JANUARY. 
31 
lawns and gravel-walks ; prepare composts; lay turf; see that hardy 
plants are well protected against severe frost; mould newly-planted 
shrubs; protect autumn planted bulbs; prune the hardier sorts of 
Roses, also shrubs. 
Forcing Hardy Shrubs. —Remove to the conservatory all plants that 
are opening into bloom, and fill up immediately with others. Intro¬ 
duce a few plants of as many kinds as you possibly can; by this 
means you get a variety. Put in Kalmias, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, 
Weigela, Deutzia, Lilacs, Roses, &c. ; give them a moist atmosphere, 
a steady bottom heat, and a temperature of from 50° to 60°, with a 
rise of a few degrees by sunshine. Syringe in the morning, and give 
air daily. 
Forcing Ground. —Make fresh hotbeds, and attend to those in 
operation. Nothing is more simple than the forcing of Seakale, 
Rhubarb, and Asparagus, if the plants have been properly attended to 
last year. A regular, steady bottom heat is all that is necessary to 
excite vitality, but Asparagus must have light and air also to be 
eatable ; whilst Seakale must have the light and air totally excluded. 
Sow Mustard and Cress once a week to keep up the succession. Sow 
a few Radishes and Horn Carrots on slight hotbeds. Sow Kidney 
Beans. Put some roots of Tarragon and Mint into heat to force. 
Bring forward, in pots or boxes, Ash-leaved Kidney Potatoes, to be 
afterwards planted out in pits and frames. Have a good heap of fer¬ 
menting material at hand, and keep it turned over occasionally; you 
will then be ready for any emergency. 
Greenhouse {hard-wooded plants'). — The principal point to be 
attended to here is to guard against frost, and to take care that the 
plants are not forced into premature growth with fire-heat. Keep a 
night temperature of from 35° to 40°, and a day temperature of from 
40° to 45°. Give air at every favourable time when the temperature 
outside is above 32°. Very little water will be needed this month; 
the plants, however, should not suffer for want of it. Soft-wooded 
Plants. —Towards the end of the month pot young plants of all kinds, 
and put into a nice growing heat of from 45° to 50°. As a busy 
potting time will soon be at hand, see that you have in readiness a good 
supply of loam, peat, leaf-soil, sand, moss, clean pots, sticks, crocks, 
labels, paint, &c. Fumigate with tobacco the moment green-fly is seen 
on any of the plants. 
Hollyhocks. —A little heat may be employed to excite into growth 
those cuttings produced from roots potted up from the ground in 
autumn ; apply the heat, however, very gently at first. When they 
have pushed shoots to about three inches in length, cut them off similar 
to the method used in propagating the Dahlia. Put them into thumb- 
pots, use a sandy soil, and place them in a mild bottom heat. The 
plants struck now will flower well in September. If the seed be sown 
in heat, and the plants produced be grown under glass till late in May, 
they will flower in the autumn. 
Melons. —Sow a few early sorts for first crop ; place in a steady 
bottom heat near the glass. 
Peach-forcing. —The early house may have a slight increase of 
