52 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 
Fleshy-leaved Plants (W. P., Highwovth ).—Opuntia tomen- 
tosa, Opuntia microdasys, Euphorbia polygona, and Euphorbia spi- 
nosa, are all worthy of your attention. You will succeed in growing 
succulent plants if you follow the directions given in our columns 
to-day by Mr. Wakefield. 
Heating a Vinery (A Tenant-Farmer and an Old Man). —Let 
us advise you to have your flues repaired, making them according to 
the directions given at p. 121 of our first volume; it will answer your 
purpose much better than hot w'ater, as you do not start your vines 
until March. Why do you persist in the bad practice of taking off 
the sashes during the winter? If you persist in wishing for hot 
water heating, write to us again. 
Storing Potatoes (G. A'., Lyme Regis).- —The best of all modes 
is to store them away immediately they are taken up, in a dry cool 
shed, placing them in alternate layers with earth ; a layer of potatoes 
only one deep, and then a layer of earth two inches thick. Never 
mind about the earth being moist. If potatoes are left in the ground 
it will be beneficial to grow cabbages between the rows, these cab¬ 
bages would help to keep them from freezing. 
Mangold Wurtzel {Ibid). —This, and all other food for pigs, is 
most nutritious if boiled before it is given to them. It digests more 
easily. See p. 186 of our first volume. 
Garden Drills (Ibid). —We know of none that are cheap. We 
are promised the results of some experiments made with these im¬ 
plements. 
Transplanting Swede Turnips (Ibid).—See “Allotment Gar¬ 
dening ” in our columns to-day. 
Carrot Storing (Ibid).—We are well pleased to find that you 
have tried storing carrots after cutting off their tops, as directed by 
us at p. 12 of vol. i., and that you think it has been worth to you 
already “the cost of The Cottage Gardener for one year.” We 
will give you some information about transplanting onions. 
Early Planted Potatoes (A Country Cobbler). —Never mind 
your neighbours laughing at you: all England’s experience is in favour 
of early planting. The “ bright worms ” attacking your sets are a 
species of the snake millipedes, called by entomologists Julus com- 
planatus (Polydesmus of Latreille and others). It will attack late 
planted potatoes just as much as those planted early, and there is 
some doubt whether it attacks any root until after the root has begun 
to decay. Be this as it may, open the ground so as to get as near to 
your potatoe sets as you can, and sprinkle quickilme over these 
tolerably thick. This will destroy or drive away the snake millipedes. 
CALENDAR FOR. MAY. 
GREENHOUSE. 
Air is now so essential that potted plants of hardier kinds may be 
turned to outside, and at first placed in a sheltered place. Annuals 
(tender) from frames, bring in when fit for their flowering-pots. 
Cuttings of almost all plants will now root. Eartii, stir the sur¬ 
face in pots and boxes, and add a little fresh on the top. Leaves, 
keep clean with the syringe, free from insects by tobacco smoke, 
and remove all dead ones as they appear. Orange Stocks : soiv 
lemon seeds to procure fit stocks to graft and inarch the orange on : 
if you have lemon stocks they may now be inarched or grafted. 
Pruning : spring Heaths and Epacrises just out of flower prune 
close in. For plants in general, pruning must now consist of stop¬ 
ping leading and rampant shoots to form a regular head. Pelar¬ 
goniums (Geraniums) showing flow’er-buds, water with liquid ma¬ 
nure alternately with rain water. Shifting into larger pots must 
still go on. Succulent Plants, as aloes, cactus, and others, top- 
dress and move out by the end of the month. Water : regularity 
in watering is more essential this month than at any other time. 
Give it abundantly over the leaves on the afternoons of fine days. 
Windows, doors, and ventilators, open daily, and during mild 
nights, to harden the plants before moving out. 
As a general rule, when plants are “drawing up” the place is 
too confined for them, and they require more air and light. All the 
Forced Bulbs now planted in the soil require abundance of water 
to ripen and sustain their leaves. Seedlings to be thinned out as 
soon as they touch each other; and all young “Stock” progressively 
shifted and inured to the state they are intended for. 
D. Beaton. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
Anemones, take up, and separate offsets as leaves decay. An¬ 
nuals (Tender), remove into another hotbed; pot, if not done in 
April; water gently, and give air as much as possible; prick out April 
sown. Antirrhinums plant. Auriculas done blooming, remove 
to N.E. aspect, where they will not have the sunshine after nine; 
offsets with roots, detach and plant, three in a pot; seedlings keep in 
the shade ; water moderately in dry weather ; auriculas to seed should 
be kept from wet. Awnings, or other shelter, continue over beds of 
Hyacinths, Tulips, e., now in bloom. Biennials, sow, b., in rows, 
thinly. Bulbous Roots, generally, directly leaves decay, take up 
and store; seedlings shade through midday; (Autumn blooming), 
plant again after separating offsets, or else store until end of July. 
Carnations, remove side buds from flower stems; shade from 
meridian sun ; water in dry weather ; put sticks to, and tie stalks ; 
sow. Dahlias, plant out from greenhouse, e. Dress the borders, 
&c., almost daily. Evergreens may be planted, b. Fibrous- 
rooted Perennials, propagate by cuttings of young flower stalks. 
Flowering Plants require staking, &c. Fuschsia, dried roots 
may be planted. Grass, mow and roll, weekly. Gravel, roll, 
weekly. Hoeing cannot be too frequent. Hyacinths, take up 
and store as leaves decay. Mignonette, sow for succession, b. 
Perennials, sow, b. ; propagate by slips and cuttings. Polyan¬ 
thuses, part, if not done in April; shade, and throughout the sum¬ 
mer ; sunshine destroys them; sow seed of. Roses, watch for insect 
on, and destroy them ; peg down roses in groups to keep them low ; 
roses in pots may be planted out. Stake and tie up plants ; seed¬ 
lings thin. Tulips, remove seed-pods, ; take up and store as leaves 
decay. Turf may be laid, and grass seed sown, b.; water frequently 
in dry weather. Wallflowers, sow, to bloom next year. Water- 
glass bulbs plant in borders as flowers decay. Watering, attend 
to in dry weather, especially to plants newly removed. At the com¬ 
mencement of this month, during showery weather, plant cuttings of 
Double Wallflowers, and Pansies; and divide the roots of Neapo¬ 
litan and Russian Violets , transplanting in preparation for potting 
to flower in winter. Half-hardy plants may now be brought from 
the greenhouse and their other winter shelters, and distributed in the 
borders. Mild moist weather is most suitable for this work. The 
more tender climbing annuals, such as Tropceolum aduncum and 
Convolvulus major, should not be planted out until the end of the 
month. Put in slips of fine double Hollyhocks, and double White 
and Purple Rockets, under hand-glasses, or near a wall on the north 
side. Cuttings of China roses plant in a shady place. 
T. Appleby. 
ORCHARD. 
Disbud, stop, and commence training all Wall or Espalier 
Fruit Trees through the month. Grafted trees of former seasons, 
continue to remove useless shoots from. Grafted Trees of the 
present spring, if growing, remove clay and loosen the bandages 
slightly at the end of the month. Budded Trees of last year, re¬ 
move useless shoots from. Swelling Fruit of Apricots, Peaches, 
and Nectarines, thin out, lightly at first. Gooseberries, watch 
the caterpillar, dust them (if infested) when the dew lies on them with 
the powder of hellebore, a decoction of the common foxglove is also 
said to destroy them. Black Currants, water heavily if dry, c. 
Strawberries, water well towards the end; also clean thoroughly 
from weeds, and place straw or grass for the fruit at the end of month. 
Vines, disbud, stop, &c., e. Figs, disbud, e. Raspberries, thin 
away weak suckers, e. Cherries, watch for the black fly towards 
the end, and use tobacco-juice, half-pound of shag to the gallon. 
Plums Trained, treat same as cherries for the fly. Mulching, see 
that all needy or newly planted trees are well mulched, three inches 
thick. Watering, let all fresh planted or heavy bearing trees be 
well watered towards the end if dry. Blights, watch the develop¬ 
ment of insects on every species of fruit, and act according to the 
advice in The Cottage Gardener in back numbers : remember 
that little more than half-a-pound of shag tobacco to a gallon of water 
will destroy every species of aphides. Walks, renew or dress, using 
salt with care if weedy. Borders, clean and dress all borders. 
Mow or otherwise keep down gross herbage in the ordinary orchard. 
R. Errington. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Angelica, sow’. Artichokes, plant, b.; clean beds. Aspa¬ 
ragus, keep clean; apply liquid manure. Balm, plant. Basil, 
plant out. Beans, sow, hoe, top. Beet (Red), thin; (White and 
Green), sow. Borage, sow. Borecole, sow, b. ; prick out; plant 
out; hoe; leaving for seed. Brocoli, sow, b.; plant; prick out. 
Burnets, sow and plant. Cabbages, sow; plant; earth up. Cap¬ 
sicum, plant out. Carrots, sow; thin. Cardoons, sow, b. 
Cauliflowers, take glasses from; sow, e. Celery, sow, b.; prick 
out; plant out; water; leave for seed. Chamomile, plant. 
Chervil, sow ; leave for seed. Chives, plant. Coriander, 
sow; leave for seed. Cress (American), sow; (Water), plant. 
Crops, failed, replace forthwith. Cucumbers, prick out; plantout; 
attend to forcing. Dill, sow', and plant. Dung, for hotbeds ; pre¬ 
pare. Earthing-up, attend to. Endive, sow, e.; leave for seed. 
Fennel, sow and plant. Hotbeds, attend to; linings, &c. 
Hyssop, sow and plant. Kale (Sea), attend to blanching, &c. 
Kidney Beans (dwarfs), sow, b. ; transplant from hotbeds ; 
(runners), sow. Lavender, plant. Leeks, sow; thin; leave 
for seed. Lettuces, sow; plant out; tie up. Marigolds, 
sow. Marjorams, sow and plant. Melons, sow, b. ; prick out ; 
ridge out; attend to forcing; thin laterals. Mint, plant. Mush¬ 
room Beds, make, b.; attend to those producing. Murtard and 
Cress, sow; leave for seed. Nasturtiums, sow, b. Onions, 
weed, &c.; sow for planting again in spring; (Welsh), leave for seed! 
Parsley, sow; leave for seed; (Hamburgh), thin. Parsnips, 
thin, &c. Peas, sow’; top those blooming. Pennyroyal, plant! 
Pompions, sow, b.; ridge out, b. Potatoes, plant, b. ; hoe. 
Purslane, sow; leave for seed. Radishes, sow'; leave for seed. 
Rape, for salading, sow; (Edible rooted), sow, e. Rosemary, plant. 
Rue, plant. Sage, plant. Salsafy, thin, &c. Savory, sow and 
plant. Savoys, sow, b.; plant; prick out. Scorzonera, thin, &c. 
Sorrels, sow and plant. Spinach, sow; thin; leave for seed. 
Tansy and Tarragon, plant. Thyme, sow and plant. Tomatos, 
plant out. Turnips, sow ; thin ; leave for seed. Turnip Cabbage, 
sow. Watering, attend to, in dry weather. Weeds, destroy as 
they appear. G. W. J, 
London : Printed by Harry Wooldridge, 147, Strand, in the 
Parish of Saint Mary-le-Strand ; and Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of St. Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, 147, Strand, in the Parish of 
Saint Mary-le-Strand, London.—April 26 th, 1849. 
