142 



THE GARDENER. 



[March 



letting the plants exhaust themselves 

 by bearing over-many at a time. Keep 

 a sharp look-out on thrip and green- 

 fly, and keep them down by timely 

 fumigation with tobacco, taking care 

 that the plants ai'e dry and not subject 

 to too strong doses of smoke. It is 

 better to use it moderately on two suc- 

 cessive nights, than to give one strong 

 dose. Sow and plant for successional 

 crops. 



Strawberries. — If all has gone on 

 well these will now be an interesting 

 crop, and one that will be most ac- 

 ceptable at dessert as a companion 

 dish to late Grapes and Pine-apples. 

 Crops that are swelling off will do 

 with a night temperature of 60° to 

 75°. When colouring commences 



they should have more air, to give 

 ilavour. After this season we have 

 often moved crops out of Pine -pits 

 into cooler quarters in which to fin- 

 ish, with much advantage ; and when 

 required to hang a few days after 

 being quite ripe, they keep much 

 better in a cooler and more airy 

 house. Plants coming into bloom 

 should have a temperature of 55° to 

 60° at night — never higher ; lower is 

 safer than higher. Put succession 

 batches of plants into Peach-houses 

 and vineries now being started. Keep 

 a sharp look-out on red-spider and 

 green-fly, fumigating and syringing 

 to keep them in check. Do not, 

 however, fumigate plants in bloom, 

 or it will injure them. 



KITCHEN-GARDEN. 



To have the vegetable garden well 

 cropped, and to be otherwise credit- 

 able to cultivators, the work must 

 now be carried forward in earnest : 

 every opportunity should be turned to 

 the best account in bringing forward 

 arrears. Digging, trenching, and 

 manuring of the ground, according to 

 the requirements of the crops which 

 are to occupy it, must now have 

 prompt attention. Surfaces may be 

 broken over finely preparatory for 

 seeds ; and when ground is fit to be 

 trodden upon, the drills may be 

 drawn, and the seeds sown and cov- 

 ered, using fine soil over the seeds 

 where laud is heavy and tenacious. 

 Peas and Beans may be sown and 

 planted out from frames, boxes, &c., 

 on deep rich soil, and covered with 

 rotten manure and loam. Plenty of 

 room for the seeds, and the rows stand- 

 ing wide apart, are matters which will 

 show themselves to advantage by- 

 and-by. Sow kinds twice in the 

 month which are termed second early 

 in catalogues. Dickson's Favourite 

 and Champion of England are always 

 favourites ; but soils change the 

 character of Peas very much. Stake 

 Peas when a few inches high. Jer- 

 usalem Artichokes should now be 

 lifted, if not done, and the necessary 

 quantity planted as formerly advised : 

 single rows wide apart are generally 

 suitable. Globe Artichokes may be 

 freed from rough manure, and the 



shorter portion forked in and mulch 

 over the roots. Crowns, if at a 

 crowded, should be reduced to two or 

 three ; but the intense frost may have 

 destroyed many, and it may be ne- 

 cessary to procure young stock by 

 sowing seed, — a system we have 

 found as easy as any other in get- 

 ting up plants. Asparagus may be 

 sown on well-trenched, richly man- 

 ured soil, in rows of 1^ or 2 feet 

 apart. Large Asparagus is produced 

 by having the plants wiae apart 

 on deep rich soil, and abundance 

 of liquid manure during the growing 

 season. If small-growing crops are 

 not to be grown on the surface, a 

 sprinkling of salt may be scattered 

 over, which will kill weeds and 

 nourish the plants. A pinch of Beet 

 for an early crop maybe sown towards 

 the end of month. Cauliflower may 

 be sown twice during the month. 

 Plants potted or growing in frames 

 may be planted in rich well sheltered 

 ground. If they are planted between 

 ridges they may be protected there : 

 evergreen branches stuck among them 

 are of service as protection. Those 

 under hand-lights and protectors may 

 be benefited by stirring the soil and 

 mulching with rotten manure. Cab- 

 bage, Savoys, Kales of sorts, Brus- 

 sels Sprouts, and other green crops, 

 may be sown early in the month for 

 first crops. Broccoli of the early 

 classes may be sown towards the end of 



