GAKDEN HINTS FOR AMATEURS. — FEBRUARY. 
their roots, and receiving a good soaking of rich liquid manure, sufficient to enrich the ground 
thoroughly. Finish pruning, nailing, and training, roll the grass frequently, and keep everything as 
neat as possible. Where the bulbs are through the soil, hoe deeply but cautiously, and should the 
weather be very severe, Tulips and Hyacinth beds may be matted over, or be protected by a few ever- 
green branches. We say nothing of the digging of shrubbery borders, as that is a relict of barbarism 
more honoured in the breach than the observance. 
Forcing Garden. — Where dung has been prepared, a bed may be made up for Cucumbers, but a 
pit with a flue or tank will produce them with much greater certainty and at a tithe of the expense 
and trouble. Cucumber plants can generally be procured from a neighbouring garden, but if not, a bed 
for a single light box must be formed to raise them, which will also do for a few pots of Melons or for 
other purposes of propagation. Keep a good stock of dung, dung and leaves, or dung, leaves, and tan 
always prepared, and make up a bed for Early Potatoes, Carrots, and Radishes, which may be grown 
either under mats or in frames. Attend to successional crops of Sea-kale and Rhubarb, and any old 
beds of Asparagus may be taken up and forced on a gentle hotbed. Make another bed for Mushrooms, 
and sow Mustard and Cress for successional crops. 
Kitchen and Fruit Garden. — Presuming that all operations connected with manuring, trenching, 
and preparing the ground as it became vacant, have been attended to, it only remains now to take 
advantage of frost or fine dry weather to fork the soil over frequently, more especially where it is of 
an adhesive nature, so as to get it into a finely pulverised state prior to sowing the seeds of such crops, 
as it may be necessary to sow ; for, upon that, as much as upon the quality of the seed sown, must 
you look for a vigorous and healthy growth. Where the soil is very adhesive, even under the best 
management, it is, more especially in rainy reasons, found exceedingly difficult to form drills for small 
seeds, and still more difficult to find earth in suitable condition to cover the seed when sown. Under 
such circumstances it will generally be found best to form the drills for small seeds with a strong 
pointed stick, as being less likely to consolidate the earth, and to cover .the seed with light charred 
refuse, or compost of any light kind. Thus treated, small seeds will generally, we may say, invariably 
vegetate some days sooner than, if covered with common soil, and hence the season of greatest danger 
to the seed, the time between the first process of vegetation and the young plant appearing above 
ground, is considerably shortened, and the chances of the plants being destroyed by frost, to a great 
extent removed. On heavy soils, the plan of throwing the ground into sloping banks is an excellent 
one, as if the ridges point east and west ; there is a south bank for early, and an equally useful north 
bank for late, crops. Proceed with the planting of potatoes of all kinds as quickly as possible, 
recollecting that early kinds are almost sure to yield a crop, but that there is some doubt about late 
ones; therefore place your dependence on early kinds. The following are first-rate sorts, comparatively 
unknown, but of considerable merit : — Red Ash-leaved Kidney ; Hague's Seedling, or Lapstone ; 
Thurston's Conqueror ; Martin's Superior Frame j and Soden's Early Oxford. These, with the 
true Ash-leaved Kidney, may generally be depended upon for producing a fine crop of excellent 
quality in almost every kind of soil. The new Black Potato is the best late kind we know ; we were 
using it last season long after the new potatoes were full grown, and then it was quite mealy. If the 
first crop of Peas is not in, sow a row or two of Warner's Emperor, or Flangan's Early ; but if you 
want good Peas rather than early ones, any of the following will be more likely to suit your purpose : — 
Fairbcard's Surprise, and Champion of England ; Bishop's New Longpod, Burbidge's Eclipse ; Hairs' 
Dwarf Mammoth, Knight's Marrow, which we consider the best Pea in cultivation, though in 
our last bad Pea season it did not succeed in some soils. The above, with the true Scimetar, are all the 
Peas an amateur, or, indeed, any one else need care about. Sow also Longpod, Royal Cluster, or 
Windsor Beans for a main crop. Parsnips may also be sown towards the end of the month, and 
successional crops of Scarlet Short-top, and Turnip Radish. In a warm sheltered situation, a bed of 
Scarlet Horn Carrot, with a little Lettuce, also may be got in. Plant out successional crops of Cabbage, 
hoc and stir among growing crops in suitable weather, and wage a war of extermination against 
slugs and insects of all lands. The planting of fruit-trees must be completed without delay, taking 
care to mulch the roots with leaf-mould, or decayed dung ; top-dress Strawberries with leaf-mould if 
you can spare it ; or, if not, hoe deeply and dress them with soot, which is an excellent manure for 
this crop. Proceed with pruning and nailing in suitable weather, and protect the Apricots, Peaches, 
&c., directly the buds begin to swell, as possibly you may do as much good by shading and retarding 
the blossom, as by protecting it after it is open. Of the various plans recommended, we have a strong 
notion that branches of evergreens placed thinly about the trees are as good as anything. We apply 
cv them early, and begin to thin them out gradually when the fruit is the size of small peas. Do not 
i\ forget the thinning of orchard trees if the branches are crowded. — P. 
