124 
THE FLORIST. 
beds and borders properly supplied with water at the root. Also cut 
back Luculias and other plants which require this attention, to keep 
them bushy, and see that this is done before they start into growth. 
Keep everything clear of aphis and other injurious insects. Be prepared 
with shading, which will be necessary to preserve the beauty of plants 
in bloom, and, if used only for a few hours during the forenoons of 
bright days, will not injure plants making their growth. If the weather 
prove bright and dry, sprinkle the beds, borders, &c., morning and 
evening, in order to secure a moist atmosphere, which will greatly 
benefit things in growth, and prolong the beauty of those in. bloom. 
See to providing a liberal supply of Fuchsias, Clerodendrons, Statices, 
&c., for the decoration of this house, when the Azaleas and other spring 
blooming things are over. Also get a good stock of Chinese Primulas 
(double and single). Daphnes, &c., for autumn and early winter 
blooming; likewise get a large batch of Achimenes and Gloxinias 
potted and started, selecting the most useful varieties. Cold Frames .— 
The whole stock of plants propagated by cuttings intended for the 
decoration of the flower garden should be potted off with the least 
possible delay, and late weakly plants should be placed in a warm 
moist temperature, so as to get them sufficiently strong in time to allow 
of their being properly hardened before planting-out time. The general 
stock of half-hardy annuals should be sown in a gentle heat at once, 
not forgetting to provide a liberal supply of Stocks and Asters, which 
should be pricked out as soon as they are sufficiently strong to handle 
in lines upon a bed of light soil on a spent hotbed, so as to have them 
strong stocky plants by the middle of May. Where frames cannot be 
spared for this purpose hand-lights will answer, or even, with a little 
extra care, good plants may be obtained with the aid only of hoops 
and mats to cover the beds. See that the whole of the bedding-out 
stock is perfectly free from green-fly, which, if allowed to gain a footing, 
is sometimes difficult to eradicate, especially in the case of the woolly¬ 
leaved varieties of Calceolarias. Flower Garden .—If not already done, 
no farther time should be lost in getting shrubs injured by the winter 
cut down, so as to remove the unsightly portions ; and those that are 
either dead or so disfigured as not to be worth leaving removed, and 
the ground prepared and replanted, and attend to keeping recently 
planted trees and shrubs supplied with water. Also get any necessary 
re-arrangement of American plants done at once, and take up and 
divide herbaceous plants where necessary, and large-spreading stools of 
these never flower nearly so fine as smaller plants, and the transplanting 
will afford an opportunity for trenching and enriching the soil for 
weakly growers, &c., more effectually than it could otherwise be done. 
Roses should be planted at once, except the more tender sorts, as Teas, 
which may be left until the end of the month. We need not say that 
no pains should be spared in the preparation of ground to be planted 
with Roses, or that it should be trenched at least 2 feet 6 inches deep, 
and abundance of good rotten manure worked in and well mixed with 
the soil throughout its whole depth; and where the soil is of a light 
gravelly nature, the expense of replacing a portion with good strong 
tenacious loam, where this can be obtained at any reasonable cost, will 
