126 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



state. Should you discover the least appearance of green-fly upon peach and 

 nectarine trees, syringe at once with tobacco-water, and if they should be affected 

 with mildew, sprinkle them with lime-water, and dust them over with sulphur. 

 Peach and nectarine trees against open walls should also be carefully pruned by 

 cutting off all shoots where there is no fruit at the base, except a leading one, and 

 the latest upon a last year's shoot. Apricots, if affected with caterpillars or other 

 insects, must also be syringed with tobacco- water. Cherry trees are subject to 

 attacks of the black insect ; should this be observed, syringe with tobacco as for 

 peach or nectarines. Peach walls should be covered with netting during the 

 prevalence of cold winds. Nail in any trees that have been left loose, to keep 

 them back ; be careful how you handle the branches, or fruit spurs or pushing 

 buds may be broken off. Use as few shreds as possible, and those as narrow as 

 you dare cut them, having regard to the necessary strength. All pruning ought 

 to have been finished long ago ; but should any trees have been neglected, and 

 are in a dense state, thin them out and rub a little clay paint over the parts to 

 encourage the closing of the bark over them. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



The heat in all plant-houses may now be increased where quick growth or the 

 speedy production of bloom is wanted. Re-pot hard-wooded plants that have 

 flowered, pot firm and give only small shifts. Give abundance of water to 

 genistas, epacrises, acacias, hoveas, chorozemas, and other plants in flower, and 

 as much air as the state of the weather will permit. Soft wooded plants for 

 specimen flowering should be got into blooming-pots. Examine the earth in all 

 pots to be sure that it is in the proper state of moisture, and should any of them 

 be in too dry a condition, perforate the soil down to the bottom with some 

 smooth instrument, that will not tear or break the fibres of the roots, and water 

 freely with tepid water, especially those in active growth. Should bedding stock 

 be still in request, cnttings may be struck in a brisk heat, even as high as ninety 

 degrees; they will bear a much higher temperature now than they would a 

 month ago. 



STOVE. 



Be prepared to give the necessary shade to orchids and stove- ferns on bright 

 sunny days, shift into roomy pots all plants of quick growth, and shade for a 

 week or ten days afterwards, and keep them only moderately moist until they 

 make fresh roots. Increase the amount of humidity generally in the atmosphere 

 by sprinkling the walls and floor, but be careful not to overdrench any plants that 

 have not yet got into full seasonable growth. 



PITS AND FRAMES 



See that the cucumber beds are not too moist or mildew may appear. Add 

 fresh linings and fork up the beds if necessary, give air cautiously, stop and train 

 carefully, and use tobacco at the first appearance of fly. Ridge-cucumbers to be 

 kept as hardy as possible, but they must not be checked. Give them a shift 

 should they require it, and frequently sprinkle over the leaves. Fruiting cucum- 

 bers must have shade during mid-day hours now, but keep the lights tilted to 

 give air. Water round the sideB of the frames to keep the atmosphere moist. 

 Strawberries ripening to have less moisture and plenty of light ; temperature not 

 lower than 55 degrees by night, nor higher than 70 degrees by day. Remove 

 runners from plants coming into fruit; but the runners from plants that have 

 fruited may be allowed to grow, as they will make early plants for forcing next 

 year. Vegetable marrows sown now will produce almost as early as those sown 

 a fortnight or a month ago. It is best to get the plants on singly in pots, as 

 they are shorter and stronger when turned out, than if grown several in a pot 

 and allowed to sprawl about and spindle away their strength 





