DICTIONARY OF SEASONABLE GARDEN WORK. 



from the cellar for succession. These and other bulbous 

 plants do their best service, as window-flowers, now. 

 As they pass out of bloom, cut away the flowerstalks. 



Ivy, and all other smooth-leaved plants, should be 

 sponged off frequently and thoroughly, to give them a 

 bright, fresh appearance. 



Lawn Management. — Mice often do great damage by 

 girdling trees and hedge plants under the snow-line. 

 The easiest way to prevent this is by tramping down the 

 snow, after every fresh fall, all around every tree or 

 bush. Should any changes in the general arrangement 

 of beds, walks or drives be necessary or desirable, put 

 your mind to the task at once, map out your plans, and 

 come to a final decision before the time for actual work 

 arrives. Make your selection of plants, shrubs and 

 trees at once, and place your order with a reliable nur- 

 seryman or florist. Provide for labels, stakes and other 

 requisites that will be needed later on. Manure, well- 

 composted and free from weed-seeds, may be drawn out 

 on the lawn, beds and borders, while the ground is frozen. 

 If you have no such manure, however, it will do very 

 well to use any of the commercial lawn, vegetable or 

 fruit-fertilizers on the market. These are easily applied 

 and not offensive to smell or sight, as fresh stable-manure 

 would be. A half ton per acre of such chemical fertil- 

 izers will give you good results. 



Mignonette may now be started from seed in the green- 

 house. They will make nice plants, and become very 

 acceptable for window and conservatory decoration by 

 the time mild weather sets in. 



Oleanders 1X^3,^ be started up now, if desired for flower- 

 ing in May. As growth begins, give plenty of water 

 and some liquid manure. 



Orchids beginning to grow, when in flower, may be 

 shifted as soon as done blooming. Aerides, vandas, 

 sacolabiums, dendrobes, and several other genera, do 

 best in sphagnum, with small crocks or sharp sand. 

 Cattleyas, laelias, oncidiums, do equally well in peat, 

 mixed with crocks and a few bits of charcoal. Some do 

 best in a mixture of peat and moss. 



Primroses. — The ordinary sorts may be thrown away 

 after bloom, depending on young plants, grown from 

 seed, for next year's supply. The choice double-flower- 

 ing sorts should be kept over, and may be worked for 

 propagation. If it is desired to grow seed, keep a few 

 of the best plants, and grow them in a light but not 

 sunny exposure, and with a fine camel's-hair brush artifi- 

 cially fertilize the flowers. 



Pruning House-Plants. — With soft-wooded plants this 

 can hardly be overdone for securing good shapes. Long- 

 legged, spindling things are hardly ever attractive or 

 desirable. The bush form, close and compact from the 

 ground up, is what we want. 



Pruning Shrubs is to be done with a view to preserve 

 the natural habit of each subject. Never bring them 

 into formal shape unless grown for hedges. The class, 

 including roses, hardy hydrangeas, burning-bush, coro- 

 nilla, amorpha, althaeas, late-flowering spiraeas, and 

 others, that bear their bloom on the new growth of the 



season, may now be cut back quite severely with good 

 results. Almost all other shrubs, however, produce 

 their bloom from buds on the old wood. Severe pruning 

 now would only result in cutting away a large share of 

 next season's flowers. Prune these shrubs no more now 

 than is absolutely necessary for the improvement of 

 their general shape, leaving most of the pruning until 

 just after the blooming-season. Hedges of deciduous 

 kinds should now receive their annual trimming on mild 

 days. 



Roses of the monthly class, in the window or green- 

 house, like a sunny position, but should not be kept too 

 warm. Guard against greenfly. Start up the hybrid 

 perpetuals that were potted in autumn and thus win- 

 tered, and when buds appear apply liquid manure. 

 There is no better season for rose propagation than from 

 now on. Use cuttings from the best and strongest wood 

 of recent growth. Never allow the plant to suffer from 

 want of water, from the time the cutting is put in until 

 the young plant is fit to set out. To get good plants 

 they should be kept in continuous healthy growth. 



Salvia splendens needs plenty of pot-room, and a cool 

 temperature at this season. Keep the plants in good 

 growth all the time. 



Seed-Sowing.— Ki the south all hardier annuals may 

 be sown outdoors this month. Where early plants for 

 summer bedding are desired at the north, annuals, such 

 as cockscombs, balsams, globe amaranths, portulacas, 

 phloxes, stocks, tropaeolums, cobacas, and other kinds, 

 may be started under glass. 



Shade-Trees. — We like some of these not far from the 

 dwelling ; but too many about the house are not desir- 

 able as the direct rays of the sun upon the house are 

 necessary for the well-being of the inmates. If it is 

 necessary to remove trees from near the house, when 

 over-crowded, now is the time to do it. Probably the 

 best plan is to dig around the roots, and cut the tree 

 down somewhat below the surface of the ground. 



Verbenas like fresh, sweet soils. Shake the plants 

 out and repot when in need of such treatment as indi- 

 cated by their refusal to grow. Keep near the glass, 

 and give plenty of air. 



II. GARDENING for TABLE AND MARKET. 



Asparagus is a rank feeder, and plenty of plant-food 

 should be provided if nice, large, succulent shoots are 

 wanted. A dressing of well-composted stable-manure, 

 or some high-grade complete fertilizer, will come accept- 

 able. Salt is often recommended. In some cases it 

 may be beneficial, but under average conditions it will 

 not prove of much account. On the sea-coast its appli- 

 cation would be labor lost. 



Asparagus-Forcing. — Air should be given whenever 

 possible. To insure tender shoots, maintain rapid growth 

 by close attention to proper heat, ventilation and water- 

 ing. Start roots into growth for succession. 



Coldframes need strictest attention, especially during 

 clear, warm weather. Air freely, and be sure to harden 



