THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 26. 
318 
Tulips will now be growing" fast, shelter the young plants from heavy 
rains, or other severe weather ; if rain falls during the day and a sharp 
frost intervenes at night, and no protection is given, the young leaves 
j will be much injured. Verbenas, in pots for exhibition, re-pot, tie out, 
I and nip off the tops of the shoots ; shelter both these and those intended 
! to plant out from frost; smoke frequently to keep down green fly, and 
syringe occasionally with sulphur-water to destroy or prevent the red 
spider; put in cuttings of scarce sorts ; sow seed; look for slugs con¬ 
stantly iri the frames under the pots or any other lurking place, and 
destroy them. Finish planting Roses, and place those in pots in a 
warm house, to be coming on for the June or July exhibitions. 
T. Appleby. 
FLOWER-GARDEN. 
Annuals (Tender), such as the Portulaccas, Mesembryanthcmums, 
Lobelias, &c., sow, b.; (Hardy), sow on dry borders, b. and e. Bien¬ 
nials, sow, e. Climbers, half-hardy, as Maurandya, Lophospermum, 
&c., pot and train, b., to have strong for next May planting. Cuttings, 
push on the propagation of cuttings, and transplant them as fast as they 
root. Dahlias, sow, and force old roots for stock, b. Dress every 
part within the boundary as early as you can. Edgings of all sorts 
finish off as early as possible. All Evergreens transplanted since last 
August may have liquid-manure this month, and throughout the season 
after this mild winter. Flowers, pick off plants you want cuttings from, 
b. Finish all the Planting and Spring Pruning of trees and shrubs, 
and all necessary alterations as soon as the weather will permit. Grass 
and white and small yellow Clover Seed, sow with a liberal hand over 
patchy grass: keep the grass in clean, trim order, and roll it three times 
this month, and oftener if you can. Gravel, clean, roll, and relay. 
Hand-glasses, the best of all aids to rear half-hardy, and such other 
annuals as come up weakly at first, place them on a warm sheltered 
aspect. Hoeing : never hoe a border in March, for fear of killing some¬ 
thing which you cannot yet see. Hotbeds are only good helps to those 
who can well manage them for the flower-garden; keep them up to 70 °, 
and steady. Hyacinths and other Bulbs ; as soon as they appear, stir 
the beds and lighten the soil round the plants; and plant spring Gla¬ 
dioli at once. Perennials, with the exception of long fleshy-rooted 
ones, ought to be removed—divided, if necessary—and receive some fresh 
soil, or be planted in new situations, at least every third season; see to 
this rule, and treat onc-tliird of each family, every February or March, 
according to it. Protection is necessary for almost all young things of 
a tender nature, this month. Rakes : lock them up, b. ; if your man 
cannot dress a border without a rake, pity him. Roses, finish pruning, 
b., except, perhaps, a few strong ones be left unpruned till April, to 
bloom later ; but this plan is radically bad, and not necessary now with 
our perpetuals. Seeds, do not sow a packet of rare seeds in one pot 
only, sow in two or three pots to provide against accident to one. Seed¬ 
lings in heat, transplant as soon as you can handle them. Stakes j 
see if you have a stock on hand for your dahlias, hollyhocks, and all other 
plants requiring them next summer, and see that all the old ties and 
rotten stakes are out of the rosary. Sweet Briar, sown in a single row, 
will grow and make a hedge in such poor soil as would kill other roses. 
Turf, lay. D. Beaton. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Air, admit freely. Aphides, destroy. Cherries ripening, require 
much air. Cucumbers require plenty of air-moisture, and heat of 70° 
to 80°, and cautious air giving. Figs, 60° to 70° ; water freely, and use 
air moisture; stop when half-a-dozen eyes long. Lisuid-manure, 
provide, and apply weak and clear. Leaves of all fruits, keep clean by 
sponge or syringe. Pines, fruiters, give more water, and a very moist 
air; successions, re-arrange for the spring; pot where necessary, and 
renew all bottom-heats, 85° the maximum. Peaches, disbud, thin in 
the wood, and stop where required. Strawberries, keep near the 
light, and give air; water liberally, especially after the flower-stem rises; 
use liquid manure. Melons, plant successions; thin, stop, and set; 
temperature, 70° to 85°; bottom-heat, 80°. Sulphur, apply once a 
month in all structures. Tobacco, use frequently. Vines, early, 
finish thinning berry; continue stopping, and clearing away all waste 
shoots; keep up warmth at the root; succession crops, disbud, stop, 
&c., the former, 70° to 80°; the latter, 55° to 65°. Water daily things 
that need ; use plenty on floors, walks, &c.; sprinklings cannot be made 
too frequently. R. Errington. 
FRUIT-GARDEN. 
Apricots, prune, plant, hunt the eggs of red-bar moth. Apples, 
j prune, plant, dress for blight, with spirits of turpentine; for moss and 
scale, with soft soap and brine. Blossoms, retard or protect. Cur- 
I rants, prune, plant, top-dress. Figs, uncover, plant and prune at the 
e. Gooseberries, plant, prune, train. Grafting, proceed with 
| shortly. Hoeing, ply the hoe where the spade may not come; propagate 
j bush fruit, &c., by Cuttings. Planting of all kinds finish. Peaches 
j and Nectarines, prune, dress, and cover. Plums, plant, prune, pro¬ 
tect. Raspberries, plant, prune, top-dress. Root-prune where 
] necessary, all gross tress. Strawberries, dress, and top-dress. Stand- 
i ard orchard-trees, prune, plant. Stake all trees in danger. Stocks, 
plant, and sow seeds. Trenching, complete. Trellisses, finally 
j dress, use protection. Vines, prune, plant, and propagate. Walnuts, 
plant. In grafting, commence with kinds according to the earliness of 
the bud, which should be just beginning to swell. R. Errington, 
GREENHOUSE. 
Air, admit in fine weather, when the outside temperature is above 35 °; 
a shut house is better than cold currents and night flics; in foggy 
weather, however, light a fire, to clear and dry the atmosphere. Bulbs 
and Tuberous roots, introduce, and water more freely; start the various 
\ kinds of Achimenes, Gesnera, and Gloxinia, in hotbed; seeds of the 
j latter, sown now, will give nice little flowering plants for the autumn and 
winter, if you can give them heat. Calceolarias and Cinerarias, 
water more freely; give manure water to those flowering and showing 
their flower-stalks; shade in sunny weather; shift for succession. 
Camellias and Azaleas, water more plentifully when in bloom ; keep 
those intended for late blooming as cool and shaded as possible, so that 
frost does not injure them. Diosma, Epacris, Heaths, give abun¬ 
dance of air when growing and flowering; Prune freely when done 
flowering, and keep close until they begin to grow, when the roots had 
better be examined. Habrotiiamnus elegans is now a pretty object, 
grown in a pot, or trained against a pillar. Hotbeds, prepare for sowing 
Primula seeds, and any other desirable greenhouse plants, raising cut- i 
tings, sowing seeds, or striking cuttings of the commoner sorts for stocks, 
on which to inarch or graft Correas, Oranges, Camellias, &c. ; the graft¬ 
ing of such plants is easily effected in such a sweet moist hotbed, and 
docs away with much of the trouble of inarching. Such a bed will, also, 
be necessary for starting Cockscombs and Balsams, &c. Insects, de¬ 
stroy. Leaves and Stems, clean ; a little soap in the water is a great 
auxiliary for removing all kinds of filth ; syringe with clean water after¬ 
wards. Lilies, Japan; after the stems appear, place in a light, airy 
situation. Mignonette, and tender annuals, sow in slight hotbeds, in 
pots, turf, &c., to be afterwards hardened off. Soil, prepare : turn ; and 
expose for a general shifting about the end of the month ; but do not knock 
about fresh soil intended for potting, so as to shake the fibre out of it. 
Primula sinensis will be greatly benefited by manure-water. The 
double varieties are well worth a little extra attention, as the flowers 
stand a long time in a bouquet. Train large plants of Pelargoniums, 
intended for early flowering; Stop those for late summer and autumn. 
Scarlet Geraniums, intended for specimens in pots, give good shifts to, 
and if they can get a little bottom-heat, they will come all the stronger 
and bloom the finer. Tie climbers to rafters, after duly pruning them, 
keeping in mind whether the flowers arc produced on young or old wood ; 
train daily those on trellises ; and, as the season is now getting on, let 
neatness, order, and cleanliness, everywhere prevail. Watering will 
now be more wanted, and a moistish atmosphere in clear weather to 
counteract the drying effects of east winds. R. Fish. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
This is a busy month—every day brings its work ; a favourable oppor¬ 
tunity should never be lost for doing any particular kind of work ; take 
advantage of open mild weather for every kind of planting; in taking up 
transplanted plants from nursery beds of any kind, or at any time, always 
lift them up with some kind of tool or other, as a plant thus transplanted 
always suffers so much less than a plant drawn from the seed-bed. 
Angelica, sow, or plant, e., autumn-sown. Alexanders, sow, m. or e. 
Asparagus, sow or plant, e.; and dress off out-door beds; attend to 
that in forcing; water with liquid-manure once a week. Artichokes 
and Balm, plant. Basil, sow a little for early use. Beans, plant; and 
earth-stir growing crops. Beet (Red), sow a little for early use. 
Borage, sow, and earth-stir autumn-sown, and thin out. Borecole. 
sow, m. Brocoli, sow a little of the early kinds, and mark any favourite 
kinds for seed. Burnet, plant or sow. Cabbages.— Any early kinds 
may be sown, or Red Dutch, should plants be wanted. Capsicums, sow, 
to forward in hotbed, b. Cardoons, sow, e., for first crop. Carraway, 
sow. Carrots, sow for early crops; attend to thinning-out those in 
growth, and earth-stirring; sowings of the Early Horn may still be made 
on gentle hotbeds.) Cauliflowers, plant out the f,winter-protected; 
attend to spring-sown, as to airing, pricking out and earth-stirring; 
also assist the early hand-glass crop with soakings of liquid-manure, &c.; 
and sow in succession, e. Celeriac, sow. Celery, sow main crop, m., 
and prick out early-sown on gentle hotbed; leave for seed. Chamo¬ 
mile, plant. Chervil, sow; save seed from autumn-sown. Chives 
may be divided, and planted out. Clary, sow, e. Cress (American), 
sow. Composts, prepare. Coriander, sow. Corn Salad, sow. 
Cucumbers, ridge out; pot off; or sow in succession; sow also to¬ 
ward the middle of the month, for planting out under the hand-glasses 
next month ; attend to those in bearing; keep up a good moist heat. 
Dill, sow or plant. Earth-stirring, attend to in all cases, and often. 
Fennel, sow or plant. Garlic, finish planting. Hoeing attend to in 
dry days. Horehound, plant or sow. Horse-radish, finish planting. 
Hyssop, sow, or take up and divide old roots. Jerusalem Artichokes, 
finish planting. Kidney-beans, sow in succession ; attend to those in 
bearing, assist them with liquid-manure. Leeks, sow. Lettuces, 
sow; prick out; and plant out. Marigold, sow, Sweet or Knotted 
Marjoram, sow a little for early use. Marjoram (Common Garden), 
divide and plant out. Melons, sow in succession, and ridge out; attend 
to earthing-up, training, &c., the early crops. Mint, plant. Mush¬ 
room-beds, make, and attend to; assist old beds with a little tepid 
manure water. Mustard and Cress, sow, once or twice a week. 
Nasturtiums, sow, e. Onions, sow the main crop ; plant for seed, b.; 
also finish planting the Underground or Potato Onion ; also the Tree 
Onion : and look over those in the store. Orach sow. Parsley, both 
kinds, sow. Parsnips, sow, b. Peas, sow in succession ; the beginning 
of this month, is a good season to sow any of the tall kinds; earth-stir, 
or earth-up, and attend to sticking, &c. Pennyroyal, plant. Pota¬ 
toes, finish planting, either in hotbed or open quarter. Radishes, bow ! 
in succession; attend to thinning out young crops. IIampion, sow. 
Rape, sow common, and edible-rooted, e. Rhubarb, sow or plant, b. i 
Rociiambole and Rosemary, plant. Rue, plant. Sage, plant, j 
Shallots, finish planting. Salsafy and Scorzonera, sow a little ! 
for early use. Savoys, sow. Seakale, bow or plant out; attend to ! 
early covering-up, to exclude the light from the crowns, for succcssional j 
and late crops. Skirkets, sow, e. Succory, sow. Sorrel, plant or 
bow. Spinach, sow in succession. Tansy and Tarragon, plant. 
Thyme, sow or plant. Tomatos, sow in hotbed, e. Turnips, make a 
small sowing two or three times during the month. T, Weaver. 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of 
Christ Church, City of London.—February 26th, 1852. 
