92 



THE GARDENER. 



[Feb. 



their favourite morsels at this season 

 are Peas and Crocuses. Beans may 

 be sown as demand requires. Early 

 ^Mazagau is often used as first crop, but 

 the beans are small. 



Ground will soon require to be ready 

 for Onions. After the usual preparation 

 of the soil, a line, dry, well- broken sur- 

 face is necessary. Onions do best on 

 firm, rich, and deep soil which has been 

 well turned up. This being an im- 

 portant crop in most gardens, every 

 little matter at seed-sowing should have 

 attention. "With many this crop is a 

 failure, and in some cases it would be a 

 wonder if it were otherwise. The end 

 of the month to middle of March is a 

 good time to sow either in Scotland or 

 England. In the latter country we 

 have had fine Onions sown as late as 

 ]\Iay, but few cultivators would run 

 such a risk if it could be avoided. 

 Drills drawn from 8 inches to a foot 

 apart (according to richness of ground) 

 answer well for Onions. Soot and red- 

 lead dusted over the seed before cover- 

 ing it helps for some time to keep off 

 vermin ; but free vigorous growth is 

 the best security for Onions. On heavy 

 wet land it is a useful practice to leave 

 every sixth I'ow unsown, which saves 

 treading among the rows. Broadcast 

 sowing for any seeds is wasteful both of 

 seeds and labour. Parsnips, where large 

 roots are wanted, may be sown soon 

 after the Onions. Good deep soil, well 

 broken and in good condition, but not 

 incorporated with rank manure, will 

 suit. If manure is necessary, it should 

 be thoroughly rotten, and placed two 

 spades or more deep. Parsnips may be 

 sown in drills about 2 inches deep, and 

 15 to 20 inches apart. (We often find 

 2 feet not too much.) Some roll or 

 tread the ground as for Onions, but 

 that depends much on its nature. Heavy 

 wet land, when trodden, is not suitable 

 for Parsnips. Parsley, when severely 

 picked in winter, is very slow at start- 

 ing into growth, and often runs to seed 

 before it is of much use. To have early 

 plants to keep up a supply, a good 

 sowing should be made soon, and every 

 attention afterwards given to encourage 

 free growth. A sowing in a frame or 



box, for planting out when it is well 

 hardened, is a good practice. Celery 

 may now be sown in heat, and brought 

 forward steadily ; sudden changes will 

 cause it to "bolt." Cold water should 

 not be used till the plants are advanced 

 and pi-icked out, then the hardening 

 process will be going on ; thus early, a 

 box, seed-pan, or pot sown will do for 

 any ordinary demand: it requires plenty 

 of light and air wdien weather is not 

 severe. Frosty winds should be guarded 

 again.st for all tender seedlings, and they 

 should never be sown so thickly as to 

 destroy one another. Capsicums may be 

 sown now, if good-sized plants are 

 wanted : when grown early, hardened 

 carefully, and planted out in a favour- 

 able position, either in or out of the 

 pots, they bear plenty of fruit with 

 little trouble. In cold northern districts, 

 however, this system is not so easily 

 carried out. Tomatoes sown now will 

 require careful attention to keep them 

 from being drawn up weakly. All 

 Salads in pots or boxes should have 

 plenty of air for some time before they 

 are used ; supplies may be regular, if 

 timely sowing is attended to. Potatoes 

 for planting in cold frames or pits may 

 be sprouted by placing the tubers on 2 

 inches of soil. To have Potatoes large, 

 the tops should be kept thin, and plenty 

 of space left between the plants. Much 

 planting of Potatoes, Cabbage, and other 

 things, is done this month ; but except 

 where circumstances are favourable, it is 

 well to let the soil be warmed by sun ; 

 and ]\Iarch is generally early enough. 

 Seakale, Rhubarb, Asparagus, and other 

 vegetables which are forced, require 

 little labour and attention now, com- 

 pared with the last few months, as 

 growth is so easily excited. Keep up 

 supplies by taking roots into heat, or 

 covering them in quantities not likely to 

 give a glut at one time and scarcity at 

 another. Where manure for heat has to 

 be used, it should be kept steady and 

 not high. If Eadishes and Carrots 

 come up thickly, let them be thinned 

 as soon as they can be handled, or 

 large tops and small roots will be the 

 result. 



M. T. 



FORCING DEPARTMENT. 



Pines. — Every gardener who has to 

 keep up an unbroken succession of ripe 

 Pines knows how desirable it is to atten- 

 tively care for all Pines that show fruit 

 from October onwards throughout the 



winter months. All such stock may 

 now be pushed on at an accelerated 

 pace as the days lengthen and the sun 

 gains in power. The temperature at 

 night should range from 70° to 75°, 



