THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



271 



amongst plants suffering from clamp ; 

 there is nothing to equal peat-dust for 

 the purpose. 



Compost should now be prepared in 

 quantity, as there is now a chance of 

 getting it well frozen and several times 

 turned before the winter is over. The 

 benefit of attending to this at once will be 

 immense in the culture of specimen plants, 

 and, in fact, with whatever requires a good 

 compost, well pulverized, and free from 

 vermin. It must be remembered that 

 composts frequently turned at this time 

 not only get frozen, which kills the vermin, 

 but the robins and thrushes explore it 

 every time it is thrown up afresh, and they 

 perhaps clean it more effectually than frost. 



Garnishing and Flavouring Herbs 

 should be taken up and potted, in case of 

 severe weather. Parsley and mint are 

 generally scarce in February, because there 

 is no care taken in time to secure supplies. 

 Large roots of parsley potted now will keep 

 green and fresh till wanted. The roots of 

 mint should be potted in leaf-mould, and 

 the pots plunged in an asparagus bed, or 

 placed on a flue to force it gently. Parsley 

 may also be protected on the ground by 

 means of hooped mats and litter. 



Rhubarb and Seakale. — Those who 

 have not begun to force should do so now, 

 either in the open ground or by potting. 

 As a very mild heat suffices, this season's 

 leaves and litter, if plentiful in bulk, will 

 do as well to make up a bed for the pur- 

 pose as dung. If the latter is used, it 

 should be turned three times before mak- 

 ing the bed, or the heat will be too fierce 

 and too transient. 



Warm Borders sloping to the south 

 under brick walls may be sown with 

 Horn carrot, early short-top radish, white 

 mustard, golden cress, Beck's Gem beans, 

 and Hammersmith lettuce. During sharp 

 weather dry litter and hurdles will protect 

 them very efficiently. 



Fruit Garden.— Bush Fruits to be 

 propagated by cuttings of ripe stout 

 shoots of last year, and the buds to be 

 removed from the bottom of the cutting 

 to within four inches of the top, so as to 

 form a clear stem and prevent suckers, 

 Lay on a thick coating of half-rotten dung 

 between gooseberry and currant bushes, 

 and in dry weather prick it in with a fork, 

 so as to avoid injury to the roots. Rasp- 

 berries to have a heavy mulch, which is 

 not to be pricked in; any disturbance of 

 their roots is a great injury. In small 

 gardens the best crop of currants will be 

 obtaiued from standards, which are easily 

 grown, and have a very handsome appear- 

 ance when loaded with fruit. 



Fruit Trees to be planted with all 

 speed; if delayed much longer, the next 

 year's crop may be lost. Always trim 

 away by a clean cut all bruised and jagged 

 portions of the roots ; place the original 

 collar at the level of the soil, so that the 

 tree is no deeper than it was before, and 

 fill in with soil in a friable condition. No 

 tree will prosper if the roots are puddled 

 in with wet pasty earth. Fruit trees of all 

 kinds, both in fruit garden, orchard, and 

 orchard-house, should now be pruned and 

 painted. For the latter purpose, a mixture 

 of lime, soot, and clay, to the consistence 

 of paint, will answer well ; or use Gishurst 

 according to the directions which accom- 

 pany it. 



Pruning of standard trees should con- 

 sist chiefly of opening out the head and 

 regulating the growth, without severe 

 measures of any kind. Wherever large 

 boughs require removal, it is a proof of 

 neglect of some kind in times gone by; 

 and if many large branches are dead or 

 dying, depend upon it the tree is in a bad 

 state at the roots; most probably the sur- 

 face roots are gone altogether. In small 

 gardens old fruit trees are frequently killed 

 by raising the soil about them, and so year 

 by year removing their roots farther and 

 farther from the atmosphere. 



Root Pruning, where required, should 

 be commenced without delay; the simplest 

 method is to open a trench on one side of 

 the trees, snd cut back the roots to within 

 two feet to three feet of the stems (accord- 

 ing to the size of the trees) half round 

 each tree. Next year open trenches, and 

 cut back the roots on the other half round, 

 and so on year after year. This will pre- 

 vent a rank growth, and increase their 

 fruitfulness. 



Vinery. — Tines in course of breaking 

 may be assisted materially by making up 

 in the house a large dung-bed. The dung 

 should have been turned twice, then to be 

 wheeled in, and made up solid as for a 

 hot-bed, but the surface not to be covered 

 with soil. The ammoniacal vapour and 

 the moisture together will give great 

 vigour to the new growth, and, if the 

 roots are properly encouraged, there will 

 be a grand start made for an early crop. 

 If this cannot be done, syringe frequently, 

 and put troughs of water over the flues or 

 pipes. Vines now to be started should not 

 have much heat, say 55' by day and 45' 

 by night, to be increased gradually; in 

 fact, any hurry in starting vines into 

 growth has to be paid for afterwards in 

 shanking, mildew, deformed bunches, or 

 some other grievance. 



Flower Garden. — "We cannot advise 

 K 2 



