502 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 27. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Auriculas and Polyanthuses will now be advancing fast into 
bloom ; shade from bright sun, and shelter from heavy rains. Carna¬ 
tions and Picotees finish potting; shelter from severe weather. 
Chrysanthemums, pot off cuttings put in last month; putin more 
cuttings b., keep them in close frames till fresh rooted. Cinerarias 
coming into flower remove into the greenhouse ; young plants re-pot; 
smoke frequently to destroy green-fly. Calceolarias advance a stage 
by repotting; smoke these also ; frequently the green-fly is their grand 
enemy. Dahlias, pot off cuttings ; some that are scarce may yet have 
cuttings put in; give plenty of air to growing plants; old roots plant 
in borders towards the end of the month. Fuchsias, continue to in¬ 
crease by cuttings, if required; specimens of forms by repotting twice 
during the month ; re-pot old plants ; shake off a large portion of the old 
soil, and pot them in the same sized pots. Hollyhocks, finish planting 
b.; mulch with short litter ; sow seed in shallow pans in a gentle heat, 
or sow in open borders, or nursery beds. Mim uluses, divide, and 
re-pot in light rich compost. Pansies may yet be planted in beds: 
stir the surface of the soil of the beds planted last month. Pinks, cover 
bed with a thin mulching of very rotten dung, stirring the soil previously; 
sow seed of either in the open border, or in shallow pans. Ranun¬ 
culuses; if the soil on the surface has become hard, stir it gently, 
breaking the clods with the fingers; keep a good look out for slugs, if 
they abound, give a good watering with lime-water. Tulits ; be very 
particular, and keep them well sheltered from late spring frosts, but 
expose them to all the favourable influences of mild rain, and the warm 
beams of the spring sun. Weeds, never allow to advance beyond the 
seed-leaf. T. Appleby. 
FLOWER-GARDEN. 
Annuals (Tender), prick out those sown in February and March into 
a hotbed ; water gently but often ; sow in hotbed • (Hardy) may be sown 
in borders, &c., to remain ; tliin those advancing. Auriculas in bloom, 
shelter. (See Hyacinths.) Supply with water often; those for seed, 
plunge pots in a sheltered border, where they can have sun until 11 
o’clock ; plant offsets; propagate by slips ; seedlings shade during mid¬ 
day. Auriculas done flowering, place out-of-doors, and separate off¬ 
sets. Box edgings may be made, and old taken up, slipped and re¬ 
planted: clip Box edgings. Biennials, finish sowing, b.; plant out 
those sown last spring. Bulbs, in water-glasses, done flowering, plant 
in pots, give liquid-manure every third time, very weak, and water 
often ; stir the earth ; sow, e.; plant into borders, b. Climbing plants, 
train and regulate. Layer Rhododendrons and hardy Azaleas. 
Dahlias, plant to remain, b.; or in pots, to forward in a frame until 
May. Dress the borders, &c., indefatigably. Frames, raise by sup¬ 
porters at the bottom, as the plants within grow tall. Grass, mow 
once a week, and roll oftener ; trim edges; dress with earth if poor ; 
and sow seeds, especially white and small yellow Clover. Gravel, 
turn and lay afresh in dry weather; roll after rainy weather often. 
Hoeing and Raking walks give up, and lay them down in concrete. 
Hyacinths, shelter from sun by an awning «>f matting over the beds, 
from nine to four; give the same shelter in bad weather day and 
night; cut flower-stalks as they cease blooming, and take special care of 
leaves. Insects, destroy with tobacco-smoke, or hellebore powder, or 
dusting of Scotch snuff. Mignonette, sow in any warm border. 
Mulch, put round trees newly planted. Pinks, sow. Polyanthuses, 
sow; plant out and propagate by offsets, b.; last year’s seedlings now in 
bloom, mark best for propagating. Potted Plants, give fresh earth 
to, if not done last month : shift into larger; water freely. Perennials, 
those sown last spring may still be planted, and propagated by offsets ; 
finish sowing. Sticks are required to blooming plants. Tulips, shel¬ 
ter from sun and wet; take off pods to strengthen bulbs. Watering is 
now required more frequently, yet moderately; give it early in the morn¬ 
ing. Ranunculuses, water freely, and press the earth very hard 
between the rows. Roses, thin buds where very abundant: watch for 
grubs in the buds, and crush them ; make cuttings of Gloirede Rosnmene 
to bed next year. Tobacco Water, use to destroy the aphides, by 
dipping the shoots in it where the insects are. Prepare for a large stock 
of common Capsicums to supersede tobacco for killing insects. Take 
stock of your .Bedding Stuff, b.; and bring up arrears, if any; keep 
all such rather dry, and inure to cold in time. D. Beaton. 
GREENHOUSE. 
Air, admit freely in mild weather; give sparingly when east winds 
prevail, and then merely by the top-sashes, to avoid cold draughts ; shut 
up early in the afternoon, and, if sunny, sprinkle the plants from a fine 
syringe, when it is desirable to encourage growth: plants making their 
growth should, therefore, if possible, be kept apart from those in bloom. 
Azaleas, coming into and in flower, water freely ; those to be retarded 
remove to a north aspect, under glass, or even an opaque roof; a tem¬ 
porary protection by mats, canvass, or oiled cloth, will answer admirably. 
Bulbs, introduce. Camellias, water freely when in flower; those done 
flowering keep close, to encourage growth, and shortly afterwards re-pot 
if necessary. Calceolarias, Cinerarias, Primroses, Cytisus,&c, 
assist with manure-water, weak, but given often. Cactus, the late kinds 
water at the roots, after swelling the stems by syringing. Corserva- 
tive-wall Plants prune, train, and protect, more to keep off the sun 
at first than the cold. Cuttings, insert; place in hotbed or shady 
place according to kinds. Climbers, regulate. Epacrises and Heaths 
done flowering, cut back, and also any other struggling plants , and keep 
them by themselves, so as to be close and warm, to encourage them to 
break freely ; those in, and coming into flower, keep in the airiest part. 
For winter blooming of the reddish-tinted kinds of Epacris, none excels 
the impressa; hyacinthafiora has much larger flowers, but the colour is 
duller ; do not be afraid to cut back such plants freely ; and if you can 
give them a closer atmosphere, and 10° higher temperature than the 
greenhouse, it will cause them to break better. Fuchsias, water the 
forward ones freely; fumigate with tobacco at the first appearance of fly. 
Geraniums, train the first, encourage the second, and stop, pot, and 
propagate for autumn supply. Gesnera, especially Zebrina, and Gloxi¬ 
nia, various varieties, start in a hotbed ; the sorts may be kept safely 
during winter, if dry, in a temperature of from 40° to 45 °. This 
rule applies to the whole of the Achimenes, and most plants with scaly 
and bulbous tubers. Those who have pits and frames, and no green¬ 
house, may manage them nicely by packing them in a kitchen cupboard. 
Few things answer better for window plants in summer and autumn. 
Heaths, in bloom and growing, keep in the coolest and airiest part of 
the greenhouse, and if the sun shines strong, defend the pots by shading 
or double pots ; the Hovea and Chorozema tribes will require similar 
care, and then, with good drainage and plenty of water, there will be no 
danger. Prepare for general totting by getting soil, pots, &c., in 
good order, but do not let a plant wait for a time when it wants atten¬ 
tion. Propagate by seed, roots, cuttings, inarching, and grafting ; 
young plants thus get strong before winter. Sow Sjseds ; beware of 
burying the smaller ones; the pots should be well watered previously, 
and when settled, the seeds sown, slightly sprinkled with a little sand, 
pressed down, and a square of glass or a piece of paper put over the pot; 
for these, as well as striking cuttings of tender plants, inarching, and 
grafting, a sweet hotbed would not be desirable. Seedlings, remove 
as soon as possible from the seed-pans, and pick them out singly, espe¬ 
cially if thick. Sow Balsams, Cockscombs, Thunbergias, &c. Pot the 
various Achimenes , and introduce tubers for a succession. Remove de¬ 
cayed Leaves. Stir and loosen the surface soil. Succulents of all 
kinds water more freely. Water for all plants will now be required 
oftener. Manure-water may now be given more frequently to Pelar¬ 
goniums that have set their flower-buds, to all plants where vigorous 
growth is required in pots, and in all cases of plants for vases, beds, &c. 
where it is desirable, they should he as large as possible by the middle of 
May. Vines on rafters, train. Strawberries, set in ; even a few on 
a shelf is a great luxury, and where the vine is scarcely forced, where 
greenhouse temperature is merely maintained, with a rise from sun heat 
during the day, the fruit may be obtained a month earlier than in the 
open air ; keep the plants rather dry until the flower trusses show them¬ 
selves boldly, then water freely. R. Fish. 
KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Let the head and the hands work together; to be on the alert to any 
sowings that ought to have been performed last month. Alexanders, 
sow, b. Angelica, sow, or plant out autumn-sown. ^Artichokes, 
plant and dress off. Asparagus, sow or plant; dress off beds, b. ; attend 
that in forcing, water with liquid-manure-water once a w’eek. Balm, 
plant. Basil, sow main crop on gentle hotbed. Beans, plant in suc¬ 
cession ; attend to earth-stirring the growing crops. Beet, of either 
kind, sow, m. Borecoles, sow, and leave for seed. Brocoli, sow 
main crops, m.; attend to pricking-out any early sown, and save for 
seed. Borage, sow, and earth-stir autumn-sown. Burnet, plant or 
sow-. Cabbages, sow, plant, or prick out, and earth-stir often. Capsi¬ 
cums ; sow in hotbed, or prick out. three plants in each pot, while in the 
seed-leaf, and forward them in hotbed. Cardoons, sow, e. Carraway, 
sow. Carrots, sow main crops, m.; attend to thinning early frame or 
other crops, also to watering in dry weather; this, and frequent earth- 
| stirring, will forward their growth much. Cauliflower, sow, prick, or 
i plant out; attend to earthing-up the hand-glass crops, and assist them 
1 with soakings of manure-water. Celery, sow for late crops, m.; and 
i attend to pricking or planting-out early sown ; save for seed. Chamo- 
I mile, plant. CnivES, plant. Chervil, sow; save for seed. Cole- 
worts, plant. Clary, sow, Cress, (American), sow in succession. 
Cucumbers, sow for hand-glass and other crops ; ridge out and attend 
to those in bearing, as to thinning-out and top-dressing, or earthing-up. 
Dill, sow or plant. Dung for hotbeds, prepare. Earth-stirring, 
particularly attend to in dry weather. Fennel, old plants divide, and 
plant or sow. Garlic, plant, if not done, b. Horseradish, plant 
without delay. Hotbeds for all purposes, attend to. Hyssop, sow or 
plant out old roots. Jerusalem Artichokes, plant without delay. 
Ivale (Sea), sow or plant, b.; carefully fork over old beds. Kidney 
Beans (Dwarf,) sow, b., where hand-glasses are at command; if not, 
sow, e. ; and Scarlet Runners, e. Lavender, plant. Leeks* sow, b. 
Lettuces, sow in succession once a fortnight, and plant out; earth- 
stir among often. Marigold, sow. Majoram (Sweet), sow main 
crop on gentle hotbed ; ( Common Garden ), plant. Melons, sow in suc¬ 
cession ; pot off ; ridge out; attend to topping and thinning-out, weekly, 
the early crops. Mustard and Cress, sow in succession, where re¬ 
quired. Musiiroom-beds, make, and attend to. Nasturtiums, sow. 
Onions, sow main crop, b., if not done before. Underground or 
Potato Onion, plant without delay, also the Tree Onion. Parsley, 
sow of either kind ; leave for seed. Parsnips, sow without delay. 
Peas, sow in succession ; attend to sticking, See. ; let them be well 
basined up before sticking on light soils, to aid the watering. Penny 
Royal, plant in a cool situation. Potatoes in frames, attend to. 
Radishes, sow in succession ; attend to thinning young crops. Rape, 
sow. Rhubarb, sow or plant; bring forward by inverted pots or tubs 
over old crowns. Rue, plant. Savoys, sow. Salsafy, sow main 
crop, e. Scorzonera and Skirrets, sow, e. Shallots, finish 
planting, b. Sorrels, plant. Spinach, sow once a fortnight ; thin 
out; and leave for seed. Tansey and Tarragon, plant. Tomatoes, 
sow in hotbed, and prick out in pots, and forward in hotbed. Tiiymk, 
divide old roots, and plant out. Turnips, sow, b. and e. : leave for 
seed. Vegetable Marrow, sow in hotbed. Wormwood, plant. 
T. Weaver. 
ondon : Printed by Hucn Barclay, Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, of Church Hill, Walthamstow, in the County of 
Essex, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ 
Church, City of London.—March 27, 1855. 
