CHAPTER V. 



On the Monthly Calendar. 



ART. 1. Object of the Monthly Calendar. 



Ix giving a monthly calendar, the principal object is to take 

 a cursory review of the management of the flower garden, at 

 the different seasons, which could not be, in any other way, 

 done in so condensed a form, corresponding with the tenor of 

 this book, which is, as much as possible to treat on every 

 thing separately. The manner of propagating most kinds of 

 the plants adapted to the flower garden, has been separately 

 treated on in Part I ; and it now remains to speak of their 

 general culture, as the seasons pass on from spring to sum- 

 mer, autumn, and winter. In commencing this subject, I 

 shall begin with the year ; for, although in the month of Ja- 

 nuary nearly all horticultural operations are suspended, it is 

 customary to allot that month a space in the calendar. 



Before I proceed with the directions for each month, it will 

 be proper to say, that the reader must, in many instances, 

 judge for himself of the proper time of doing any particular 

 business, as a little fore-thought will at once convince any 

 person that practical observation is one of the best guides to 

 perfection in the management of the flower garden. The 

 criterion here laid down is supposed to answer for the eastern 

 states, and the vicinity of Cincinnati. In the more southern 

 parts of the Union, of course, every thing relative to practice 

 and management will be in accordance with the season, which 

 will perhaps be a month earlier to operate than the rule here 

 laid relative to time. This may be easily remedied by taking 

 such things into consideration, and managing accordingly; 

 and taking February for January, March for February, and 

 so on, through the process of the monthly calendar. 

 89 H2 



