THE POLYANTHUS. 
Ill 
removing the bud non; instead of the shoot it 
would produce by and by, when it has helped 
to exhaust the tree ; the fore-right, badly 
placed, and superfluous buds are those to be 
removed : do it with a sharp-pointed knife, 
and do not wound the shoots unnecessarily. 
Figs. — The state of the weather must de- 
termine whether these may be entirely un- 
covered or not ; much injury is often done 
them by ill-judged haste. 
Filberts and other nuts may be propagated 
by layering. 
Fork up, and stir the surface of the soil 
among all plantations of fruit-trees. The 
Dutch hoe should be kept constantly at work 
— not to cut up weeds, but to prevent them 
altogether. 
Gooseberry and Currant Trees, if not already 
planted, should be done without delay. When 
the trees are coming out in leaf, watch for 
the caterpillars, and, if they are observed, 
sprinkle the tree sharply with dry wood ashes 
and soot, while the dew is on them in the 
morning. This must be done as soon as they 
appear. 
Grafting. — Orchard fruits generally may 
be grafted during this month ; it must be 
done before the buds get too forward ; for this 
reason, it is necessary to cut the grafts some 
time before they are required to be used ; 
the slocks may be in a growing condition. 
Cherries and plums are to be done first ; then 
pears ami apples. 
Mulch, newly -planted trees, especially where 
the roots are (as they should be) planted 
shallow. 
Nailing. — Complete this operation, where 
it has been deferred, as early as possible, as 
the buds will now be getting forward, and will 
lie liable to be knocked oil', unless very care- 
fully done. 
Pears and Apples, when trained in the 
pendulous manner, if not already done, should 
have this training completed : it is usually and 
properly done earlier than this, in the leisure 
lime of winter. 
Raspberries. — New plantations may be 
made, but they will not bear this season. 
Strawberries. — Runners planted in nursery 
bids in autumn, may now be planted per- 
manently. When this fruit is forced, the 
plants after forcing, if hardened a little before 
exposing them, may be planted out, and will 
bear a lew late fruit, ami a full crop the fol- 
lowing year. Get the beds hoed and weeded. 
Vines. — Young vines may be raised from 
short cuttings of the last year's shoots : only 
(me eve en- liml should be left above ground, 
and all the other buds below removed before 
planting the cutting. 
Wall-fruit trees. — All the tenderer of these 
must have their advancing buds protected, if 
not done, by evergreen boughs, fern, straw- 
ropes, or mats, bunting, netting, thin canvas, 
or any other convenient material. Spruce-fir 
boughs, or woollen netting, are perhaps the 
two best. 
CULTURE OF THE POLYANTHUS. 
The great difficulty in the cultivation of 
the Polyanthus is to get strong plants with 
single hearts, for the root is apt to throw up 
side shoots, which take from the strength of 
the principal one, and from each other. To 
obviate this, considerable pains must be taken 
to plant out only single hearts when the roots 
are parted after blooming, and also to remove 
all side shoots at their very first indication. 
Some varieties of the flower are all but use- 
less for show, because of their disposition to 
space instead of strengthen, and the whole of 
them may easily be got into a bad state by 
carelessness. All the Polyanthus plants de- 
teriorate by being allowed to grow and spread, 
for, instead of one good truss, they have a 
number of weak ones, not one of which would 
be good enough to exhibit singly. Under 
these circumstances we begin some directions 
for the growth of tins florist's flower, by re- 
commending the first choice to be of such 
plants only as have good strong hearts, and 
promise to give centre trusses oidy. The best 
time to choose such plants would be about 
February or March, by which time they de- 
velops themselves, and show pretty well what 
they will be. Willi regard to the choice of 
sorts, the Polyanthus is so far behind what we 
hope ere long to see it, that we cannot say 
much on behalf of a sufficient number for a 
collection. We must build our hopes on im- 
