THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 125 



THE GARDEN GUIDE FOU APEIL. 



Away to tbat Bnug nook ; for the thick shower 

 Hashes on stridingly. Ay, now it comes. 

 Glancing about the leaves with its first drips. 

 Like snatches of faint music. Joyous thrush. 

 It mingles with thy sonj?, and beat-* soft time 

 To thy bubbling shrillness. Now it louder lalls. 

 Pattering, like the far Toice of leaping rills ; 

 And now it breaks upon the shrinking clumps 

 With a crash of many sounds — the thrush is still. 

 There are sweet seems about us : the violet hides 

 On that green bank ; the primrose sparkles there ; 

 The earth is grateful to the teeming clouds. 

 And yields a sudden freshness to their kisses. 

 But now the shower slopes to the warm west, 

 Leaving a dewy track ; and, see, the big drops. 

 Like falling pearls, glisten in the sunny mist. 

 The air is clear again, and the far woods 

 Shine out in their early green. Let's onward then. 

 For the first blossoms peep about our path. 

 The lambs are nibbling the short dripping grass. 

 And the birds are on the bushes. 



f NNUALS will require thinning out, and the straggling kinds will be the 

 better for topping. 



Azaleas and Camellias should be shaded while making their new 

 growth, and syringe frequently. 



Bedding Plants to be got from under glass as fast as possible, to 

 harden off in the open air. Never plant immediately after removing from warm 

 pit or greenhouse ; but let them have at least a fortnight in the open air, kept 

 rather dry, and with some protection at night, in case of frost. 



Calceolarias in pots must now have abundance of water, and be shaded 

 during midday ; as the trusses rise give liquid manure twice a week. Keep the 

 plants cool and airy, and tie in time to keep them from getting out of shape. 



Celery. — Prick out young plants into boxes or on a slight hotbed, and at all 

 favourable opportunities give air as soon as they have established themselves. 



Chrysanthemums struck from cuttings now will make fine plants, and growers 

 are advised to prepare at once for raising the whole of the stock required for the 

 conservatory aud other purposes. 



Conservatory. — The surface of the bed should he stirred, and some fresh soil 

 added, in order to maintain the plants in a vigorous condition. Shoots that are 

 rambling and unsightly should be pinched back promptly. Plants placed in the 

 house during their period of blooming should be carefully attended to, and should 

 not have too much water, or they may become diseased. Azaleas, however, require 

 liberal supplies of water while in bloom, but water must not be permitted to fall 

 upon the flowers, and the atmosphere should be kept modsrately dry. 



Cucumbers in Fruit may be kept going now by linings of grass mowings, if 

 stable manure is scarce. 



CuctJMBERs FOB RxDOES to be kept as hardy as possible, but not to be checked. 

 Give them a sbift if they require it, and frequently sprinkle over the foliage. 



EvEHGREExs. — This is a capital time to move them, and to plant beds, borders, 

 and edges. If the weather is dry, water freely, or, better still, mulch heavily. 



Ferns in pots require either a shift or a renewal of the soil. In either case 

 turn tbem out, and break away some of the old stuff from the outside of the roots 

 tnd repot either in the same or larger pots, using good turfy loam for all strong 

 growing kinds, and those that must have peat, to have best peat in rough lumps. 

 ferns arc too often starved, owing to the common but erroneous notion that a poor 

 sandy peat is sufficient for them, which is a mistake. 



Fuchsias not yet repotted must be attended to quickly. Large shifts suit them 

 admirably. 



Grass Tuiiir must have every necessary attention now, or the consequences will 

 be a burnt-up lawn by July, and the predominance of coarse grasses. 



IJ BATHS and Other hard- wooded plants coming into bloom should liave plenty 

 of air. 



Arril. 



