114 THE GARDENER. [March 



ing back the progress of vegetation by such protection is of great 

 moment. If the trees are not in good condition at root, all such pro- 

 tection is expense and precious time thrown away. Though we have 

 our walls, outside and inside, with such glass protection, we put little 

 value on it. Having nets all round is an expense which we could 

 hardly expect to pay for good crops of fruit. A little disbudding may 

 be necessary in early localities : let the wood-buds offering to grow 

 straight out be rubbed off. We generally rub out all which are not 

 required, as soon as they can be detected, from fruit-buds ; and when 

 the latter are superabundant, we do not mind rubbing off a large num- 

 ber. Weakly trees are far more likely to carry good crops by such a 

 practice. 



FLOWER-GARDEN. 



The whole stock of plants should now be noted, and every means 

 used to get such kinds as are weak in number or quality to meet 

 the purpose for which they are required. At present amateurs (experi- 

 enced ones will laugh at the nonsense) may be in a dilemma to know 

 what to do with their flower-gardens, while opinions of "leading" 

 practical men are so conflicting. Some of them seem to become 

 desperate when they cannot pervert (it may be superior minds) to their 

 petted notions. " A man of independent mind " can afford to remain 

 in a thoroughly sound practice till his taste may mislead him into the 

 fallacy of turning lawns, geometrical gardens, and well-kept borders 

 into receptacles for weeds, and the various huge plants which are so 

 fascinating to some. They bloom for a few weeks, then have the 

 knife applied to give them a decent exterior. We go in for wild 

 gardens, alpine gardens, herbaceous gardens, Rose gardens, spring 

 gardens, and others ; but to mix them all together (as we once saw a 

 poor fellow in a northern asylum put all his groceries and other viands 

 into his huge worsted blue-bonnet) is a practice we hope never to be 

 perverted to. We are content to look quietly on at the amusing 

 correspondence which may be seen in the various horticultural papers. 

 Proceed with potting all such plants as Pelargoniums, Verbenas, 

 Petunias, &c., which are to make a display when all the most useful 

 spring and early summer flowering-plants have done their best. When 

 pits or other structures can be spared in which such plants can be 

 turned out instead of potting them, a great saving of labour and pots 

 will be effected. Dahlias may be put into heat to increase their numbers 

 by cuttings : place the latter into small pots in a little sandy loam, with 

 a heel if possible ; plunge the pots into bark or other beds before they 

 are allowed to flag, and they will soon root, then they may be grown 

 on slowly till danger from frost is past. All hardy and half-hardy plants 

 may be increased without delay : nearly all are the better of a growing 

 temperature under glass till they are ready to plant out. Carnations, 

 Pansies, Phloxes, Pentstemons, and all hardy herbaceous plants, may 

 now be planted out when the ground is in order. Hardy annuals may 



