90 THE GARDENER. [fEB* 



this, shake the earth almost entirely from the roots, and 

 remove the dead fibres from the roots with the finger, 

 avoiding to use the knife unless it be to trim with a 

 tender hand dead or decayed roots. Stake the stems 

 and tie them to the sticks, which ought to be taller 

 than the plants, with soft and flexible bands of rashes, 

 strips of matting, or worsted, kc. 



There is no part of the gardener's employment more 

 delightful than that of anticipating the season of vege- 

 tation at this time, and enlivening the gloom of a 

 dreary period by calling forth the freshness and bloom 

 of the many flowers which will now begin to expand 

 their corollas. Varieties of the Double Ahnond, with 

 the Rhodora, and some other plants, appear now be- 

 fore their leaves push forth, and artificial warmth will 

 bring forward many beautiful plants, such as the Aca- 

 cia of St. Helena ; but as the enumeration of them and 

 of others in their respective months would extend this 

 little book far beyond its prescribed limits, I shall not 

 furnish lists of mere names, — you must consult the 

 Gardeners' Chronicle, or other standard publications, 

 which contain calendars, and the names of productions, 

 if your own information be limited. 



Roses and other hardy plants, brought into the stove- 

 house for forwarding, are liable to the attacks of the 

 green fly called the Aphis ; if you are fond of a pipe 

 or cigar, you may perhaps smoke* this insect out : in 

 this way tobacco j- smoking may be turned to a useful 

 purpose, which cannot be said of the practice in 

 gene rah 



* A correspondent of the Gardeners' Chronicle mentions, 

 that having casually put a titmouse into his greenhouse, he found 

 that this little operative cleared all his plants of insects, which 

 had crowded among his Cinerarias in particular, from which he 

 had found it most difficult to dislodge them. 



t Scattering pungent snuff on the plants is another and per- 

 haps more effectual remedy. 



