320 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR MAT. 



plants whose pots are filled with 

 roots must be shifted, and tlie soil 

 may be the same as for Fuchsias. 

 Those to be turned out neeil no 

 shifting, because by the end of the 

 month they may be planted out. 



Phlox. — All the perennial kinds 

 merely want looking to, with a 

 view of providing sticks for the 

 tall ones as they grow up. The 

 Phlox Dnimmond'i, which, strictly 

 speaking, is an annual, may be 

 perpetuated by constantly making 

 cuttings. Those saveil through 

 the winter may be planted out in 

 the borders, or be potted to bloom 

 that way. The difficulty of obtain- 

 ing seed to be depended on ren- 

 ders it desirable to treat this plant 

 as a perennial. Taking cuttings 

 from it several times, and depend- 

 ing only upon them, enables the 

 cultivator to choose his own plants 

 from the first lot of seedlings he 

 grows. We recommend seed to 

 be sown and saved from the best 

 every year, but cuttings to be 

 taken from all that are remai'kably 

 good, until a sufficient number of 

 varieties are secured of the better 

 kind. This may be sown at once 

 in the open border. 



Pinks. — By the end of the 

 month you may reduce the flower- 

 stems to one on each plant. Top- 

 dress, if not done already, with 

 decomposed cowdung. Water in 

 dry weather. Keep clear of weeds. 



Poli/anthiis. — Part them care- 

 fully, so that a heart may have a 

 piece of root, and plant out in 

 good strong loamy soil, and in a 

 situation not reached by the mid- 

 day sun. Sow seed in large pots, 

 and keep it in frames. 



Primroses. — The double white, 

 double crimson, and purple, having 

 now passed their flowering, let 

 them be parted like the Polyanthus, 

 every heart with a bit of good 



root to it, and be planted out six 

 inches apai't, to grow into strength 

 again. 



Eannnculiis. — Stir the earth be- 

 tween the rows; water effectually 

 when you water at all. The au- 

 tumn planted now in bloom may 

 require watering and shading too, 

 to pi'eserve their colours and pro- 

 long the flowering. 



lihoc/odendrons. — Those which 

 have been protected are for the 

 most part in bloom, or have passed 

 their flowering. The bunches of 

 decayed flower and seed - pods 

 should be removed instantly, for 

 the swelHng of the seed-pods de- 

 tracts greatly from the growth ; so 

 much so, that it is a very common 

 thing for the plants left with their 

 seed on to fail altogether to pro- 

 duce bloom for the next j'ear. 

 Therefore, as soon as the bloom 

 has begun to fade, take ofi" the 

 bunch of seed-pods, and continue 

 this. If there be any disposition 

 to grow out of form, prune in a 

 very long branch before the growth 

 begins ; but those plants which 

 have been unprotected have not 

 bloomed yet. 



Scarlet Lt/chtiis. — This is one of 



the most briUiant, perhaps, of the 



perennials. A tall plant, three 



feet and upwards, with a head of 



fiery scarlet flowers, grown in 



masses, could not be surpassed 



easily by anything else we have in 



the garden. Loosen the earth 



round the plants, and provide 



some kind of support. Generally 



three moderate sticks, about 



eighteen inches high, placed at 



I angles, and a piece of bass matting, 



will be sufficient to hold a mass of 



I six to a dozen shoots ; but a 



j patch ough.t not to be allowed to 



get so large, except where the 



! borders are very wide. 



i Shrubberies and Lawns, — Mow 



