.] 



CALENDAR. 



287 



Figs.— Whenever the first crop is 

 gathered from early forced trees, give 

 them a good watering with manure- 

 water, and syringe them every after- 

 noon. Thin off the second crop if 

 there is more than sufficient for a 

 good crop. Ripening fruit should be 

 well ventilated to bring flavour to 

 the highest pitch. Young trees in 

 luxuriant growth and not bearing 

 freely should not be stimulated, but 

 watered with pure water. 



Melons. — Give plenty of air to ripen- 

 ing fruit, and just sufficient water 

 to keep the plants fresh and active. 

 Plant out more plaats for supply of 

 ripe fruit in August. Give them 10 

 inches depth of a good holding loam, 

 with about a sixth part of rotten man- 

 ure, and make it firm before planting. 

 Syringe all plants, except those ripen- 

 ing their crops and setting, at shutting- 

 up time when the weather is bright. 

 Attend to the setting of fruit, and 

 stop fruit-bearing shoots one or two 

 joints beyond the fruit. Sow more 

 seeds for succession crops. 



Cucumbers.— Do not let the plants 



make rambling growths. Keep the 

 growths well thinned out, and stop 

 young shoots at every joint. Do not 

 allow them to bear too many Cucum- 

 bers at a given time, or the plants 

 will sufi'er. Water copiously with 

 dung-water, and syringe the foliage 

 every afternoon when the pit is shut 

 up. The heat may run to 90° for a 

 time with sun-heat. Put a chink of 

 air on for the night at 6 p.m. 



Strawberries in Pots.— The crops 

 from thesse will now be nearly all 

 gathered, and any that are not now 

 ripe may be removed to cold pits or 

 frames, where they are not so likely 

 to be attacked with spider, to which 

 Strawberries in pots are very subject 

 at this season if standing on hot dry 

 shelves in houses. As soon as runners 

 can be had, commence layering j^lants 

 for next year's crop. These will be 

 later than usual this year, and the 

 first should be secured, for all those 

 intended for early forcing should be 

 in their fruiting-pots by the middle of 

 July at the latest. As soon as layered, 

 keep them well watered, and stop ruu- 

 i ners beyond the young j)lants. 



KITCHEN-GARDEN. 



Our last paper was written when 

 drought was accompanied by cold *'nor'- 

 easters," and to-night (11th May) we 

 seem much under the same influence, 

 only vegetation is more advanced, and 

 consequently suffering from the trying 

 weather. The advantageous effects 

 of mulching are very visible wherever 

 we were fortunate enough to have the 

 means to apply it to surfaces. Globe 

 Artichokes, which were well protected 

 with dry litter, have done better than 

 we anticipated : wherever they are 

 springing up thickly, and likely to 

 become crowded, a general thinning 

 should take place, and good suckers 

 with "heels" on them planted in 

 rows for future supplies — a late sup- 

 ply may be had when the first lot is 

 past for the season. Jerusalem Arti- 

 chokes, which are cultivated in the 

 slovenly system of allowing the crop 

 to be had from the remains of last 

 season's supply where they escaped 

 being lifted, may require thinning and 

 regulating ; then a free use of the 

 fork over the surface. Yearly plan- 



tations are always the best, treated 

 as one would Potatoes. Asparagus 

 should now be at its best. Some 

 differ in opinion as to when cut- 

 ting should cease ; as it lias been 

 generally late this year, we would 

 proportionately cut late, — say to end 

 of June, — taking all as it comes, then 

 leaving the crowns to grow unmolested 

 if they are regular as to distance. On 

 light dry soil salt may be applied, but 

 we have little faith in its application 

 on heavy, wet, or cold land ; though the 

 effect of salt is good by the sea-shore 

 in poor sandy soil. More Beans and 

 Peas should be sown. Where the 

 former are wanted late, which is not 

 often, sowings may be made to end of 

 month ; but Peas are always desirable 

 at any season, and may be sown 

 till end of month in most districts 

 with fair success. Some sow in open 

 ground till 10th or 12th July, and then 

 follow up with successions of dwarfs 

 in pits. Mulch and water them ; to 

 keep in the moisture, a quantity 

 of dry soil may be drawn over the 



