H 



imsH GARDENING 



shoots tliinnod out. Be careful not to do it too 

 thoroughly at first, and keep the strongest growths 

 with the best-shaped flowers. Leave plenty of 

 room for the growtlis to develop, and tie out to 

 cover the house, stojiping them about the second 

 tliird leaf from the flower. Damp down the house 

 on all favourable days, especially after a hot, 

 sunny day, and give the foliage a slight dewing 

 with the syringe, for if tlie house is kept too dry 

 tlie foliage will soon get infested by red spider — 

 the worst enemy to Vines. Be careful to regulate 

 the moisture according to the weather, and ven- 

 tilate only with the top ventilators. Withhold 

 moisture for a few days when the Vines are in 

 flower. Attend to Strawlierries, which should be 

 on a shelf near the glass ; syringe morning and 

 afternoon until they show flower. Top-dress Pot 

 Roses beginning to break out, and, if mildew ap- 

 pears, dust with flower of sulpluu-. Fuchsias 

 should be started, first trimming them back in 

 the shape required. Chrysanthemums should be 

 potted into small pots as soon as rooted; These 

 pcipular flowers can be raised easily from seed, 

 and if sown now in moderate heat will bloom 

 the first season Dahlias, also, if so^vn now, will 

 liloom the same season, and are getting very 

 popular raised from seed. Old tubers should ))e 

 taken from their winter quarters, well soaked, 

 and put into boxes of light soil to start. Begonia 

 and Gloxinia bulbs should be started in heat, and 

 seed sown in well-drained pans of fine peaty soil, 

 barely covering the very minute seeds. 



The Kitchen Garden. 



The work in this department must bo advanced 

 as tlie weather pei-niits, and endeavours made to 

 finish work that liad been hindered by the wet 

 weather. Where early vegetables are required, 

 vigorous action is now necessary to turn the best 

 means to account. Where hotlieds are required 

 it is necessary to have them well prepared ; the 

 nuiterial used, which is principally stalile numure, 

 sliould ))e well shaken up together and turned 

 two or three times at intervals to get rid of the 

 poisonous rank heat which proves so injurious to 

 plants in frames w-hen used too soon. Nothing 

 ever does well in soil burnt over a hotbed. Oak 

 leaves mixed with the manure help to give it a 

 sweeter heat. Make your hotbed in a sheltered, 

 dry spot facing south and wholly on the surface 

 of the ground, abdut three or four inches wider 

 than the frame each way. Try and have the bed 

 two or three feet high if possible, and make allow- 

 ance for it sinking about six inches in a fortnight. 

 Put frames on as soon as made, and a few inches 

 of dry, sandy soil, and leave for a few days until 

 the li'eat has risen. Now Cucumbers and Melons 

 shoiild be sown. A good Melon for growing per- 

 manently in frames is Early Cantaloupe. Sow 

 singly in small pots and plunge in the soil of the 

 frame, and cover with a thick mat until germina- 

 tion has taken place. It would be advisaltle to 

 put a sharp-pointed stick into the centre of the 

 bed to test the heat, and it might be found neces- 

 sary to raise the back of the lights an inch if the 

 heat rises too high, to give vent to the rank steam 

 arising, and to admit a moderate degree of fresh 

 air. If an early supply of Celery is required, it 

 could be raised about the middle of the month on 

 a hotbed or in a warm house, sowing the seed very 

 thinly in pans of light soil. Sow the main crop of 

 Touuito'es now, and pot off the early sowing into 

 small pots. Be careful they do not suffer a check 

 in any way. A successional crop of Carrots could 

 be made on the hotbed after raising the seeds 



mentioned above, first raising the soil to the depth 

 of ten inches, and sowing a stump-rooted variety. 

 Early Peas should be sown at intervals according 

 to the demands. Cover the seed with red lead if 

 rats are troublesome; stake with small twigs as 

 soon as the plants appear above ground. 



The Onion crop is an important one, and if 

 large bulbs aie required, deep, well-trenched 

 ground, well manured (after Celery suits), should 

 be prepared. Where outside sowing is not a 

 success owing to Onion fly, a sowing should now 

 be made in cold frames for transplanting later 

 on. Plant out autumn-sown Tripoli Onions, and 

 hoe between the rows of those planted out last 

 autumn. Plant Potato Onions 2 inches deep, 9 

 inches apart, in rows 15 inches asunder; also 

 Shallots, 15 inches between the rows and 9 inches 

 from plant to plant. 



Plant Early Potatoes on a warm border in drills 

 24 to 30 inches apart; place the sets one foot apart. 

 Brussels Sproiuts require a long period of growth 

 to obtain large buttons to ])erfection, and a sow- 

 ing should be made on a warm border. Sow 

 Par.sley and Lettuce in boxes to plant out later; a 

 sowing should also be made o"!! a warm border. 

 Rhubarb growing in the open groimd can easily 

 be forced into growth now by placing inverted 

 pots or boxes over the crowns and covering the 

 foTmer with long stable manure. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Grounds. 



Hollyhocks, Carnations, Pinks, and Sweet 

 Williams can be planted in favourable weather 

 in light soils. Plant hardy perennials, also lift, 

 divide, and re-jilant plants that have grown too 

 large. Lift and divide early-flowering Chrysan- 

 themums if you want to increase stock. Prune 

 H i/diaiigea p<nui'iilata, also varieties of Cleinatis 

 Juikininiii and Viticelhi early in the month. 

 Gro'imd for Sweet Peas shoidd be prepared in dry 

 weather. Do not overlook the fact that potash is 

 most essential. Wood ashes and lime should be 

 thoroughly mixed with the soil. Sweet Pea plants 

 in frames should be kept as hardy as possible. The 

 edges of grass paths and beds sh(*nld be gone over 

 with the Edging iron and triunned up. All vacant 

 flower beds should be well manured and dug; also 

 borders intended for Gladioli, Dahlias, &c. 



Mowing machines should be overhaided and 

 cleaned, and those requiring sharpening or repair- 

 ing attended to. 



^ 



^ 



Lardizabala biternata. 



In Sir ,lohn Ross of Bladenlniig's interesting 

 notes (p. 4) he speaks of this plant as of Himalayan 

 origin. Surely it is a native of Chile. It is, in- 

 deed, an attractive species, and would be more so 

 if it produced its strange flowers, strongly scented 

 of vinegar, more freely. But it is terribly rampant. 

 Here it has not only covered a wall space 25 feet 

 high and 40 feet across, but sends runners across 

 the border in all directions to a distance of more 

 than 20 feet. So I have reluctantly condeumed it 

 to extirpation, the flowers, produced in mid-winter, 

 have to be hunted for in masses of foliage, which 

 is certainly rich and beautiful, but, covering as it 

 does the south wall of a wing of the house, that 

 choice position is coveted for better things. 



Herbert Maxwell. 



Monreith. 



