April 8, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
allowing tlio heat to recede to GO deg. by 6 u.m. Give inside 
borders a watering before the Vines come into blossom, and if 
any are weak, assistance should be afforded in the way of 
manorial waterings, and the bunches reduced to a minimum. 
Vines in pots, raised from eyes this spring, must be given 
a size larger pot before receiving a check, the size of pot vary¬ 
ing according to the plant’s strength, G in. or 7 in. in diameter 
being usually large enough for the first season. Good fibrous 
loam with a little bone-meal or some Vine manure added makes 
an excellent compost, warming the same before using, and pot 
fairly firm, and return the Vines to a position quite near the 
glass in a night' temperature of GO deg. or 65 deg. on veiy 
mild nights, syringing the Vines twice daily, and see they do 
not suffer from drought. James Mayne. 
Bicton Gardens, Devonshire. 
Hardy Trees and Shrubs. 
Replanting Evergreens. -Now that the majority of these 
are on the move, any replanting which is thought necessary 
should be carried out without delay, and after the favourable 
weather we have experienced during the last week these will 
lift well. Before each shrub is lifted it should be decided in 
what position it is to stand, and a suitable hole got out, but if 
the ground is likely to become saturated by heavy rains, the 
operation is best deferred till the ground is in a more suitable 
condition; and at this season of the year it quickly dries up. 
The specimen should be lifted carefully without injury to the 
roots, and if the soil does not hold well to them, a mat should 
be placed round, which will also keep the roots and soil moist 
if drying winds prevail. Press the soil firmly round when 
planting, and in the case of large specimens, these will have to 
be secured to prevent them being injured by wind. If the 
weather is wet, one should be careful not to apply much water 
at the root, one good soaking will be sufficient, but a syringe 
once or twice a day over the foliage will be a great help and 
do much to bring the tree safely through the removal. This 
applies also to all kinds of Conifers. 
Hollies.— Where these are grown from seed, it is necessary 
to replant them every two years until they are placed in their 
permanent position, and this may be proceeded with now as 
advised above. The common Holly is one of our most valuable 
shrubs for making hedges, in spite of the fact that it is a rather 
slow grower, arid to obtain a good solid hedge 1 ft. high would 
take from eight to> ten years, but this ought not to deter it 
from being more largely used than at present, as it always 
has a neat and pleasing appearance and gives excellent shelter. 
The Holly also answers well to hard pruning, and this may 
be done now where it is desired, even back to the wood which 
is as thick as one’s finger, when it will break freely _ and form 
a dense growth. When young Hollies are planted in masses 
or in a hedge it is a good plan to give a top-dressing of long 
stable litter, which keeps the roots moist in hot weather. In 
replanting large specimens, much care is needed, and even 
then one is not always successful, especially with the plants 
which have stood in one position several years. They should 
be lifted with as large a ball of soil as possible; it should be 
seen that the drainage is good, and the plants syringed fre¬ 
quently if the weather is dry. Also give a good thick mulch¬ 
ing, and stake securely. 
The spring-like weather of late lias brought many early 
flowering shrubs out, and I have never seen them more beau¬ 
tiful or more freely clothed with flower than the-} 7 are this year. 
It is unfortunate that in many gardens the bullfinch should 
be allowed to play such sad havoc as he does, and if this pest 
(he certainly is one in many places) is not removed by being 
shot or other means, much damage is soon caused, as it does 
not take one bird long to strip a good-sized tree of all the 
flower-buds. 
The Purple Plum (Prunus Pissardii) is now completely 
covered with its pure white flowers, and isolated specimens, 
whether large or small, are objects of much beauty. Forsytliia 
suspensa has never been more beautiful and still ranks as one 
of our finest shrubs either for bedding <n pl.n 'ii . 
treated in the former manner, it requin - lightly pim 
when grown as a specimen it should hardly be toucln 1 *witl 
a knife. All the varieties of Pyrus japoniea are carrvm" 
immense quantities of flower, but the newei 
be more generally known. Malbudii, white; Knap Hill, 
scarlet ; siniea, intense crimson ; cardirialis, and cov in i a >• 
the best. The same may be said of the Pubes or Flowering 
Currants, which are profusely laden with flower now, but the 
typical sanguinea is the one commonly planted. The double 
form, atrosariguinea floribunda, carriea grandiflora, album and 
atro-rubens are all deserving of inclusion. 
Aldenham House Gardens, Elstree. A. E. Thatcher. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Onions. —Everything should now be got in readiness for 
transferring the plants from the pots or boxes which have been 
raised under glass to their final quarters in the open. The 
Onion is a veiy hardy plant, and, assuming these have been 
thoroughly hardened as they should have been, no cold that 
we are likely to experience after this date will injure them, 
and, indeed, these will do veiy much better than if left to a 
later date. The site which has been thoroughly trenched 
should now be neatly forked over and raked down, and on light 
soils especially the surface can hardly be made too firm. Where 
one is intent on producing bulbs for competitive puiposes no 
pains should be spared in planting them carefully and giving 
them a good start. Plant with a garden trowel, and on veiy 
stiff land it will be beneficial to place around the base of the 
plant a little dry, finely sifted soil. To be successful in the 
production of veiy large specimens plenty of room must be 
allowed; 15 in. between the rows and 12 in. from plant to 
plant will be none too much. Rake over the surface and leave 
in a tidy manner when the work is completed. Any small or 
surplus plants should not be wasted, but planted on any spare 
piece of ground from 5 in. to 6 in. apart and 12 in. between 
the rows. These are practically certain to produce nice, 
medium-sized bulbs far better than any that may he sown in 
the ordinary way in the open. If this was practised on a 
larger scale, I am perfectly convinced that we could compete 
most favourably with any other country in the world and not 
be dependent, as we undoubtedly are, and has been proved 
during the last few months, on the foreigner for supplying us. 
Winter Onions. — The surface soil should be kept constantly 
stirred with the draw or Dutch hoe. Soot and patent vegetable 
manure should be applied in equal proportions as per instruc¬ 
tions generally given with the manure about once in ten days. 
Cabbage. — The earliest plants are looking remarkably 
well; seldom have I seen them more promising. Ellam’s Earlv 
with us still maintains its reputation, and here on our cold land 
we can cut nice little heads at any time from now. The greatest 
help to the Cabbage-bed at this season of the year is unques¬ 
tionably the frequent use of the draw hoe. If time can be 
found and the weather is suitable, twice a week will be none 
too often to ply this tool between them. 
Carrots.— The main sowing of these should be sown during 
the present month, and two dates should be selected for the 
purpose, the first during the early part and the second towards 
the end. No doubt the Carrot crop is one of the most precarious 
cultivated in the kitchen garden, particularly so in many locali¬ 
ties, and even when every care has been taken to ensure success 
one frequently fails to produce typical roots. The Carrot fly, 
wireworm, and green and black aphis are each responsible for 
ruining the crop, and all the well-known methods of prevention 
often fail; nevertheless we must do our best to overcome such 
difficulties. The preparation of the land beforehand by deep 
tillage and arranging the surface so that the influence of the 
weather can act on it, and the adding of soot, lime and burnt 
garden refuse unstintingly will prove to he of the greatest 
value. To ensure exhibition specimens of the highest quality 
holes should be bored and filled with finely sifted soil similar 
