FEBRUARY. 



183 



8. — Flowers. 



Tulips and other bulbs, on coming through the ground, 

 ought to be sheltered^ in very severe weather, with the 

 same materials which are recommended for parsley, &c. in 

 the preceding page. Any other border flowers that 

 require shelter, should be treated in the same manner, 

 though this precaution is seldom necessary. 



Do not give much water to plants in pots, and especially 

 avoid wetting the leaves. They should be closely housed 

 at this season, but must be kept as near as possible to the 

 light during the day. 



II.— FEBRUARY. 

 Rather more than one third of the nights in this month 

 are usually frosty; but the average heat of the weather is 

 two degrees higher than that of last month, and would be 

 more, were the sky more cloudy. 



1. — Kitchen Garden. 

 In open weather, early potatoes, such as the ash-leaved 

 kidney, cut with single eyes, may be planted, though at the 

 risk of losing them if not carefully protected with hoops 

 and mats, or straw ; but radishes, which may be sown 

 over, and round spinach between, the potato drills, will 

 endure severer weather and come in early. About the 

 middle of the month, sow the first crops of savoys, leeks, 

 onions, and lettuce, peas, beans, horn-carrots, and early 

 York and Vanack cabbages for succession. Winter let- 

 tuces may be thinned out, and cabbages, potato-onions, 

 chives, shallots, and horse-radish, planted. 



2. — Fruits. 



Grafting may be begun about the end of the month. In 

 the south, the young shoots of vines, which are produced 

 near the base of the stem, may be laid down into the 

 soil ; and if they are slightly twisted so as to crack the bark, 

 they -^dll form good roots during the following summer. 



3. — Flowers. 



Clear ofP, in every fine day, the mats or straw used to 

 protect tulips and other flower-roots. It is still rather 

 early to sow any but the hardier annuals, except in well- 



