190 
THE FLORIST. 
portion both of leaf-mould and silver-sand may be added thereto with 
advantage. 
Camellias .—Plants that have completed their growth and set their 
bloom buds, as many of the early flowering kinds will, should be 
removed to a cool airy house to harden their wood. Late-growing kinds 
must be still kept warm and close. 
Conservatory and Show -house .—These should now have abundance 
of air both by night and day. Water freely, and syringe plants not in 
flower. Remove every plant when it becomes in the least degree 
unsightly. Plants in flower are now so numerous that people are often 
tempted to crowd them; this should be carefully guarded against. Attend 
frequently to the re-arrangement of the plants. Keep everything 
scrupulously clean. Train and regulate the growth of creepers. 
Cucumbers .—Pay great attention to thinning and regulating the 
shoots; go over them at least twice a week, as they soon get crowded 
if neglected a few days. Guard against red spider, by syringing the 
plants and frequently sprinkling every part of the house. Attend 
to plants in frames. Keep linings well made up ; earth up, peg out, 
and train shoots of growing plants. Water when necessary. 
Dahlias .—Those who have not completed planting should do so at 
once. Assuming that the soil has, during the winter, been adequately 
prepared, all that will now be required is a small portion of thoroughly 
rotten manure to each plant. In very stiff soils leaf-mould may be 
beneficially employed to give the plants a start. It is of the utmost 
importance that they should be well and regularly watered. 
Flower Garden .—The weather of late has been highly favourable 
to all newly bedded plants. Petunias, Verbenas, and such plants must 
be pegged down as they advance. Stir the soil amongst Pelargoniums, 
Calceolarias, &c. Attend to the training of climbers. Thin the shoots 
of Hollyhocks, Phloxes, Delphiniums, &c., and stake and tie neatly up. 
Water copiously in dry weather until the plants get thoroughly esta¬ 
blished. Plant Stocks, Asters, Marigolds, Zinnias, &c. Sow Brompton 
Stocks. Clip Box edgings. Mow and sweep frequently. Keep gravel 
walks free from weeds. Maintain the greatest order and neatness in 
everything. 
Fruit (hardy ).—Good crops of every kind of out-door fruit will be 
more general this season than they have been for some years. Peaches, 
Nectarines, Apricots, Plums, Pears, Cherries and bush fruit are in this 
locality most abundant crops. There is a great show'of Apple blossom, 
and there will in all probability be a good general crop. The thinning 
of the crop must be well attended to: it is a great mistake to leave too 
many fruit to come to maturity, for they are always small, and they 
exhaust the trees so much as to render them unable to bear a crop the 
following season. On the other hand, when the fruit left to mature 
are reduced to a light crop, they will always be large and fine, and the 
trees will be in a condition to bear a crop the following year. Peach 
and Nectarine trees are making fine wood this season : attend well to 
the thinning and nailing in of young shoots. Peach trees in light soils 
should be copiously watered in dry weather, also all newly-planted 
trees. Attend to the stopping of shoots in Pears, Plums, and Apricots. 
