266 



Gardening lor Amateurs 



Potatoes. The plots of main crop 

 varieties should be hoed immediately the 

 ro\vs can be discerned, and any hard lumps 

 of soil should be broken down. In doing 

 this work be careful not to approach the 

 plants too closely, as the roots are easily 

 damaged. 



Main Crop Peas. The sowings of Peas 

 made now should be of reliable main crop 

 varieties, such as Quite Content, Peerless, 

 Matchless and Satisfaction. Well-prepared 

 ground will be necessary if they are to do 

 well, and the value of trenching is especially 

 emphasised in a dry season. Rows sown 

 earlier are in need of sticking, and they should 

 not be allowed to fall over before receiving 

 attention in this matter. 



Thinning Crops. The work of thinning 

 the various crops which require such treat- 



ment should be undertaken in good time. 

 If performed when the soil is wet the plants 

 left are not so liable to suffer from the dis- 

 turbance of the soil ; the hoe should be 

 passed through the plots when the work 

 is completed. This refers particularly to 

 Parsnips, Carrots, Salsify, Onions, Beet, 

 Turnips, etc. 



Planting Early Celery. For exhibition 

 or very early use the plants will now be ready 

 for transference from boxes to prepared 

 trenches. Water the boxes well before 

 taking out the plants ; plant these firmly 

 not less than 9 inches apart, preferably in 

 single rows, and water them well now and 

 frequently in the future. 



Dwarf Beans. Make further sowings in 

 the open for succession according to require- 

 ments. 



When Making Lawns. When small 

 lawns are being formed a little forethought 

 would often be the means of a considerable 

 saving in labour in keeping them trim and 

 in order subsequently. Where verges are 

 formed by flower beds or borders make 

 them sufficiently wide to allow the mow- 

 ing machine to be used instead of having 

 to resort to the wearisome business of 

 clipping' with shears. Where Rose trees, 

 shrubs, etc., are planted on the lawn, 

 instead of making the grass run right 

 up to the stems, where it will probably 

 die, keep it back a foot or so all 

 round, and thus save more clipping, and 

 benefit the Roses or shrubs as well. Steep 

 banks are often made where they are totally 

 unnecessary, and they cause a lot of hard 

 work to little purpose. 



Pruning Rhododendrons. It is seldom 

 that any pruning is needed by Rhododen- 

 drons, but it is well to know the best time 

 to carry out the work when it becomes 

 necessary. Bushes that are to be cut hard 

 back should be attended to in March, so that 

 they have the whole season before them in 

 which to form new growth. Where, how- 

 ever, only a little pruning is to be carried out, 

 the work is best deferred until the flowering 

 period is past. Generally speaking, the less 

 pruning Rhododendrons are subjected to the 



better, though it is essential sometimes to 

 prune for the sake of keeping the plants 

 shapely. 



Preserving Flowers in Water. Many 

 of the floral products of the garden are em- 

 ployed to decorate the rooms of the house, and 

 the vases are regularly filled with suitable 

 flowers and decorative foliage. Some flowers 

 are extremely difficult to keep for any length 

 of time ; this is especially the case in large 

 towns where the atmosphere has a deleterious 

 effect on flowers which are fresh from the 

 open country. Change the water often ; 

 some flowers cause the water to become sour 

 readily by exuding juices from their stems, 

 and, indeed, every flower keeps fresher if the 

 water is changed often. A pinch of common 

 salt, or better still saltpetre, in the water is 

 most useful in counteracting the tendency to 

 putrefy the water, and a lump of charcoal 

 lying in the bottom of the vase helps in that 

 respect too. When flowers arrive in a box or 

 parcel, faded and crushed, stand them for 

 thirty minutes in lukewarm water and then 

 transfer them to cool, fresh water in the vase. 

 When changing the flowers and when placing 

 them in a vase of water, after they have been 

 lying for a time, cut off an inch or so of the 

 stem. Harder stems may be splintered at 

 the base to facilitate the absorption of water 

 and to prolong the period of freshness. 



