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THOMAS MEEHATT, Editor. 

 W. G. P. BKUNTCKLOE, Publisher, 



MARCH, 1867. 



VOL. IX. "NO. 3 



FLOWEH-GAHDEBJ AND 

 GROUND. 



PLEASURE. 



No one can better realize the ' 'Pleasures of Hope' ' 

 than the Horticulturist. At this season more than 

 any other, do we find ourselves at "Castle Building, ' ' 

 having magnificent visions of what fine things we 

 shall do when the gardening season comes again to 

 us. Visions which we are sorry to say are too often 

 not realized. We are so prone to wish for more 

 than we can have, and to lay out more than we can 

 do, that if we do not get what we expect, we have 

 at least extra pleasure in the anticipation. 



And here, in our cosy study, with Snow and Cedar 

 birds, thoughtfully and silently moving about 

 through the evergreens at the window, as if they 

 wondered from whence the morrow's meal should 

 come; and the snow fi&lds driven into Sea-shore 

 furrows by the northwest winds while the sleigh bells 

 all around tell of warm hearts and merry lives ; even 

 among the most dreary days, we sit and wonder 

 what we can say for the month to come ; one short 

 month, when all this scene shall be changed, when 

 the blue bird and robin shall be merrily chirping 

 where now the Snow-bird looks so dull, and Snow- 

 drops Crocuses and other spring flowers, shall call 

 us to new duties and new delights. 



And now, as to " Hints for March," we may say 

 that planting trees will require particular attention 

 now; but do not be in a hurry the moment the 

 frost is out of the ground. Cold winds are very 

 hard on newly set out trees. Wait till they are 

 gone. Always shorten in a little the shoots of all 

 trees planted. They will grow the faster for it, 



and are more certain to live. Evergreens should 

 be left to the last. 



Walks should now have their spring-dressing — 

 the verges cut, and a thin coating of new gravel 

 laid on. Before putting on the new, harrow up the 

 face of the old gravel with a strong iron-toothed 

 rake. Roll well after the new is laid on. 



This is the proper season to lay down box-edgings. 

 To make them properly, the soil along the line of 

 the edge should be first dug, and then trod very 

 hard and firm, so that the soil may sink evenly 

 together, or the line will present ugly-looking 

 undulations in time. Rooted plants should be em- 

 ployed ; cuttings are sometime used, but frequently 

 die out in patches ; a good edge can rarely be made 

 from them. The plants should be set pretty low 

 down, leaving the plants, when set, one or two inches 

 above the soil, according to their stockiness. Some- 

 times box edgings are laid around beds formed in 

 grass. When so, a few inches of clear ground 

 should be kept clean between the grass and the box^ 

 or the weeds will be so intermixed with the box, 

 after awhile, as to render it a nuisance. 



This is particularly the month to pay attention 

 to the hardy annuals. The sooner they are sown, 

 the finer they will flower; that is, provided they are 

 really hardj . Tender annuals, such as Globe amaran- 

 thus. Balsams, &c., rot if they are sown before the 

 weather becomes quite warm. The seedsmen's cata- 

 logues usually distinguish these classes for their 

 customers. In sowing annuals, the soil should be 

 slightly stirred with a broad-bladed knife or trowel ; 

 and after the seeds are sown, they should have a 

 little soil sprinkled over them, about one-sixth of 

 an inch deep, according to the size of the seeds; barely 

 enough to cover is all that is required. Failures 

 usually arise from the seeds being buried too deeply. 

 Failures also frequently occur from the soil with 

 which the seeds are covered being too stifi" or clayey, 

 ' 'baking' ' after a rain. Light sandy earth^or decayed 

 vegetable loam from the woods should be employed 

 for the purpose. Stick a peg in where the seeds 

 are sown, so that when turning out the plants in 



