238 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



Look through seedlings, and 



are secure ; snails and slugs are sad enemies. 

 Propagate. 



Liliums. — Be careful that they never suffer for 

 want of water ; water with rose over the 

 foliage. Train flower stems. 



Pansies. — At this season flowers will be in their 

 true character, 

 discard all inferior 



Pelargoniums, — Plants that have been prepared 

 and treated as directed for this month's flow- 

 ering will soon be gay, and the flowers will 

 be acquiring their true character, as the 

 blooms generally are apt to come small. The 

 netting must now be put up to exclude bees ; 

 for if they are allowed access to the house, 

 they fertilise the flower and it soon falls. 



Picotees. — The yellow sorts need fewer stimulants, 

 they are naturally less robust than the white 

 sorts. 



Pinks. — Keep free from weeds ; water in dry wea- 

 ther, using liquid manure at least once each 

 week. Few subjects will take more growing 

 than Pinks. 



Polyanthuses. — As the bloom is over, these may 

 be parted and planted out in a shady situa- 

 tion. Gather seed, and sow it at once in 

 pans, boxes, &c. 



Protect from sun all plants in bloom that it is de- 

 sirable to maintain long in perfection. 



Ranunculuses. — Apply copious waterings, if dry 

 weather ; the Ranunculus delights in a moist 

 soil. 



Roses. — Spare no exertion to keep down green-fly ; 

 the buds will be fast forming and swelling ; 

 water copiously in dry weather ; surface stir 

 beds of, and apply a good dressing of well 

 decomposed manure. 



Roses in pots will, if carefully tended, be now 

 amply repaying the labor and attention 

 bestowed. Keep well watered. 



Seed, sow of Biennials, Perennials, &c. 



Seedlings pot off, turn out. 



Stick growing border plants, and all that need 

 support 



Store-pots should now be generally emptied. 



Tulips. — Get the top and side cloths on ; if the 

 stage be a complete one, the top cloth can be 

 rolled up by the pulleys and let down instantly 

 if rain or hail threaten. As soon as the 

 blooms show color, exclude the direct rays of 

 the sun, but continue to let them have all the 

 air possible. The side cloths should be very 

 thin canvas ; so thin, that in shading from 

 sun, a free circulation of air is not prevented. 

 As soon as the flowers begin to fade, and the 

 beauty of the bed declines, take off the cloths 

 a nd admit all the weather. 



Turning-out into beds, &c, ought to be completed 

 by the end of the month. 



Verbenas. — Select in the beginning of the month 

 the plants intended to grow in pots for exhi- 

 bition or otherwise, and pot on into24's, 16's, 

 or 12's, according to habit of the variety, two 

 or three plants of a sort in a pot, using a very 

 rich compost — 1 fibrous loam, 1 leaf mould, 

 and 2 rotten dung ; adding sand, and placing 

 pieces of dried cow dung over the drainage, 

 keeping the plants still in a slight hotbed of 

 dung. Continue to harden off general stock 

 for bedding. Towards the middle or end of 



the month, as the weather suits, plant out the 

 bedding varieties ; the stronger, such as " De- 

 fiance," the weaker such as " Gloire de Paris," 

 should be planted about 6 inches apart, the 

 varieties of moderate growth about 9 inches. 

 Fumigate well before bedding out. N.B. When 

 blooms or plants berequired fer exhibition, the 

 final stopping should not be made less than 7 

 nor mort than 8 weeks prior to the day re- 

 quired. Give air to plants retained in frames 

 to prevent weak growth. 



Waterings will be a duty of importance; to do ef- 

 fectually is to do well. 



Weeds should no where be seen. 



{From Edwards' 1 " Garden Almanac.'"] 

 THE GOSPEL OAK. 



The custom of making the boundaries of 

 parishes, by the neighboring inhabitants 

 going round them once a year, and stopping 

 at certain spots to perform different cere- 

 monies, in order that the localities might be 

 impressed on the memories of the young, 

 as they were attested by the recollections of. 

 the old — is still common in various parts of 

 the kingdom. The custom itself is of great 

 antiquity, says Strutt, and is supposed to 

 have been derived from the feast called 

 Terminalia, which was dedicated to the God 

 Terminus, who was considered as the guar- 

 dian of fields and land-marks, and the pro- 

 moter of friendship and peace amongst men. 

 Its beneficial effects, and social influence, are 

 thus described by writers, in the quaint style 

 of two centuries by-gone : — 



That every man might keep his own possessions, 



Our fathers used in reverent processions, 



(With zealous prayers, and with praiseful cheere,) 



To walk their parish limits once a year ; 



And well known marks, (which sacrilegious hands 



Now cut or break,) so bordered out their lands, 



That every one distinctly knew his owne ; 



And many brawles, now rife, were then unknowne. 



It was introduced amongst Christians 

 about the year 800, by the pious Avitus, 

 Bishop of Vienna, in a season of dearth 

 and calamity ; and has been continued since 

 his time by many clergy, — the minister of 

 each parish, accompanied by his church- 

 wardens and parishioners, going round the 

 bounds and limits of his parish in Roga- 

 tion Week, or on one of the three days 

 before Holy Thursday (the feast of our 

 Lord's Ascension) ; stopping at remark- 

 able spots and trees, to recite passages 

 from the Gospels, and implore the bless- 

 ing of the Almighty on the fruits of the 

 earth, and for the preservation of the rights 

 and properties of the parish. The learned 

 and excellent Andrews, Bishop of Winches- 

 ter, left a fine model of prayer for these 

 occasions ; and it must have been a sooth- 

 ing sight to witness the devotional feelings 

 of the multitude, thus called forth in the 



