2SS 



THE GARDENER. 



[June 



mauy mere varieties in cultivation, and that what the inexperienced require 

 more than anythiiifj is not "fat catalogues," but reliable selections for different 

 localities. The ' Orchardist ' contains much useful information to all who are 

 interested in fruit-culture; and the remarks are interspersed w^ith a consider- 

 able amount of facetious remarks and bantering argument in reference to some of 

 the hobbies of his contemporaries, which might have been as well left out. 



Select Fern« and Lycopods. With numerous Illustrations. By 



Benjxamin S. Williams. Second edition. 



We are haj^py to see a second edition of this very useful manual. What Mr 



W^illiams has so thoroughly well done for Orchids and stove and greenhouse 



t)]ants, he has in this volume done for Ferns and Lycopods, and no lover of these 



beautiful plants should be without this excellent manual 



TEMPEEATURE at DRUMLANKIG from May 1 to May 20. 



Rainfall, 1 inch. 

 It will be seen from these figures that the temperature for the first three 

 weeks of May, has been unusually low. The wind has been nearly constant- 

 ly from the E. and K.E., and vegetation has made little or no progress. 

 Although the temperature has on certain dates fallen lower than is indicated 

 abo ve, the mean temperature of May has not been so low for a good many 

 years. 



KITCHEN-GAEDEir. 



The vegetable garden will now be as- 

 suming a furnished appearance, and 

 while crops are growing vigorously, 

 weeds will at the same time be making 

 a struggle for their development, and 

 if they are to be successfully kept 

 down, they must be attacked with the 

 hoe while in their early stage of 

 growth. The showery weather (while 

 we write) has made the ground so 

 saturated, that hand-weeding is the 

 only means of keeping crops clear of 

 weeds. Seeding should be prevented 

 if possible, as it tends greatly to in- 

 crease the work for years to come; 

 while the hoe is destroying weeds, it 



is doing much to promote free growth 

 in the vegetable crops. The pronged 

 hoe and steel fork may also be used 

 with great advantage. Good soakings 

 of water may be necessary if weather 

 should be dry ; mulchings for Peas, 

 Beans, &c. , are of much service, es}>eci- 

 ally on light soils. After the surface 

 dries sufficiently, the hoe should be 

 used to prevent cracking ; the loose 

 soil acts as a mulching. Cold drib- 

 blings of water are an evil which cannot 

 be too strongly denounced. Proceed 

 with the planting of all the Braseica 

 tribe of plants as they become large 

 enough. Plants drawn up before they 



