52 THE FLORIST AND 



ing by the end of the month — though some of these do better in special 

 kinds of soil, they will all do pretty well in a coarse loam, with perhaps a 

 third of half dried, half decayed stable manure, and the same proportion of 

 sharp sand, The day is gone by for the apothecary like prescriptions form- 

 erly given for the soils of various plants. In the management of the Pelar- 

 goniums I have found it of advantage not to stop the shoots too often, 

 If we let them grow a length of several leaves first, and apply the knife 

 instead of the "finger and thumb," the young shoots which follow are more 

 vigorous, and generally branch out themselves afterwards beautifully, with- 

 out further aid. The Dahlia will require attention by the end of the month 

 — where but a few choice varieties are kept on hand, a good way to start 

 them is to pot them each in separate pots, previously cutting off the extrem- 

 ities of the tubers. In a temperature of 55° they will soon sprout. . The 

 lovers of Tuberoses, may have them in flower two months before they can be 

 had out of doors, by potting a few at this time separately in six pots, keep- 

 ing them in the warmest part of the greenhouse. Before the attention is 

 much occupied out of doors, the striking off of cuttings of winter flowering 

 plants may be forwarded, Cuttings of young shoots at this season of the 

 year strike very readily, and many things which in the fall can be made to 

 root but with difficulty, ; can now be struck with ease— a loose, sandy 

 soil, a close atmosphere to prevent great evaporation from the cuttings, and 

 a temperature equal to, or slightly above what the cuttings have been ac- 

 customed to, is all that is required. 



The Hqt-house, or Stove ; should now be gay with iEschynanthus, 

 Centradenias, Pentas, Begonias, Brunfelsias, and so on, constituting this 

 department the most interesting feature of a first rate garden at this season 

 of the year. As any of them go out of flower, place them in the driest, and 

 lighest part of the house to get their wood ripened as well as possible, when 

 they may be shortened in, and pruned so as to make them push out shoots 

 where they are required to constitute a handsome specimen ; a few weeks 

 after which they will require dis-rooting a little, placing in smaller pots, and 

 thus be in readiness to go ahead again for another season, in reasonable bounds. 

 A few Achimenes, and Gloxinias, may be repotted and kept slightly moist 

 so as to get them in flower by May or June ; but as the main stock of these 

 are expected to be in flower about July or August, the greatest portion must 

 be held over yet awhile, 



Vegetable Garden. — Peas and potatoes are the two first crops I attend 

 to ; the latter can seldom be entrusted to the open ground any time this 

 month, but the former often can. Whenever I can get the ground dry 

 enough, I find great advantage from planting peas early. Where a frame ov 



