112 



DICTIONARY OF SEASONABLE GARDEN WORK. 



off wintered plants to get them ready for early setting in 

 open ground. 



Cucumber-Forcing. — Maintain a temperature of 65° or 

 70° at night, and 70° to 85° by day. Give air whenever 

 the weather allows, avoiding cold draughts. Stop side 

 shoots at second joint, and attend to proper fertilization 

 of the fruit-blossoms. Prepare beds, and sow for later 

 crops. 



Currants. — Prune on mild days where needed. Apply 

 manure. 



General Orchard Management.- — Pruning may be begun 

 on mild days. Saw off the stubs left by broken branches, 

 and cover the wounds with thick paint or melted graft- 

 ing-wax. Cut scions, if not already done. Young trees 

 need protecting from mice and rabbits. Consider if it 

 will be profitable to plant more trees, shrubs or vines. 

 Make a list of what is needed, and order early. Scrap- 

 ing the moss and old, dead bark off, and washing the 

 bodies with some alkaline liquid, is always a good prac- 

 tice. 



Gooseberries are to be treated like currants. 



Grape- Forcing. — The late houses will be kept cool by 

 airingfreely in all suitable weather. Houses just started 

 give a temperature of 50 degrees, gradually increasing 

 as growth commences. Vines in flower require strict 

 attention to avoid dampness, which would prevent fruit- 

 setting. In earlier houses the fruit should be thinned 

 as soon as the berries are of the size of small peas. 



Grapes. — Prune vines at once if they were neglected 

 until now. Repair trellises where needed, and paint the 

 woodwork. 



Hotbeds now. Horse and sheep-manure can be used 

 for heating them. Be sure and have the manure evenly 

 distributed and well tramped down. Beds, if not prop- 

 erly made in this way, are apt to sink in. and form a de- 

 pression in the center. 



Lettuce may be profitably grown under glass. Study 

 the wants of your local market, and sow and plant to 

 meet the demand. 



Manure. — Top-dress the orchard and small-fruit 

 patches, but be sure to keep weedy manure out of the 

 strawberry-field. Don't expect good fruit and plenty of 

 it, unless you feed the trees and bushes accordingly. 

 Ashes and bone-dust are first-rate fruit-fertilizers. We 

 must again speak of the great importance of utmost 

 liberality in regard to manuring the garden. Good, 

 well-rotted compost can not well be used too freely. 

 Put it on thick, and then put on some more. Next give 

 additional dressings of fertilizers, ashes, hen-manure, etc. 



Mice are often troublesome in hotbeds. We have no 



trouble in catching them with a so-called "delusion 

 trap," using pumpkin, squash or sunflower-seed, partly 

 mashed, for bait. 



Moles\n hotbeds and coldframes are not easily caught, 

 but the attempt should be made. 



OrcJiard Map. — Such a map, carefully made, is very 

 desirable for the purpose of keeping a record of varie- 

 ties. Draw the map on stiff heavy paper for permanent 

 use. Mark every tree, and every row of small fruits 

 and grapes, and write in the name of the variety. If 

 labels should ever be lost, you can easily ascertain the 

 variety name, by a glance at your map. 



Parsley, growing in boxes or in coldframes, to be given 

 liquid manure frequently. 



Parsnips. — Dig as soon as the ground thaws for use or 

 market. 



Planting. — At the south all hardy early vegetables 

 may be planted, also potatoes. Asparagus, rhubarb and 

 horse-radish plantations may be gotten in readiness for 

 cropping. Do not hesitste to take a little risk of being 

 caught by a late cold snap. It usually pays, andshrewd 

 gardeners always do. 



Radishes. — No crop is grown with greater ease under 

 glass than this ; and it is often quite profitable. Try a 

 patch in the hotbed. 



Rhubarb. — If desired early, a few plants may be cov- 

 ered by boxes or kegs, and fermenting horse-manure 

 piled on pretty thickly over and around them. 



Salsify is to be treated like parsnips. 



Seeds. — Examine the stock at hand, and ascertain what 

 will be needed. Catalogues of leading seedsmen should 

 at once be sent for, and thoroughly examined. Make 

 out your list, and order without delay. Otherwise much 

 inconvenience, delay in planting, etc., may result. Let 

 us repeat our advice, to plant the well-tried, well-known 

 standard sorts for main crop, and the novelties for trial 

 only. 



Strawberries. — Examine thepatch often. Heavy winds 

 often blow the mulching off, or roll it up here and there, 

 thus exposing the plants to injury by cold and heaving. 

 Replace the mulch as needed. 



Strazuberiy-Forcing. — Giwe liquid manure at times, 

 until the fruit shows indications of ripening, when further 

 watery applications should be withheld, and the fruit 

 exposed to heat and light as much as possible. Start 

 plants for successional crops. 



Vegetable-Cellars should be cleared of all rubbish. 

 Keep as cool as possible, by airing freely in suitable 

 weather. 



