so 



THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 



could safely do, and you can leave a little on at night. 

 Maintain a moist atmosphere in houses where the 

 fiuil is swelling. Water well all inside borders when 

 they require it. Do not neglect to thin the berries 

 ns soon as they are fit. In late-houses the thinning, 

 stopping, and tying-in of the shoots will require daily 

 attention. Give abundance of air in the early part 

 of the day if the weather be fine, and always close 

 s"-on in the afternoon, at the same ti.ne well wetting 

 the borders and paths of all the houses when Grapes 

 av? not in flower. Peaches and Nectarines. — Per- 

 severe in syringing the trees well mornings and 

 afternoons until the fruU begins to approach ma- 

 turity, and well wet the borders after closing the 

 iiouses in the afternoon, otherwise it will be difficult 

 to keep the trees clear of red spider, which will now 

 be troublesome if anything like a dry hot atmosphere 

 be kept. Give inside' borders a good soaking of liquid 

 manure occasionally. Give air abundantly in fine 

 days. Towards the end of the month alitUe air may be 

 left on at night when the fruit is beginning to ripen, 

 and keep a little fire heat at the same time. This will 

 i-i move the flavour of the fruit, and also mature the 

 wood. In the later houses keep the shoots stopped 

 and tied down, and be careful not to retain too many. 

 Thin the fruit as it is needed, regulating the crop to 

 the strength of the tree. A light crop on email or 

 weak-growing trees, an.i a heavy crop on large, 

 strong, robust-growing trees. You can hardly keep 

 the atmosphere too moist at this season, Pigs. — 

 When the first crop of fruit approaches maturity, 

 water should only be used sparingly, it cimnot. how- 

 ever, be safely dispensed with tor any length of time, 

 particularly with trees in tubs or pots, or otherwise 

 confined, as the second crop, which will now be 

 showing, will surfer. Ventilate finely in fine weather, 

 and keep the atmosphere as moist as you safely can 

 without injuring the ripening fruit. Cherries. — As 

 soon as any of the trees are cleared of their fruit they 

 may be taken out of the house and placed in some 

 situation where they can be property attended to. 

 Trees in fruit, if in small pots, will now require 

 liberal supplies of water. Give them abundance of 

 air and keep the foliage clear of insects. Straw- 

 berries.— These can hardly have too much air now 

 un .il the crop is set, when they should be kept closer 

 and warmer, and be daily syringed, and well watered, 

 and if weak liquid manure so much the better. By 

 this means and only leaving a few fruit, Queen and 

 other large kinds can be grown to 2 ozs. in weight. 

 Cucvmbers and Melons.— Never let the b .ttomheat 

 get much below 80°, neither should it get much 

 above that. Give them liberal supplies of water, 

 and keep the shoots well thinned, never let them get 

 entangled. Plant out for late crops. 



Hardy Fruit. 

 The weather the greater part of the past month 

 has been very unfavourable for fruit trees in blossom. 

 Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots have been very 

 full of bloom, and when protected they will he a 

 heavy crop; but we fear they will have suffered to 

 Forne extent where unprotected. Plums, Cherries, 

 Pears, and Apples will, owing to the dull cold 

 weather we have lately had, be rather later in 

 blossom than we at one time anticipated from the 

 mildness of the past winter. If favoured with fine 

 weather whilst in bloom we may anticipate a heavy 

 crop. Give Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots a good 

 washing with a barrow engine three or four times 

 a-week. Attend in time to disbudding, and spare no 

 pains to keep the trees clean and in good nealth. 

 All protection may be removed towards the end of 

 the month. 



Kitchen Garden. 

 We do not remember for many years a more 

 unfavourable time for getting in seeds than the pre- 

 sent spring has been. We have had a deal of rain 

 during the month of March and little sun or drymg 

 winds ; the ground has, in consequence, worked 

 very badly. A little extra attention will, therefore, 

 be now' necessary when the young crops are above 

 ground in thinning and in stirring the soil between 

 the rows. Earth-up Potatoes as they require it. 

 Plant out Cauliflowers, Cabbages, and Lettuces. 

 The present is a good time to make plantations of 



herbs if not already done, Plantations of Rhubarb, 

 Sea-kale, Asparagus, Horseradish, and Artichokes 

 may still be made. Towards the end of the month 

 plant out Tomatoes against south wall. Early Celery 

 transplanted last month should he planted out in 

 well-prepared trenches. Marrow Peas and Broad 

 Beans should be sown twice during the month. 

 Kidney Beans.— Sow for succession. Priek-out 

 Cauliflowers, Lettuces, Broccoli, Savoy, Brussels 

 Sprouts, &e. Sow Radishes, Mustard and Cress. 

 Sow Beet on well-prepared land. Sow Turnips and 

 Spinach. Sow Parsley in rows. Towards the end 

 of the month pljnt out Basil and Sweet Marjoram 

 raised in heat. M. S. 



Florists' Flowers. 

 Cinerarias.— We will suppose specimen plants of 

 these to be now in full bloom : consequently, great 

 care must be taken to see they do not want for water. 

 Weak liquid manure may still be given with advan- 

 tage. Shade through the middle of the day, and 

 give all the air you can, avoiding, as mtich as possible, 

 any strong currents through them, as they are apt 

 to curl the foliage and deteriorate the quality of the 

 flowers. Still tie-down any lateral shoots to furnish 

 the bottom of the plants. Sow seeds for autumn- 

 flowering. Pelargoniums. — The plants intended for 

 the early exhibitions will now, under the treatment 

 we have previously suggested, be approximating to- 

 wards flowering ; great care should, therefore, be 

 taken of them. As the flowers progress towards ex- 

 pansion, they should be protected by shade trom tho 

 mid-day sun, and that industrious little insect yclept 

 the bee must be rigorously excluded even from the 

 precincts of tfee house. Some three or four times each 

 week you may still advantageously apply a little w<>ak 

 manure water, and be especially careful that at the 

 ordinary waterings you give a liberal supply ; at this 

 stage of their progress the plants peculiarly need it. 

 Of the green fly take good care to prevent even the 

 most distant approach. Of the plants to flower late 

 have a care. It will tend to retard them if they are 

 removed to a somewhat northern aspect ; let there be 

 room between each for a free circulation of air, and 

 keep their shoots tied out with regularity. — C. Turner, 

 Slough. 



Hoses in Pots.— The forced Roses bloomed in winter 

 and cut back in March, will now have made a second 

 growth, the shoots of the Perpetuals beingterminated 

 with flower -buds. As the weather becomes warmer, 

 less fire heat should be employed, and more air 

 should be given. Syringe and shade as before re- 

 commended, using sulphur and tobacco liberally when 

 needed, as correctives of mildew and green fly. My 

 second, or succession-house of forced Roses is now 

 in full bloom, and among some 600 plants there is 

 not an aphis to be seen. Many of the flowers are 

 4 inches in diameter, quite, equal in size and beauty 

 to flowers produced out of doors. In addition to 

 the list of superior kinds for forcing recommended 

 in last month's Florist and Pomologist may be 

 noted— Fortune's yellow Noisette, copper colour, 

 desirable chiefly for its distinctness ; Abd-el-Karier, 

 H.P., purple, shai.ed with scarlet ; Alexandre Fon- 

 taine, H.P., cerise; Amiral Gravina, H.P., blackish- 

 purple; Henderson. II. P., purplish-rose, very large; 

 Jean Bart, H.P., red and violet shaded; Madame 

 Furtado, II. P., rosy crimson, large, full, and very 

 sweet. ; Palestro, H.P., rosy lilac, large globular 

 flowers; Catherine Guillot, IT.P., pink, perfect in 

 form, growth vigorous and handsome, excellent for 

 forcing and pot culture generally ; Victor Emmanuel, 

 Bourbon, purple, and purplish-maroon, shaded ; 

 Cornelia Koch, Noisette, straw colour, a most beau- 

 tiful forcing Hose ; Marquise de Foueault, T., white, 

 lawn, and yellow, beautiful form and very distinct. 

 Continue to tie-out the young shoots of plants recently 

 introduced to the forcing-house, setting them further 

 apart than formerly, as the growth will, or ought to 

 be more vigorous, and the leaves and flowers larger 

 than those introduced earlier in the year. As the 

 day* become longer and warmer more water must 

 also he given. The general routine of culture is the 

 same for these as that already advance d for the earlier 

 Koses.— William Paul, Waltham Cross, Herts, N. 



