THE GARDEN CALENDAR 97 



Whenever, then, the well-drained soil breaks kindly at the invitation 

 of the spading-fork, plunge it in to the crosshead with even motion 

 digging deeply and by dexterous flips with the points secure the 

 evenly broken surface which delights the eye of the true gardener. 

 Rake lightly and not too finely, for there are heavy rains to come and 

 . a degree of coarseness in the surface is a partial escape from undue 

 compacting. Do not clean the ground before spading; litter it rather 

 with manure and with the weeds which are cleaned from the walks. 

 All this vegetable refuse, together with the grass and weeds which are 

 growing on the space itself, should be dug deeply into the soil to in- 

 crease its humus and to promote richness and friability. Then plant 

 everything except the few things which insist on frost freedom. All 

 the things which on the seedmen's packets are marked "hardy" and 

 "half hardy" are safe in February in California, except in low frosty 

 places in the valleys and on the mountains. 



If the pruning of shrubs earlier in the season has been neglected, as 

 is apt to be the case in- the amateur's garden, do it now. Cut out the 

 weak old wood and shorten the growth of the previous year to good 

 strong wood buds which will now be swelling. Such a bud on the rose 

 will bring a shoot which will bloom in May. 



Take cuttings for new rose bushes now if you have not done it 

 already, for dormant wood will root well and bloom soon after the 

 bush from which it was taken. Put in all common geranium cuttings 

 even the current growth will root readily. Multiply all common 

 border plants like violets which grow by division of the roots. 



February is a good month to do anything in the garden which has 

 been overlooked earlier in the rainy season and nearly everything also 

 from which one can look forward with keen anticipation, for much of 

 the satisfaction of the coming months will depend upon what is well 

 done in February. 



If you have not already planted out roses and hardy shrubs from the 

 nurseries do it now. Keep the spring-flowering bulbs growing well 

 with manure and water if the rains are light. Continue planting such 

 bulbs as gladioli, -watsonia, etc., and plant seed or trans-plant, the whole 

 list of herbaceous perennials. Start pansies, stocks, etc., in the boxes 

 for later planting out. Continue starting carnations from cuttings and 

 by all means plant out irises, if it has not been undertaken earlier. 

 Watch for plant lice on all plants nearly and dose them with soap 

 sprays or insect powders. An early killing lessens later trouble. 



MARCH. 



The lion and lamb combination of weather conditions which character- 

 izes the month of March in wintry climates is unknown in California. 

 There is no contest between lengthening days, with more direct sun rays, 

 and northerly blasts and the temperature advances evenly and sometimes 



