2l8 



Gardening for Amateurs 



inches. Well-worked soil, without recently 

 added manure, suits this crop best. 



Earthing Potatoes. Earth up early 

 sorts of Potatoes finally. The soil needs to 

 be worked down finely by fork and rake to 

 enable this work to be done effectually. A 

 dusting of old soot around, but not touch- 

 ing, the plants is beneficial if applied before 

 earthing. 



Spring Onions. Frequent dustings of 

 old soot applied in unsettled weather will 

 have a marked and beneficial effect upon 

 the beds of Onions sown in the spring. In 

 dry weather run the hoe through the beds 

 frequently, and remove by hand any weeds 

 which cannot be reached by this implement. 



Sowing Runner Beans Out of Doors. 

 It is now safe to make a sowing of these 

 in the open. Single rows should be sown 

 5 feet, and double rows 7 feet, apart. Cover 

 the surface of the trench with coal ashes 

 or sawdust, and if thick sowing is practised 

 to allow for anticipated losses thin the plants 

 early to 6 inches apart. The lines of a double 

 row should be 9 inches apart. 



Ridge Cucumbers. These make useful 

 substitutes for frame Cucumbers where the 

 latter cannot be grown. Prepare a bed of 



leaves and stable manure now, 18 inches in 

 depth. Make the ridges of loamy soil, placed 

 on the manure to the depth of 1 foot. Put 

 out the plants, if obtainable, about the 

 middle of -the month, 2| feet apart, and 

 protect at night for a time. When growing, 

 well pinch out the points once, and subse- 

 quently water freely. In the absence of 

 plants sow seeds, but the crop will be later. 

 King of the Ridge is a reliable variety. 



Preparing Gelery Trenches. The 

 work of preparing trenches for Celery is 

 often delayed for want of room until other 

 crops are cleared ; but they should be got 

 ready as soon as possible now. Take out 

 the top spit 2 feet in width for double rows, 

 and break up the bottom well, adding some 

 half-decayed manure. On this place 6 inches 

 of good, rotten manure, and mix some of the 

 top spit with it. Finally return some of the 

 best soil to a depth of about 3 inches. Pre- 

 pared thus, the trenches are quite deep 

 enough, and the plants have the advantage 

 of good soil at first, instead of crude sub- 

 soil, as is often the case. The ridges formed 

 by the soil taken out may be used for quick- 

 growing crops, such as Lettuces, Radishes, 

 etc. 



Clematises in Pots. A few Clematises 

 grown in pots are excellent for the decora- 

 tion of the greenhouse or conservatory 

 during spring. They may be grown either 

 in 6-inch pots, and carry from six to eighteen 

 flowers each, or in larger pots, and be trained 

 over a wire trellis, when an unlimited number 

 of flowers may be expected. Any of the 

 ordinary garden types, such as the Florida, 

 Patens, Lanuginosa, and Jackmanii groups, 

 may be used for the purpose. The wood 

 should have been well ripened the previous 

 year. Then in January the plants should be 

 placed in a light, warm greenhouse, and be 

 well syringed twice a day. When the shoots 

 appear be sure to train them carefully so 

 that they do not become entangled, and 

 flowers will be produced in due course. The 

 New Zealand Clematis indivisa, and its 

 variety, lobata, may also be used similarly, 

 while they are also useful for planting in a 

 cool, airy greenhouse to cover a rafter or 



pillar. The white star-like flowers are wonder- 

 fully attractive with their dark setting of 

 evergreen leaves. Rich, loamy, well-drained 

 soil containing lime suits the Clematises 

 capitally. 



Chrysanthemums in Small Pots. It is 

 possible to obtain excellent Chrysanthemums 

 carrying really good flowers in 5- or 6-inch 

 pots, and such plants are charming for decora- 

 tive purposes, for they may be used in posi- 

 tions where larger examples would be out of 

 place. Cuttings taken from the points of 

 the shoots of those which are being grown 

 for large specimens should be inserted in 

 slight warmth during May. They soon form 

 roots and in a few weeks' time are ready for 

 their final pots. Once the flowers are set 

 the plants may be fed liberally. This keeps 

 the foliage healthy and assists in building up 

 the flowers. As a rule such plants are only 

 stopped once, since they have a compara- 

 tively short season of growth. 



