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PEBRUAEY. 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR THE FLOWER 

 GARDEN, SHRUBBERY, AND GREENHOUSE. 



Every fine day now does its part 

 in promoting vegetation. The 

 buds of all deciduous plants begin 

 to swell ; Almonds and Peach trees 

 of the ornamental kind begin to 

 show colour if the weather be at 

 all mild ; and all the earliest kinds 

 of flowering shrubs indicate a 

 speedy opening of their blooms. 

 Lawns retiuire mowing, and gravel 

 walks not intended to be turned 

 want rolling whenever they are in 

 a fit condition ; nevertheless, it is 

 just as possible that the whole gar 

 den may be frozen solid, and drive 

 us indoors for employment. The 

 making of labels, the preparation 

 of sticks and stakes for the sup- 

 port of tall plants and climbers, 

 tlie examining of tubers and seeds, 

 all help to find us employment ; 

 and the breaking of damaged 

 riuwer-pots and crocks, and sitting 

 tliem so as to produce them of 

 dirterent sizes, is proper and pro- 

 fitable work for labourers and 

 boys ; so also is the turning and 

 mixing of difterent composts and 

 manures. The planting and alter- 

 ing and planning not already com- 

 pleted must be hastened to the 

 close at favourable opportunities, 

 though they ought to have been 

 done before. Pruning, also, not yet 

 completed, sliould be persevered in 

 until done. The nailing, or other- 



wise fastening, climbing plants on 

 walls, pillars, and fronts of houses, 

 must be no longer neglected. 

 Weeding is necessary whenever 

 such pests appear : and great pains 

 should be taken to destroy vermin 

 of every kind, but more especially 

 the moths and butterflies that may 

 be found sporting about, although 

 few and far between, because the 

 destruction of a single intruder 

 may save us the trouble of exter- 

 minating hundreds at a mure 

 advanced season, or the sacrifice 

 of our best plants by the devouring 

 caterpillar or the numerous kinds 

 of grub. 



Anemone and Hanunciilns. — The 

 autumn-planted will require pro- 

 tection with litter or covering of 

 some kind, or in the event of severe 

 frost they would be greatly injured ; 

 but this is the chief reason why 

 the growers for exhibition defer 

 plantmg all their best varieties 

 until the second Aveek in this 

 month. Therefore, at the begin- 

 ning of February put a layer of 

 rotten cowdung at the bottom of 

 the beds, as they are at present 

 emptied to the depth of a loot. 

 Let the layer be a good inch in 

 thickness, and return the soil 

 which has been turned out on the 

 sides of the bed lightly into its 

 place, and raised iu the middle : 



