CALENDAR OF OPEEATIOXS FOR APRIL. 



813 



to spring up among thera, and pro- 

 tect them against high winds, al- 

 though a gentle agitating breeze 

 does not by any means hurt them. 

 Cover at night, even if the weather 

 be warm ; but tliey should be un- 

 covered by daylight if the weather 

 permit. Gentle showers will not 

 injure them ; on the contrary, if 

 mild it does them great service ; 

 and if the Aveather be dry and 

 parching be not afraid of syringing 

 the foliage all over. If, despite 

 your care, the frost does catch 

 them, syringe them all over with 

 cold water, and let no sun reach 

 them till they are thawed. If the 

 earth was not stirred between all 

 tlie bulbs last month it must be 

 done directly; and if they have had 

 much rain since it was stirred, so 

 as to cake the surface and make it 

 run close together, it may be gently 

 stirred again. If any of the foliage 

 has a spot of yellow on it, or any 

 appearance of canker, remove the 

 aifected part with a knife ; for if 

 the whole foliage above ground be 

 cut away there is more chance of 

 the bulb escaping than if the canker 

 was left on ; for its increase, until 

 the very heart of the plant and the 

 bulb itself is rotted, is almost a 

 certainty. 



Vivlets.— 8tre\v over and about 

 the old plants with fresh soil to 

 encourage runners, from which 

 young plants will issue : these can 

 be transplanted when well rooted. 



WaVflawns. — Seeds of the single 

 ones should be sown towards the 

 end of the month for next year's 

 blooming. A good supply of cut- 

 tings of the double ones should be 

 got in. The varieties most worth 

 seeking for are a double blood red, 

 flowers very dark ; a double bright 

 yellow, brilliant colour, and with 

 narrower leaves thiin any of the 

 others ; a dwarf dingy double yel- 



low, called the Hornet ; and a 

 double purple, which has flowers 

 of a peculiar purplish tint. These 

 should be rooted under hand- 

 glasses, and kept in jtots through 

 the winter. 



Biirdtts will by this time show 

 all their bulbs and herbaceotts 

 plants, so that the surface may 

 be stirred up and raked without 

 damaging the contents ; whereas, 

 if you began before all these things 

 were up, although labels might 

 point out the places, they would 

 be in great danger. 



Gravel icalks should be turned 

 towards the end of the month, and 

 rolled smooth ; it gives them all 

 the appearance of new ones; and 

 if the gravel be too dirty or too 

 thin a fresh coat of it will be de- 

 sirable. 



Laivns. — "When the grass is 

 rather thin, either scatter some 

 rich soil mixed with some of the 

 proper line lawn-grass seeds, or 

 lay fresh turf. If it is not very 

 bad the first is the best plan ; but 

 it is best done in autumn. All 

 lawns should be frequently rolled 

 and swept, and mown. Muc-h of 

 the beauty of a lawn during the 

 summer depends on commencing 

 to mow early in the spring, and 

 repeating it very frequently, say 

 once a week. 



Tie up the stems of any plants 

 that require support. This is best 

 done as soon as it is seen to be 

 required, and not left, as is too 

 often the case, until the stems are 

 blown on one side and become 

 crooked, in which state they can 

 never be tied up in an orderly 

 manner. 



J'erges. — The verges of beds and 

 borders should be cut even, and of 

 uniform width, for their growth 

 during the winter is generally un- 

 even, the most hardy grasses con- 



