FEBRUARY. 



592 



FEBRUARY. 



broken with a rake occasionally, or, what 

 is better, generally stirred with a fork, 

 before the plants appear. Borders similarly 

 furnished require the same treatment. This 

 not only imparts additional neatness, but, 

 by breaking the crust, enables the plant to 

 appear more easily and speedily, and in 

 dry weather it considerably modifies the 

 power of the frost. Beds planted with her- 

 baceous plants, as well as herbaceous 

 borders, will be benefited by similar treat- 

 ment, provided they were dug early in 

 November. Finish digging among her- 

 baceous plants, circumscribing, dividing, 

 rearranging, and replanting all where neces- 

 sary, during mild weather. 



Crocuses. At this period, mice and 

 sparrows will do much mischief to crocuses, 

 and care must be taken, by plunging jars, 

 half filled with water, in the earth, to serve 

 as traps for the former, and spreading 

 light netting or other protecting medium 

 over the surface to keep off the latter, to 

 protect the corms from injury in this re- 

 spect as far as possible. 



Frost, Precautions against Effect of. 

 The earth round the collars of all plants 

 is loosened by frost, and when the frost 

 has been severe and lasting, some plants 

 will be found even to be raised slightly out 

 of the ground when a thaw takes place. 

 Therefore, after frost, press the earth firmly 

 about carnations, pinks, pansies, primroses, 

 polyanthuses, aubrietias, daisies, arabis, 

 myosotis, and all plants of this kind, and 

 hardy autumn-sown annuals. 



Lawns. Ground that is to be sown for 

 lawns, &c., should now be well trenched 

 and drained if necessary. If the soil is 

 poor, the incorporation of some well- 

 rotted manure with the top spit' will im- 

 prove the quality and luxuriance of the 

 grass in time to come. 



Reserve Garden. If the weather continues 

 open, the following hardy annuals should 

 be sown during the month : 



Alyssum calycinum 



(Sweet A fyssum). 

 Bartonia aurea. 

 Calandrinia spe- 



ciosa. 



Calliopsis bicolor 

 atrosanguinea. 

 ,, Drummondii. 

 Chrysanthemum 



coronarium. 

 Collinsia bicolor. 



,, grandifiora. 

 Erysimum Perof- 



skianum 



Eschscrholtzia Call- 



fornica. 



,, crocea. 



crocea alba. 



Eutoca Manglesii. 



viscida. 

 Gilia tricolor. 

 ,, alba. 

 ,, rose a. 



Iberis coronana 



(Candy tuff). 

 ,, odorata. 

 ,, umbellata. 



alba, 



Leptosiphon andro- 

 saceus. 



,, densiilorus. 



,, flore albus. 



Limnanthes grandi- 



flora. 

 Nemophila ato- 



maria. 

 discoidalis. 

 insignis. 

 maculata. 

 Schizanthus pin- 

 natus (Fig. ). 

 Priestii. 

 porrigens. 

 Silene pendula. 

 Sphenogyne spe- 



ciosa. 

 Viscaria oculata. 



There are many other beautiful hardy 

 annuals, some of which, such as the lupines, 

 had better not be sown till March. Only 

 half the packets of the above seeds should 

 be sown in February, and the other half 

 reserved for a second sowing, either in the 

 reserve garden or on the borders and beds 

 where they are to bloom. Those sown 

 during March or the beginning of April are 

 more to be depended on than the earlier 

 sowings. However, the above will prove 

 quite hardy in ordinary seasons, unless 

 the frost is very severe just as they are 

 coming through the ground ; in that case, 

 some slight protection should be afforded 

 them. Hence one great advantage of sow- 

 ing all early seeds in the reserve garden, 

 where any necessary shelter may easily be 

 provided. With the exception of ten-week 

 stocks, which should be sown in pots or a 

 frame at once, the sowing of all other 

 tender or half-hardy annuals may safely be 

 deferred to next month. 



Roses t Dressing. The rose is a gross 

 feeder, and requires a liberal amount of 

 manure in order to induce it to bloom 

 effectively. Roses should have a plentiful 

 top dressing in February. Nothing is too 

 rich for the rose ; even night-soil may be 

 applied as well as farmyard manure of any 



