48 



THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 



and shrubs should be finished as soon as possib'.e. 

 Finish pruning evergreens. Lay turf, plant Box, 

 sweep and roll grass, edge walks, and turn and roll 

 gravel. 



Forcing. 



Fruit.— Pine Apples. — The directions given last 

 month for fruiting-plants are also applicable this. 

 Take the first favourable opportunity to pot the 

 young stock. When potted, plunge in a bottom heat 

 of about 85°, and let the temperature be 65° to 70° 

 by night, and 75° to 80° in the day, with an increase 

 of about 15 Q by sun heat. Maintain a moist growing 

 atmosphere, and keep them rather close until they 

 begin to root into the fresh soil ; they will then 

 require a little water, but be careful not to overdo it. 

 Syringe occasionally on fine days. Vines. — Keep a 

 moist atmosphere whilst the fruit is swelling. When 

 they begin to colour, a drier atmosphere must be 

 maintained. Keep the night temperature about 65% 

 and during the day do not be afraid of a little fire 

 heat, but mind to give plenty of air with it. Cold, 

 wet borders and want of ventilation are two of the 

 principal causes of the many mishaps we hear of 

 with early Grap?s. The succession-house will now 

 require daily attention. Stop and tie-in shoots ; thin 

 the bunches and tie up the shoulders. Tines in late- 

 houses should be syringed daily until the buds 

 break. Peaches and Nectarines. — In general, a 

 greater quantity of fruit will set than is lequired for 

 a crop ; it should be thinned very freely before they 

 get any larger than Peas, otherwise they will uselessly 

 exhaust the trees. Continue to syringe daily in flue 

 weather. Figs.— Attend well to the syringing, other- 

 wise red spider will become troublesome. Watering 

 must also be well attended to. Plants in pots or 

 boxes should not be allowed to suffer from want of 

 water; a little weak liquid manure occasionally will 

 be beneficial to them. Cherries.— When the fruit is 

 all set, the temperature may be increased to 55° at 

 night, and 65° in the day, with a rise of 10° by sun 

 heat, but plenty of air must be given. Attend care- 

 fully to the watering; they are impatient of too 

 much moisture at the roots. Strawberries.— Introduce 

 a fresh lot of plants once a-fortnight. Plants in 

 bloom must have plenty of air ; when sufficient fruit 

 for a crop is set, pinch off all the other flowers. 

 Plants in fruit should have liberal supplies of liquid 

 manure. Give them a temperature of about 65° at 

 night, and 75° duringthe day, with a rise of 10° or 15° 

 by sun heat. Keep them near the glass and rather 

 close until they begin to colour, when they should 

 have plenty of air and no more water than is 

 sufficient to keep the plants from flagging. 



Vegetables. — Aspiaragus. — The beds made up last 

 month will keep up a supply until it is ready for use 

 in the open ground. Rhubarb and Seakale. — Keep 

 up a succession by covering a few more roots. 

 Kidney Beans.— Continue to sow once a-fortnight. 

 Keep young plants stopped, and earth-up when 

 wanted. Withhold syringing after they come into 

 flower, but give plenty of water at the roots. Mustard 

 and Cress. — Keep up a succession. Potatoes. — Give 

 these plenty of water until they approach maturity, 

 when it should be stinted. Give plenty of air in fine 

 weather. Radishes, Carrots, and other crops sown 

 in heat must have plenty of air. Capsicums and 

 Tomatoes.— Pot off and return into heat. Cucumbers 

 and Melons. — Maintain a regular steady bottom heat 

 of about 80°, and keep the temperature about 70° at 

 night, and 80° in the day, with an increase by sun 

 heat. Thin and regulate the shoots, so as to keep 

 the foliage from being crowded. Water when re- 

 quired with tepid water. Sow for succession. 



Hardy Fruit. 

 The protection of wall trees must now be attended 

 to. There is every promise of a good crop of fruit ; 

 1he trees are literally one mass of flower-buds, and 

 they will be early in bloom this season owing to the 

 mildness of the winter. Whatever kind of protection 

 is used, it should be so contrived as to put up or 

 take down at pleasure with little labour. The great 

 point is to keep the blossoms dry until the fruit is 

 set. All nailing should be brought to a close as early 



as possible. Strawberry-runners planted in beds 

 last autumn may now be planted out. 



Kitchen Garden. 

 The fine open weather of the past winter has been 

 so favourable for carrying on all kinds of work 

 here, that everything should now be in readiness to 

 proceed with the cropping, as soon as the ground is 

 fit for the seed. Potatoes.— Plant on all favourable 

 opportunities. Plant autumn-sown Cabbages, Cauli- 

 flowers, and Onions, Plant Garlic and Shallots. 

 Make plantations of Asparagus, Sea-kale, Rhubarb, 

 Artichokes, &c. ; also of all kinds of herbs, if not 

 already done as recommended last month. Peas. — 

 Plant out those raised in pots or boxes. Sow good 

 breadths twice during the month. Beans.— Plant those 

 raised in boxes. Sow twice during the month. Onions. 

 —Sow the general crop the first week, if the ground 

 is fit. Carrots and Parsnips. — Sow the general crop. 

 Spinach,— Sow a little Round. Cabbages, Cauli- 

 Jiowers, Borecole, Brussels Sprouts and Savoys. — 

 Sow early in the month on a warm border. Lettuces. 

 —Sow on dry, warm situations. Radishes.— Sow. 

 Asparagus. — Sow in drills. Turnips. — Sow some 

 Early White Dutch about the middle of the month. 

 Parsley.— Sow in drills. Beet.— Sow a little towards 

 the end of the month for autumn use. As the ground 

 is cropped, finish everything off in a neat and work- 

 manlike manner. Cut Box-edging, and turn and 

 roll walks' if not already done. Give every place a 

 tidy, neat appearance.— M. S. 



Florists' Flowers. 



Cinerarias. — Continue the course recommended 

 last month. Avail yourself of every favourable 

 opportunity to give air. Give all the room possible 

 to specimen and other free-growing plants. Attend 

 regularly to the tying and training of the shoots as 

 they progress in growth. Water may be applied 

 freely now; for large plants a little weak liquid 

 manure is indispensable. Syringe occasionally in 

 very bright weather to keep them clean and prevent 

 their flagging too much. As we may yet expect 

 cold, nipping winds, avoid as much as possible any 

 strong currents. Pelargoniums.— -These favourites 

 will now commence to make more rapid progress ; 

 they will require water frequently, and the utmost 

 care must be taken to prevent their suffering from 

 the want of it. Liquid manure— than which there 

 can be none better than guano water (half a thumb- 

 pot of the real Peruvian suffices for four gallons), 

 should be applied freely. As the days lengthen the 

 more forward plants will require a proportionately 

 increased temperature, avoiding, however, everything 

 approximating to forcing. Give air freely on a 

 bright morning, and close the house early in the 

 afternoon, that less fire heat may be needed. Abun- 

 dance of air, light, and space, is essential to the 

 production of first-class plants. Those intended for 

 the later exhibitions should be kept at a lower but 

 safe temperature ; all should be carefully tied out, 

 keeping clearly in view the ultimate form you desire 

 each plant to take. Fumigate whenever necessary, 

 and keep houses and plants in all respects perfectly 

 clean. You will find that the care you take in these 

 matters will be amply repaid.— C. Turner, Slough. 



Boses in Pot-9.— The instructions given last month 

 still hold good. Further, more water must be given 

 as the leaves increase in size, and more air as the 

 leaves and shoots harden with age. Attend to the 

 tying-up of small plants, and the tying-out of the 

 branches of large plants, that the sun "may fall among 

 the branches and the air circulate freely there. The 

 plants that have done flowering should be kept dry 

 and cool, that they may be rested till the new growth 

 pushes ; when this commences, moisture and warmth 

 are desirable to establish a vigorous and healthy 

 development and good second flowering, which 

 should take place in May. Reserve stock may still 

 be introduced to the forcing-house to flower in April 

 and May. When syringing the plants in bloom, re- 

 member that while the leaves are copiously drenched, 

 no water should be thrown on the flowers. — William 

 Paul, Waltham Cross, N. 



