CHAPTER XIX. 
REMINDERS OF.MONTHLY WORK. 
January. —Earth-work and improvements must be regu¬ 
lated by the weather, but at every opportunity must be pushed 
on with all possible speed, for there will soon be other work to 
do. Stack up turf for composts. Spread a mulch of half-rotten 
manure amongst newly-planted shrubs and roses. Benovate 
flower-beds by deep digging and manuring. Prepare beds 
for ranunculuses and anemones. Any autumn-planted bulbs 
that are pushing through should be covered with a sufficiency 
of earth to protect them for awhile from sev ere frost. 
February. — Finish planting deciduous trees as soon as 
weather permits, and complete alterations and improvements. 
This is a good time to form rockeries, repair roads, put down 
edgings, and make new lawns. Herbaceous plants may be 
divided and transplanted. Plant ranunculuses and anemones. 
Sow hardy annuals in the borders, and a few in frames to be 
transplanted for an early bloom. 
March. —Beds and borders requiring to be cleaned must 
be carefully dealt with, to spare from injury any plants that 
are pushing through. The routine plan of digging mixed 
borders in spring is simply destructive of the good plants 
they contain. It is no wonder that pgeonies, dielytras, del¬ 
phiniums, and other good things that hide themselves in winter, 
invariably vanish from borders so treated. Plant herbaceous 
plants. Sow seeds of annuals and perennials. Look over 
rose-beds to make stakes safe, and tread firm any that are 
loose at the roots. Carefully hoe the top crust amongst tulips, 
pansies, and other choice subjects that are planted in beds. 
When the pansies have been cleaned, peg down the main 
branches, and strew over the bed a mixture of fine earth and 
rotten manure to promote surface roots. 
April. —Prune ivy to one layer of branches, and remove 
