CALENDAR FOR JULY. 
167 
Carnations and Picotees are coming rapidly into bloom, the 
pods must be carefully attended, loosening the ties of such as 
require it, fastening them again higher or lower as may seem 
necessary ; such flowers as open only on one side should have the 
calyx slit equally all round, and others may be thinned by 
drawing out the confused petals; as they advance, the guard or 
outer tier of petals should be arranged so as to allow each a fair 
chance of displaying itself, and those of the interior are then to 
be placed so as to imbricate one over the other; a card drawn 
up the pod and secured in its place by means of a small wire 
hook, one end of which is thrust into the supporting stake is of 
much assistance, both in arranging and retaining the flowers in 
their proper form. In addition to the ordinary shading cloths 
or awning, it will be well now to fix one from end to end of 
frame inside, in the manner of a ceiling, the object being to 
catch any moisture which may penetrate the outer covering when 
it rains, the spray when dashing through being very likely to 
mark the flowers unless protected in this manner, or with cap 
glasses ; the extra cloth is a good substitute for the latter, and if 
of sufficient size of course guards the whole collection, it should 
be allowed to belly a little downwards over the path, and then 
whatever water is collected falls through where it can do no 
mischief. Remember the awning is only to keep off sun, 
wind, and rain; air must be admitted whenever possible. 
Florista. 
CALENDAR OF FRUIT AND FORCING GARDEN 
OPERATIONS. JULY. 
Fruit Garden. Continue to attend regularly to all grafted 
plants, thinning and tieing up the shoots as they advance; some 
of the forwardest and strongest growing sorts may be headed 
down to four or five eyes, and thus one year be saved in forming 
the head, as the lateral shoots will be ripened before the winter 
sets in. Peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, and cherries should 
be budded early in the month, so as to get the young wood strong 
and well ripened by the autumn. Constantly attend to the 
thinning and laying in of the young wood of all the wall trees. 
