FLOWER GARDEN. 
107 
to propagate ordinary kinds, which can be 
raised by millions from seed. 
Biennials of every description can be 
sown now with advantage. 
Climbing Plants in fronts of houses, such 
as the China and other Roses, Passion Flowers, 
Bignonias, &c, will often be infested with the 
fly. Nothing is so good for this as syringing 
with a fine rose on the syringe, but doing it 
forcibly, under as well as over the leaves. 
This, done properly, with only clean water, 
will do a good deal towards cleansing them ; 
but if they have been neglected, and gone too 
far, syringe with lime water first, and clean 
water afterwards. A few days' neglect will 
completely destroy the foliage and young buds 
of a China Rose, and it is as bad with many 
other fast-growing subjects, such as the more 
delicate Tropaaolums. 
Plant out Verbenas, Fuchsias, Petu- 
nias, Heliotropes, Geraniums, tender an- 
nuals raised in heat, and all clump and border 
plants that required winter or early spring 
protection, giving them room according to their 
habit. Verbenas of the trailing kind, like 
Verbena Melindres, may be placed a foot or 
more apart, if you have but few; for they will 
spread over a large space. Where the subject 
will allow of it, the ball should be taken out of 
the pot whole, and be placed in the soil of 
the border or bed, level with the surface. 
Pinks. — Remove from the plants all the 
rising spikes for bloom, but one to each plant; 
and as the end of the month approaches, re- 
move all the buds but two or three of the best 
on each spike. Do not let those which are left 
be close together, as they would not be easily 
managed, but let them be such as can be both 
allowed to bloom. Regard must be had to the 
season for showing. If you find them rather 
forward, let the forwardest blooms be pulled 
off. They may have a top dressing of decom- 
posed cow-dung, or be watered with liquid 
manure, made of a shovelful or two of well- 
decomposed cow-dung in a tub of water, at 
the rate of a shovelful to two pailsful ; and, 
when it is well stirred together, let it be given 
with a watering-pot without the rose, pouring 
it freely between the rows of plants, so as to 
well soak the bed. This need only be done 
once or twice, a fortnight apart, using ordi- 
nary rain-water at other times, if it can be got. 
"When pump-water or well-water is necessarily 
used, it ought to be exposed to the atmosphere 
for some days, if possible ; indeed, a tank is 
necessary, or a large shallow vessel, whenever 
the water used in gardens is naturally hard. 
Tulips. — From the time these show stripes 
in the green they ought not to have the hot 
sun ; they should have the top cloth on, pretty 
soon in the month, and this should be watched 
so as to keep off the burning sun, but be rolled 
up as much as possible, so that this is secured. 
Tlie early part of the month the bed may have 
gentle showers, but after they have been wetted 
they must be covered well from frost ; and if 
the weather happens to have been parched 
and dry, there will be no harm in giving them 
a good syringing all over the foliage, but it 
will be necessary to continue the shading in 
the day until the sun is pretty low down, when 
it will not be powerful enougli to hurt them. 
The sides of a tulip stage should be removable, 
or planned so as to open without difficulty. 
The opening should always be on the contrary 
side to the wind in gusty weather ; but when 
there is but little wind, both sides should be 
open ; so also in cloudy weather the top cloth 
may be rolled up, it being universally admitted 
that it is impossible to give the tulip too much 
air. With all the care that can be given, they 
will occasionally draw up, and there is nothing 
but plenty of air and light that will prevent 
it. If they, or any of them, do come a little 
weakly, they must be supported by a bit of 
stick, and a small wire attached to it to hold the 
stem of the flower up as near under the flower 
as may be. If, as is sometimes the case, the 
generality of them are drawn, it is best to put 
a stretched line along each row, to half sup- 
port them, and, if necessary, the weakest may 
be fastened to it. The out-of-door beds, as 
they are called, which means those not much, 
or not at all protected, may be prolonged in 
flower by keeping the hot sun off. The 
breeder tulips should be carefully examined, 
to see if there be any newly -brok en flowers 
worth noticing ; and if there be, a covering of 
some, sort, to preserve it from wind and rain, 
should be continued; otherwise the perfection 
of the flower would be so transient, that it 
would be almost impossible to show it three 
days. All the half or partially broken tulips 
should be marked and planted in a bed by 
themselves, the coming season. As soon as 
the flowers are beginning to decay in any of 
the beds, the seed-vessel should be picked off, 
as the swelling of that greatly weakens the 
root ; and when the foliage has turned yel- 
lowish, and the stem has dried half Avay down, 
they should be taken up ; the stem, all but an 
inch, should be cut off; but if it is attempted to 
break the bulb from the stem, there will fre- 
quently be a piece of the bulb ccme out, which 
is very detrimental to it. They should be laid 
by partly in their dirt in the shade, until they 
are fairly dried, when they may have their 
dirt and rough skins removed, and be finally 
put by; but it is only in very early seasons 
that they are ready to come up in May; never- 
theless, as they are sometimes, and as some of 
the forward out-beds and borders are fre- 
quently ready by the end of the month, it is 
as well to mention it. All the early tulips, 
