APRIL. 



629 



APRIL. 



abundant ventilation in fine weather, with 

 a little shade when the sun's rays are hot. 

 Liberal watering will be required, especi- 

 ally for polyanthuses. 



Bedding -out Plants. Cuttings of all 

 soft -wooded plants should now be struck 

 in great numbers for bedding out. They 

 root and grow freely in hotbeds. 



Calceolarias, Verbenas , <5rV. In gardens 

 where there is no greenhouse, and recourse 

 is had of necessity to the hotbed and frame 

 for rearing and maintaining bedding plants 

 wherewith to furnish the garden in the 

 summer, the pits, &c., will probably be 

 full of calceolarias, verbenas, and gera- 

 niums. But other things are wanted be- 

 sides these, and when March has come to 

 an end, the calceolarias and verbenas, at 

 all events, must be transferred to cold 

 frames, which will afford sufficient protec- 

 tion to them until the time comes for their 

 final transfer to the beds and borders. 



Dahlias. These may still be started in 

 hotbeds, in order to get cuttings, and the 

 young plants should be obtained in this 

 manner before geraniums, pelargoniums, 

 <fcc., which may wait for propagation until 

 May, if there be lack of room, as there 

 doubtless will be in small gardens. 



Petunias, &c. When calceolarias, ver- 

 benas, &c. (which see above), have been 

 transplanted, a portion of the available pits 

 and hotbeds will be set at liberty for raising 

 any of the tender annuals, as Phlox Drum- 

 mondii, ricinus, amaranthus, portulacas, 

 zinnias, and Perilla Nankinensis, and for 

 raising from seeds or multiplying by offsets, 

 lobelias, petunias, &c. An example of the 

 double petunia is given in the accompany- 

 ing illustration. 



2. FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. 

 There is no necessity to discriminate be- 

 tween vegetables and fruit raised in frames, 

 for the fruits that are raised by this mode 

 of culture are but few in number, and 

 widely different in character from tree fruit. 



Asparagus. This should be watered 

 with weak liquid manure ; but care should 

 be taken not to overdue it. Be rather 

 sparing of stimulants than otherwise. 



Cucumbers. Plants in growing condi- 

 tion require more air in the daytime as 

 the sun acquires more power. Healthy 

 plants will bear the full light without 

 shading ; if they droop under its influence 

 while air is given freely, something is wrong 

 at the roots or collar, and fresh plants 

 should be raised to supersede them, pro- 

 vided they do not recover. Air should be 

 admitted, in proportion to the weather, and 

 as this varies every day, more or less, 

 watchfulness and care are necessary. Peg 

 down the bines, and pinch off shoots that 

 are not wanted, and all shoots above the 

 fruit ; add fresh soil and fresh linings out- 

 side as required. Fresh cucumbers should 

 be started for successions. 



Melons. Syringe occasionally with water 

 of a temperature rather higher than that of 

 the bed ; pinch off all shoots not wanted, 

 so that the strength of the plant can go 

 into the fruit. Fresh melons should be 

 started for successions. The heat of the 

 dung now lasts longer than in previous 

 months of the year, and is not counteracted 

 by severe frosts, and the sun begins to 

 yield more heat ; the days also are longer ; 

 the plants receive more light, and conse- 

 quently are likely to be more stocky and 

 short -jointed, the dung, however, being well 

 prepared, as formerly described. Much 

 time is saved by raising the plants in pots 

 upon the fruiting bed already going ; if 

 none are in operation, make a small bed 

 with part of the dung, and cover it with a 

 small frame or hand-glass, as formerly 

 described. Hotbeds at this time of thr 

 year are of the greatest importance in 

 gardens where other appliances for raising 

 seeds are limited. The most tender plants 

 may be raised from seed, and cuttings of 

 almost all plants strike root most readilv 



