376 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR DECEMBER. 



It is these patclies, thus thinned 

 out, that we recommend to be 

 protected ; and the best moans of 

 sheltering them is to stick into tlie 

 ground about them small pieces 

 of such open spray as spruce-fir 

 branches, or tlie fronds of the 

 common bracken, cut in summer 

 and dried in readiness : two or 

 three of these pieces, a foot or so 

 in height, placed about a patch of 

 annuals, aiford a great amount of 

 protection, and, if not put too close 

 about them, keep off the light but 

 very little, and do not at all ob- 

 struct the circulation of air. The 

 ground about such tender subjects 

 should be frequently hoed in win- 

 ter, this being done in intervals 

 of dry weather; it helps to keep 

 tlie soil open and porous about 

 the plants, so that they are less 

 affected by the rains. Wet, it 

 should be remembered, is the chief 

 enemy of the autumn-sown an- 

 nuals, a great many of which will 

 keep in good health during winter, 

 if they can be kept moderately 

 dry. 



Annual s in Pots. — Those who are 

 very anxious for an early spring 

 display of blossoms generally take 

 some pains to preserve a few au- 

 tumn-sown annuals in pots, either 

 sowing for the purpose, or taking 

 up from the borders some of those 

 which are self-sown. They should 

 be planted two, three, or more, in 

 a sixty-sized pot, and the pots 

 sliould be placed in a frame. It 

 is important, at this season, to be 

 very cautious in the ai^plication of 

 water: the soil must be thoroughly 

 wetted when they require it, but 

 no water should be spilled on tlie 

 leaves, nor poured carelessly among 

 the pots. All rain should be ex- 

 cluded by keeping the glass sashes 

 over the plants, tilting them up at 

 the back so as ,to admit air, and 



at the same time assist to throw 

 off the water, which is impeded 

 when, as is sometimes the case, 

 the lights are tilted back and front 

 alternately, for the sake of pro- 

 ducing a draught of air : it is bet- 

 ter during rain to tilt only at the 

 back. In all dry weather such 

 plants must be quite exposed. 

 Keep them as dry as possible, 

 short of allowing them to droop, 

 and as aiiy as possible consistent 

 with dryness. 



Auriculas. — In any dry weather 

 short of frost give all the air you 

 can by taking the lights off, but 

 be quite certain about the tem- 

 perature, because, although they 

 will stand a good hard frost with- 

 out any apparent injury, the bloom 

 will get checked by a frost, if not' 

 provided against. 



Bulbs in general are grossly 

 mismanaged, and nobody very 

 clearly understands wiiy. Look, 

 however, at the geometrical gar- 

 dens of England, and although 

 bulbs would keep them in flower 

 all the year, or best part of it, 

 no one sets an example that can 

 be elsewiiere followed. They 

 may be dear as compared with 

 some things ; but when they can 

 be taken up at any season tbat 

 they are not growing, there can- 

 not be a question that there are 

 many who spend much more 

 money with less than half the true 

 value being attached to their pur- 

 chases, and that our gardens would 

 be greatly assisted in the supply 

 of beauty by a timely addition of 

 something worth notice in the 

 shape of bulbs. 



Dahlias. — Occasionally examine 

 the tubers, and if there be any 

 very scarce one which is likely to 

 be wanted in great quantity pot it 

 at once; also pot any that seem 

 inclined to shrivel or rot, and keep 



