THE DAWN OF SPRING 



A temperature of 50° to 55° will be suitable at this stage. March 

 Screens of tiffany or scrim (these are line forms of ^~^5 

 canvas sold by large seedsmen) or fish netting should 

 be prepared for placing in 

 front of outdoor Peaches 

 which are showing flower or 

 are in bloom. Early flower- 

 ing is not desirable out of 

 doors, and the canvas can 

 be used during sunshine to 

 keep the buds back ; also, 

 when the flowers actually 

 open, to protect them from . ' 

 frost at night. Disbud later 

 trees (see Fig. 34). 



Apricots may be protected 

 in the same way as Peaches 

 and Nectarines. 



Strawberries. — Forcing 

 under glass, and planting 

 in the open, may continue 

 as in the latter half of 

 February. The hints given 

 there apply. In thinning the 



berries, first remove any under-sized or badly-shaped 

 ones. Liquid manure will be helpful to the plants 

 which are swelling up their crop. The various pro- 

 prietary fertilisers sold by the seedsmen are good, and 

 so is superphosphate, used at the rate of an ounce per 

 gallon of water. 



Vegetables 



In light soils, and on warm sites, the sowing of various 

 kinds of vegetables may proceed, notably Peas, Broad 

 137 



Fig. 34.— Disbudding Peaches, 



Fig. I shows at a the young buds to 

 retain, and at b those to remove ; 

 c, flower buds. 



Fig. 2, the branch duly disbudded. 



Fig. 3, a fully developed flower. 



Fig. 4, a shoot bud growing freely. 



