THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 197 



with vermin as some of my neighbours, for I have acted upon the 

 advice Mr. Hibberd gives U3 in the " Amateurs' Kose Book," to the 

 effect that good cultivation is the best means of warding off the 

 attacks of insect pests ; so long as a vigorous growth is maintained, 

 BO long will the greeu-fiy, which is one of the most troublesome 

 pests, be unable to do them any harm ; bat let the trees be checked in 

 their growth, either through an insufficiency of nourishment or 

 moisture, and they will at once be attacked by a colony of aphis, 

 and a considerable amount of labour will be necessary to dislodge 

 them. My roses are mostly growing in soil that was deeply 

 trenched and liberally manured previous to their being planted, and 

 "which has been top-dressed annually. My practice for many years 

 past has been to apply a top-dressing of partly decayed stable manure 

 in March or April, and this has been found of immense assistance in 

 helping them to tide over periods of drought. Where they are 

 grown in beds, the entire surface is covered to a depth of six inches, 

 and the trees that are placed singly about the garden have the roota 

 covered to a distance of about eighteen inches from the main stem. 

 This not only prevents the moisture drying too rapidly out of the 

 soil, but it facilitates the application of water, for when the latter ia 

 poured on the loose material it soon soaks into the ground, but 

 when the surface is exposed it becomes so hard in dry weather that 

 the water runs away and does very little good. Moreover, the trees 

 receive considerable assistance from the fertilizing properties 

 washed out of the manure in the course of the season, and in the 

 autumn, or during the winter, the manure can be covered by simply 

 turning over the surface soil. 



GAY FLOWERS FOR NEXT SPRING. 



BX GEORGE SMITH. 



[IPEING flowers are becoming more popular every year, 

 and in a few seasons a flower-garden unoccupied during 

 the months of March, April, and May, will be as singular 

 as an empty flower-garden during the summer season. 

 This is not by any means surprising, for there can be 

 no question that large numbers of the hardy flowers which blooni in 

 spring are extremely beautiful, and those best adapted for massing 

 are fortunately multiplied without difficulty. It is quite surprising 

 to find how easy large stocks of those which make the best display 

 may be raised, and 1 would strongly advise those who have not yet 

 had a display of spring flowers in the parterre to have one next 

 year, and to commence at once the task of raising a stock of the 

 various kinds with which to till the beds. There are large 

 numbers of plants capable of producing a beautiful display of 

 flowers in spring, more, iu fact, than one would suppose, but they 

 are not all alike adapted for the parterre. Some are not so readily 

 propagated as the exigencies of the case demand, and others, again 



July. 



