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A MONTHLY CALENDAR OF OPEEATIONS. 



THE nature of this work precludes the necessity of giving a copious 

 calendar of operations ; still it would be incomplete without one : 

 we shall therefore briefly state what should be done in each month, 

 and the reader can refer to the body of the work for the practical 

 details. 



JANUARY. 



VEGETABLE DEPARTMENT. 



Artichokes secure from frost, if not yet done. Asparagus plant 

 on a hotbed twice in the month, to keep up a succession. Carrot 

 sow on a slight hotbed. Cauliflower sow in a box, and place in a 

 forcing-house, to provide plants in succession to the autumn-sowed, 

 and to make up blanks should any of the latter have failed. Celery 

 protect during severe weather. Cucumbers prepare a seed-bed for 

 sowing next month ; renew the linings of the fruiting-beds ; keep them 

 made up above the surface of the soil in the frame. French Beans 

 sow in pots for forcing a batch once a fortnight. Mint and other 

 herbs take up and plant in pots or boxes, and place them in a forcing- 

 house. Potatoes plant on a slight hotbed. Radishes sow on a slight 

 hotbed, or in the same frame with potatoes. Rhubarb take up old 

 roots, and plant in boxes or pots ; place them in a forcing or mush- 

 room-house ; Sea-kale ditto ; Asparagus ditto. 



FRUIT DEPARTMENT. 



Pinery maintain a temperature in the fruiting-house of from 70 

 to 75 by day, and from 65 to 75 by night ; succession-house, from 

 5 to 8 lower; nursing-pits about 60. Vinery commence forcing 

 for fruit in June ; begin with a temperature of 45 ; gradually increase 

 in the first month to 55 min. Peach-house commence forcing for 

 fruit in May ; begin with a temperature of 45. Cherry -house com- 

 mence forcing with a temperature of 40 min. by night. Orchard- 

 house protect fruit trees in pots from being frozen with a covering of 

 litter. Prune, and paint the trees with a mixture of paint formed of 

 sulphur, soot, and lime, dissolved in a strong solution of soft-soap, or 

 Gishurst's compound; top-dress or renew the borders; plant fruit 

 trees. Figs plants in pots may now be placed in a vinery. Straw- 

 berries take plants in pots into a forcing-house or pit twice in the 

 month. Prune the apple, pear, plum, cherry, gooseberry, currant, 

 and raspberry, if the weather is not severe. Nail and tie wall and 

 espalier trees. 



