THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



129 



circulation of air amongst them. Use 

 man nre- water twice a-week, and pretty 

 strong now. Trees that liave been regu- 

 larly pinched in are now bristling with 

 side-spurs, and the object, now in view is 

 to promote the swelling of these by good 

 feeding, and their ultimate ripening by full 

 exposure, and a diminished supply of water 

 whin grow'h is completed. No more 

 pinching after this month. 



Peaches. — When the fruit is gathered, 

 ply the syringe or hydropult with force, to 

 clemse the trees and maintain a healthy 

 leaf action for the completion of the sea- 

 sonal growth. Young trees inclined to 

 grow rank, and out of all proportion, can 

 be very effectually checked by stripping 

 off about half their leaves, and keeping 

 rather dry at their root, but to be fre- 

 quently syringed, to prevent red spider. 

 D.sleafing is the safest and simplest me- 

 thod of deahng with trees in a gross con- 

 diti n, especially if they continue to grow 

 beyond the period when their wood should 

 be ripening. 



Forced Fruits. — As the crops are ga- 

 thered, give liquid manure to swell up the 

 spurs for next year's crop ; syringe with 

 force to clear the foliage. Crops ripening 

 to hive less water, less syringe, more air, 

 and full sunshine. 



Flower Garden. — American Plants in 

 old beds should be refreshed now with a 

 top-dressing of rotten cow-dung, which 

 will hi lp the new growth. Newish beds 

 are better without animal manure. Re- 

 move the trusses of blooms as fast as they 

 lose their colour, and be careful not to 

 break any young shoots at the same time. 



Bedders to have as little water as pos- 

 sible, as it tends to prevent them rooting 

 deep. Hoe over the beds between the 

 plants, and pay scrupulous attention to 

 pinching and pegging as required, as on 

 this will depend the beauty of the display 

 as the plants come into full bloom. In 

 pegging secure first a supply of shoots to 

 the north side of all the trailing plants, as 

 they will grow all the season more freely 

 on the south side. 



Cineraria Seed to be sown in pans of 

 light, rich soil, with a sprinkling of very 

 fine earth over. Lay over the pans pieces 

 of I ass or damp moss or tiles, to prevent 

 evaporation, but keep a watch that the 

 pi mis are not blanched through keeping 

 the covering on too long. Keep the pans 

 in tin! shade till the p'ants are large 

 enough to pot off, which will lesi-en the 

 trouble of watering, and also the risk of loss 

 either by damp or drought. 



Camellias need air now night an 1 day, 

 ana the swelling of the flower-buds bhouid 



be the signal to cease watering overhead, 

 which may cause the flower-buds to start 

 into leaves, and spoil the next season's 

 bloom. Plants that want a shift may have 

 it now, hut large shifts should never be 

 practised. 



Dahlias to be tied up betimes, or sud- 

 den gusts of wind will tear away the best 

 branches from the base. On hot dry soils 

 mulching is needful, and will present need 

 of watering, but in small gardens mulching 

 attracts vermin, and had best not be prac- 

 tised. Those that want a little extra help 

 had best have manure-water. 



Herbaceous Plants. — Continue to pro- 

 pagate, remembering that pinks, carna- 

 tions, and picotees come as readily from 

 cuttings as layers, if that method is most 

 convenient. 



Propagate at once Neapolitan violets 

 by dividing ; pansies, by cuttings and 

 layers; pinks, by pipings and cuttings — if 

 the Litter, dibble them into pans, and cover 

 with bell-glasses; put pipings in the open 

 ground in a shady place ; chrysanthemums 

 by cuttings, for blooming under glass in 

 pots ; roses, by cuttings and half-ripe 

 wood ; and any summer flowering plants 

 wanted for late blooms under glass ; also 

 Iberis sempervirens, the best of all the 

 spring flowers. 



Rhododendrons, Kalmias, and Andro- 

 medas may now be layered for increase ; 

 it is the simplest and surest method of pro- 

 pagation, though slow ; nevertheless, they 

 are always better on their own roots than 

 grafted, and though many kinds sow them- 

 selves in plenty, and produce thickets of 

 seedlings if allowed, there is no dependence 

 to be placed on them for character when at 

 last they come into bloom. Old beds of 

 American plants may be benefited now by 

 top-dressings of cow-dung quite rotten. 

 Recently formed beds should not have it, 

 nevertheless a mulching of some kind, 

 espec ally amongst Kalmias, will be bene- 

 ficial. Where moss is plentiful, there is 

 nothing better to strew three or four inches 

 thick over the whole of the soil ; it soon 

 sinks to a close peaty layer, and preserves 

 a moist condition of the roots. 



Roses need abundant supplies of water 

 now, and green-fly must be kept down, or 

 the bio mi will be impoverished. As the 

 hurry of the bedding-out is now over, a 

 I it t le time may be found to look over briars 

 intended for budding soon, to cut away 

 weak, ill placed shoots, and shorten in the 

 strong rambl ng shoots on which buds are 

 to h- entered. Generally the knife is used 

 amongst the stocks at the time of budding, 

 widen gives tl em a check and retards the 

 taking of the buds. If cut in now as may 



