MONTHLY CALENDAR. 401 



TOakes it desirable to procure seed from them. Destroy inferior sorts as soon 

 as they expand their first flower. 



1 167. By the end of the month, the last of the spring-flowering bulbs should 

 be ripe enough to take up ; and if the plants intended to occupy their places 

 Jiave not been already introduced between them, they should at once be 

 planted, altering or improving the soil of the beds to suit the habits of the 

 fresh plants. The American garden, if a separate establishment, will be in 

 full beauty, and every means should be taken to keep it so. The turf and the 

 gravel should be kept up to and under the branches in the best order. 



1 168. Among the evergreen plants which are suitable for the shrubbery or 

 border, none can excel the Camellia ; and there are a few varieties of this 

 "beautiful shinib which do well in the open ground. When speaking of 

 the value of north borders, p. 274, we took occasion to remark that many 

 j)lauts and shrubs would flourish there which in other situations would not 

 outlive a winter's frost ; and among others we mentioned that all the hardy 

 sorts of camellias would do well in such situations. As camellias are so much 

 and so justly admired, it may be useful to enumerate some of the sorts which 

 are known to flourish and blossom freely against a north wall or upon a north 

 ■border, and to make one or two observations upon their culture and the soil 

 best adapted for them. The sorts best suited to open-air cultivation are 

 Carolina (double white), Pajoniflora, Prince Leopold, Perfection, Eclipse, 

 Dahlia-flora, Imbricata alba, Duchess of Orleans, and Bealii. The soil in 

 .which they are planted should be a mixture of peat, leaf- mould, and cow- 

 dvmg, about two feet deep. Great care should be taken that the plants never 



. sufi"er from drought. After flowering they should be freely watered with 

 liquid manure, especially if the season be dry. The surface of the ground 

 just round the stems of the plants may frequently, with very good efiect, be 

 paved with small stones, which assists in keeping the roots cool and moist. 

 As a general rule, the borders on which camellias are planted should not be 

 disturbed more than is necessary to remove the surface weeds. A top-dressing 

 .of fresh soil may, with advantage, be given to them every winter. So treated, 

 the sorts of camellias mentioned above will be found as hardy as most of our 

 .common evergreens, and require no protection, except, perhaps, in an unu- 

 sually severe winter, when a few fir boughs may be placed before or around 

 them. The snow should never be allowed to rest upon their branches. Some 

 growers of camellias hi the open ground bind straw round the stems of their 

 plants, about five or six inches from the ground. When winter sets in, this is 

 .found a very efficient protection against frost. 



1 169. Florists' Flowers. — Tulips will now require the chief attention; and 

 by proper care and protection their season of bloom may be considerably pro- 

 longed. The beds should be gone over carefully, and memoranda made of 

 the style or character of the flowers individually. For instance, tall flowers 

 . should be marked to go in the fourth or middle row, whilst the height of others 

 should be noted, in order that a proper degree of uniformity may be attained 

 at next planting. All flowers stained at the base should be excluded in collec- 



2 D 



