GARDENING. 



made by collecting fresh stable-dung, or 

 tanner's bark, while capable of affording a 

 great degree of heat. Over these beds, 

 which are sometimes framed in with wood- 

 work for masonry, fine soil is laid to the 

 depth of four, five, or six inches, or in 

 some cases more, and glass frames are 

 fitted as covers, in such manner as to open 

 to any desired extent. \Vhen the first 

 heat has subsided, and the temperature 

 is such as not to scorch, the seeds of me- 

 lons, cucumbers, &c. may be sown, or the 

 pots, containing curious plants, may be 

 partly buried, so as to obtain a greater 

 degree of heat than is afforded by the air 

 without the frame. In this manner, the 

 most tender exotics may be propagated ; 

 indeed many become gradually so inured 

 to our climate, as to be perfectly habitua- 

 ted ; and after fifteen or twenty genera- 

 tions (or seasons, if not very perishable) 

 may in some instances be treated the same 

 as our tender indigenous plants. Such, 

 however, as are not disposed so to assi- 

 milate, must be preserved in green- 

 houses, or eventually be kept in hot- 

 houses during the cold months; being 

 there confined in an artificial atmosphere, 

 highly rarefied by means of a fire, which 

 warms a variety of flues that every where 

 intersect the walls of the building. See 

 HOT-HOUSE. 



Having said thus much, in general 

 terms, regarding the trees, shrubs, and 

 vegetables, ordinarily appropriated to 

 gardens and pleasure-grounds, we shall 

 give the reader a brief code of instruction 

 as to the seasons and modes appropriate 

 to each individually, arranging the whole 

 in form of a calendar. 



Kitchen-garden. Make up your hot-beds 

 for melons, cucumbers, &c.; for early 

 produce, select the romana and canta- 

 loupe melons, and the early prickly cu- 

 cumber. The plants will rise in a week, 

 but you should never keep them so hot 

 as to steam the glasses. Sow successive- 

 ly, in case of accidents, to which this class 

 are very subject. If the beds cool too 

 much, lay fresh litter all around them ; 

 or, if practicable, rake out some of the old 

 litter, and fill up with very fresh dung; 

 avoiding much pressure. The outside 

 dressing will require to be changed every 

 fortnight, as the heat will in that time be 

 greatly abated. When the plants have 

 made two good shoots, exclusive of their 

 first leaves, you may remove the pots, in 

 which they were sown, to a larger bed, 

 where they are tt remain, stripping oft 



such shoots just beyond their second 

 joints. In such beds you may force aspa- 

 ragus, lettuce, small-salading, love apples, 

 radishes and an infinite variety of vege- 

 tables for early use : this will, however, 

 require extensive and numerous beds. 



You may in this month, if the weather 

 be mild, sow parsley, beans, and peas, 

 spinach, carrots, &,c. but do not depend 

 on their succeeding: they should all be 

 sown on warm borders. Plant out cab- 

 bages, for summer use, and in all the va- 

 rieties far seed. For this latter purpose, 

 you may keel in any old stems that have 

 good sprouts on them, they will furnish 

 excellent seed, plant them in an open 

 part, in a deep, well-worked soil, highly 

 manured ; your cauliflower plants, that 

 stand under glasses, should be clean pick- 

 ed from all decayed leaves, and be well 

 weeded ; give them air occasionally dur- 

 ing mid-day, when the sun is out ; but 

 close up well at night, so as to shut out 

 the frost ; if intensely cold, cover with 

 matting, straw, Sec. earth your celery up 

 well in dry, open weather, breaking the 

 earth very small, and applying it gently ; 

 remove all the rotten tops, by twisting 

 them off very carefully ; your endive 

 should also be picked, and tied up, in fair 

 weather. If the plants appear wet, and 

 injured in the heart, take them up, and, 

 after hanging for two or three days, by 

 their roots, to drain, transplant them into 

 clean, well prepared-beds, earthing them 

 up halfway of their leaves, but taking 

 care that no soil be admitted within them. 

 Artichokes should be attended to, and 

 well landed up ; also be supplied with 

 long litter, to preserve them from frost ; 

 cover your mushroom-beds well for the 

 same reason. 



In the Fruit-garden, finish the pruning 

 of your apple and pear-trees, training all 

 the shoots that are to remain, at full six 

 inches asunder; you must also prune and 

 nail your plum and cherry trees, as well 

 as your peaches, apricots, and nectarines, 

 provided the weather is mild, else it were 

 better deferred to a more favourable 

 time ; however, you need not be appre- 

 hensive from slight frosts. Always loosen 

 the whole tree before you begin to prune, 

 so that you may remedy any defects, and 

 be enabled to make a more perfect ar- 

 rangement, cutting out all useless wood. 

 You may prune vines when the weather 

 permits, keeping only the shoots of the 

 last season, no others being bearers. 

 Gooseberries and currants must be trim- 

 med with a bold hand, to allow free access 

 of sun and air ; keep only the wood of one 

 or two years. Raspberries must be looked 



