318 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR MAY. 



he strnck now as well as in the 

 next three mnntlis, hut the later 

 they are taken from the tops of 

 well - ^Town plants the hetter. 

 Those struck now may he grown 

 nntil July, when their tops may he 

 struck airain, and form very dwarf 

 plants, while the stems of those 

 they are taken from may be con- 

 verted to fine bu-;hy ones. They 

 will strike freely now under a 

 hand-pflass in the common border, 

 or in pots under a bell-frlass. 



Climhiiuj plants on walls should 

 he fastened as they prow, particu- 

 larly weakly subjects like Clematis, 

 which break witli the wind if left 

 hanging about. They ought never 

 to be neglected two days, for they 

 are worse for it. 



Cockacomhs. — Let them grow 

 without watering until they are 

 starved into the premature show- 

 ing of their blooms, when the 

 roundest and fullest are to be 

 selected, and potted singly into 

 sixty-sized pots, put into a hot- 

 bed in good condition, kept near 

 the glass with plenty of water and 

 heat, and as they till the pots 

 changed to larger ones, constantly 

 kept up to the glass, with unim- 

 paired heat. 



Crocuses. — As soon as the grass 

 of those bulbs that are to remain 

 in the ground turns yellow it may 

 be cut even with the ground. All 

 that are wanted up may be had up, 

 and kept, with their names, dry and 

 cool. 



Crown Imperial. — As soon as 

 the foliage fades into yellow cut 

 them down to the ground, or dig 

 them lip ; but such soft bulbs 

 should never be long out of 

 ground, 



JDahlias. — Take off cuttings, and 

 strike them one in a pot. There 

 is nothing so good for this as a 

 common dung-bed ; but the propa- 



gating house is available. Until 

 you plant out, those which are 

 struck should be put into cold 

 frames, not to 1)0 subject to the 

 weather, but to be gradually inured 

 to out-of-door treatment till the 

 middle of the month, when they 

 may be planted out where they 

 are to bloom. Let the stakes be 

 first driven down where they are 

 to remain, then dig holes at the 

 stakes, and put in the plants ; then 

 use the pots they are taken out of 

 to put on the stakes, with a little 

 moss inside to form a trap for ear- 

 wigs, and examine them daily frora 

 the first. Dahlias want six feet of 

 room, though they often get but 

 four. 



Evert/reens of the better kind, 

 and especially specimens, should 

 be examined, and where there are 

 branches growing out of form take 

 the tops off, or shorten the branches 

 still more than that ; take away 

 vei-y weak shoots also, and give air, 

 light, and sun, by removing wood 

 when it is too crowded. 



Gladiolus merely require to be 

 kept clear of weeds, the earth 

 loosened a little, and watered in 

 very dry weather. 



Hyicinths. — If the foliage lias 

 turned yellow take them up care- 

 fully, dry them properly, remove 

 the offsets for early planting. 

 While the large bulbs are for dis- 

 posal in the best beds at the 

 proper season, some of the late 

 ones will not perhaps be ready 

 till next month : shade these from 

 the sun to prolong the bloom. 



Hollyhocks. — If these ai'e in ex- 

 posed situations they will require 

 stakes like the Dahlia, but if well 

 sheltered they will need no sup- 

 port. 



Iris. — The perennial Irises in 

 all their variety (we mean those 

 with tuberous roots) should be 



