326 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR JUNE. 



at to shift from one sized pot to 

 another. Balsams may be planted 

 out in the common borders : they 

 look best put out three in a 

 patch, because, as they are of 

 different coloui-s, they form a bet- 

 ter contrast. They will be a good 

 succession to any planted out 

 before ; or, if they have been ad- 

 vanced much in pots, they will 

 very likely flower before them, 

 but at any rate will form two 

 seasons. 



Coc/cscombs. — .Shift from small 

 pots to larger ones every time the 

 smaller ones fill with roots, and 

 keep up the heat of the hotbed 

 by means of fresh linings, keeping 

 the soil moist and the plants near 

 the glass, for they will depend 

 more upon the continuance of 

 heat and proper moisture for their 

 beauty and fine growth than any 

 one imagines, unless he has grown 

 them. 



Cuttings. — Before any of the 

 plants intended for bedding out 

 are planted all the long gawky 

 shoots and all spare pieces should 

 be taken off; first, that the plants 

 put out should be pretty uniform ; 

 secondly, that the cuttings may be | 

 struck for late planting. At this j 

 time of year they may be put in ' 

 the common border in the shade, 

 under a hand-glass, and they Avill 

 strike freely. All rooted cuttings 

 in pans or pots should be potted 

 off into single pots. ! 



Dahlias. — The further planting ' 

 of Dahlias should be completed 

 this month. Many plant the mid- 

 dle of May, the first week in June, 

 and the last week : that is for the 

 sake of having three distinct sea- 

 sons to calculate on for the exhi- 

 bitions. Fasten them rather loosely 

 to the stakes, and above all things 

 examine frequently the tops for 

 earwigs, and destroy them as fast i 



as you can. If you persevere in 

 this matter you will have cleared 

 them by the time that other peo- 

 ple begin to catch them ; for, 

 strange as it may seem, the 

 growers generally do not trouble 

 their heads about earwigs until 

 they have had all the season to 

 breed in, and the flowers are about 

 to appear. Hardly any amount of 

 assiduity is equal to their destruc- 

 tion, unless begun from the in- 

 stant they are planted out. Be 

 in no hurry to commence Avater- 

 ing tlie Dahlias. When they are 

 planted soak the whole ground 

 well, but let them seek their own 

 by going down after it before you 

 v/ater again, unless the soil is very 

 light and not very rich, in which 

 case you must sup[ily water as a 

 substitute — but a poor one — for 

 the nourishment the ground ought 

 to contain in itself. They will, in 

 all probability, be attacked by the 

 green fly, and perhaps by a little 

 green caterpillar or grub. For the 

 first syringe pretty sharply with 

 a fine rose, but considerable force, 

 and thus wash them ofi"; but if 

 this does not clear them in one or 

 two syringings, let it be done 

 with tobacco water one day, and 

 clear water afterwards. For the 

 grub there is no remedy but ex- 

 amining the plants and picking 

 them off. 



Hyacinths, Tulips, and other 

 bulbs which have done flowering, 

 and the foliage of which has begun 

 to turn yellow and decay, should 

 be taken up, and, after drying in 

 the shade, cleared of their roots 

 and leaves, and packed away where 

 the air can get at them, but no 

 sun nor damp. At the end of the 

 month the best Tulip-bed may 

 have begun to show symptoms of 

 decay : as soon as the top of the 

 stem shrivels they may be taken 



