, 

 and lobelias, and they will bear a moist 

 temperature of 75' to advantage. Young 

 plants that want a shift to larger pots, and 

 which are to be stopped to make them bushy, 

 should be stopped first, and the repotting 

 delayed till the side-shoots begin to break. 

 ( apsicums and Tomatoes to be potted 

 oil' and put in a moderate heat to encourage 

 new roots. Use light rich soil. Toma- 

 toes wanted early may be thrown into 

 a blooming state by allowing them to get 

 pot- bound in small sixties; as soon as they 

 show for bloom shift to forty-eights; and 

 when they fill those pots with roots, shift 

 into six or eight inch pots. By this method 

 a very early crop of line fruit may be se- 

 cured in pots, and there is generally plenty 

 of room to ripen them under glass after 

 the end of May. In shifting none of the 

 crocks should be taken from the roots, but 

 the ball should be lifted without damaging 

 a fibre into the pots they arc shifted to, 

 and the compost tilled firmly round it. 

 As the fruits swell use strong manure- 

 water, and plenty of it. 



Dahlias at work will require to be 

 potted, and those not set to work should 

 be laid over a tank, or placed on dung-heat 

 at once, to get strong plants. The dahlia- 

 grower is, however, reminded that the gaiu 

 in time by early propagating is sometimes 

 a loss in the end. 



Geraniums that have been kept in pits, 

 windows, and cool houses, in a rather dry 

 state, now require pruning and a little 

 water. If they cau be put in a warm 

 house to give them a start, they will bloom 

 earlier; but Tom Thumbs and other com- 

 paratively hardy kinds commenced grow- 

 ing long since. Those that are to be 

 flowered in pots require a shift; those that 

 are to be turned out into beds may remain 

 in pots as they are. 



Pelargoniums now showing their trusses 

 will need a little manure-water occasion- 

 ally, and occasional syringing. Plants 

 lately potted to be stopped as soon as their 

 new growth admits of it, or they will soon 

 become leggy. 



Strawberries under glass require frequent 

 and liberal supplie* of water at the roots, 

 and sprinkling over the leaves. They 

 must also have something stronger than 

 water at the loots occasionally while swell- 

 ing their fruit; but manure- water should 

 be withheld a few days before gathering. 

 Strawberries in the open ground may now 

 be heavily mulched, if not done already. 

 Let there be no deep digging near them, 

 and see that the plants are firm in the 



