64 



THE FLORIST AKD POMOLOGIST. 



supplies of water when they begin to root and grow 

 freelv. Shift into larger pots before the roots get 

 matted. Ventilate freely. Fines.— When the Grapes 

 begin to colour keep the atmosphere dry ; give abun- 

 dance of air, and a moderate amount of fire heat. 

 Grapes that are swelling must have a moist atmo- 

 sphere, and a night temperature of 65°. Attend to 

 the thinning of the berries in the succession-houses 

 soon after they are formed, and thin, stop, and tie- 

 in shoots in late-houses. Peaches and Nectarines. — 

 Water effectually inside borders when they require 

 it Tie-in shoots as they advance in growth. Keep 

 a moist atmosphere by syringing daily, and sprink- 

 ling the paths, &c. Do not exceed a night temper- 

 ature of 60° until the stoning; is completed; you may 

 then gradually raise it to 65°. Give air early in the 

 mornings, and shut up early in the afternoons. For 

 directions for late-houses see previous Calendars. 

 Figs.— Persevere in syringing daily. Attend well to 

 the watering, and keep a moist atmosphere until 

 the fruit begins to ripen. Gradually raise the tem- 

 perature as the season advances. Cherries.— When 

 the fruit begins to colour the atmosphere should be 

 kept drier. Raise the temperature to about 60° at 

 night, and 80° to 85° in the day; give abundance of 

 • air, and water when necessary until they begin to 

 ripen. Strawberries.— See directions in last month. 



Vegetables.— Kidney Beans.— Sow for succession. 

 These will now do well with the increase of light and 

 heat, by keeping the.n near the glass, and by keep- 

 ing them well stopped, and well watered, and clear 

 of insects. Mustard and Cress.— Sow for succession. 

 Potatoes.— As the early crop approaches maturity, 

 withhold water altogether. Successional crops in 

 active growth should have plenty of water and air, 

 with a steady bottom heat. Capsicums and Toma- 

 toes,— Shift into larger pots. Celery.— Prick off. 

 Gourds.— Sow and pot-off as soon as they are up. 

 Cucumbers and Melons.— Attend well to the stopping, 

 thinning, and regulating of the shoots. Be careful 

 not to give too much air in cold weather. Keep up 

 the bottom heat and the temperature as recom- 

 mended last month. Water with tepid water. When 

 the plants are strong enough to bear, fertilise the 

 female blossoms. Sow for succession crops. Sow 

 some Prickly for planting on ridges. 



Hardy Fruit. 

 Should we be favoured with a continuance of fine 

 weather, protection will not be much required ; but, 

 as in our changeable climate at this season of the 

 year we never know what the next forty-eight hours 

 may bring forth, it is the wisest course to be always 

 prepared for sudden changes of weather. Give a 

 look-out every night before going to bed, and if 

 there are any signs of frost, up with the coverings. 

 Don't mind a little trouble now, when there is eo good 

 a prospect of a grand crop of fruit. 



Kitchen Garden. 

 Proceed with the cropping when the soil is in a 

 favourable condition. Potatoes.— Finish planting as 

 soon as possible. Cauliflowers and Lettuces.— Plants 

 that have been raised in heat, after being gradually 

 hardened-off, should be planted out in favourable 

 situations. Sow in open ground for succession. 

 Peas.— now twice during the month good breadths of 

 Marrows on well-prepared ground. Give the tall 

 sorts plenty of room between the rows. Beans.— 

 Sow for succession the Broad Windsor. Broccoli.— 

 Sow for the main crop early in the month, Salsafy 

 and Scorzonera. -- Sow in rows a foot apart the 

 main crop. Heet.— Sow the principal crop on good 

 ground. Kidney Beans.— Sow towards the end of 

 the month in a warm sheltered situation. Carrots.— 

 Sow the main crop as early as you can. Turnips.— 

 Sow for succession. Spinach, — Sow for succession. 

 Parsley.— Sow in drills. JRadishes.— Sow in beds for 

 succession^ Herbs of sorts. — Sow. In showery 

 weather look well to young plants, or slugs will 

 make sad havoc among them. Strew lime or soot. 

 Destroy weeds as soon as they appear, and keep the 

 soil well stirred among crops.— M.S. 



Florists' Flowers. 

 The Cineraria.— If last month's instructions have 



been carried out, the plants will now have attained 

 the shape required for exhibition ; but as the lateral 

 shoots will still be growing, they should be tied out 

 as wide as possible that they may thoroughly develope 

 themselves. Weak liquid manure is now indispens- 

 able to give strength to the wood and brilliancy to 

 the flowers! Give all the air possible, and shade for 

 an hour or two in very bright weather. Keep an 

 eye on seedlings, and select the brightest and most 

 distinct for next season. Pelargoniums will now be 

 making considerable progress, and should have care- 

 ful attention. Let air be freely given when the > 

 weather is sufficiently mild ; but close the house 

 sufficiently early, so that fire heat may be as much 

 as possible dispensed with. Be careful that the 

 plants are properly watered; and with a view to 

 this, should the weather be dry, examine them twice 

 a-day. Shading at mid-day will be frequently 

 necessary. Now is the time for t.ying-out the late- 

 flowering plants carefully, especially avoiding crowd- 

 ing, and arranging each shoot in its proper place. If 

 your soil for autumn potting is not already prepared, 

 let it be so at once, by laying up some good turfy 

 loam, with a moderate quantity of deer, or sheep 

 manure, the which, if kept sheltered from rain, and 

 thoroughly turned over during the summer months, 

 will make an excellent compost. — C. Turner, Slough. 



Roses in Pots.— As the bulk of forced Roses are 

 now in flower, or coming into flower, a light shading' 

 should be prepared ; and for this purpose nothing is 

 more suitable than No. 1 " tiffany " fastened under 

 the glass inside the house ; if bead room, let it hang 

 in shallow ba«s or folds. The sun, hitherto our kind- 

 est and best friend, must now be guarded against, lest 

 the expanding flowers pass away too rapidly beneath 

 his influence. The effect of constant sunshine or 

 sudden bursts of sunshine must be neutralised not 

 only by shading, but by regulating the temperature 

 by the admission of air. Syringe all daily the sides 

 and floor of the house, as well as the plants, in sunny 

 weather. Water copiously while the flowers are ex- 

 panding, gradually decreasing the supply when they 

 arrive at maturity. Look over the plants that bloomed 

 in February and are now pushing shoots for a second 

 bloom, and remove with the finger and thumb buds 

 that are inaptly placed or crowded. The same process 

 may be gone through with plants pushing their first 

 growth for the May bloom. Continue to tie out as 

 the shoots advance in growth. Fumigate whenever 

 an aphis is seen ; apply sulphur in case of mildew. 

 It is not unlikely that the Rose maggot may be un- 

 usually plentiful this year, owing to the dry, warm 

 summer of 1861. Look closely and frequently over 

 the bursting shoots, and wherever minute grains of a 

 black mould-like substance, a white web, or leaves 

 sticking together, are seen, carefully squeeze the 

 leaves or ends of the shoots between the thumb and 

 finger, avoiding the heart of the shoot, and the tender 

 insect may be crushed without hurting the plant. 

 Forced Roses should now be in full beauty and con- 

 tinue so throughout the month. The Roses of .January 

 and February may be sweet, fresh, and beautiful as 

 flowers ; but the sun of March and April is needed to 

 impart to them that last touch of beauty, in default of 

 which the connoisseur can hardly look at them as 

 Poses. The recent cold, cloudy weather has kept the 

 opening flowers longer in the half-expanded state 

 than is usual ; and, as a consequence of this gradual 

 expansion, the flowers are of increased si/.e and beauty. 

 The more backward buds, however, will not improve 

 in colour by the absence of sunlight. Of some hun- 

 dreds of varieties now before me in bloom, the best 

 cream and white are Devoniensis, Niphetos, Madame 

 Willerrooz, and Mrs. Bosanqtiet; the best yellow, 

 America, Enfant de Lyon, Viscomtesse de Cases, 

 Madame Falcot, and Celine Forestier ; the best rose- 

 coloured, Modele de Perfection, L' Avenir, President, 

 Parmentier, Marquise de Moira; the best crimson, 

 Beauty of Waltbam, Prince L£on, Madame Melame, 

 Frangais Premier, Senateur Vaisse, and Due deCazes, 

 the best purple, Princesse Mathilde, George Peabody; 

 Prairie de Terre Noir, and Dr. Leprestre. These are 

 twenty-four first-rate forcing Roses, well varied in 

 colour. Of the newer kinds I shall have something to 

 say next month.— William Paul, Waltham Cross, N . 



