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THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[March, 



of having it, makes every effort for its attain- 

 ment desirable. 



It is well to. remember that good health is the 

 preservative of life, and that good, nourishing 

 food is the key to health. Healthy grass will keep 

 green in a dry time easier than weak grass. This 

 is why top dressings of rich fertilizing materials is 

 such an advantage to a lawn. Continual mowings, 

 though the essential practice in making a lawn 

 beautiful, weakens the grass, but the application of 

 good food helps it to recover. At one time the 

 mowings were left on the grass, to make a fertilizer, 

 as it was said. This is not considered good prac- 

 tice now. The shade from the dead grass weakens 

 the living grass in a considerable degree, though 

 not perhaps to the same extent that mowing does. 



As this is the season for work, and not for long 

 essays, we may, perhaps, crowd in a few brief 

 hints from experience, especially as the reasons for 

 them have probably been often given in our pages. 



Planting trees will require particular attention 

 now ; but do not be in a hurry the moment the 

 frost is out of the ground. Cold winds are very 

 hard on newly set out trees. Wait till they are 

 gone. Always shorten in a little the shoots of all 

 trees planted. They will grow the faster for it, and 

 are more certain to live. Evergreens should be 

 left to the last. 



D'g garden soil only when the ground is warm 

 and dry. Do not be in a hurry, or you may get 

 behind. When a clot of earth will crush to powder 

 when you tread on it, it is time to dig — not before. 



If perennial plants have stood three years in one 

 place, separate the stools, replacing one-third, and 

 give the balance to your neighbor, who has none. 



To make handsome, shapely specimens of 

 shrubs, cut them now into the forms you want, and 

 keep them so, by pulling out all shoots that grow 

 stronger than the other during the summer season. 



The rule for pruning at transplanting is to cut in 

 proportion to apparent injury to roots. If not 

 much worse for removal, cut but little of the top 

 away. Properly pruned, a good gardener will not 

 not have the worst case of a badly dug tree to die 

 under his hands. In nurseries where these matters 

 are well understood, trees " never die." 



Box edgings lay well now. Make the ground 

 firm and level ; plant deep, with tops not more 

 than two inches above ground. 



Roll the grass well before the softness of a thaw 

 goes away. It makes all smooth and'level. 



Hyacinths, tuhps, lihums, and other hardy 

 bulbs set out in the fall, and covered through the 

 winter, should be occasionally examined, and 



when they show signs of active growth, must be 

 uncovered ; in this latitude this is not safe until 

 towards the end of the month. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



VICTORIA REGIA IN THE OPEN AIR. 



BY E. D. STURTEVANT, BORDENTOWN, N. J. 



In response to your request for an account of my 

 manner of flowering the Victoria regia in the open 

 air, I will say first that I have never claimed that I 

 started the plant otherwise than in heat under glass. 



My tank is 20x30 feet and i 5 inches deep, built 

 of brick and cement. In the center is a pit 4 feet 

 square and 2 feet deeper than the main tank. 

 This pit is filled with a very rich mixture of loam 

 and stable manure. The tank is situated only a 

 few feet from a greenhouse. Two four-inch hot 

 water pipes (flow and return), are extended from 

 those within the greenhouse to the tank outside, 

 reaching a foot or two inside the wall, and left en- 

 tirely open at the ends. When heat is required in 

 the tank a fire is kept up in the greenhouse boiler, 

 and the circulation of the water between boiler and 

 tank, maintains the desired temperature. Some 

 might think that water thus heated, coming from 

 the inside of a boiler, and passing through rusty 

 pipes, would be injurious to the plants growing in 

 it. But their perfect health and rapid growth tes- 

 tify to the contrary. Perhaps, Mr. Editor, you 

 can tell us why it is so. My theory is that the ex- 

 posure of the water to bright sunshine and air, and 

 the absorption of impurities by aquatic plants 

 themselves through the under surface of their 

 leaves, counteracts any bad effects of this manner 

 of heating. This plan is not to be recommended 

 in growing the Victoria under glass. Of course it 

 is desirable to have the plant started early in order 

 to insure early bloom. I place the seed in water 

 kept steadily at a temperature of 85°, being care- 

 ful always to keep the water sweet and pure. I 

 find considerable difficulty in getting the seed to 

 germinate. In January, 1882, one started but 

 after growing awhile was lost. No more germi- 

 nated, until April 25th, when one was discovered. 

 This plant was carefully tended and shifted on 

 until the loth of June, when it was planted in the 

 open air tank and the heat turned on. It then had 

 leaves only five inches in diameter, but soon began 

 to grow rapidly. After being well established it 

 sent up a new leaf every three and one-half to five 

 days, each being six inches more in diameter than 

 the one preceding it. In August they reached a 

 diameter of six feet (exclusive of the perpendicular 



