146 



THE GARDENER. 



[March 



about them, to cause them to separate 

 iiiore freel}', and prepare them for being 

 laid in the soil. When planted give a 

 watering with water at 85° to 90° heat. 

 Allow the Vines to break a few inches 

 in a temperature of 50°. If started 

 hurriedly after being planted they will 

 not start so robustly. 



Peaches. — If the weather be cold 

 and sunlesj!, force with the same caution 

 recommended last month. To force 

 Peaches at a high temperature by dint 

 of hard forcing is never safe, far less so 

 till after the stoning staixe. Do not exceed 

 55° to 58° at night until they begin to 

 take their second swelling ; then, if the 

 fruit are required early, the heat may 

 range to 60'' in cold, and 05° in mild 

 weather, especially when the house can 

 be shut Tip early with sun-heat. See 

 that inside boi-ders are kept properly 

 moist, and syringe all houses where the 

 fruit are set in fine days. Keep a sharp 

 look-out for green-fly, and never let it 

 get a footing ; more especially is this 

 pest dangerous to trees just budding 

 into leaf and full bloom. It is easily 

 destroyed by tobacco - smoke. Last 

 month's directions can still be carried 

 out in late and succession houses. All 

 trees under glass, where there is no 

 command of fire-heat, should be re- 

 tarded and kept as late as possible, for 

 if kept close and forwarded early into 

 bloom, a risk of losing the crop by late 

 frosts is incurred. 



Figs. — Where the fruit are swelling, 

 increase the night temperature to 60°, 

 with 10° more by day. Figs like a 

 moist atmosphere, and should be 

 syringed every afternoon, and the air 

 should never be otherwise than moist. 

 Give careful attention to the matter of 

 watering, especially if they are in pots ; 

 for if allowed to become over-dry, they 

 will cast their crop ; and stagnant water 

 about their roots will produce the same 

 effect. Give air regularly, more or less, 

 according to the weather, to prevent 

 the young growths from becoming weak 

 and the foliage thin and tender. As 

 soon as the growths grow to five or sis 

 joints, pinch the points out of them, or 

 squeeze them firmly between the finger 

 and thumb to stop growth, without 

 causing them to bleed. Start later 

 crops as recommended for February. 



Strawberries. — If all has gone on 

 well, these will now be an interesting 

 crop, and one that will be most accept- 

 able at table, as a companion dish to 

 late Grapes and early Pine-Apples. 



Attend carefully to what was said in last 

 month's Calendar about crops that are 

 swelling off and colouring. After this 

 season wo have frequently removed 

 crops out of the higher temperature into 

 cooler houses, just as there were two or 

 three perfectly-ripe fruit on each pot. 

 The cooler and drier air very much im- 

 proves their flavour ; and if required to 

 stand a few days after they are fully 

 coloured, they keep better in cooler 

 and drier quarters. Where they are 

 coming into bloom, on the shelves of 

 Pine - stoves or Cucumber - houses, 

 where a high temperature and moist 

 atmosphere are requisite for Pines and 

 Cucumbers, it is a good plan to move 

 the Strawberries into a Peach-house or 

 Vinery, where the night heat does nob 

 range above 55° to 60°. Strawberries 

 set more certainly at that temperature 

 than with 10° higher ; and when set, 

 they can be moved back into their 

 warmer quarters. After they are set, put 

 successional lots of plants into Peach- 

 houses and Vineries that are being 

 started with fire-heat. They are very 

 subject to green-fly and red-spider in 

 heat, and those enemies must never be 

 allowed a footing. 



Melons. — Those planted last month 

 will be gr-owing freely now. Train the 

 plants up the wires without stopping 

 them till within 15 inches of the top. 

 Water sparingly at the roots, and supply 

 only a moderate amount of moisture 

 to the air. The night temperature 

 should not range more than 70°. 

 Give air on all favourable opportuni- 

 ties. To grow Melons in spring with 

 a very high temperatiire, and much 

 moisture and little air, ruins them, by 

 causing them to make weak growths 

 with thin sickly foliage. Plant out suc- 

 cession crops as previously directed, and 

 sow more seed both at the beginning 

 and end of the month. 



Cucumbers. — Do not exceed 70° at 

 night for the present. Cucumbers re- 

 quire more moisture at the root and in 

 the air than Melons, and soon suffer if 

 they are allowed to become dry at the 

 root. If sudden bright sunshine suc- 

 ceeds a few days of dull weather, they 

 will flag, and should not be allowed to 

 do so ; and some thin material, such as 

 tiffany, is best for shading with under 

 such circumstances. Stop the lateral 

 growths, and they will show fruit at 

 every joint; but do not allow them to 

 bear too freely when young, or it will 

 cripple them, and they will not bear so 



