THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 95 



clown a stick is as good as the crown, and it is better to trench them in t o the 

 ground than to make holes for them. 



Caeeots. — Sow some early ones in a sheltered situation, first breaking the 

 ground well to a spit and a half deep ; rub the woolly seeds apart in some sand, 

 and sow in drills nine inches apart from each other, covering them very lightly. 



Cauliflowers. — Sow some seed in a warm situation and in rich ground. 



Cabbage. — Sow some of the early sorts in a warm border or quarter. 



Celery. — Sow some seed in pots cr boxes to put into a cucumber frame, and 

 grow it for early planting, or to enable you to, in some measure, shelter it if 

 necessary. 



Leeks. — Sow in a warm situation ; a moderate patch will be sufficient for a 

 tolerable crop when planted out. 



Letttce may be sown, and if you have any that has stood over the winter 

 under shelter, plant a few out. 



Mint. — The roots may be dug up and parted, and fresh plantations made ; 

 some potted and put into a frame, or even into a warm room, will be found useful 

 perhaps, especially as it in such great request. 



Onions. — Sow for a first crop. The ground should have been laying in 

 ridges through the winter ; strong, well-decomposed manure should be plentifully 

 dug in and mixed with the soil, which should be levelled, and the seeds sown 

 thinly and evenly all over the bed, unless the appearance of drills be preferred. 

 The seed mu3t be well but not deeply covered, and well trodden or rolled in. 



Peas. — Sow more peas for a succession ; the earlier sown ones already up 

 must be cleaned and earth drawn to their stems in a ridge on the shady side of 

 the row, and pretty high up to protect them from the cold winds ; also stick 

 those that require it as soon as possible, as it protects them from wind and frost. 



Borage, said to be excellent for bees, may be sown wherever they are kept, 

 and be allowed to take their chance without any other culture than clearing them 

 from weeds. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Russian Violets. — J.B., Bournemouth. — These may be divided and planted 

 out as soon as tbey have done flowering. Runners make capital plants ; remove 

 them in May. A shady but not confined place is generally recommended for the 

 Russian violet, but we have seen it thrive and bloom admirably in an exposed 

 situation. 



Mushrooms. — Subscriber. — Too much moisture, either in the atmosphere or 

 bed, is doubtless the cause of your mushrooms rotting off soon after they aj>pear 

 above the surface. As to the woodlice, a toad or two kept in your house will 

 help greatly to lessen their number. 



Gkapes. — C. iS., Brixton. — You cannot do better than plant Black Hamburg 

 in a span-roofed greenhouse, well exposed to the morning, mid-day, and afternoon 

 sun, but without fire-heat. 



Hoya caknosa. — Lucius, — If you had space it might be worth while to pre- 

 e the seedlings, but, limited a9 you are as to room, we should not advise it, 

 as it is not one seedling out of a very large number that rivals the parent plant 

 in beauty, and H. carnosa itself is undoubtedly one of the best of its species. We 

 do not recognize the other plant by the name you have given it ; but we think, if 

 its name is a gnido to its species, that you could not go far wrong in treating it 

 as you would Primula sinensis. 



Camellias. — /. Jones. — Many reasons may be assigned for your camellia 

 dropping its flower-buds, as, for instance, sudden changes of temperature, etc. 

 A sudden rise of temperature causes them to push rapidly ; on the contrary, a 

 <:rrreasc of warmth at that time checks growth ; and from both causes buds will 

 Gall. A variation of a few degrees will considerably affect them when in bloom, 

 particularly in winter. If the soil in the pots is allowed to get dry during 

 autumn, or after the buds are set, that will cause the plant to cast its buds ; for if 

 Marsh, 



