242 



THE GARDENER. 



[May 



other crops : ground will thus be saved. 

 Endive of sorts may be sown about the 

 end of month. Plant out Cabbage, 

 Brussels-Sprouts, Kale, Savoys, Cauli- 

 llower, early Broccoli, or any other 

 crops, before they become drawn in 

 the beds. When time can be spared to 

 X)rick out seedling plants of the Bras- 

 sica tribe, preparatory to planting them 

 out, they are greatly improved by the 

 oi^eration, except Cabbage, which may 

 be planted, so that every other plant 

 can be cut out for use. All the Brassica 

 kinds may be planted from 2 to 2 4 feet 

 apart. Three feet on some soils is not 

 too much for Broccolis, Celery to be 

 planted out soon should be grown 

 steadily without any check, either from 

 want of water, cold draughts, or con- 

 tinued cold drenching. Plenty of well- 

 rotted manure is absolutely necessary to 

 grow highly-flavoured Celery. Card- 

 oons, if not required very early, may be 

 sown in the trenches. Thin herbs in 

 time ; sow Chervil, Leeks may now be 

 thinned and planted out. They require 

 abundance of strong manure to grow 

 them in. If Potatoes are through the 

 soil, they may have earth drawn over 

 the tops as protection from frost. New 



Zealand Spinach may be planted out 

 under hand-lights or other protection. 

 Capsicums should be grown freely with 

 plenty of air on, looking out for green- 

 fly; pot them on as they may require 

 it. Tomatoes to l^e })lanted on walls 

 or fences may be hardened gradually. 

 Those forcing under glass and swelling 

 their fruit should not be overcropped. 

 If they can be trained by one stem 

 without being stopped, they will pro- 

 duce finer fruit and more of it. They 

 then should have all laterals rubbed off, 

 leaving the flowers ; but want of space 

 causes topping to be practised. Ridge 

 Cucumbers, Ghirkins, and Vegetable 

 Marrows should now be well forward, 

 and hardened gradually to fit them for 

 being turned out at end of month. 

 Ridges may be made for them, warm 

 manure and leaves placed in, and the 

 soil placed over the fermenting mate- 

 rial. The plants can then be put in 

 their positions, 4 to 6 feet apart, under 

 hand-lights. French Beans in frames 

 should have plenty of air ; sprinkle them 

 over head, and shut up early, harvesting 

 sun- heat. Keep them rather dry when 

 they are in flower. M, T. 



FOUCING DEPARTMENT. 



Pines. — Queens that were started 

 early, and that were past flowering in 

 February, will now be progressing 

 rapidly towards maturity. Keep them 

 steadily moist at the root, and give 

 them weak guano-water at every water- 

 ing instead of stronger doses less fre- 

 quently. Take every advantage of 

 bright days, and shut them up early, 

 causing the thermometer to range from 

 90° to 95° for a time ; at the same 

 time loading the air with moisture, and 

 dewing the plants over through a fine 

 rosed syringe. Start the fires in time 

 to prevent the heat from sinking below 

 7o° at 10 P.M. Those that begin to 

 change colour by the end of the month 

 should be kept drier at the root and 

 have more air. It is a good plan when 

 they cannot be removed to another 

 compartment to class the earliest at 

 one end of the house, so that they can 

 be ripened under more favourable con- 

 ditions than when standing among 

 later .ones. Those plants which 

 are now just showing that they 

 have started into fruit, require to be 

 carefully noticed, so that they do not 

 at any time, especially during bright 

 weather, get too dry at the root. If 



dry when it is noticed that they have 

 started, give them a thorough watering, 

 and afterwards just keep the soil stead- 

 ily moist, with a moist atmosphere, 

 and frequent dewiugs overhead, except 

 when in bloom. Succession stock that 

 were shifted into their fruiting-pots in 

 March will now be growing vigorously. 

 Keep up the temperature for these, 

 with as little fire-heat as possible, by 

 husbanding sun-heat in the afternoons 

 and evenings. The night temperature 

 on mild evenings may range to 75°, fall- 

 ing to 70° by morning. When the 

 weather is cold and dull 5° less will be 

 high enough. Damp down the fires 

 when the mornings show signs of a 

 bright day, and start them in the after- 

 noon just in time to prevent the night 

 temperature from falling below what 

 has been directed. Sprinkle the plants 

 lightly overhead three or four times 

 weekly in bright weather at shutting- 

 up time, and keep the soil just moist, 

 but not wet. Give air in the morning 

 by degrees, instead of first allowing the 

 temperature to rise very high and then 

 putting on full air all at once. Reduce 

 it likewise by degrees after 3 p.m. If 

 these are at all crowded give them 



