A Monthly Journal of Floriculture and Horticulture, for Professional, Practical, and Amateur Gardeners : 
WOT TIE N0, 35) (“eisemission by postadanevspare)) SA) OU RD AWE APRIL 1, 
Correspondents. 
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“The Australian Gardener.” 
ll4 and 115, Royal Exchange, King William St., 
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Mutpourns—Messrs. Gordon & Gotch 
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Western AustraLis—C/o Messrs. Gordon and 
Gotch, Limited, Perth 
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The Flower Garden 
OPERATIONS FOR APRIL. 
—— 
Sow seeds of hardy annuals, of perennials, 
and biennials as soon in the month, as pos- 
sible, or it, will be rather late to raise annual 
seedlings for- planting out for early spring 
flowering. Spring flowering bulbs, such as 
daffodils, Watsonias, hyacinths, sparixis, 
tulips, anemones, crocuses, and others, 
should be planted without delay. 
Cuttings of roses, pelargoniums, ver- 
benas, fuchsias, carnations, petunias, and 
other similar plants should strike well if 
set in carefully prepared beds during the 
month. But they will need looking after, 
watering, and shading if necessary. If 
just stuck in. the soil and left to themselves 
they will probably fail. 
Every one in the country who reads these 
directions should endeavor to grow ‘and 
protect a few flowering plants, or some 
shrubs, or a few trees somewhere about the 
house and other buildings, and make the 
place cheerful with a few flowers here and 
there... Occasionally in the country may 
be seen the most beautiful flowers and 
plants, vegetables, and fruits, tended. with 
every care, even though the home may be 
~ small and humble enough. But, unfortu- 
nately, as a rule, the barest and most un- 
comfortable-looking dwellings and dismal 
surroundings are in evidence. 
Tue Harpy Flower Garpen. 
. During April a great deal of work of a 
~ preparatory kind must be taken in hand in 
order to keep the garden attractive during 
winter and the following spring and sum- 
mer. Additional soil and manure is given 
to all low and impoverished! sites which 
are vacant or but sparsely planted; sun- 
dry shrubs and hardy perennials will stand 
cutting into neat and varied form and s1ze, 
and the dead stalks and flower spikes of 
1905. (gy SUBSCRIPTION...) Price 3d 
annuals and herbaceous plants call for re- . 
moval. Stakes, too, which support no- ~ 
thing, should be cleared off, as nothing © 
makes a garden look poorer than a lot of © 
dead and undecorated wood. More sunlight © 
and heat may reach the soil than’ in the 
preceding months, that it may be kept © 
warm and sweet, and so maintain the © 
beauty of flowers and foliage, as well as 
ripen all necessary wood. 
Cuttings of many soft-wooded things may | 
be taken, now, as, if placed in a warm, sweet 
soil they will root quickly, and become hard 
and sturdy enough to tide over the winter. 
Autumn cuttings require to be of harder 
wood than those selected for spring rooting. — 
This is owing to hard wood having 
more substance and less water, 
features which allow it to grow in 
the face of a falling temperature. Soft, ° 
sappy shoots rot in such circumstances, 
whilst the rising heat and dryer soil and air 
of spring rob them sufficiently to make root- 
ing easy and sure. Select wood of good 
average size, which has borne strong and 
ripened leaves. The closer the joints the 
better. Leaves are not equally necessary 
to all cuttings, so much depends on the 
temperature and degree of moisture in the 
soil and atmosphere. The first necessity’ is 
to cause the sap to congeal and form a cal- 
lus at the base end in the soil. Strong 
leaves) pump up the sap and exhaust it, . 
thereby reducing the callus and root-mak- 
Ing power at the base. Little water iy need. 
ed in the cuttings, but the active proper- 
ties of the sap must be allowed to go to the - 
making of roots before much’ or any head 
growth is made in the form of leaves. On 
the other hand, some very soft} wooded 
plants root more freely when a small 
amount of leafage is left to the cuttings. 
The leaves growing steadily or already fully 
grown do not take as much as they give in 
the shape of elaborated and root-forming, 
sap. It may be seen that fully grown and — 
mature leaves will not exhaust the sub- 
stance of a cutting, but rather tend to 
