CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR JANUARY. 



2.^9 



speoTilate on the suliject, and those 

 who in E.Tgland cnhivate the 

 Eanunciihis to any extent will, per- 

 haps, do us the favour to take 

 notice if they meet with anything 

 of the kind. 



Tulip beds. — Let the hest bed be 

 covered, at any cost, against frost, 

 so as to prevent even the soil from 

 being frozen, much less the foliage : 

 two or three stakes close to the 

 edge, to keep it in. and litter put 

 all over the bed six inches to a 

 foot thick, will do this. The stakes 

 round the edges will prevent the 

 wind blowing off the litter; but if 

 the bed is hooped the hoops should 

 be placed across, so that the centre 

 would not be more than a foot 

 above the earth in the middle. 

 These hoops should be about a 

 yard apart, and straiy;ht sticks 

 from end to end along the centre, 

 and abiiut half way from the centre 

 to the edge. Mats may then be 

 laid over without much difficulty, 

 but it is best to put a net over the 

 lioops permanently, so that there 

 shall be no trouble in throwing 

 over the mats in a hurry, which are 

 frequently required in coming 

 storms at a later period of the 

 spring. 



Finlet beds, of the Neapolitan 

 and Russian sorts, if sheltered with 

 a layer of open protecting material, 

 such as peas haulm, over which a 

 mat may be thrown in severe 

 weather, will furnish an occasional 

 picking of blossom, especially if 

 situated in a warm corner, which 

 should always be selected for them. 



THE ROSE GARDEN. 



Although January is not the 

 month we should choose for Rose 

 pruning, there is, where one man 

 does it all, a good deal to get 

 through in a collection of any ex- 

 tent, and therefore towards the end 



of the month we should not 

 hesitate to begin i;pon tlie most 

 robust and hardy sorts, pruning all 

 the strong shoots in to two or 

 three eyes at the most, and all the 

 weaker ones clean off. It is unsafe 

 to trust to weak branches, for the 

 branch tliat goes from them will 

 often be found much stronger than 

 themselves, and in that case they 

 cannot sustain themselves in a 

 proper position. The groAving 

 Roses in the forcing-house want 

 a considerable supply of water, 

 syringing over the foliage, oc-a- 

 sional fumigating with tobacco 

 smoke, and an even temperature. 

 The China sorts of Roses in pots 

 in the greenhouse, or in pots in the 

 frames, with and without dung, 

 require a good deal of watering 

 when they once set off to grow, and 

 if the pots are filled with roots it is 

 as well to repot at once. Roses 

 may be planted still out of doors, 

 but the further we advance the 

 more care they require, and the less 

 time can they with any safety be 

 left out of the ground ; nor does 

 laying them in by the heels at all 

 compensate for it, although it may 

 save them from perishing alto- 

 gether. Briers may be still pro- 

 cured and planted in rows, and 

 you may select the youngest, 

 straightest, and best for grafting. 

 Young stocks are far more safe to 

 unite, and far better when they 

 have united, than older and more 

 stubborn stuff. The seeds of Roses, 

 left out till now, may be sown, 

 being first cleared of the leaves 

 and wiped dry, in pans lightly 

 covered, and placed in the green- 

 house, but never allowed to get 

 dry: they may be looked for iu a 

 few weeks. 



