488 
Til AmATEIES’ ©A1BEM. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Already the sun is beginning to tell on flowers in 
the greenhouse, which, during very bright days, will 
be all the better for a little shade, just to break the 
rays, a good material for the purpose being a fishing- 
net drawn over the roof, the meshes of which will 
be quite enough to do all that is wanted till later on 
in the season. To keep the temperature cool, air 
must be admitted freely on all favourable occasions, 
and it is a good plan also, when the weather is mild, 
to have the ventilators slightly open by night, which 
will prevent the damp from condensing on the bloom 
and injuring the petals. Such plants as Pelargoniums, 
Calceolarias, Cinerarias, and others of that class that 
are subject to green-fly, will now require close 
watching, as these parasites breed at a great rate, 
and if not destroyed soon cripple the foliage. As 
tobacco smoke is fatal to flowers by causing them to 
drop, plants that need fumigating should be removed 
to a place by themselves—a close shed or room being 
the best situation—as there a very little smoke will 
kill all the insects. 
Ferns will now be starting into growth, and should 
at once be repotted, the soil most suitable being a 
mixture of peat and loam, in equal parts, with a good 
dash of sand to keep the whole open and porous. As 
the plants require a great deal of water duiing the 
summer, free drainage is essential, and it is advisable 
also to have some finely broken charcoal or crocks in 
the compost. If the plants are larger than are 
wanted, or an increase of stock be desired, most 
sorts that have spreading crowns may be divided by 
simply cutting them through. 
BEDS AND BORDERS. 
These will now be gay with the many spring-flower¬ 
ing plants, and should be kept neatly raked and clean, 
with the edges trimmed by running the shears round, 
so as to have all in good order, as nothing adds so 
much to the enjoyment of a garden as to see it well 
kept. If the hardy annuals, such as Sweet Peas, 
Eschscholtzias, Godetias, Nemophila, Nasturtiums, 
Collinsias, Candytuft, Larkspurs, Mignonette, Stocks, 
and others of that class are not in, no time ought to 
be lost now in sowing, as they come much stronger 
and better before hot weather begins. The best way 
is to make the surface of the soil fine, and then sow in 
patches, after having made a circle by pressing down 
the rim of a pot, and if the seeds are then just covered, 
they will soon be up, and the plants ready for 
th inn ing. 
Tender annuals, like Asters and Zinnias, must be 
sown under glass, and planted out later, the middle or 
end of May being quite time enough for them, as cold 
soon cripples their growth. Perennials and biennals, 
such as Wallflowers, Snapdragons, Pentstemons, Holly¬ 
hocks, and Pansies, should likewise all be sown now, 
the easiest way of treating these being to make up a 
bed of fine soil that can be covered with any old 
light, and sow in rows, or the same under hand 
glasses, as the plants need a little protection till they 
are large enough to prick out in the open. Dahlias 
are generally started before being planted, but that is 
not necessary unless cuttings are wanted. These are 
made from the shoots, -which should be taken off with 
a heel and inserted singly in small pots filled with 
light sandy soil, and stood in a warm pit or frame till 
they root. 
Gladioli ought to be planted at once, for if left 
longer out of the ground they shrivel and lose much of 
their strength. Rich sharp sandy soil suits them best, 
the proper depth to plant being about 4 ins. for 
the large growing sorts, and less for the smaller. 
Spanish Iris are lovely things, and do well in borders 
that suit Gladioli. Bulbs are moderately cheap, and 
should be planted now, the way the plants look best 
being in clumps of three, a few inches apart. 
THE FRUIT GARDEN. 
Although we have now a very desirable change in 
the weather, Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots will 
still require covering by night, as frosts may be 
expected for some time if the wind shifts into the cold 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
quarter, which it may do suddenly, and as the blossoms 
at their present stage are very tender, it is necessary 
to be particularly watchful for the next week or two 
to save them from harm. To aid their setting, nothing 
is so helpful as keeping them dry, as then the pollen 
has a chance to ripen and disperse, and therefore a 
temporary coping board should, if possible, be 
arranged over the tops of the trees to ward off snow 
or wet, if they come. 
If there are any trees or bushes without mulching 
that have been recently transplanted, no time should 
be lost in putting it on, as it conserves moisture and 
encourages root-action, and thus enables the trees to 
become quickly established. Strawberry-beds and 
Raspberry plantations are greatly benefited by the 
same kind of attention, and on no account should 
either be dug, as by breaking up the surface soil the 
principal feeders are destroyed or injured, and the 
plants greatly weakened through the loss, from which 
they are slow in recovering. 
Vines, if treated as advised, by having the house 
shut up early, will now have broken and made con¬ 
siderable progress, and as it can be seen which shoots 
are showing fruit, those that are not well situated, or 
wanted for laying in, should be rubbed out, and others 
stopped by pinching out the points one or two joints 
above the bunches. 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
The weather during the past month has been all 
that could be desired for the vegetable garden, and 
land, if it has been worked about as it ought 
to be, will now be in first-rate order for cropping. 
The most important of the many things to get in now 
are the early Potatos, which generally do best planted 
during the first or second week in April, as then they 
seldom receive any check, but grow on strong and 
rapidly till the young tubers are formed. In planting 
the Ash-leaf, care is required not to knock off the 
crown shoot, for if the set so injured breaks again, 
it is never so good. A capital dressing to put on the 
ground for Potatos is soot, w r hich makes them come 
very clear in the skins, and should be sown over the 
surface before the drills are drawn, as then it gets 
mixed up with the soil. Those who have not tried the 
plan of planting Potatos at 4 ft. apart, and cropping 
between with Cauliflowers, Broccoli, or Winter Greens, 
can have no idea what they lose, and should carry it 
out, as the produce, when the plants have the benefit 
of so much light and room, is quite double. 
The same remarks apply to Peas and Scarlet 
Runners, the rows of which should never be sown 
side by side, unless at wide intervals, but one here and 
there in different parts of the garden, or sown 8 ft. or 
10 ft. asunder, and a trench of Celery grown between, 
which situation exactly suits the latter, as it is fond 
of half shade. A good way of getting Scarlet Runners 
early, is to sow a few in a box or pan of light soil 
under glass, and plant the plants out, as it may be 
done without disturbing the roots much, or causing 
any great check. French Beans may also be treated 
in the same manner, but as they are more tender 
than the Runners, it is useless venturing out with them 
till quite the end of the month, and then a warm 
place must be chosen. If a frame or pit can be spared 
where there is a little bottom-heat, they come rapidly 
on there and pay well for the room. 
As Asparagus will soon be putting the heads up 
through the soil, the beds should be hoed and raked 
to destroy any weeds now showing, to keep which 
down after, and improve the Asparagus, a sprinkling 
of salt may be put on at once, and another by-and- 
bye when the cutting commences. Seakale being 
also a marine plant, will be much benefited by the 
same kind of dressing, and to blanch the heads at this 
late season, there is nothing so cleanly as litter, which, 
if put over the crowns moderately thick, will keep the 
light and air from them, and render the heads very 
white and tender for cooking. 
Brussels Sprouts stalks, Winter Greens, and Broccoli 
stumps should be cleared off the ground directly they 
begin to run or the Broccoli are cut, as when left 
standing they rob the land seriously at this season, 
owing to the very strong root-hold they have. To 
expedite the growth of Cabbage, Spinach, and Lettuce 
that have stood the winter, there is nothing like 
hoeing, which, by breaking up the hard close surface, 
lets in the air and quickens root-action by the chemical 
change worked on the soil. 
April 4th, 1885. 
DAFFODILS. 
Showery April is the month of bulb beauty in 
gardens, and no bulbous flowers are more welcome at 
this season than are the Daffodils. Some few kinds, 
however, are tender, and require special culture, but 
as a class all are hardy, and will flourish for years 
undisturbed in any good, well-drained garden soil. 
They have existed for centuries in English gardens, 
and must have been popular in the time of “good 
Queen Bess,” since soon after her time Parkinson 
published his old folio work, containing woodcuts and 
descriptions of nearly a hundred kinds. This was in 
1629, “when Charles the First was king.” It is a 
matter of doubt whether the Daffodil is a real native, 
or an immigrant to our shores. Be this as it may, 
they are found near old castles and abbeys, and even 
exist in some localities long after the buildings 
themselves have vanished. 
Just now the DaSodils are in the heyday 'of 
fashion, and one may meet their golden beauty 
everywhere, in markets, gardens, drawing-rooms, 
orchards, meadows, and cottage gardens alike. Only 
the other day we had a Daffodil Wedding. Pen 
rivals pen in describing them, poets sing their praises, 
and artists paint them at their highest and best. Mr. 
Thomas Ware has a grand selection of these lovely 
flowers at Tottenham, and I have great pleasure in 
quoting his remarks anent these charming flowers of 
the April days. 
“ There is no class of bulbous plants,” says Mr. 
Ware, “ which has become so popular during the last 
few years as this, and there is no other family more 
deserving, on account of its great usefulness, its 
hardiness, and its adaptability to the climate of this 
country. They can be used for the rockery, for the 
borders, the shrubbery, woodland walks, for natural¬ 
izing in almost any position or soil, by the side of 
streams ; for pots, for forcing, and where cut flowers 
are wanted in quantity, there is no family that can 
equal it. There are but few sorts which cannot be 
grown in any ordinary border, and most of these are 
simply botanical curiosities, so that we may consider 
all worth cultivating to be hardy. There are now 
hundreds of varieties, all interesting and exceedingly 
beautiful, and well worthy the attention of amateurs, 
as I know of no family possessing so much interest, so 
easily grown, and capable of being improved upon, so 
much as these.” 
So, too, would we give them the honour which is 
theirs by right, by illustrating some varieties well 
■worthy of a place in all gardens. 
“ Sin Watkin.”—O ur first flowersof this, the finest of 
all the peerless Daffodils (the top flower in our illus¬ 
tration), opened its great chalice to the sunshine of 
March 24th, a still, showery day quite genial to the 
growth of these blossoms. Our illustration gives a 
good idea of the flower. The leaves are broad, 
nearly as broad as N. Horsefieldii, but more pointed, 
and here with us the flower opens on scapes 16 ins. in 
height, but will be 18 ins. to 20 ins. high, at least, ere 
the blossom reaches its fullest development. The 
perianth divisions are of a clear pale yellow, while 
the expanded crown is full rich chrome-yellow, and of 
a size and conformation bespeaking some Ajax or 
Daffodil parentage. This plant is a most interesting 
study, and the history of its appearance will be 
welcome to the readers of The Gardening World. 
In 1884 a few flowers found their way from Mr. 
Pickstone’s garden, in Merionethshire, to the Liverpool 
and Manchester flower markets, and amateurs who 
saw them there, while noting their beauty, did not 
fully recognize them as the blossoms of a new variety. 
One thought them flowers of Emperor, a giant or 
Imperial Daffodil, and the next observer thought them 
something else. 
But the flowers of our “Sir Watkin” (oh! that 
good wishes could give the great original health and 
strength to-day 1) were handed to the writer on 
“ Daffodil Conference ” Day, April 1st, 1884, having 
been sent from Messrs. Jas. Dickson A Sons, of 
Chester. Mr. Barr was the first person to whom I 
showed the flowers. He, good man, was busy. People 
would get speech of him, and besides, he was super¬ 
intending his sons, who were arranging his Daffodil 
and Narcissus flowers. “ Oh 1 ” he said, “ simply a 
large Incomparabilis 1 ” “ Ah ! yes,” I replied, “but 
is it not the biggest and best Incomparabilis you ever 
saw ?” Just then Mr. Barr was called away, and 
