78 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOHIST. 
Mat, 
SUBURBAN GARDENING. 
-“Will the Spring weather ever 
come ?” is the almost despairing cry of 
Gardeners, as we write. Biting east 
winds prevail almost constantly, and gardening 
operations are greatly behind, because the soil 
is so unworkable. Gardeners had longed and 
hoped for a genial April, with warm showers 
and kindly growing weather, but it has not 
come, and the fear is that May will be like to 
April, as has happened before. Meanwhile, 
many gardening operations are in a kind of 
suspense, waiting for the change that tarrieth 
long in coming. 
Kitchen Garden. —It is in May that the 
crops of Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, Cauliflowers , 
and Autumn Broccolis should be got in. The 
value of getting these out early, much earlier 
than is generally the case, cannot be over¬ 
estimated. Scarlet Banners and French Beans 
should be got in, despite the drying winds. 
The gardener must live in hope that Nature 
will be kind, and give him a happy plenteous¬ 
ness of crop. As opportunity offers, Lettuces 
should be planted out, but only in moist 
weather, to give the young plants a start. 
Badishes , and especially the Turnip varieties, 
should be sown for successional crops, watering 
the seed-beds when dry weather prevails, and 
protecting from the ravages of birds. Seeds 
of Vegetable Marrows can now be sown, but 
it will not be safe to plant out till quite the 
second week in June. As soon as the plants 
of Onions , Carrots , Parsnips , Beet , &c., are 
large enough in the seed-beds, they should be 
thinned out, and the beds kept clear of weeds. 
The hoe should be in constant requisition, to 
keep weeds down ; when the long-wished-for 
genial weather comes they will grow with 
amazing rapidity, and destructive garden insects 
will work havoc among the young crops, unless 
restrained. May is one of the busiest of months 
in the Kitchen Garden. 
Fruit Garden. —“ How slowly the blossom of 
the Fruit Trees expands!” is the universal re¬ 
mark. There is little else to be done but to 
watch and wait. Newly-planted trees should 
be mulched on the surface of the soil, and 
watered a little to keep the roots active. In 
May the operation of disbudding Wall Trees is 
generally performed. In disbudding Peaches 
and Nectarines , it is necessary to remove every 
shoot which is not required for the following 
year’s fruiting. Apricots and Plums, on the 
contrary, as they bear fruit as short spurs, 
only require to be deprived of their foreright, 
gross-growing shoots, leaving the rest to go 
on till they become somewhat firm, when they 
should be shortened to about an inch from the 
main stem, taking care, of course, to retain a 
sufficient number of young shoots to fill up 
vacancies and increase the size of the trees. It 
is very necessary at this stage to keep the trees 
free from insects, syringing at times, and ap¬ 
plying an insecticide. Mildew on Peach-trees 
can be treated by syringing with water in 
which Gishurst Compound is mixed, at the rate 
of two ounces to the gallon. 
Flower Garden. —All Bedding Plants of a 
tender character need to be thoroughly well 
hardened before planting-out. It is said the 
cold east winds are to last right into June; 
hence the greater necessity for taking pre¬ 
cautions to have the bedding plants fitted to 
bear exposure. Those who fill their beds with 
spring flowers will now have them fully gay, 
indeed so late in the season, that spring 
gardening will last through June in perfection. 
In filling the flower beds, all thoroughly hardy 
plants should be put out first, the half-hardy 
plants not till the end of May, and the tender 
plants the second week in June. Asters, 
Stocks, Phlox Drummondii , Zinnias , Heli- 
chrysums , Marigolds , &c., should be grown on 
into size, so as to have them as strong as 
possible to go out at the end of May. Dahlias 
should not go out till the second week in June, 
but by potting them on they can be had in good 
size for planting out when the weather is suit¬ 
able. In the mixed border, many things will be 
coming on into flower, or throwing up blooming 
shoots, and stakes will be needed. The grass- 
plat should be kept well swept and rolled, and 
the margins of shrubberies neat and close. 
When warm rains come—and let us hope that 
will happen before this appears in print—a time 
of great activity will have arrived, for it is then 
are laid the foundations of the floral display 
that when successful affords so much satisfac¬ 
tion during summer. 
Cold Frames. —These are now most useful 
for hardening-off bedding plants, and for stow¬ 
ing away many things that have done bloom¬ 
ing, and are coming in for service in the green¬ 
house. Auriculas, Polyanthuses , and all hardy 
Primulas in pots, as they go out of flower, 
should be placed here, till such time as they 
can be repotted or planted out in the open 
ground, but they must not be neglected. Water 
must be given, and the plants kept clean, the 
surface-soil being occasionally stirred. Plenty 
of air should be given. 
Greenhouse. —The Dielytra , Primula denticu- 
lata , and Myosotis dissitiflora are three subjects 
the amateur should make a note of to cultivate 
for greenhouse decoration during April and 
May. Add to these Hoteici japonica , Primula 
Sieboldii, Deutzia gracilis, and Cinerarias , and 
his greenhouse can be made very gay and agree¬ 
able. To follow these there are Fuchsias , 
Zonal Pelargoniums , Liliums , Petunias , both 
double and single, Balsams , &c., all of which 
he can produce himself, and grow them on to 
flower. Our cold house, that was denuded of 
two-thirds of its ordinary winter occupants by 
