126 
THE FLORAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 
REMINDERS FOR GAEDEN WORK IN APRIL. 
IG up the borders in which there are herbaceous plants or bulbs as soon 
as their contents are through the ground ; be careful not to injure 
them ; then rake and clean the borders. 
Cabnations and Picotees. — Pot them in No. 8 or No. 12 sized 
pots ; put two inches of crocks at the bottom, then a quantity of the 
mould got ready in February and turned over weekly since. The pot containing 
the plants must be turned up and struck against a table or some other substance, 
when the ball of earth will leave it, rub off tbe surface a little ; now let this be 
adjusted in the large pot, to bring the collar of the plant, that is, the lowest part 
of the leaves, within half an inch of the top edge; fill up all round and water 
gently. Let them be under a roof if possible, or at least in a sheltered place, and 
be carefully looked after that they be not too wet nor too dry. All those that 
cannot be potted for blowing, should be planted in rows, a foot apart in the rows, 
and two feet from row to row. 
Dahlias. — Now put the whole of the old roots to work, if you have not done 
it before. Pot them with the collar of the root above the surface of the soil, and 
place them in the heat of a common hot-bed made up for cucumbers or for the 
purpose. If you are only going to divide the roots instead of propagating 
largely, throw them into the hot-bed without potting, and as soon as they show 
their eyes, cut a piece of roct to every eye, and pot them to grow slowly till 
planting time. 
Tulips. — Use more diligence than ever to keep them from frost ; as they 
advance they are more susceptible than ever of a check. 
Ranunculuses. — Stir the earth between them, and break it small, close it 
about their roots. 
Take cuttings of all the ordinary clump and lawn plants, unless you struck 
them in the autumn. Petunias, heliotropes, verbenis, salvias, fuchsias, brug- 
mansias, and other quickly-growing subjects, are all readily struck with a 
little bottom -heat. Some gardeners nse a pot only half full of soil, and then they 
are able to cover them with a flat piece of glass ; but the whole of these strike 
like weeds with a little bottom-heat. 
Annuals of the more hardy kind may be sown in the borders at the beginning 
of the month, but all the ordinary border annuals may be sown at the end of it. 
Tender annuals may be sown in a slight hot-bed. Those which have been 
wintered in frames may be planted out towards the end of the month in the 
places they are to bloom in. Mignonette may be sown in pots and boxes for the 
windows. 
Aubiculas are now rising for bloom fast. If the pips in a truss are crowding 
each other, take out some of the smallest and weakest, leaving about eight to 
perfect themselves ; but if there be a large number, thin them out only enough to 
give room to the remainder. Towards the middle of the month they will begin 
to show colour. They must then be removed to a shady situation, where they 
must be thoroughly covered from cold winds and shaded from the sun. The 
smallest check by frost or cold winds will spoil the bloom ; as they open there 
should be bits of cotton or moss stuck between the foot-stalks to keep the truss 
all in its place, and give the flowers room to open properly ; they will then bloom 
in perfection. 
Roses. — If the opening buds of roses disclose any symptoms of disease, they 
must be examined and the grubs picked off. The latter end of the month the 
portion of roses left unpruned must be pruned as the former ones were ; it 
will throw the flowering back a month, and make a second season. 
Biennials, such as Canterbury bells, wallflowers, two-year stocks, sweet 
Williams, hollyhocks, dwarf and tall rockets, etc. , must be planted out where 
they are to flower. 
Wall-ebuit Teees and Tbainbd Teees. — Cut off all shoots that grow out- 
wards, and all others which grow in the way of better ones ; clear the walls 
from snails, slugs, etc. 
