MARCH. 



606 



MARCH. 



otherwise prove troublesome as the year 

 advances. 



February. Shrubbery. 



Pointing Ground. Where digging has 

 to be performed, it should assume the 

 character of pointing. Among shrubs, 

 this operation should be performed by 

 running the spade along the whole length, 

 about 3 inches beneath the surface, and 

 inverting it. This process buries the 

 leaves and rubbish without injuring the 

 roots. 



Treatment of Shrubs. Push forward the 

 digging and clearing of shrubberies. The 

 great point in the management of shrub- 

 beries, however, is so to plant, prune, 

 and train the shrubs, as to / encbr these 

 operations unnecessary. The raw edges 

 and masses of bare soil that render digging 

 and cleaning an injurious necessity, also 

 mar the beauty and grandeur of masses of 

 shrubs. As a rule, their branches should 

 sweep the edges of the turf, and the culture 

 of herbaceous plants should never be at- 

 tempted among them. The growth of 

 rshrubs should also be regulated by pruning 

 and training as the cleaning proceeds. 

 Common laurels and lilacs will often be 

 found overriding rhododendrons or other 

 shrubs. The most worthless should always 

 be removed or boldly cut in. Rhododen-' 

 drons are often very effective as margins 

 to masses of other shrubs, and they are 

 invaluable in groups by themselves. No 

 collection of shrubs is complete without 

 .them. 



MARCH. 



Aspect and Character of 

 Month. 



The increased temperature during this 

 month is chiefly observable during the 

 day ; it is still variable, advancing, as 

 it were, by starts ; but the mean tem- 



perature of the month is about six degrees 

 higher than February, although the ther- 

 mometer ranges from 28 to 53, including 

 the night and day temperature, the mean 

 maximum being 49 9', and the mean 

 minimum 40 49'. 



March. C onservatory, Work 

 in. 



Camellias. Camellias in full flower in 

 the conservatory must not be too liberally 

 watered at the roots ; although during the 

 expansion of a heavy crop of buds, the 

 demand on their roots is very great. Clear, 

 weak manure water will excite them gently; 

 it must, however, be both clear and weak, 

 or it will do harm rather than good, for 

 they seem to have no power of assimilating 

 ^ross food. The blossoms must on no 

 account be rubbed, touched, or wetted ; 

 they show at once any bruise or spot of 

 water on their clear and distinct and deli- 

 cate petals. Two buds can scarcely be 

 held in the hand at the same time without 

 injury. In cutting the flowers, therefore, 

 each should be placed separate in a basket 

 divided into small compartments, or in 

 pots filled with sand. 



Inarching. Immediately after camellias 

 have flowered is the best time for inarching 

 any indifferent or worthless variety with a 

 good sort. The operation of inarching is 

 very simple. Merely partly cut through 

 the bark into both stock and branch, and 

 unite the wounded parts, binding them 

 tightly together, and fix them securely in 

 one spot, excluding the air from the united 

 part : in two months they will be united 

 for better or worse. At this time, cut the 

 head off the stock, and leave it a few 

 weeks longer to make sure that the junc- 

 tion is perfect. Then cut off the branch, 

 and place the stock with its new head 

 amongst the others as an independent 

 plant. The operation is now completed. 

 Large bunches from 3 inches to 3 feet high 



