MARCH. 



614 



MARCH. 



month, of which a descriptive list will 

 be found in page 12. The following 

 cultural directions will be found useful : 

 Place a layer of 4 inches of leaf mould on 

 the top of the hotbed, then a layer of the 

 same depth of fine sifted soil, consisting of 

 equal parts loam, leaf mould, peat, and 

 sand. Sow the seeds in drills, formed 

 about a quarter of an inch deep, with the 

 point of a stick (for very small seeds of 

 an inch will suffice). Carefully sow, label, 

 and cover the seeds as you proceed. If the 

 soil was in a proper medium state in refer- 

 ence to moisture, and it is shaded from the 

 midday sun, no water will be necessary until 

 the seeds appear. The frame must not be 

 allowed to rise above 45 to 50, and should 

 never sink below 40. The atmosphere 

 should be changed daily by the admission 

 of air, and the surface of the soil looked 

 over frequently, to see if any mould or 

 fungus is making its appearance on the sur- 

 face of the soil. This must be at once 

 removed, and the spots where it appeared 

 dusted over with quicklime. With proper 

 treatment, most of the plants will appear 

 in from a week to a fortnight of the time of 

 sowing. 



Asparagus Slight hotbeds should still 

 be made for forcing asparagus, or the roots 

 may be placed on an old bed ; the old 

 lining removed, and fresh but prepared 

 linings applied to give the necessary heat. 

 If they are forced in a pit, let the dung be 

 well worked, laid in carefully, levelled and 

 beaten down, and filled high enough to 

 allow for sinking. At this time of the 

 year no other heat. than that supplied by 

 the dung in the pit will be necessary ; for 

 late spring forcing, brick pits are preferable, 

 on account of their cleanliness. 



Auriculas. As the power of the sun 

 increases, if the weather continues mild, 

 these plants might now have the benefit of 

 warm showers. The light should be drawn 

 off daily on fine days. When the weather 



is rough and boisterous, avoid cutting 

 draughts. See that the plants have plenty 

 of water, as they will now be throwing up 

 their flower stems. The plunging material 

 may be sprinkled, to keep up a moist, 

 genial atmosphere. Cover up securely from 

 frost, and shade for a few hours on bright 

 days ; take off offsets, and insert in a close 

 frame ; water with care until rooted. 

 Plants intended for showing should have 

 seven pips as level as possible, round and 

 well shaped ; any ill-shaped small pips may 

 be cut off to avoid crowding. 



Balsams. These beautiful flowers, with 

 coxcombs, thunbergias, rhodanthes, primu- 

 las, &c., may now be sown in pits or 

 frames. 



Capsicums, Tomatoes, &c. These may 

 be raised in the same manner as directed 

 for vegetable marrows. They may be 

 eventually planted out under a south wall, 

 or grown on and ripened in pots, frame, 

 pit, or greenhouse during the summer. 



Calceolarias. Cuttings of these kept in 

 cold pits during the winter for bedding out 

 purposes in the summer should have plenty 

 of air daily when the temperature is above 

 40, by withdrawing, during the day, the 

 light by which they are covered. The 

 tops should be pinched off to encourage 

 the formation of side shoots, and to render 

 them strong bushy plants for flowering. 



Cucumbers. Where cucumbers have not 

 already been started, it should be done 

 now, as formerly described, the manure 

 being shaken and turned over three or four 

 times ; for on this everything depends, the 

 heat lasts longer, and the plants are not 

 exposed to violent and irregular heating. 

 When the bed is made, some gardeners 

 recommend its being left a short time to 

 settle before putting on the frame and 

 lights, in order to prevent violent heating 

 and rapid sinking, from the additional 

 weight of the frame ; but if the bed has 

 been well turned and beaten down in the 



