32 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOQIST. 
[ Fbbruary, 
Pines, Melons, and cakes or bread, and see if they would not prove as wholesome, 
and perhaps as strengthening, as beef, mutton, pork, fish, or soups. When this 
stage is reached, the Meat problem will be in a fair way of solution. 
Neither is there any fear of loss to the physical stamina, intellectual 
supremacy, or moral greatness of the nation, by a gradual and moderate change 
of food. On the contrary, such a change is likely to prove salutary. A mixed 
diet is probably the most salubrious for man. To derive the full benefit of this 
mixture, however, he should not eat all foods at the same time, but make a full 
meal of one of homogeneous character. Hence, by interchanging a fruit meal 
between two of meat, the full benefit of each would be more thoroughly reaped. 
Each would choose his own time and mode of making a meal of fruit. If each 
* 
family would only have one such meal a week, they would doubtless enjoy better 
health, and before the end of the year meat would be down a penny or more in 
the pound.— D. T. Fish, Ilcirdwiche , Bury St. Edmund’s. 
GARDEN WORK FOR FEBRUARY. 
FLOWERS. 
@ AKE advantage of every favourable opportunity to forward all ground-work 
connected with the Flower-garden. It is most important that lawns should 
receive close attention, to secure a smooth even texture of turf, without 
which the general effectiveness of the embellishment will be marred, how¬ 
ever richly and tastefully the beds may be filled. It is, moreover, an egregious 
and not uncommon mistake to fritter away, in the shape of flower-beds, every 
available portion of grass. This is more particularly the case in small places ; 
whereas a far more pleasing and satisfactory effect would have been produced 
by one-fourth the quantity of bedding-plants, skilfully relieved by masses of 
flowering shrubs and evergreens, so placed as to preserve a bold expanse of turf. 
Lawns that are poverty-stricken and patchy with moss, will be improved by 
a surface-dressing of fine rich soil. Nothing answers better for this purpose than 
the charred refuse materials from the compost-yard, allowing it to remain as 
distributed until early in spring ; look out also for a dry period to give a good 
dressing of soot or lime, and after freely scarifying the surface, sow over with 
selected seeds of good lawn grasses, and roll down evenly. The spring-flowering 
plants should now be looked over, and any that have been heaved up by the 
frost should be pressed down firmly, stirring the surface soil when it is sufficiently 
dry, and filling up all vacancies which may occur. If Clematises of the Jack- 
manni race are not already pruned, they should now be seen to, cutting down 
closely to the root such as are grown in low masses in beds. Such as have been 
grown for years in this way should have the surface-soil removed, and be dressed 
with fresh turfy loam and rotten manure, which will tend to invigorate them. 
No time should be lost in completing the planting of deciduous Shrubs , 
for if the work is deferred till later, it is somewhat a game of chance with 
them, unless they are removed with large balls attached. More particularly is 
this the case, should dry, searching weather prevail during early spring. 
Boses: Nothing is more appreciated than a good supply of Rose-blossoms 
during the winter months; to insure this, recourse must be had to Tea Boses , 
which are easily forced into flower, and their delicious fragrance renders them 
