JULY. 



666 



JULY. 



are wanted, to effect a change in the 

 arrangement, which will be found more 

 pleasing than adhering to one plan. For 

 the same reason, plants under verandahs, 

 or arranged for effect near the house, when 

 undergoing revision for the purpose of 

 adding fresh plants, will be more interest- 

 ing when variety in arrangement, or in the 

 kind of plants, is introduced as often as 

 they are changed. 



Bedding Plants. The first week or so 

 will be chiefly occupied by the usual 

 routine of pegging down plants intended 

 to be kept dwarf, tying others up, and 

 keeping the surface of the beds free from 

 weeds until it is covered by the growing 

 plants. If any bedding-out plants still 

 remain in the nursery beds, they should 

 be taken up with as much of the soil as 

 possible, and planted in their allotted 

 place in showery weather, if possible ; if 

 in dry weather, water copiously after trans- 

 planting. Beds of verbenas, and similar 

 plants require occasional syringing with 

 weak tobacco water. 



Bulbs. Bulbous plants which have 

 flowered should now be removed, the 

 offsets separated from them and placed 

 in dry earth to ripen ; and prepare for 

 planting again in October the small offsets 

 planted in a nursery bed, there to remain 

 for a year or two till they reach maturity. 

 Roots, bulbs, anemones, tulips, crocuses, 

 scillas, tritilerias, &c., which have been 

 out of ground some time to dry, should be 

 properly labelled, and put by till autumn. 



Carnations, Pinks, &c. If these flowers 

 are attacked by wireworm, place pieces of 

 potato just below the surface of the soil. 

 Examine these every morning, and a great 

 number can be thus caught and destroyed. 

 Carnations and pinks should now be pro- 

 pagated by pipings, and carnations by 

 layering. Tie carefully the spindling 

 shoots of carnations and picotees not 

 too tightly ; keep the pots free from weeds, 



and in dry weather do not let them suffer 

 from draught. Attend to the fertilisation 

 of pinks ; a very little attention to this 

 interesting operation will insure a good 

 crop of seeds, and by selecting only excel- 

 lent varieties, instead of trusting to chance 

 and gathering promiscuously, a much more 

 abundant success will be the result. Dis- 

 bud carnations and picotees when necessary 

 to insure fine blooms, and give occasional 

 doses of liquid manure. 



Dahlias. Attend sedulously to dahlias ; 

 tie as they require it, and give a good 

 supply of water. 



Fuchsias , Geraniums, <5rV. Fuchsias, 

 geraniums, and other plants in flower, 

 now require regular supplies of water. 

 Fuchsias going out of flower now, if the 

 leading shoots are shortened, and the 

 plants placed in a cool place in the shade, 

 will obtain a temporary rest and strength 

 for putting forth a fresh set of blooms in 

 autumn. 



Hollyhocks. Hollyhocks planted on 

 the lawn, whether singly or in groups, 

 should be staked in time ; in fact, they 

 should be staked when planted, and the 

 leaves and plants kept in a healthy state 

 by watering and syringing in hot and dry 

 weather. Some hollyhocks will now be in 

 bloom, and others advancing rapidly to 

 flower. Mulching will afford consider- 

 able assistance in prolonging the blooming 

 period. 



(Enotheras. Tie up cenotheras neatly. 

 CEnothera speciosa, planted pretty thickly 

 over the beds, will produce a fine mass of 

 white flowers, if trained so that they have 

 plenty of light and air, and watered abun- 

 dantly in dry weather; CEnothera macro- 

 carpa, and many other varieties of this 

 plant, better known as the Evening Prim- 

 rose, also, will well reward the labour. 



Ranunculuses. By the end of the 

 month seedling ranunculuses should be 

 taken from the pans or boxes in which 



