CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR FEBRUARY. 



29: 



for the next tliree months must pro- 

 duce you all you require. Cuttings 

 ol' Geraniums, Verbenas, Petunias, 

 Hydrangeas, Koses of the Cliina 

 kind, and all other subjects used 

 in the horders and beds in large 

 quantities, should be taken now, 

 and struck in gentle bottom heat 

 under bell-glasses, wiping the 

 glasses every morning, and attend- 

 ing punctually to the required 

 moisture. With care these tilings 

 will stiike very rapidly, and the 

 sooner they are potted off 

 singly into sixty-sized pots the 

 better. When they are once 

 established, and are growing, you 

 may take off the tops to strike 

 others from, while the plants thus 

 beheaded become stronger and 

 more busby. But this does not 

 apply to the Hydrangeas, which 

 depend for their bloom on the top 

 strong bud, and therefore must be 

 grown on, and shifted as soon as 

 they fill the old pot with roots. 



Polyanthuses and Primroses must 

 be well searched for snails and 

 slugs, which attack the tender 

 petals the instant tliey protrude 

 from the calyx, and if there be 

 any quantity there will not be a 

 perfec-t flower. Search, therefore, 

 closely sunrise and sunset, and 

 in dark, cloudy, damp weather, 

 which is favourable to tiie wander- 

 ings of this mischievous race ; and 

 if they are at all plentiful sow 

 some fresh lime over them occa- 

 sionally, for that destroys all it 

 touches. Stir the earth between 

 the plants, keep them very clear 

 from weeds, and always cut the 

 Box edgings very close and small, 

 to keep them from forming a har- 

 bour for vermin, which they always 

 will be when left too thick. Sow 

 seed in pans, and if the seed be 

 very choice cover with damp moss 

 till it vegetates. 



Sweet Peas. — Sow a number of 

 pots to come in for early bloom. 

 They may be set in a hothouse 

 or warm frame until they have 

 germinated, then removed to a 

 greenhouse, and finally to a cold 

 ! frame, where they must be kept 

 j till it is safe to plant out, which 

 j can scarcely be before May. About 

 i a dozen seeds should be dropped 

 i into a five-inch pot. 

 \ Tulips will be generally up on 

 j the protected bed, and tlie eartli 

 should be carefully stirred all over 

 the surface, and laid close up to 

 the stems, or rather spikes, which 

 show through. 3Iat or cover 

 them still for the night, or a hard 

 frost might considerably injure 

 them; and when the rising spike 

 opens, so that water could enter 

 and lay there, they ought not to 

 receive water at all. The patent 

 covering ought to be placed there 

 to prevent any fall of rain upon 

 them until the bud has fairly risen 

 out of tlie foliage. Tlie patent 

 waterproof calico is far better than 

 matting, as it excludes no light, 

 and confines the natural warmth 

 of the earth, as well as keeps 

 off all rain. The outer beds, 

 which are, or rather may be, 

 unprotected, should always be 

 loosened on the surface as soon 

 as the spikes are fairly through 

 the ground. 



Seeds and Seed-shops. — There is 

 nothing so base as to deceive the 

 cultivator with bad seeds. It may 

 be fine sport to serve out packets 

 of worthless things with nanies 

 written on the papers, and take 

 the money for them ; but tliat 

 persons in respectable shops should 

 sell flower-seeds without knowing 

 whether they will grow or not, or 

 perhaps worse than that, knowing 

 that they will not grow, is worse 

 than the tricking of any other 



