PROPAGATOR'S CALENDAR. 587 



appear, and these should be removed. Thus treated, young bulbs are 

 developed in the axils of the lower leaves. 



Plant and Fruit Houses. This is a good season to insert cuttings of 

 Heaths, Epacris, and other hard-wooded plants ; and cuttings of Cucum- 

 bers may now be struck in small pots of sawdust plunged in a bottom-heat 

 of 75 to 80, and will come in handy for late crops of fruit. Dahlia 

 cuttings may still be inserted with success, as also may Chrysanthemums 

 for small late-blooming pot-plants. Experiments in herbaceous grafting 

 may now be tried with a view to future operations on a larger scale. For 

 certain subjects this plan is very advantageous, but the operation should be 

 conducted in a close propagating- case to insure success. Sow all kinds of 

 imported seeds if not done earlier, such as Palms, stove-plants, Bromeliads, 

 Cycads, Fern spores, &c. Propagate Fuchsias and Pelargoniums of all 

 kinds for successional flowering in pots. Sow seeds of Vinca (Catharan- 

 thus) rosea in heat, if not already done. Spring-sown seeds make nice 

 little flowering specimens in the autumn. Petrcea volubilis may be grafted 

 on pieces of its own roots, if not done already. It is a beautiful purple- 

 flowered plant belonging to the Verbenacese ; and being allied to Cleroden- 

 dron, it would be interesting to know whether scions of the Petrcea would 

 succeed worked on cuttings or roots of the Clerodendron. Chinese Primula 

 seeds may now be sown for blooming after Christmas. Sow in shallow, 

 well-drained boxes, or if in pans, choose old ones which are thoroughly 

 soaked with moisture. New seed-pans absorb all the moisture from the 

 soil around the edges, and the seed rarely germinates near the sides of the 

 pan owing to this dryness. If the delicate seeds of Primula, Calceolaria, 

 and many other plants once become thoroughly dry after having been 

 soaked through, they never germinate; and many fail with them from 

 this cause. 



JUNE. 



Kitchen and Hardy -Fruit Garden. Successional crops may still be 

 sown of Beans, last crop, Broccoli (Walcheren), Cabbage for Coleworts, 

 Carrot (Early Horn), Cress, Endive, French Beans, Lettuce, Mustard, 

 Onions, Peas (Marrow and early sorts), Radish, Runner Beans, Spinach, 

 and Turnips. Grafted trees should be now again looked over, and suckers 

 or robber shoots removed where the grafts have " taken ;" and where they 

 have failed, thin out the shoots ready for budding in autumn. Strawberries 

 for forcing may now be propagated by layering in pots. A sowing of 

 Peas may now be made for a late crop. Budding may be commenced in 

 favourable weather, especially if the season be moist, beginning first with 

 the earlier kinds of Pears, Apricots, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, and 

 Cherries. All large seeds sown during hot weather should be steeped in 

 tepid water for an hour or two before they are sown, and after they are 

 covered with soil in the seed beds or rows, give a thorough good soaking 

 with water and cover them with mats or other light covering, which will 

 prevent undue evaporation from the soil and the ravages of birds : the 

 covering must be carefully removed as soon as the young plants appear. 



Flower- Garden and Shrubbery. Many hardy plants may now be pro- 

 pagated by cuttings and layers. Now is a good time for layering Car- 

 nations and inserting cuttings or pipings of Pinks, &c. Sow Brompton 

 Stocks and Wallflowers if not already done. Seeds of hardy Primroses and 

 Polyanthus succeed well sown now, if not sown in the spring. Carefully 



