i879-] 



CALENDAR. 



147 



likely to be matured early when sown 

 in good time. The same applies to 

 Parsnips. Spinach may be sown be- 

 tween bushes, other vegetable crops, 

 or in any spare ground. Good Spinach 

 is never had from poor, shallow soil. 

 Sow every eight or ten days : the plants 

 soon run to seed, and are worthless. 

 Tomatoes should be treated like Cap- 

 sicums in their young stages. Keep 

 them near the glass, and give them 

 plenty of air. Pot them on to get 

 stroDg plants for planting out under 

 protection. It is now a good time to 

 sow seed for planting out at end of May, 

 where they can be grown out -doors, 

 which is not often the case in cold 

 northerly climates. Tomatoes which 

 have been fruiting during the winter 

 should not be cropped heavily, but have 

 liquid-manure where roots are plentiful. 

 Vegetable Marrows, to be grown on in 

 frames and pits, may be sown at end 

 of month, and kept growing evenly in 

 moderate heat. So may also Gherkins 

 and ridge Cucumbers. Rapid growth 

 with these courts defeat. Crops of 

 Potatoes in frames and pots may be 

 brought forward with plenty of light 

 and air, taking the lights right oft" 

 (where such can be done) during mild 

 days. Add a surfacing of light earth, 

 and water when necessary with tepid 

 water. Plant Potatoes of the early 

 Kidney kinds on a warm, well-pre- 

 pared border. Drills formed, and the 

 tubers covered in them with light 

 genial soil, is a good system for early 

 crops. Peas may be planted from the 

 boxes, turves, pots, or whatever they 

 have been grown in. They should be 

 well hardened to the w r eather before 



| they are turned out. A quantity of 

 light rich earth placed with the roots 

 when planted will help to start them. 

 Stake them at once, and stick in some 

 branches of laurels to break winds 

 from north or east. Plant Cabbage 

 in drills; also Cauliflowers on rich 

 soils. The latter under hand-lights 

 may be well surfaced with rich soil, or 

 mulched with half-rotted manure and 

 old turf chopped up. Those in pots 

 ready for planting out should be 

 gradually hardened, but not pot- 

 bound. Keep up supplies of Sea- 

 kale, Asparagus, and other forced 

 produce, as required. French Beans 

 will now bear freely. Water care- 

 fully, and give liquid-manure, clear 

 and healthy, when they are bearing 

 and roots plentiful. Attend to stak- 

 ing and surfacing, as may be required. 

 Stakes and other requisites will be 

 in readiness, as the frosty weather 

 gave opportunity to prepare for the 

 busy season. All preparations for 

 new Asparagus, Seakale, and Pvhu- 

 barb plantations may have attention. 

 Manure well for these. Asparagus beds 

 may be slightly forked over. Arti- 

 chokes (Globe) may be much injured, 

 and many killed : examine them, and 

 prepare for new plantations accord- 

 ingly. Jerusalem Artichokes may now 

 be planted ; also herbs of sorts, and 

 Rhubarb, in rich soil. Forced Rhu- 

 barb may be hardened gradually, di- 

 vided, and planted. No portion of the 

 garden w r here crops are growing should 

 remain untouched by prong, hoe, or 

 other soil-cultivator. Sweet, whole- 

 some surfaces are of much importance 

 to crops. M. T. 



FORCING DEPARTMENT. 



Pines.— Considering the excessive 

 cold of the last three months, it is 

 more than probable that the majority 

 of early-fruiting Queens that are usu- 

 ally past the flowering stage by the 

 end of last month are only coming 

 into bloom at the beginning of this 

 month. Until they have set all their 

 pips, the atmosphere should be only 

 moderately moist, although there is 

 not the danger now of their not set- 

 ting well that exists earlier in the 

 year. As soon as they begin to swell 

 freely, the plants may be very lightly 

 moistened three times weekly through 

 a fine syringe at shutting-up time on 



fine bright days. Now that the sun 

 has more power, and the day s are longer, 

 the temperature may run up to from 

 80° to 85°, when the pinery is shut up 

 with sun-heat. The night temperature 

 may now be advanced to 70°; and 

 with a steady bottom-heat of 8o° to 

 90°, the fruits will make rapid pro- 

 gress. Water with guano - water at 

 the rate of two ounces to four gallons 

 of water, and keep the soil steadily 

 moist. The rest of the fruiting 

 Queens intended to ripen in succes- 

 sion to the earliest should now be 

 subjected to the same temperatures 

 recommended above. Should they 



