iSyi.] HINTS FOR AMATEURS. 449 



Egg, Early Crawford, Hessel, and Louise Bonne of Jersey, are among 

 the hardiest with us. 



The storing of fruit is a matter of great importance, and any extra 

 care should be bestowed on it in the way of selecting the soundest for 

 latest keepers, and preventing the fruit from being bruised, hand- 

 ling it as little as possible, &c. Dry weather should be chosen for 

 gathering fruit which is expected to keep. The house should be kept 

 dry and airy for two or three weeks, then it might afterwards be kept 

 close and dark ; it should not be opened on close, damp days. Fruit, 

 such as Pears and Apples, is fit to gather when it parts easily from the 

 stalks, and when the seeds get dark — premature gathering is followed 

 by shrivelling. 



"Where bushes are not bearing well, they may be lifted to any 

 suitable position, the roots carefully laid out in fresh healthy soil 

 and mulched ; they will be greatly improved in health, and the fruit 

 will be much finer in appearance and flavour. One of the most successful 

 examples of this treatment for bushes we have seen was at the gardens 

 of Grangemuir, Pittenweem : Mr Rose, the intelligent gardener, had a 

 large breadth of red Warrington Gooseberries growing where they were 

 entirely kept from sun by trees and shrubs, and were evidently worth- 

 less. The best of them were planted in a suitable position in the 

 kitchen-garden, and the results have been excellent. "We give this note, 

 remembering that "example is always better than precept." 



Flower-gardens will now be past their best, except the weather 

 should be extra fine. Geraniums, or anything that is scarce and worth 

 increasing, should be lifted before they are destroyed by too much wet 

 and frost ', trim off a quantity of the leaves, shorten back the long 

 roots, and pot in nice healthy loam, sand, and leaf-mould. "Water 

 moderately, and as the season advances they will require very little 

 moisture — confined damp is next to frost as an enemy for destroy- 

 ing bedding plants in winter. Careful watering is of great im- 

 portance when growth is slow and roots inactive : plants of any 

 kind should not be placed where pots can be entered by worms. Cal- 

 ceolarias may be put in during the month, or later. Short stiff cut- 

 tings placed in sandy loam (made moderately firm) on the bottom 

 of a frame or pit, and the cuttings put in a few inches apart, and kept 

 from frost and rain, will do well, and make nice vigorous plants in 

 spring, which will start freely into growth : pans, boxes, or pots filled 

 in the usual way, if watered carefully, will answer well enough. It is 

 now a good time to divide herbaceous plants, reducing them, and 

 planting according to height and colour; they root readily, and start off 

 into growth freely in spring. Bulbs of all kinds may be planted. After 

 the flower-garden is cleared, Tulips, Hyacinths, Xarcissus, and plenty 



