GARDENING FOR WOMEN 147 



in by the students month by month may be of service to 

 those who have little practical acquaintance with gardening. 

 No sketch of this kind can show all the details of daily work, 

 and the separation into months is merely for convenience, 

 as in almost every case the work of one month overlaps 

 with that of another. Certain operations, such as hoeing 

 and weeding, extend throughout the greater part of the 

 year ; plants under glass require daily attention, and, in 

 addition, there is the specialised culture required by special 

 classes of plants — vines, peaches, tomatoes, etc. — ^which 

 is not indicated in this calendar : — 



January. — ^In this month there is much important 

 work to be done under glass and in the forcing-houses: 

 Seeds are sown almost daily — ^flower seeds, such as annual 

 carnations, petunias, antirrhinums, etc. ; and vegetables, 

 such as lettuce, leeks, onions, cauhflowers, cucumbers, 

 tomatoes, etc. There are also the gathering and packing 

 of forced flowers and rhubarb, and the forcing of these 

 and other plants. When possible, seed-beds are prepared 

 in the open. 



February. — ^Much of January's work is continued this 

 month. Seed-sowing goes on, some of it in the open: 

 Plants sown in January have to be potted and pricked 

 out in pans and boxes. Watering, heating, and ventilation 

 in the various glass-houses require great attention. The 

 taking of chrysanthemum cuttings is continued from last 

 month. 



March. — ^This is perhaps the busiest month of the garden 

 year. The preparation of seed-beds and the cleaning of 

 the ground must be completed, as well as the sowing of 



