390 SEASONAL REMINDERS 



trees. Thin out the peach trees well, taking care to 

 remove all the dead wood. If you have much pruning to 

 do in apple, pear or plum orchards, you will save time by 

 utilizing the warm days now. Study well the different 

 methods of pruning. Never let an itinerant pruner touch 

 your trees until you are satisfied that he understands his 

 business. 



Tools can now be inspected and repaired, and any new 

 ones that are needed made or ordered. 



FEBRUARY 



Cabbage. Sow seed of Jersey Wakefield in flats filled 

 with light, loamy soil the last week of this month. Sow 

 thinly, cover lightly, and place the boxes in a gentle hot- 

 bed or any warm, sunny situation. When the plants are 

 strong, transplant them into flats 1% inches apart each 

 way. As growth begins, gradually expose them to the 

 open air on all favorable occasions. Late in March re- 

 move them to a coldframe, and properly harden them off 

 before setting them in the open ground. 



Celery. We urgently advise every one who has a garden, 

 large or small, to make a trial of the new celery-culture. 

 You need, first, good plants. Get some seed of White 

 Plume or Golden Self -Blanching, and sow it thickly in 

 flats filled with fine loam. Cover by sifting a thin layer of 

 sand or fine soil over it, and firm well. Keep in a moder- 

 ately warm place, watering as needed, until plants appear. 

 If you have a number of flats, they may be placed on top 

 of one another. At the first sign of plant -growth, bring 

 the flats gradually to the light. When the plants are 1% 

 or 2 inches high, transplant them into other flats, setting 

 them in rows 2% inches apart, the plants half an inch 

 apart in the rows. Then set the flats in a coldframe 

 until the plants are large enough to plant out in the open 

 ground. 



Hotbeds for raising early plants should be made this 

 month. Always break the manure up fine and tread it 

 down well. Be sure to put enough in the center of beds, 

 so that there will be no sagging. Fresh manure of hard- 

 worked and well-fed horses, free from dry litter, is best. 

 An addition of leaves used for bedding will serve to pro- 

 duce a more moderate but more lasting heat. Sheep - 

 manure may also be added to the horse -manure, should 

 there be a scant supply of the latter on hand. 



