THE gardeners' AND NATURALISTS' CALENDAR FOR MARCH. 
pearcd on the subject of protecting Wall Trees, and 
which deserve attention. 
Femh and Nectarine. — Continue to prune, naU, and 
wash the trees, as recommended last month. AVhen 
they are finished, make the coverings available. 
Apricot. — The plan of protecting the stems recom- 
mended by Mr. BaUey, at p. 47, deserves particular 
attention. Some years since I adopted and recom- 
mended the same plan for the protection of ornamental 
trees and shrubs that were somewhat tender, and I 
believed it to have been of great service then. 
Fig. — This fruit tree requires but little pruning; 
occasionally an old branch may be cut out, but the 
young ones should remain then' full length, and those 
not more than a foot or eighteen inches long it is not 
necessary to nail in ; by this treatment a greater abun- 
dance of fruit is secured than when they are fastened 
close to the wall. 
Apple and Fear. — It is scarcely worth the attention 
of gentlemen's gardeners to graft young stocks of fruit 
trees ; but it frequently happens that a lai-ge thriving 
ti-ee is of a worthless variety ; when such is the case, 
head the tree dowri, and regraft with any required or 
approved variety. It is of importance to have the grafts 
taken from the trees before the buds begin to swell. 
Filberts. — Immediately the catkins, or male blossom, 
begin to shed their pollen, commence priming. The 
shaking of the branches "\^dll greatly assist in the ferti- 
lization of the female blossom, by distributing the 
pollen. The mode of prvming the filbert does not 
appear to be generally imderstood ; and a calendarial 
ai'ticle does not admit of any lengthened observations on 
the subject. I shall, therefore, for the present, briefly 
recommend them to be pruned in the same manner as 
currant trees, keeping the centres quite thin of branches. 
Straieberry. — Runners that were planted in a 
nursery-bed last autumn must now be removed to 
where they are to remain for frmting. A highly en- 
riched soil is roqiured for the plant ; and, if fruit of a 
very large size are wanted, proceed in the following 
manner. Open a trench, as if for celery, half fill it 
with rotten dung, dig it in, and then refill the trench 
with the soil taken out, and plant immediately. Weed 
the old beds before the plants begin to grow, and if 
they have been growing in the same spot for several 
years, sow some guano over them in showery weather. 
My practice is to keep each plant or stool separate for 
tsvo or three years, and then to allow them to cover the 
ground. They then produce a large quantity of fruit, 
which does very well for preserving. Sow seed of the 
Alpine in pans, for a supply of autumn fruit. 
H. C. 0. 
KITCHEN GARDEN AND VEGETABLE 
FORCING. 
There are such a multitude of things to be done in 
this department at this season of the year, even after 
the most favourable "winters, that when so severe a one 
as we have just escaped occui's, spring operations be- 
come excessively pressing. Therefore, every exertion 
must be made to forward and complete mth almost 
electric speed all work that has been unavoidably de- 
layed. But endeavour as far as possible to keep all 
routine business in the foregTOund, especially sowing, 
planting, and protecting, for on dUigeutly attending to 
these three things, much of the success in kitchen 
gardening depends. 
Sow Asparagus thinly in drills in a light rich soU, 
and at the end of the month make new beds. Select 
sti'ong one-yeai'-old plants, aud plant two rows in a four- 
foot bed, the rows a foot from each side of the bed, and 
the plants a foot apart in the rows. To obtain fine 
heads a rich soil of from three to four feet in depth is 
indispensable. Dig in with a three-pronged fork the 
manure laid on in the autumn, carefully avoiding injury 
to the crowns of the plants. As soon as they begin to 
grow, give a good watering with salt and water, about 
the strength of sea water. Plant Ash-leaved Kidney 
Potatoes about the middle of the month, upon a warm 
dry border fully exposed to the sun. On tenaceous 
soils defer planting tiU the latter end of the month ; 
and I would strongly recommend the adoption of an 
old but excellent plan of planting in beds foui- feet and 
a half wide, with two feet alleys. Two rows are planted 
on the surface of the soil in each bed, and they are 
covered with soil from the alleys. The alleys are 
manured, dug, and planted with Cauliflower French 
Beans, or in fact any crop that will come off early 
enough for the planting of Celery. Plant Crown Arti- 
chokes in rows a yard and a half asunder, and a yard 
distant in the rows in good rich soil. Jerusalem Arti- 
chokes requfre a lighter soil than the former; they 
may be planted in rows a yard asunder, aud fifteen 
inches, plant from plant, in any spare piece of ground. 
Plant .successional crops of the following Peas : — Bishop's 
New Long-podded Dwarf, Fairbeard's Suiijrise, Cham- 
pion of England, Bm-bridge's Eclipse, Hair's Dwarf Green 
Mammoth, Knight's Marrow, Bedman's Imperial, dueen 
of Dwarfs, British CJueen, Thurston's Eeliance, Knight's 
Dwarf Green Marrow. Protect those that are uj/with diy 
ashes from frost, and strain worsted over the rows 
where the sparrows are troublesome. Plant Dwai'f 
Fan or Bog, and New Eoyal Cluster Beans. Sow 
Early Scarlet Horn CaiTot, on a south border, 
slightly di'cssed with well-decayed manure. Sow 
general crops of Parsnips in rather strong soil. Sow 
the latter end of the month Dwarf Green Curled 
and New Hearting Borecole ; also Atldns's Matchless, 
Wheeler's Imperial, Paragon, Preston's Victoria Cab- 
bages, and Bed Dutch for pickling. Early Cauliflower, 
Asiatic and Walcheren. Transplant Cabbage and 
Cauliflower plants, fill up vacancies in the autumn 
planted crops, and hoe or fork up the surface of the soil 
between the rows. Sow a bed of Brussells Sprouts, 
and a few pans of Brocoli on a slight heat. Hammond's 
Cape, Pirrple Cape, Green Cape, and AVhite Cape, are 
the best for this batch. Sow Snow's Compact Cos, 
Matchless Cos, Alphange Cos, WeUingtou Cos, and 
White Cos Lettuces. Stir the surface of the soil 
between earlier crops, and plant those that have with- 
stood the winter a foot apart. Sow, the first week in 
the mouth, the general crop of Onions ; select, if possi- 
ble, the Celery ground for this purpose, and give a 
moderate dressing of thoroughly decomposed manure. 
Tread the soil fixrnly prior to sowing the seed ; and sow 
in di'Uls an inch and a half deep, and nine inches apart. 
Brown and White Spanish, Deptford, Globe, James 
Keeping, and Tripoli, are good soits ; and the Silver- 
skinned for pickling, which must be sown on poor 
ground. Prick out Celery Plants so\vn last mouth, as 
soon as they are ready, in a frame of light rich earth ; 
keep them close until they ai'c rooted, then expose 
them fuUy in fine weather. Sow another pan or two 
the first of this month, and prepare a fi'ame in an ex- 
posed situation, for the general crop at the end of the 
month. A bed of leaves in which the heat is declining 
wUl he the most suitable for them. When the plants are 
up they win grow fast enough without artificial excite- 
ment, and much stronger. Cole's Superb Dwarf Pcd, 
Ayres' Superb White, aud Lion's Paw, are the best in 
ciiltivation. In sheltered situations a few French Beans 
may be put in late in the month, and here they must he 
well protected. Sow Early Scarlet Horn CaiTOt, on a 
south border, twice in the month. Raise Capsicums in 
a slight heat, and prick them singly into 60-size pots, 
in light rich soil, and they will be strong plants to turn 
out at the foot of a south wall in May. Tomatoes aud 
Basil reqirire the same treatment. Sow Chervil, Savory, 
Sweet Maijoram, Sorrel, and a variety of other herbs, 
in drUls on a dry border, and make new plantations of 
mw^' 
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