CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR FEBRUARY. 



299 



to be disturbed in the least, nor 

 the fibres damaged. As the wea- 

 ther may prove mild the greatest 

 allowance of air should be given. 

 Watering should still be carefully 

 performed, not by drencbing all 

 the pots periodically, whether they 

 require it or not, but by examining 

 them, and giving water to none 

 that are sufficiently moist; for all 

 plants ought to be occasionally 

 nearly dry, but not quite. When 

 they are kept long together in wet 

 soil tliey are seriously damaged 

 before they exhibit the results on 

 their foliage or flowers. 



Azaleas want but little attention 

 beyond watering properly, and 

 training as they are intended to 

 bloom. Some of the varieties are 

 veiy weakly and poor growers, 

 and have to be regularly supported 

 artificially ; but we are rapidly dis- 

 carding them. Among the best of 

 the colours we have had the worst 

 #f the habits, and many sticks are 

 required to steady the flowers ; hut 

 the less artificial support they 

 have the more highly they must 

 be approved. 



Camellias are beginning to look 

 interesting from the number that 

 are partially blooming, and should 

 be brought forward prominently. 



Cinerarias. — As the seedlings 

 come into flower put marks to 

 those that are good for anything, 

 and let the mark or number refer 

 to a book in which the quality of 

 the flower and its peculiar charac- 

 teristics are described. Shift the 

 Ruccessional plants as they may 

 require it. 



Climbing Plants. — In the best 

 adapted trellises much is to be 

 done by constantly placing the 

 branches and shoots on the parts 

 of the trellis they are to occupy. 

 When any plant is allowed to go 

 rambling about, instead of being 



trained as it goes, the fastening 

 of the shoots is more difficult, and 

 it is a long time recovering. 



Ericas. — Heaths require air, and 

 light, and plenty of room, and 

 have great aversion to heat. This 

 suggests their being placed near 

 the openings; but Heaths are 

 better in pits than greenhouses, 

 unless they have houses for them- 

 selves without other plants. These 

 will require more water than they 

 had in winter, but they must not 

 have it while they are still wet. 

 Each plant, therefore, should be 

 examined before it is watered, and 

 if it is already wet leave it for a 

 time ; or, if more than usually 

 wet, turn out the ball of earth 

 to see where the draining is de- 

 fective, and remedy as soon as 

 possible. 



Fuchsias require repotting, 

 pruning, and properly shaping the 

 plants, allowing for the growth of 

 the young wood. To make due 

 preparation for this the plants 

 should be literally formed into a 

 skeleton, the upright stem in the 

 middle being the principal, and 

 the spurs being cut close in at 

 the top, and widening a little, or 

 rather lengthening, towards the 

 bottom ; for they ought to have 

 a pyramidal form, the branches as 

 long at the bottom as will reach 

 the edge of the pot, and gradually 

 diminishing in length until at the 

 top they are quite close into the 

 main stem. The new wood forms 

 the tree, and as the buds appear 

 they must be regulated as to num- 

 ber and situation, because the next 

 thing to having branches enough 

 to form the tree is to have them 

 in the right places. 



Geraniums should be shifted, if 

 they have filled their pots with 

 roots, until they are in the size 

 they are intended to flower in, 



