February Dawning Spring 



accountable for flowerless plants. It is not likely that 

 the Oleander will continue to flourish and to flower unless 

 it is given liberal cultivation ; it must be repotted or given 

 a rich top-dressing of fresh soil annually. Only by induc- 

 ing it to grow strongly, and by endeavouring to get the 

 shoots firm and hard, can one hope to make it bloom 

 regularly. When the flower buds are developing small 

 growths usually push out around them, and if these are 

 not removed they make such progress as to cause the 

 flowers to wither away. It is best to repot as soon as the 

 flowers are over and to keep the plant in a warm, moist 

 atmosphere for some weeks to encourage fresh growth, 

 subsequently exposing it fully for the sake of the ripen- 

 ing, upon which the harvest of blossom is dependent. 



In the Fruit Garden 



Planting may still be carried out in mild weather, if 

 the soil is moderately dry, and all pruning ought to be 

 completed early in the month. As soon as the surface 

 soil is " workable " it should be forked over, and a dressing 

 of yard manure may be given with advantage. 



Autumn fruiting Raspberries are pruned now, the 

 canes or stems of last year's growth being shortened to 

 within a few inches of the ground. The fruits are pro- 

 duced by the stems of the current season, not, as is the 

 case with summer /ruiting Raspberries, by those of the 

 previous season. If the old shoots, which have borne 

 fruits, have not yet been cut away from such berried 

 fruits as Loganberry and Blackberry, no time should be 

 lost in carrying out the work ; the fresh stems, those of 

 last summer's growth, are tied to the supports. 



Fruit Trees under Glass. Vines and Peach trees 

 under glass start growing this month, even when the 

 glasshouse is unheated, providing it is in a sunny posi- 

 tion. Great care is needed in ventilating, to avoid ex- 

 tremes of temperature, and it is wise to admit a little air 



