84 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ April, 
colour, less moisture will be needed, and the night temperature may be increased 
with safety, but give plenty of air through the day. Keep strict watch for black- 
fly, and destroy them by dipping the points of the shoots in tobacco-water. 
Strawberries: See previous directions. Introduce the last lot of plants under 
glass. 
Melons: Keep the linings turned or renewed, and still continue to cover the 
frames every cold night, except where fire-heat is used. Keep the shoots thin 
by cutting away useless growth. Give more air and water in proportion to the 
increase of heat and light, and avoid shading if possible. Sow again early in the 
month. 
Hardy Fruit: Presuming that all pruning, nailing,planting,&c., was brought 
to a close last month, very little remains to be done in this department for the 
present. Still continue to cover Peaches and Apricots whenever frosty nights 
appear likely to occur, but remove the covering in the day-time if the material 
used is of a close texture. If green-fly should attack the Peach trees, destroy 
them on their first appearance ; common snuff and sulphur, in equal parts, is 
perhaps the best remedy at this early season, as it would be injurious to the 
young fruit to use a wash strong enough to kill the fly, though next month it may 
be done with safety. Encourage all the foliage possible, and do not be too much 
in a hurry to disbud the trees till the weather becomes warm and settled. Plant 
Strawberries , and keep the ground hoed among the growing plants ; keep down 
the young crop of weeds in the fruiting beds, and prepare for mulching the 
plants with manure or litter. Give plenty of air and water to Orchard-house 
trees , keeping the foliage healthy by checking the ravages of aphides, and syringing 
the trees frequently.— John Powell, Frogmore. 
VEGETABLES. 
Closely inspect the seed-bed of each crop sown, and ascertain beyond question 
that the seeds are germinating and making satisfactory progress, in view of the 
ultimate supplies. In all instances where there exists any doubt of this, set to 
work without hesitation or delay to make duplicate sowings, as it is far better to 
do so, than to run the risk of missing even any single crop. Many subjects, 
among the ordinary spring and summer vegetables, will need carefully moulding 
up, but this should be done with some consideration. The practice is calculated, 
in some measure, to ward off the colder winds, and to encourage all the possible 
superficial root-action; but it is not necessary nor judicious to unduly bury the 
base of any plant, in furtherance of the necessary practice. The soil should be 
drawn up so as to form an acute ridge on either side, of but not close up to the 
stem. 
Successional sowings must be made of main-crop Peas , Broad Beans , &c. 
An early sowing may also be made towards the end of the month of Scarlet 
Banners, and, perhaps, a small one of Dwarf Kidney Beans —the latter more as 
a chance crop, should no mid-day frosts occur, than as likely to secure a per¬ 
manent one. The former stands a far better chance, as even should a severe frost 
come and cut them down as soon as they have germinated and are well through 
the ground, a permanent injury will not result, as they will speedily form 
duplicate shoots, which, pushing through the ground quickly, will form excellent 
crops at the usual time. The exceptional sowings, to be made a few days after 
the middle of the month, should consist of :— Cabbages (Early York, or Atkins’s 
Matchless, and a pinch of the Kosette Colewort), Broccoli (Snow’s Winter White, 
or Walclieren, Grange’s, and the Edmonton), Cauliflower (Veitch’s Autumn Giant, 
which should be grown by all), Scotch Kale , Cottager's Kale , Brussels Sprouts , 
