8 



THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS. 



Conservatory. 

 Great attention must be given to tlie temperature 

 of this bouse during the mouth. Forced flowers and 

 many decorative and other plants, which it is some- 

 times necessary to introduce here, will require a 

 warmer temperature than otherwise would be the 

 ease. It will be best to avoid a high night tempera- 

 ture, HP to 45° will be sufficient. It is a good 

 plan to keep a little Are during the forenoon, when 

 a little air can be admitted, and to close early in 

 the afternoon. In giving air be careful to guard 

 against cold cutting winds, which are most injurious 

 to forced flowers. Camellias will, some of them, be 

 swelling their buds, and others will be in flower; they 

 will require liberal supplies of water. Pay great 

 attention to the watering of all sorts of plants. Keep 

 up a good show of Hyacinths, Tulips, and Narcissus. 

 Lily of the Valley should also be largely introduced 

 at this season ; it is very easily forced." Take up a 

 quantity of roots out of the beds, pick-out all the 

 plump crowns that will flower, and pot them twenty 

 or thirty roots in a pot. If put into a little bottom heat 

 they will soon come into flower; but it is the best 

 practice to fill as many pots as you may want in the 

 autumn. A few good specimen Azaleas will make a 

 good show. In endeavouring to have a great blaze 

 of bloom, avoid everything like crowding, and keep 

 every plant as clean as possible. 



Greenhouses. 

 Ventilate freely whenever the state of the weather 

 permits, always guarding against cold draughts. Use 

 no more fire heat than is necessary to keep out the 

 frost, and to expel damp. Look over the plants occa- 

 sionally and see they are clean and in good health. 

 Attend carefully to the watering. 



Cold Pits and Frames. 

 Whenever the state of the weather permits these 

 should have plenty of air. Nothing is more injurious 

 to plants in pots than damp. Every care should 

 therefore be taken to keep it out. Little in the way 

 of wateriug will be required ; but when necessary- 

 give it early in the forenoon of a fine day, and pull 

 the lights off, so that the moisture may get dried-up. 

 See they are well covered in frosty weather. 



STOVE. 



Attend carefully to the plants in flower. Water 

 when necessary. Give air freely in fair weather, 

 but always close up early. Keep a temperature of 

 about 60° at night, and 70° during the day. Take 

 advantage of bad weather to wasii and clean every 

 plant that may require it. It id rather . too early to 

 begin starting plants into active growth, but make 

 preparations for doing so early next month. 



Flower Garden. 

 Push forward alterations in open weather. See 

 that everything requiring protection is covered suffi- 

 ciently. We often have very severe frost during this 

 month. Attend to the stock of " bedding " plants. 

 Anything that you may be short of should be put 

 nto heat to get cuttings off. Pleasure Grounds. — 

 Here, too, in open weather, alterations and ground- 

 work of every description should be pushed forward. 

 Hardy trees and shrubs of all kinds may be planted 

 in mild weather ; any liable to be blown about with 

 the wind should be secured to stout stakes. This is 

 also a convenient season for turning and fresh gravel- 

 ling walks. 



Forcing. 



Fruit. — Pine Apples.— U-dise the temperature gra- 

 dually to the plants for summer fruit. About 65° at 

 night and 75" by day will be sufficient for this month. 

 See the bottom heat is about 85°. Give these plants 

 a good watering of tepid water. Give a little air at 

 every favourable opportunity, and keep a tolerably 

 dry atmosphere. Keep the succession plants steady 

 at a little lower temperature. Vines. — Attend to the 

 stopping and tying-down of the shoots in the early 



house, and as soon as they are set thin the berries. 

 Keep a temperature of about 60'° at night, and 75° 

 during the day. Avoid too moist an atmosphere. 

 Nothing is worse than the too common practice 

 of throwing quantities of water on the floors of the 

 house at this season. It may be very goid practice 

 in the month of June, but at the present time should 

 be carefully guarded against. Keep a moist atmo- 

 sphere in succession-houses until the Vines break, 

 Start later houses, beginning with a low temperature, 

 and gradually raising it every weeK until after the 

 Vines break, when a maximum temperature of about 

 60° at night, and 75° by day will be sufficient. 

 Muscats require a few degrees more. Peaches and 

 Nectarines,— The trees in the early house will now be 

 fast swelling their buds and coming into bloom. 

 They should have all the air possible. Maintain a 

 dry atmosphere, and keep a temperature of about 50° 

 to 55° at night and 65° during the day. Start suc- 

 cession-houses. Give the inside borders a good 

 watering. Figs— These may now be started, begin- 

 ning with a temperature of about 50° at night, and 

 G0 Q during the day. Give the plants plenty of 

 water, and keep a moist atmosphere. Cherries. — A 

 few plants of these may now be introduced for an 

 early crop ; they will not do much good out this 

 season unless they have a little bottom heat. A 

 night temperature of 45 Q will be sufficient during 

 this month. Give air freely when the weather permits, 

 and attend to the watering. Straivbetries.—'nLese, 

 too, force best at this season with a bottom heat. A 

 temperature of 45 p to 50° by night, and 60° by day 

 will be sufficient for them until after the fruit is 

 set. They will require careful attention in watering 

 until they make new foliage, when they will require 

 it plentifully. They should have plenty of air whilst 

 in flower. 



Vegetables. 

 Asparagus. Sea-kale, and Rhubarb are easily 

 forced by taking up plenty of roots and putting them 

 on a nice bottom heat. To keep up a succession 

 some roots should be set to work every three or four 

 weeks. Potatoes. — Plant Early Handsworth, which 

 is the earliest sort in cultivation. Kidney Beans. — 

 Sow for succession. Mustard and Cress.— Sow once 

 a-fortnight. Tarragon and Mint. — Put a few roots 

 into a bottom heat. Cucumbers. —Sow. Give them 

 a good bottom heat, and keep them near the glass. 



Hardy Fruit. 

 Look carefully over the store of Pears and Apples 

 in the fruit-room, and pick out any that are decaying. 

 In mild weather fruit trees of all kinds may be 

 planted, and where intended to be done it is better to 

 do it now than put it off till spring. When planted 

 they should have a good dressing of rotten dung 

 around the roots, arid standard trees liable to be 

 blown about by the wind should be secured to stakes. 

 Push forward the pruning of all kinds of fruit trees. 

 Take advantage of mild weather to prune and nail 

 wall trees. /Standard Pears and Apples may be 

 pruned any time when the weather is not too severe, 

 as may also Gooseberry and Currant bushes. 



Kitcuen Garden. 

 Everything that can possibly be done now should 

 be pushed on, as a busy time will soon be at hand. 

 This is an excellent time for trenching all ground 

 that requires it. In frosty weather wheel dung on 

 ground where it will be wanted. Pea-rods and 

 stakes of every kind should now be got and prepared 

 for use. Look over the netting, also all material 

 for protecting wall trees, and endeavour to have 

 everything ready for immediate use when required. 

 Attend to Cauliflowers under glasses; also to plants 

 in frames. Protect anything that may require it. 

 In mild weather make a sowing of early Peas and 

 Broad Beans on a warm border. Towards the end of 

 the month sow some lladishes on a warm border. — 

 M. S. 



