1150 



KALENDARIAL INDEX. 



holly and yew in the last fortnight. Plant cuttings 

 of poplar, elder, and willow; lay in seedling larches; 

 gather pine and larch cones. (6982.) 



Fork up (1872.), dig (1864.), or trench (1870.), be- 

 tween nursery rows, not intended for removal this 

 season (7037.) ; weed and remove decayed leaves, 

 attending as much as possible to order and neat- 

 ness. (2359.) 



10. Trees. — Permanent plantations, and 

 park-scenery. 



Plant (2077.) fences of deciduous trees (6820.) ; 

 forest trees of all the deciduous sorts, in mild 



weather; ornamental deciduous sorts, not very 

 tender, in fine weather. 



Prune (2110.) deciduous sorts, excepting such sorts 

 as are apt to bleed, as the wild cherry, birch, and 

 sycamore, or the resinous and evergreen tribes, 

 which are best pruned in summer, autumn, or late 

 in spring. 



Thin and fell timber and young trees, as for last 

 month : remember not to touch bark-woods this 

 month. (6905. and 6954.) 



Operate (,1862.) on ground, with a view to forming 

 roads, pieces of water, and other effects of land- 

 scape-gardening. (7195.) 



MARCH. 



Weather 



London - 

 Edinburgh 

 Dublin - 



Average of 

 the Ther- 

 mometer. 



46 4 

 41 7 

 44 09 



Greatest 

 Variation 

 from the 

 Average. 



Average 



of the 



Barometer. 



Quantity 

 of Rain. 



30 20 



28 886 



29 707 



0-716 inch. 

 1-4 j.5 

 2-364 



REMARKS. 



The beginning of March usually concludes the winter; 



j and the end of the month is generally indicative of the 



' succeeding spring ; according to the proverb, " March 

 comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb. ' The 

 Saxons called this month the lengthening month, in allu- 



I sion to the increasing of the days. The most laborious 

 period of the gardener's year is the last half of this 



j month ; and the first fortnight of April. 



1. Kalendar of animated nature round 

 London. 



In the first week : the ring-dove (Columba palam- 

 bus) coos, the white wagtail {Motacilla alba) sings, 

 and the yellow wagtail {Motacilla flava) appears ; 

 the earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris), and the snail 

 (Helix), and slug (Limax^, engender. 



Second week : the jackdaw (Corvus moncedula) be- 

 gins to come to churches ; the tomtit ( Parus ca?ru- 

 leus) makes its spring note ; brown wood-owls 

 (Strix ulula) hoot; and the small tortoise-shell 

 butterfly (Papilio urticce, L.) appears. 



Third week : the marsh titmouse (Parus palustris) 

 begins his notes; various flies (Musca?) appear; 

 the fox {Cams vulpis) smells rank; the turkey- 

 cock (Meleagris gallo-pavo) struts and gobbles. 



Fourth week : the yellowhammer (Emberixa 

 citrinella) and green woodpecker {Picus viridis) 

 sing; rooks, ravens (Corvee), and house-pigeons 

 (Columbi) build; the goldfinch (Fringilla carduelis) 

 sings ; field-crickets (Scurabceus) open their holes ; 

 and the common flea (Pulex irritans) appears. 



2. Kalendar of vegetable nature round 

 London. 



In the first week : various species of the pine, 

 larch, and fir tribes in full flower; the rosemary 

 (Rosmarinus officinalis), the willow (Salix), and 

 bay (Laurus nobilis), in blossom ; various trees and 

 shrubs beginning to open their buds. 



Second week : the common honeysuckle (Lonicera 

 periclymenum) and some roses in leaf; crocus ver- 

 nus, and other subspecies, and some scilla?, in 

 flower ; pilewort (Ficaria) and creeping crowfoot 

 (Ranunculus repens), hepatica and elder (Sambucus 

 nigral, sometimes in leaf. 



Third week ; saxifraga oppositifolia, draba verna, 

 daphne pontica and collina, and lonicera nigra, in 

 flower. 



Fourth week : the peach and nectarine, apricot, 

 corchyrus japonicus, pyrus japonica, crown-imperial, 

 saxifraga crassifolia, buxus sempervirens, and other 

 plants in warm situations in flower, or just ad- 

 vancing to that state. 



3. Kitchen-garden. — Culinary veget- 

 ables. 



Sow (2071.) the main crops of most esculents. 

 Drum-headed and Scotch cabbages for field-culture. 

 (.3492.) Peas (3601.), beans (3616.), lettuce (3970.), 

 spinage (3771.), and small salads every fortnight. 

 (4079.) Indian cress (4119.), a few savoys (3519.) 

 for an early crop ; and towards the end for a full 

 crop. Onions (3816.) for a full crop; and leeks 

 (3835.), some red and white cabbage (3492. and 3512.), 

 full crops of carrots (3718.) and parsneps. (3727.) 

 Asparagus in the third week. (3862.) Cauliflower 

 in-the last fortnight, for a full crop (.3548.) ; bore- 

 coles (3529.), and Brussels sprouts for autumn and 

 winter crops. (3524.) In the last fortnight, sea- 

 kale (3902), cardoons (3933. \ turnips (3698.) celery 

 (4003.), alisanders (3950.), and most culinary aro- 

 matics, as parsley, dill, fennel, &c. (4081.) In the 

 last week, summer savoys (3519. ), and mustard for 

 seed. (4027.) 



Plant (2077.), in the first fortnight, horse-radish 

 (4114.), licorice (4245.), chives, shallots, and gar- 

 lic (3810.), old store onions, as scallions or small 

 bulbs for a full crop of large bulbs. Jerusalem 

 artichokes and sea-kale, and in the last fortnight, 

 potatoes for a full crop. (3676.) 



Temporary coverings (2206.) : continue these as 

 in last month. 



Propagate edible perennials by slips and offsets 

 (1988. and 1989) 



Transplant the brassica tribe, lettuce, and aspa- 

 ragus. Fill up vacancies. (2496.) 



Dig, &c. as in last month (1864.) from composts 

 and earths in heaps or hills. (1977. and 1981.), 



Destroy insects. (2280.) 



Store-room. Remove decaying articles, and admit 

 plenty of air, &c. (1704. and 1705.) 



4. Hardy fruit department. 



Plant (2077.) fruit-trees in general The fig (4851.) 

 and mulberry may now be planted. (4607.) Finish 

 planting gooseberry-trees before the middle of the 

 month, and currants and raspberries by the end. 

 (4642 4670. and 4696.) Alpine and wood straw- 

 berries may be planted, though autumn is preferable. 

 (4717.) 



Protect roots by mulching (2098.), and trees coming 

 into blossom by the usual means. 



Prune (2110) till the middle of the month; but 

 finish then if possible. If not, apricots may be 

 pruned till the 5th (4532.), peaches and nectarines 

 till the 15th (4498.), gooseberries to the 7th, red and 

 white currants to the 10th or 12th, and the black 

 currant to the 20th. (4646. and 4675.) 



Dig and dress between rows of currant-trees, 

 and other fruit-trees where this operation has not 

 been done before. Dress any strawberry beds you 

 have not been able to do before. (4719.) 



Destroy bisects. (2280.) 



Fruit-room. (2298.) Examine the fruit in the room; 

 take care not to leave open the door of the cellar so 

 as to raise its temperature above 40 degrees. 



5. Culinary hot-house department. 



Glass case without heat. Sow kidneybeans to 

 receive a few weeks' protection. Remove frames 

 from cauliflower-plants. (3545.) 



Hot-beds and pits. (2678.) Go on with hot-beds for 

 cucumbers and melons. (3164.) Sow a few turnips 

 on a gentle hot-bed to come in early. (3399.) Sow 

 all sorts of culinary annuals. Give air and apply 

 linings to maintain'the proper temperatures. (1976.) 

 Attend to pine suckers and crowns ; shift any that 

 may require larger pots, and examine the roots of 

 such as are sickly. (2718.) 



Pinery. (2697.) Keep sowing kidneybeans, and 

 filling spare corners with strawberry-pots for suc- 

 cession. See that your bark-pit be in proper heat, 

 and attend to the temperature for this month, and 

 the other points of culture. Pines are now generallv 

 shifted. (2918.) 



Forcing department. (2940.) Attend to the cul- 

 ture of each particular kind ; and generally to keep 

 down insects by watering ; promote setting of fruit 

 by air, and encourage growth by steaming or filling 

 the house with vapors by powerful fires and water- 

 ings over the leaves and every part of the house. 



