KALENDARIAL INDEX. 



1151 



C. Flower-garden. — Open ground de- 

 partment. 



Sow (2071.) hardy annuals (6507.) in the second, 

 third, and last week ; and some of the more robust 

 half-haxdy annuals about the end of the month. 

 (6513.) Such biennials as flower the same year, as 

 honesty, scabious, bastard rocket, sweet allyson, 

 clary, Chinese hollyhock, and Indian pink. (6505.) 

 Biennials in general, and also perennials towards 

 the end of the month. (6493.) 



Propagate by rooted slips and offsets ; but next 

 month is preferable for rootless slips and cuttings. 

 (2063.) 



Plant dried roots : finish with the anemone and 

 ranunculus in the first fortnight. (6256. and 6875.) 



Transplant annuals from the patches in the bor- 

 ders, and biennials and perennials from the flower- 

 garden nursery, into their final sites. (6110.) 



Shelter choice border and all florists' flowers in 

 severe weather. (2206.) 



Dig, dress, hoe, rake, &c. only in dry weather. 

 Clean up all borders, and prepare vacant ground. 

 (1864. to 1881.) 



Bees. Feed weak hives as in last month. (1748.) 



7. Flower garden. — Hot-bouse depart- 

 ment. 



Glass case without heat. (2686.) Take care of 

 alpines and prolonged annuals, remove all weeds, 

 and be discreet in your waterings. (2078. )_ Cover 

 auricula- frames in very severe nights (6375.) ; by 

 keeping them rather warm at this season they will 

 come up with fine tall stalks to support their mag- 

 nificent trusses. Sow half-hardy annuals for trans- 

 planting, they will come into flower as soon as those 

 sown in the open air last month. (6513.) Take care 

 of the hardy succulents. (6592.) 



Hot-beds and pits. (2678.) In the first fortnight 

 sow half-hardy annuals on a slight hot-bed for 

 transplanting to come in first. (6513.) Sow tender 

 annuals at any period of the month. (6725.) Plant 

 tuberoses in pots for forcing. (6323.) Force roses 

 and other flowering or odoriferous shrubs and all 

 desirable hardy flowers in pots. Sow seeds of green- 

 house and hot-house plants to be propagated in this 

 way. Plant cuttings for the same end. (2063.) 



Green-house. (6211.) Make no fires unless the 

 thermometer, in the open air, falls to 35 deg. ; 

 45 deg. with fire-heat will be a good medium heat 

 in this month. Begin to propagate by cuttings. 

 (6627.) 



Dry-stove. (6176.) A good medium heat for this 

 month will be 55 deg. which may be kept up with 

 very little fire-heat. Give water moderately, but 

 see that what you do give wets the earth, and does 

 not escape between the ball and the edge of the 

 pot. Give air freely in fine weather. 



Bark, or moist stove. (6214.) Give air in general, 

 as in last month. If you wish to promote a vigor- 

 ous growth, shift your plants into a rich compost, 

 water over the top about three o'clock, and then shut 

 the house close up for the night. Do this only when 

 the temperature has been up to 80 deg. (2205.) 



8. Pleasure-ground and shrubbery. 



Plant (2077.) deciduous trees and shrubs, also de- 

 ciduous hedges ; finish as early as possible, unless 



the season be unusually backward. Evergreens of 

 the hardier sorts towards the end of the month. 

 (6541. and 6572.) 



Prune (2110.) deciduous trees and cut hedges, and 

 finish this work as early as possible. In pruning 

 plants, where the chief object is their flowers, 

 attend to their mode of bearing these. In short, 

 never begin to cut a tree before having a clear and 

 distinct idea of what you wish to attain — is it 

 health, shape, size, leaves, shoots, flowers, or roots ? 



Dress winter and autumn dug shrubberies. 

 Mulch, stake, water, and attend to neatness. (2359.) 

 Dress and roll turf and gravel ; attend to the mar- 

 gins with the turf-raser. (1317.) 



Form and repair gravel-walks. In some situations 

 imitation gravel-walks require to be turned every 

 two or three years and partially renewed. (1960.) 



9. Trees. — Nursery department. 



Fruit-trees. Sow kernels for stocks ; lay the vine 

 and the fig (4808. and 4848 ) ; plant cuttings and eyes 

 of the vine in the open air, or in pots, to be placed 

 in a moist heat. Graft towards the middle of the 

 month, or sooner or later, according to the season. 

 Plant out seedling stocks in nursery rows. (7031.) 

 Head down newly budded and grafted trees not 

 intended to be removed. (2039.) 



Ornamental trees and shrubs. Sow seeds of the 

 hardier sorts. Evergreens may be sown in the last 

 week. Finish laying deciduous kinds, plant cuttings 

 and suckers, and graft some rare sorts towards the 

 end of the month. Plant out layers, cuttings, and 

 suckers in nurserv rows. (7031.) 



Forest trees. (6982.) Sow nuts, keys, and berries, 

 and also birch and alder seed. In the last fortnight 

 begin to sow evergreens. Plant cuttings, suckers, 

 &c. as in February. Plant out from the seed-bed or 

 cutting-border in nursery lines. Dig between the 

 rows of trees and shrubs not intended to be removed 

 this season. 



Weed, hoe, rake, and stir the surface in fine 

 weather. Dig between nursery lines, where the 

 plants are not to be removed. (6982. to 7031.) 



Shelter and protect from cold, birds, and vermin. 

 (2206. and 2289.) 



10. Trees. — Permanent plantations and 

 park-scenery. 



Plant all sorts of deciduous trees and shrubs, the 

 Scotch pine and larch firs. (6983.) Towards the end 

 plant most sorts of evergreens. (6572.) Hedges of 

 evergreens. Fill up blanks in plantations of two or 

 more years' standing. 



Head down trees intended to stole for underwood, 

 or to produce single leaders for timber-trees or 

 poles. (6829 and 6894.) 



Fell and thin trees and copse ; but the barking 

 sorts not till the end of the month, when they will 

 part with the bark. (6941.) 



Sow forests and woods ; about the middle of the 

 month is a good time, as the crow*, rooks, and other 

 vermin will be less likely to annoy the seeds, having 

 the farmer's progeny to attack. (6828.) 



Operations on ground, and masonry, may now go 

 on with the utmost vigor; the days having attained 

 a sufficient length, and the weather being generally 

 dry : external brick walls for gardens, however, 

 are better deferred till May, when all danger from 

 frost will be over. 



APRIL. 



Weather 



Average of 

 the Ther- 

 mometer. 



London - I 49 9 

 Edinburgh ; 46 3 

 Dublin - i 51 125 



Greatest 

 Variation 

 from the 

 Average. 



Average 



of the 



Barometer. 



Quantity 

 of Rain. 



77 



873 



909 



1-460 inch. 



2-414 



2-561 



REMARKS. 



The weather of this month is distinguished by the rapidity 

 of its changes. It is generally stormy, interspersed with 

 gleams of sunsliine, hail, snow, some frost, and occasion- 

 ally violent storms of wind. Fruit-tree blossoms and 

 half-hardy plants require protection and particular at 

 tention during this month. The young gardener, while 

 I at work, may study the gemmation and foliation of trees, 

 | and the gaiety and delicacy of newly expanded foliage. 



1. Kalendar of animated nature round 

 London. 



In the first week: the viper {Coluber berus) and 

 woodlouse (Oniscus asellus) appear; the mistletoe- 

 thrush (Turdus viscivorus) pairs ; frogs {Ranee) croak 

 and spawn ; and moths (Phalcenai) appear. 



Second week : the stone curlew (Charadnus cedic- 

 nemus) clamors; young frogs {Rana temporaria) 

 appear ; the nheasant (Phasianus) crows ; the trout 

 (Salmo truita) rises ; and spiders (Aranea) abound. 



Third week ; the crested wren {Motacilla resulus) 

 sings ; the blackbird (Turdus merula), raven (Corvus 

 corax), pigeon (Columba domestica), hen (Phasianus 

 gallus), and duck (Anas boscha) sit; various insects 

 appear ; and the feldfare ( Turdus pilaris) is still here. 



Fourth week .- the swallow (Hirundo rustica) re- 

 turns; the nightingale (Motacilla lucinia) sings; 

 the bittern (Ardea rotellaria) makes a noise ; the 

 house-martin (Hirundo urbica) appears ; the black- 

 cap (Motacilla atracapilla) whistles; and the common 

 snake (Coluber natrix) appears. 



