February March 



pans. Sow very thinly in a temperature of 60 or 65, and get the 

 plants into thumb-pots while they are quite small. 



Turjiip may be sown on warm borders, but it is too early yet 

 for large breadths in open quarters. 



MARCH 



THIS is the great season for garden work, and the gardener must be 

 up with the lark and go to bed with the robin, which is the latest of 

 birds to bid farewell to a sunny day. The first care should be to 

 make good all arrears, especially in the preparation of seed-beds, and 

 the cleaning of plots that are in any way disorderly. Where early- 

 sown crops have evidently failed, sow again without complaining ; 

 seed costs but little, and a good plant is the earnest of a good crop ; 

 a bad plant will probably never pay the rent of the ground it occupies. 

 Keen east winds may cause immense damage, but a little protection 

 provided in time will do wonders to ward off their effects, and the 

 sunny days that are now so welcome, and that we are pretty sure to 

 have, will afford opportunity for giving air to plants in frames, for 

 clearing away litter, and for the regular routine work of the season. 



Almost every kind of seed sown in the vegetable garden may be 

 sown in the month of March. Make successional sowings of what- 

 ever it may be advisable to put under cover or on heat, and then pro- 

 ceed with open-ground sowings as weather and circumstances permit. 

 The weather is the master of outdoor work, and it is sheer waste of 

 time to fight against it. It is better to wait to the end of the month, 

 or even far into the next, before sowing a seed than to sow on pasty 

 ground. But it matters not how dry the ground may be, and if 

 the wind blows keenly, that should only be an inducement to brisk 

 action ; for seeds well sown have everything in their favour if they 

 are not too early for the district. Very important indeed it is now 

 to secure a 



Hot-bed. To make one is easy enough, but it is of no use to 

 half make it ; for half-acres in this department do not bear good corn. 

 In the first place, secure a great bulk of manure, and if it is long 

 and green, turn it two or three times, taking care that it is always 

 moderately moist, but never actually wet. If the stuff is too dry, 

 sprinkle with water at every turn, and let it steam away to take the 

 rankest fire out of it. Then make it up where required in a square 

 heap, allowing it to settle in its own way without treading or beating. 



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