of Rural AH and Taste. 



99 



Dahlias. — If desirable to increase dahlias 

 by cuttings, do so at once ; in a brisk heat they 

 will root in a few days and be established by 

 planting-out time. We consider the dwarf va- 

 rieties the most desirable ; the plants flower 

 earlier and more abundantly, and the plants do 

 not require stakes to prevent the wind break- 

 ing them ; but of course when exhibition flow- 

 ers are required, the size of plant and abun- 

 dance of bloom is a secondary consideration, 

 as the buds are usually trimmed to a small 

 number, and there are not suflicient varieties 

 among the dwarfs to make up a collection for 

 competition. 



Cannas. — If cannas are required to be 

 grown on in pots previous to planting outside, 

 no time should be now lost in potting. See 

 there are plenty of Echeveria, Sempervivums, 

 Cotyledons, and others of that class of plants in 

 readiness for bedding out next month ; many 

 varieties of these plants are comparatively 

 hardy, and if desirable can be planted out 

 early in May, or if room in the house is re- 

 quired, and it is considered best to make a 

 general planting out all at once — which is the 

 best plan in small gardens — the above plants 

 can be placed in cold frames until required. 



When forced flowering plants, such as 

 Deutzias, Spiraeas, Lilacs, Tulips and Hya- 

 cinths, and others of that class, have finished 

 blooming, remove them at once, to be re- 

 placed by others to succeed them, which have 

 been reserved to succeed those advanced in 

 heat ; it is seldom necessary to give these 

 plants extra heat after this time, for they will 

 flower in a short time with the ordinary tem- 

 perature of a cool greenhouse ; and if shaded, 

 the flowers are finer and last longer than when 

 forced into flower in a high temperature. The 

 hardy shrubs can be placed in a cold frame 

 for a time, and then planted out in open 

 ground to be taken up again for the same 

 purpose ; it is best to have a few young plants 

 of these things coming on to take the place of 

 overgrown and exhausted specimens, which 

 can be thrown away or planted permanently 

 in open border, as the case may be. 



Tulips and Hyacinths are seldom of much 

 use after once flowering in pots, except to 



plant as border plants, so it is fortunate that 

 the price of these bulbs are moderate. Any 

 Ferns requiring larger pots should be potted 

 at once ; see the plants are not dry when 

 potted ; these plants all do best shaded from 

 sun after this time — in fact, a house with a 

 north aspect is best for Ferns, and also for 

 Camellias, and for keeping plants in flower for 

 the longest time ; but of course these plants 

 can be grown in any greenhouse. 



JPelarf/oniunis.—^Show and fancy Pelar- 

 goniums will now commence flowering, and will 

 require abundance of water ; a little guano water 

 after the buds are formed is useful ; do not use 

 it earlier — the plants produce more foliage than 

 flowers. These plants are not so fine in this 

 country as in England ; the weather is too 

 hot and the sun too bright for the flower to 

 last any length of time ; for this reason it is 

 desirable to grow the early flowering varieties ; 

 a good addition to these is Grloire de Paris ; 

 the fancy varieties are not much grown in this 

 country, probably from the fact that the plants 

 import badly, and also sufier much from the 

 hot weather ; but they will stand a much 

 higher temperature during winter without 

 getting drawn ; then the show varieties and 

 the plants are much neater, and when in full 

 flower are very beautiful, even in small plants ; 

 but when grown as seen at the London exhi- 

 bition, in May and June, with a level top 

 from three to four feet in diameter, and such 

 a mass of flowers that not a leaf is visible, 

 they are magnificent ; and it must be remem- 

 bered these large plants are grown in eight- 

 inch pots. 



Fuchsias. — Give Fuchsias larger pots 

 when required, the early plants will be com- 

 mencing to flower ; these, like Geraniums, 

 should be in flower as early as possible, if re- 

 quired for flowering in-door, as the flowers and 

 also the foliage drop quickly in very hot 

 weather. 



Azaleas. — The early flowered Azaleas, 

 which have finished blooming, should have the 

 seed-pods pinched off", and be placed either in 

 a forcing house or warm part of the green- 

 house, and well syringed two or three times 

 each day to induce a free growth ; see that the 



