housewife's department. 625 



HOUSEWIFE'S DEPARTMENT. 



Kitchen Garden Calendar — April. — If the season ia propitious, the gardener should now 

 be active, and prepare his grounds for planting and sowing the more hardy vegetables — there is 

 advantage in early cropping in light soils, transplanted plants root more readily, and seeds vege- 

 tate with greater certainty, especially in dry seasons. On heavy land we can hardly recommend 

 hasty action ; if the soil be prematurely worked, it is apt to retain traces of it, and remain stub- 

 born throughout the season ; it is therefore better to defer labor on such soils until it is sufficiently 

 dry to crumble : if all is favorable, we may proceed as follows : 



Alexanders, sow. Angelica, sow. Artichokes, plant or dress. Asfaragus, sow, plant, force, 

 and dress beds. j5a/m, plant. Basil, sow. Beans, sow, hoe. Beets, sow. 5oreco/e, sow, prick 

 out. leave for seed. Broccoli, sow. Borage, sow. Burnets, sow and plant. Cabbages, sow, 

 plant. Capsicum, sow. Cardoons, sow. Carraicay, sow. Carrots, sow, weed. Canli- 

 fiowers, late, sow in open ground. Celery, sow, leave for seed. Chamomile, plant. Chives, 

 plant. Cliervel, sow, leave lor seed. Coleirorts, plant. Clary, sow. Cress, sow. Cvcumbers, 

 sow. Dill, sow. Earthing-vp, attend to. Fennel, sovir or plant. Finochio, sow. Garlic, plant. 

 Horse-radish, plant. Hol-heds, make and attend. Hyssop, sow, plant. Jerusalem Artichokes, 

 plant. Kale (Sea,) sow and plant, dress beds. Kidney beans (dwarfs,) sow ; (runners,) sow. 

 Lavender, plant. Leeks, sow, leave for seed. Lettuces, sow weekly, plant from frames. Mari- 

 golds, sow. Marjoram, sow and plant. Melons, sow. Mustard and Cress, sow, leave for seed. 

 Mushroom beds, make, attend to. Mint, plant. Nasturtivms, sow. Onions, sow, weed, plant 

 and leave for seed. Parsley, sow, leave for seed, (Hamburgh,) sow. Parsnips, sow, hand- weed. 

 Peas, sow, hoe, stick. Pennyroyal, plant. PuTnpkins. sow. Potatoes, plant, attend forcing. 

 Purslane, sow. Radishes, sow, thin. Rape, sow. Rocambole, plant. Rue, plant. Salsify 

 and Savory, sow. Scorzonera and Skirre/s, sow. Shallots and Sage, plant. Sorrels, sow 

 and plant. Spinach, sow, thin, leave for seed. Tansy and Tarragon, plant. Thyme, sow and 

 plant. Tomatoes, sow. Turnips, sow, plant and for seed. Turnip-Cabbages, sow. Wartn- 

 ■woode, sow. 



Ln the Carolinas and SaiUhward, plant beans, sow some peas in order to have an uninter- 

 rupted succes.siou — spring-sown cabbage will now be fit to transplant — manure well if you ex- 

 pect fine heads ; the plants set out in Februai-y and March will require culture, deep tillage is 

 demanded by the cabbage tribe — about the middle or latter end of this month sow drumhead, 

 flat Dutch and drumhead Savoy cabbage-seed for plants, to be set out in June — cauliflowers and 

 broccoli maybe sown. The carrots, parsnips, beets, &;c., previously sown are now advancing in 

 growth and should receive the necessary care ; each of the roots named may now be sown — 

 email onions set out in autumn and winter will shortly be fit for use — sow leeks for winter use ; 

 turnips sown last month should be hoed and thinned — asparagus is now in season, hoe over the 

 beds to exterminate the weeds, the few heads which will be cut off are of no account compared 

 with the good service of the hoe ; draw up earth to the potato vines — .sow radishes, the white 

 summer and yellow turnips are the best for this season ; lettuce may be transplanted, or drilled 

 where intended to head ; sow celery — plant more cucumbers and melons, also squashes — also 

 okra, if not already in. The vigilant gardener will keep his eye upon the weeds — an hour's work 

 now will equal a day's when the ground gets foul. 



Green-House Calendar — April. — Air, admit daily as weather permits. Camellias, sow 

 and graft. Earth in pots stir frequently ; and add fresh if not done in March. Grcenfiy or Aphis 

 usuafly indicates the house has been kept too cold. Hardiest Plants keep in coldest parts of 

 house, near the ventilators. Head down irregular growing shrubs. Heat, increase if necessary. 

 In-arch shrubby exotics. Leaves and Wood decayed, remove as they appear ; clean with sponge 

 or syringe. Liquid Manure apply to sickly shrubs. Potted Plants, shilt as they require room ; 

 and water immediately. Propagate by seeds, cuttings, in-arching, and other modes, as the 

 species permit. Prune or pinch off" free growing shoot.s, to make shrubby growths. Succulent 

 plants shift ; plant cuttings and suckers. Water often, guided always hy the plant' .s habits. 



Flower Garden Calendar — April. — Annuals (Tender), prick out those sown in February 

 and March into a hot-bed, water often, sow in hotbed; (Hardy), may be sown in borders. &c., to 

 remain ; thin those advancing. Auriculas in bloom, shelter. (See Hyacinth). Supply with 

 water often ; those for seed, plunge pots in a sheltered border, -where they can have sun until 

 eleven o'clock, plant offsets, propagate bj- slips, seedling shade during mid-day. Anemones and 

 Auriculas done flowering, take up and separate oft'sets. Bo.r edging may be made, and old taken 

 np, slipped and replanted. Biennials, finish sowina: ; plant out those sown last spring. Bulbs, 

 in water glasses, done flowering, plant in ground after cutting down stalks: autumn flowering, 

 take up and store, ready for planting in July ; spring flowering, remove from borders to some 

 place where they can complete their vegetation ; their decayed leaves are unsifhtly. Carnations 

 in pots give liquid manure, and water often, stir the earth ; sow, plant into borders. Climbing 

 plants, train and regulate. Dahlias, plant to remain, or in ])ot.^ to forward in a frame until May. 

 Drcs.'i the border". &c., indefatig.ibly. Kvm^reo's phmt : it is the best si-.ison. Frames, raise, by 

 Bupporterg at the bottom, as the ])lant.-< within frrow t;ill. lloll. trim eciiri^s, dress with earth if 

 poor. Gravel, turn and l.ny afresh in drv weather, foil once a week. Hyacinths, shelter from 

 (96.3) 



