iSyi.' 



CALENDAR. 



191 



from frost is past ; single lines of this 

 vegetable are most profitable. Edg- 

 ings to plots, when they are kept top- 

 ped down, is a good way of keeping up 

 good supplies : picking off the pods 

 before they seed will allow the plants to 

 keep up a vigorous growth and be 

 loaded with produce till frost takes 

 them. French Beans may be sown 

 under protection ; and where Potatoes 

 are grown in fi'ames, or Carrots forced, 

 the Beans make a good succession. 

 When these crops are finished, and when 

 danger from frost is past, the frame 

 may be removed for late Cucumbers or 

 any other purpose — such is our prac- 

 tice, and we thus get abundance of 

 French Beans with little trouble till 

 they are ready out in the ground. 

 There is not much gained by sowing 

 very early in open borders. Asparagus 

 ground may be prepared by deeply- 

 trenching and thoroughly manuring it 

 preparatory for the young plants, 

 which are planted in rows on beds and 

 covered with a few inches of rich soil. 

 The young plants should be sprouting 

 before they are planted. Successions of 

 broad Beans and Peas must be kept up, 

 sowing some every two or three weeks, 

 according to demand. Broccoli, Brus- 

 sels Sprouts, Cabbage, Kale, Savoys, 

 and Cauliflower may be sown in quan- 

 tity, keeping them together on a bor- 

 der, so that they can be netted and 

 kept safe from birds. Thickly -sown 

 plants are always weakly and drawn. 

 Chervil and Parsley may be sown as 

 edgings. Lettuce (both Cos and Cab- 

 bage sorts) may be sown on deeply- 

 worked soil which has been well man- 

 ured, to be thinned out to 8 inches or 

 1 foot apart ; the thinnings may be 

 placed in a shady position, to come in 

 as a succession, or a small bed or row 

 may be sown to be wholly planted out. 

 Plenty of manure in the ground is 

 necessary to grow crisp, juicy Lettuce. 

 Tomatoes should be kept growing, but 

 gradually hardened off to get them 

 ready for their fruiting quarters ; more 

 seed may yet be sown for late work. 

 Potato - planting should be finished 

 as soon as possible. Radish, and all 

 kinds of Salads, should be sown as 

 demand requires. Birds will speedily 

 find out the seeds and eat them up if 



FORCING D 



Pines. — Those that started into fruit 

 in the early part of winter will this 

 month ripen and be found very useful 



not protected. Rhubarb may be sown 

 if it is required ; a warm, light border 

 answers well for sowing the seed. To 

 blanch Khiibarb, pots and boxes may 

 be kept over it. Some prefer it blanch- 

 ed all the season through. Turnips 

 may be sown, and protected as they 

 come through the ground with branches, 

 or hoops and mats. AVood-a^hes and 

 soot help to keep off the small fly which 

 is so severe upon them. Vegetable 

 marrows may be sown soon ; if they can 

 be kept under glass till they are large 

 and strong, supplies of fruit would be 

 had early. The end of the month is 

 early enough to sow them when there is 

 no proper protection for early fruiting. 

 The same may be said of ridge Cucumbers 

 and Gherkins. New Zealand Spinach 

 may also be raised under protection. It 

 is valuable for standing when drought is 

 severe. For autumn use it may be sown 

 in a sheltered borderlate in May. Round 

 Spinach requires to be sown every ten or 

 twelve days throughout the summer — 

 thoroughly moistening the soil the day 

 before sowing the seed^causes it to vege- 

 tate and grow quickly, thus keeping the 

 plants longer in running to seed. Gar- 

 dens should be gone over at this season, 

 measuring the borders and plot<, and 

 edging them to their proper limits, 

 keeping alleys where they are necessary. 

 The garden at this season is less trouble- 

 some to keep clean than any other, and 

 when weeds show themselves they 

 should be attacked at once with the 

 hoe. Dry sunny weather will soon put 

 an end to them when the hoe has been 

 previously well handled. Every grow- 

 ing crop should have a well-hoed sur- 

 face, and no decaying leaves allowed 

 to stand. If water should require to 

 be applied to any crops, a good soaking 

 of it may be given, and dry soil drawn 

 over the roots which have been water- 

 ed ; frequent dribblings is a ruinous 

 practice. If time can be spared, Celery 

 ridges may be made — either for single 

 rows by throwing out a ridge a spade or 

 more wide, building up the soil neatly, 

 and then placing a quantity of rotten 

 manure in the bottom and digging it 

 down ; or 4 or 5 feet wide thrown out 

 in the same way, manuring it well. 

 M. T. 



EPARTMENT. 



when other frviits are generally scarce. 

 As soon as they show signs of colouring, 

 give no more water at the root ; and if 



