?o 



Hints to Novices. 



i;> i;. M. I '..I.I..., k. 



Kko.M tliis ..II th.' S\v.l I'l-a ^;r..u.r will 1..- k.-pl 

 l.iisy. Tl..- .-^.-i-.l .sh..iiltl 1... unl.T.-il .1.^ .-<,,., 11 ;is 

 l>i>s.sil)li' fiiiiii .suiiic ^jootl i-clialili- siiiinc. Win r.- 

 tlirrr iH-t- sutli a iiuml>i'i- of aln-ady liist class 

 \ jirictifs. ami \\ Im-ii. new sorls arc rniifiiiuallv 

 lii'iiii: ]><i1 nil the inaikt't. it is ((iiitc im|i(issil)li> (.. 

 rcr.inuiii-iul auy oiu- vaiicty iikhi- t liaii ain.lh.i. 

 It is .•iitif.-ly a" <|U('sti..ii ..l" iM-isoiiai last.-. 'I'll.' 

 I.>ll.>\viriv' •■"■'• "^'^^ varii'tirs wliicli may lidii smin- 

 .iiif ill making' a start : Asta Oliii. luaiivc laim - 

 ll..\v.-r.-il. sli^'htly wav.-d : Clara Curtis. ..ii.- ..f tli.' 

 Ixst rrcains : Kiiiir .^^all(•^•l. a tlct'it mai.n.ii, wliicli 

 with Clam I'urtis inak.-s a vcrv |.r«tl\ tal.l.- 

 .l.M-..rati..ii : .Marj..ri.- Willis, briulit pink: .Mrs. 



( . W. Hr.-a.ltiK.r.'. .r.-aiii with pink (-(U.-s. a, a I 



.l...r with lar^rr llowt-rs : Kin-; lOdward VU.. 

 Itri^'iit iriiMsou. " Nuivc of these arc novelties," 

 and they arc all i^ood frce-llowerin^ kin<ls aiul 

 not expensive. The j^'rouud should be prejtared 

 now. This nii^'hl witli advaiita^'c liave heeii 

 doju- l)eforc. hut whctlicr the ])hints arc i<< l)e in 

 lines or single cluniiis tlie ^'round should In- 

 ..pened to the (h'pth of at least two feet, and in 

 tiu' hottoni of this place .some ricji faiiuyai-d 

 manure, cover with K'><'<1 ^ardeix soil aixd liil in. 

 If the seeils are to l>e sown in the ojicn .ii:i'ouiid 

 it is time enou;.'h to jtut them in during the last 



iKisii (.Aia)i:Ni.N(. 



The Month's Work. 



M IS lime enou;.Mi lo put uiem in uurnm Tiie lasi 

 week in the iiKuilh, as sei-dlini;s out of (h)ors in. 

 early March are ajit to remain stationary and lose 

 .some of tlu-ir vigour owiii',' to the ciild harsh 

 weather. If in ]>ots. a first batch may be ]»ut 

 in as sooti as the seed.s are procured. The usual 

 metliod adoitted is to i»ut 5 or (5 seeds in a 5-in,( h 

 ixd. J»ut one seed in a thumb jiot is a!so i>ractised,. 

 Put plenty of drainage in the ]>ot.s. and (ii'iu tlie 

 soil well before sowinv'- Tliis makes it juuch 

 .asier and safer for tlie yonng roots when 

 turninir out the seedlintis at idantinj,' time. 

 When sown the pots sliould be watered and jilaced 

 in a bright frame or greenhouse. 



Antirrhinums for summer flowering should be 

 .sown at on.-e. The.se can be had in all sorts of 

 ;,'org...us ei>lours, and can be relied on to coinu 

 true to name. The seeds can he sown in jiids or 

 pans, and when lit to handle can be )>ricked out. 

 Other annuals for early tloweriu.,' which will 

 starul transplanting may a!.so be »>own. White 

 Sj.iial ('andytuft, Clarkia, Annual Delphinium, 

 \inidium calendulaceum, a low-growing ])l;int 

 which lecpiires ]»lenty of space, with brilliant 

 oran<ie tiower.s. It must be idanted in. full sun 

 to show to Ijest. advantage. It seems to stan<l 

 any amount of tran.si)lanting. JJrachycome, th(! 

 ■' Swa.n Kiver Daisy," in white and blue : " Sweet 

 Sultans " in several shades. These and many 

 a be trans]ilanted from boxes or ]m 

 fear, and they will come in useful 



more can be 1 

 without 



wiiM.Mii je.li, au^i niey win come in useiiil in 

 tilling up si»aces in the ))orders where s])ring 

 Mowers have been. ^Fignonette is an annual 

 which resents transi)lanting, and should l)e sown 

 where it is to flower. There is often dilbculty in 

 getting it to genninat*;, and .s(»iiu' gardeners 

 recommend mixing lime rubbish with the soil. 

 Perhajjs some readers can suggest other methods, 

 as it is an annual we cannot be without. TJnuin 

 Flax, Corn flower " J>ove in a Mist," (iodetia, 

 Gilia, Kucharidium, Shirley Poppy, ^fallow, 

 iiartouia aurea, Candytuft, and many luoic will 

 germinate freely in the opeix ground, and ca,n be 

 sown broadcast. 



The Flower Garden. 



\',\ W. Kin... (.ai-.l.u.f 1.. l...r.l Hun!. ■alii. 

 I!.ill\walt.i- I'aik C... h..\\i.. 



'I'm: pr.'s.-iit is a - I tiiii.' t.. in.r.'as.- some of 



111.- •• raiv "" \;iii.'ti.s ..f piT.'iinials liom r....t 

 .uttin-s. al.so vari.'li.s w lii.li .ir.' .pill.' easily 

 raised from st'vt\. l.iil .1.. ii<>t .ilw.i\s ..nuc true 

 I., .'.dour, as for iuslaii. .• ( laill.w.lia.s. whi.h mav 

 he raised abundantly I r..m s.'..ls. l.iil I h.' s. •. ■.Hint's 

 cann<)t he de|iendcd upon l.> .■..ni.' true. The 

 -•peration is a very simple <.n.-. tli.iugh a little 

 care will be needed in cairying out t li.' details, 

 and whether few or many are reipiir.-d. The 

 best ])lan will be to lift as many jdants as may 

 sullice from the liorder and carrv these, roids 

 and all, to th.- potting sh.-d. iler.-'the n.ots may 

 he severed fi'oin the plants, alwavs taking care 

 tlijit tlw i.art of the r.,.,ts whi.h w.is uppermost 

 uh.'ii atta.hi'd I., th.' plant sli.,nl.l still occupy 

 t he same posit inn. ami lie thus iuscrlcd as cuttings, 

 otherwise mau\ ..! the cuttings will be inserted 

 upsi(h' (hiwH. Till' roots may be cut alxmt 

 1\ inches in length. The next thing necessary 

 will be some well-draijxed p(ds, and tilled tl) 

 witliiii 1 .\ inches of the nm, making th.- .soil 

 moderately linn, and giving a sprinkling of silver 

 sand for the base of the cuttings to rest upon. 

 .Now arrange the cuttings in a nearly upright 

 niann.T round the interior of the pots, allowing 

 1h.' t..p ..! the cuttings to he just above the rim. 

 The root cuttings may be placed sulliciently 

 close, that of a live ineli ])ot, according to the 

 size of the roots ; from twenty to fifty cuttings 

 may be inserted, and when comi)leted the centre 

 may be lilled in with soil and the cuttings duly 

 labelled. When all are ready place the cuttings 

 beneath the stage in a moist, warm greenhouse, 

 but not close to the i)ipes ; the semi-darkness 

 will for the time being l)e the best, giving a good 

 watering at the time of insertion. 



In gardens where bottom-heat can he secured, 

 and if the cuttim;s can he accorded not more 

 than (ny° as a maximum, so nuich the belter. 

 It is, liowever, uoIj alisolutely essential, while an 

 excess of heat is decidedly injurious. 



Dahli.vs. — The old stools should now be taken 

 from their winter (Quarters and ])laced in light 

 sandy .soil, in a warm moist house, to furnish 

 cuttings. The newer I'feony-tlowercd Dahlias 

 are very Ijcautiful. They carry their flowers 

 well above the foliage, on long stems, and are 

 excellent as ciit blooms for house decoration. 

 The single varieties are very ])rofuse blooiiuu's, 

 and are very effective in large borders, while the 

 Pompons ara excellent for bedding i)ur])oses. 



l.Ti.Y OF THK Valt-ey. — A few beds of these 

 .■;liould })e Ijroken u]) every year ; the stronger 

 cr.iwns may Ix; used for forcing if so desired, and 

 the weaker crowns jjlanted in well-maiuired 

 ground, and when comi)leted cover the beds 

 with about I inch deep of sifted leaf-mould. The 

 old beds should also receive a topdi'essing of 

 leaf-mould, it heliis to ])roduce good strong 

 crowns and larg*; siiikes : Toi'tiris Giants ])ro- 

 (Uice the largest bells, l)ut soon get small if 

 the beds are ke])t long in one place. 



Pedding stocks ot .Salvias, JIeliotroi)e, &c., 



