2i8 Journal of Agriculture. [ii April, 1910. 



best results, they should be fed weekly with liquid or chemical manures 

 up to the time of blooming. Then the feeding should cease, as the plants 

 require no further stimulus. For liquid animal manures, one pound of 

 well rotted manure per gallon of water should be used; the directions for 

 preparing this as given in the last month's Journal should have given this 

 quantity, the omission of the words " per gallon " being accidental. 



The removal of permanent shrubs and palms, and the planting out of 

 evergreen trees, shrubs and herbaceous divisions should not be delayed any 

 longer. The nursery section of this class should be cleared out into the 

 garden at once. It is a mistake to wait, as many growers do, for the 

 removal of such plants until the winter season. If planted out now while 

 the ground is warm, the roots of the plants have a fair chance to grow, 

 to take a considerable hold of the soil, and to establish themselves in their 

 new location, before the growth period ceases. Then, after the winter's 

 rest, they are ready to break away into new growth, both in the roots and 

 crown, with the advent of the first spring weather. When planted in 

 winter, they have no chance to grow, the roots remain as when planted, 

 and with every chance to rot in the cold wet soil ; the foliage becomes 

 yellow and debilitated ; and the plant, if it does not succumb, often takes 

 the whole ensuing season to recover its general health. And then, of 

 course, the season that has been lost can never be regained. 



Gardens should now be well drained or trenched. This is a feature 

 more often overlooked than otherwise. And yet no garden will produce 

 the results it should produce unless one or both of these very necessary 

 operations be carried out. There is a wealth of plant foods and food 

 supplies below the usual digging depth, and gardeners should never neglect 

 to dig down deeply, so that the roots of their plants may have an in- 

 creased area in which to revel for food and moisture. Deep working is 

 an absolute essential in every garden. It means a saving of water and 

 manures for the grower, and it also means increased growth, health, and 

 blossoms for the plants. The ground should always be well dug to the 

 full depth of the soil once a year, and an occasional stirring of the sub-soil 

 is also invaluable. A mistake often made is that the clay is brought to 

 the surface, and the top soil buried beneath it. Nature's order should 

 never be reversed, and the relationships of top soil, and then sub-soil, 

 should always be recognised. After the autumn digging, the ground may 

 be left in a fairly rough state, as the usual climatic conditions will result 

 in a gradual weathering down of the surface. The autumnal dressing 

 of lime is always beneficial. 



Bulbs, tubers, and corms should now all be planted. As they appear 

 above ground, they should be protected from the ravages of snails and 

 slugs ; as these pests have a very great liking for such succulent growths. 

 A good surface dressing of broken leaf, or dust tobacco will effectively 

 deal with these pests. In fact, the gardener who constantly uses tobacco, 

 either in the leaf, stem, or dust form, will very soon be in the happy 

 position, that slugs and snails will cause him no anxiety whatever. Be- 

 sides, as previously stated, the tobacco has manurial properties which also 

 are valuable. 



Pansy and any other seedlings, also rooted layers and cuttings, may 

 now be planted out into their permanent positions. 



Sowings may also be made of any hardy annuals, such as antirrhinum, 

 aquilegia, correopsis, Canterbury bell, cornflower, dianthus, everlastings, 

 foxglove, gaillardia, hollyhock, larkspur, leptosyne, lobelia, marigold, 

 pansy, petunia, stock, sweet peas, verbena, wallflower, &c. 



