158 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



variegata, is a very prettily marked dwarf- 

 growing variety. The plant as shown in 

 the cut is only about four inches in height 

 and a little broader, but its prettily marked, 

 fleshy, pale green leaves that are delicately 

 striped and shaded with white and pink, 

 makes this diminutive type of these plants 

 very conspicuous and pretty when placed so 

 as to contrast with plants having different 

 colored foliage. This variety succeeds best 

 kept in the window all the time, and must 

 not be potted very frequently or given too 

 much water, especially in winter. 



Fuchsias must be syringed once or twice 

 a week to keep down red spider. 



Cuttings of geraniums, fuchsias, lantanas 

 and similar plants will strike now if placed 

 in sand. Care must be taken not to keep 

 cuttings continually soddened with water. It 

 is better to place them a little in the shade 

 if they wilt, than to deluge them with water 

 all the time to keep them from drooping. 



The Garden. — The bulb beds can usually 

 be uncovered about the middle of the month 

 without any fear of injury from frosts to 

 their occupants. 



Shrubs and all tender plants, that have 

 been covered up or protected during the 

 winter, can have their winter covering re- 

 moved by degrees. Sudden exposure to sun 

 and air is sometimes detrimental to many 

 delicate plants, after being closely covered 

 during the winter. 



All rubbish and leaves should be raked up 

 and burned. The ashes will make a good 

 fertilizer for use in the fruit, flower or veg- 

 etable garden. 



Sow sweet peas in drills three inches deep 

 as soon as the ground can be worked. 

 Early sowings of these usually give the best 

 results. 



Give the herbaceous border and all small 

 fruits — except strawberries — a coat of rotten 

 manure ; this should be forked under the 

 ground as soon as convenient. Strawberrv 



plants should have their winter covering 

 removed. 



Hardy rose bushes should be pruned at 

 once, if not already done. These should 

 also have a coat of manure or some bone 

 dust forked in around them, before growth 

 commences. 



In the vegetable garden the asparagus 

 bed will require the first attention. Fork it 

 carefully over as soon as possible, and give 

 it a good dressing of salt and nitrate of soda, 

 as recommended at page 32 in the January 

 number of Journal. 



Plant artichokes as soon as you can, after 

 the frost is out of the ground. Whole, un- 

 cut sets of these nutritious, but little used, 

 vegetables must be planted to secure a crop. 

 Plant the sets four inches deep, and eighteen 

 inches apart in the rows. The rows should 

 be about three feet apart. 



If early cabbage and cauliflower plants 

 have been grown, they can be planted out 

 about the end of the month, or early in May. 



A sowing of early and late varieties of 

 peas should be made as soon as the frost is 

 out of the ground. By sowing early and 

 late varieties together, successive pickings 

 are secured. 



Parsnips and onions should be sown as 

 soon as the soil can be raked without clog- 

 ging the rake. These cannot be sown too 

 early if the soil is in proper condition. Any 

 parsnips that were left in the ground during 

 the winter should be dug up and placed in 

 the cellar. These will be found to be in 

 splendid condition for the table, after being 

 subjected to a winter's frost, and are far 

 nicer flavored than those dug in the fall, 

 besides being more wholesome. 



A row or two of early carrots and beets 

 should be sown, the main crop of ihese 

 should be left a week or two later. 



Parsley seed is also best sown as early as 

 possible. Sow it thickly in drills about half 

 or three-quarters of an inch deep. The 



