The May Number Gf suis. 
oe slits 
Flower Gardéti— 
Horticultural—The Shadehouse— 
The Gréenhottse—The Stove- 
house—Ihe Fernery, etc. 
The Seédsman’s Decalogué 
Vegetables— 
Seasonablé Notes 
Agriculture= “se 
Mantires: and Manuring by W. 
Angus, B.Sc. i 
Australian Gatdener 
CONTAINS= 
The Orchard—_ 
Studies on Apples 
Japan and Hybrid Plums 
Machine- Wrapped Oranges 
Orchard Cultivation by,A. Moor 
Stock— 
Diseases of Farm Animals—Breed 
and ‘I'ype ~ Conformation — ~ 
Color—Teniperaméent—Sex, 
Horse Breeding 
TSE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Floriculture, 
By tHe Osserver. 
Wuen the soil is dry it i8 safe fo spread mantire 
in plenty and dig it under. If it has not been 
kept and turned thrée or four times during the 
year there will be a lot of weeds. But there is 
great loss throwgh keepmg stable manure or 
similar stuff, and it is more economical to spread 
it at once and cover it if possible If it is left 
on the surface »nd gets dry there will te little 
waste, because there éan be no development of 
aimmonia unless there is fermentation, and this 
¢annot occur without moisture When the aw 
manure is covered with soil tke fermentation 
commences, ammonia is develope’, and is at 
once combined with the svil.. If the bed is not 
occupied with othe plants the weeds arr easily 
be dug under, and the soil will be farther 
enriched by their decomposition. When the 
soil is wet it is injurious to walk on it, beeause 
élods will be fofmed, and these mray remain 
unbroken for a tong time. If planting must be 
done upon wet soil, it is advisable to place 
bricks on either side of the bed, place a stuut 
plank on these, and then plant from the impro- 
vised platform. 
Plant out all kinds of hardy antrtals; and 
allow plenty of room for development, It 1s a 
common mistake to plant thickly, and when the 
plants begin to flower they are so Crowded that 
best results cannot be secured. The best way 
to puta plant inis to take out a trowelful of 
soil, spre:d the roots evenly,throw on a handful 
of rat loosely, not in a lump, then fill in the 
rest, and press it lightly down. A better way 
still is to plant with a ball of soil attached to 
the roots. A common way is to make a hole 
with a dibbler, hold the plant: by the neck or 
leaves, drop the roots straight down the hole, 
and fill or press the soil against the roots. 
Directly after planting give a good supply of 
water. Among the most desirable annuals and 
perennials for present planting are annual 
chrysi#nthemums, ageratum capensis, alonsoa, . 
#nchusa, anemone, japonica, carnations, and al} 
others of the dianthus family, acrocliniums and 
other everlastings, commelyna coelestris, geum, 
stocks of all classes, pentstemons, petunias, and 
phlox (in warm corners), Of course there are a 
gteat many other mest desirable flowers, but 
the list would be too long. If there are none of 
thesy in the nursery beds the see lsmen aud 
nurserymen cau supply many in small puts.  ~ 
Continue sowing small lots of hardy annuals 
to provide plants fur maintain ny succession of 
flowers. Hf the whole of the seeds are sown at 
once there will be a glut of bloom for a short 
time; followed by bare beds of ragged plants 
going to seed. It is of no use to sow seeds in 
the open beds, because the birds will scratch 
them up at once, or else the sluzs and snails 
will eat the germs directly they peep through 
the soil. If the plants escape the enemies they 
have to fight drought and other effects of the 
weather, By raising plants in nursery beds or 
int frames they can be looked after with a 
minimum of trouble until they are large enough 
to plant out. 
Do not dig deeply about the roots of treeg 
and shrubs, as that will mutilate the roots and 
cause the tops of the plants to die. The great 
majority of gardeners hold the i'staken belief 
that it is necessary, especially im hot climates, to 
forée the rcots down into’ the subsoil, where 
they suppose there is a more certain supply of 
moisture. The roots of all plurts require air, 
warmth, and moistu.e; as well as material for 
building tip the leavés, branches, and other 
parts. All these requisites exist in the greater 
quantity nearest the surface. Nature does not 
dig with spailes, wet ‘try to force the roots dow 
into the raw, ¢rudé, dense subsoil, except in 
reguid to anéhor roots, hte surfaeé is covered 
with old leaves, twigs, grass, aud sitnilar mulch- 
ing, and worms; insects, and other agencies open 
up the ground and let in the air. We should 
follow Nature, and keep the surface lousened 
constantly, to let air into the soil, allow absorp- 
tion of moisture from the air, and prevent rapid | 
evaporation frony below. Some extensive ex- 
periments conducted by the American Depart- 
ment of Agriculture have proved that plants are 
doubled in bulk and size by maintaining a loose 
- condition of the soil’ to a depth of three inches, 
neither much More nor much less, as compared 
with trees that were left uncultivated. 
Plants which send up many stems from a 
centre below the surface, such as antirrhinuins, 
chrysanthemums, plumbago: and pentstemons, 
may be taken up, divided, and replanted ir 
fresh spots, after cutting back a god lot of the 
top growth, If left too long in one spot, these 
plants will become ragged and unsightly. Of 
course, the ¢hrysanthemums should not be dealt 
with until after the flowering is over. When 
the flowers begin to open they will drop on the 
ground, unless they are supported by stakes and 
string tied around. -Do nct tie the shoots up 
like a stable broom, else the leaves will sweat 
and the flowers will be injured. Every plant 
must have light and«uir admitted to all “pirts 
above ground. adits fll 
Vvuutinue to plant hardy bulbs, ete Eich of 
these should be enveloped in sand, so that tie 
The Poultry Yard— 
Feeding and Fattening Chickéng 
All about Eggs Aol 
Seasonable Items © 
Geta Move om — 
. The Mighty Egg 
‘Rte: Ete: 
Miscellaneous, 
clay in the soil shall not come into contact. The 
best soil for such plants is a rick, sandy mould, 
6nriched with old manure from a cowyard or 
sheep pén. New stable manure is not at all 
suitable to bulbs, tubers, aud the like. Bulbs 
should be covered with soil to their own length 
—if the bulb is an inck lotrg, it should be an inch 
under the surface, Hyacinths can be covered 
three inches. Corms, such as gladioli, may be 
covered half an inch, cyclamen with the crowr 
just above the surface. Anemones and ranunculi 
should be buried am inch deep When the flower 
stems risé they should be supported with wires’ 
or Jight stakes. Never remove any leaves from 
bulbs until guite dry, else the bulbs will be’ 
weakened for next year’s work. Oxalis can be‘ 
killed by constantly removing the leaves directly 
they appear, ' 
Slags and snails can be trapped wholesale by 
taking out a spadeful of soil, putting in a handful 
of weeds, dover witha short board, with room 
for the pests to’ crawl bene\th. [n abont three 
days the weels bevin tu’ decay, and the pests 
hide among then every night {nthe morning 
take a bucket around, with a little salt in the 
bottom, sh-ke the slugs and suails off into the 
bucset; replace the weeds and board, and go’ 
rouad every morning fur a week or so’ collecting 
the spoils. 
Ff there ate tuo many plants crowded on the’ 
borders of tle yreenhuuse remove soure of ths 
Teast valued, and place them ir the open b ds; 
When turning theny out of the pots louk at the 
roots; and if they are dviled around the ball of 
soil straighten them out, without breaking the 
soil, and spread them naturally in the bed. If 
any roots are mutilated cut them back to sound, 
uninjurel root. Attend to watering until the 
plants have taken good hold, else they will prob- 
ably die, because they have been used to regular’ 
watering in the greenhouse. Many plants which 
we have been accustomed to grow only in the 
houses will do far better in the open air. A dea} 
’ of useful knowledge as to the character and re- 
quirements of ornamental trees and shrubs can - 
‘ bé gained from visits to the Botanic Garden or 
to the larger nurseries, where they can be seen 
in the beauty of their perfection, 
Loosen or remove altogether, as may be re= 
quired, the ties .on recently budded roses, and 
secure the young growth to splints of bambous 
or light stakes, else the wind may blow off the 
new growths, If the ties are left too long un- 
attended to the growth will be strangled. A¥ 
the end of this month commence to prune roses 
and plant cuttings. In pruning standards it- 
will be well to leave rather long arms, projecting: 
like the ribs of a parasol, so that the leives in 
sui ner may shelter the naked stem from thy 
hit sua, which, in many cases whe-e this ig ny_- 
lecte l, kills the bark on the western aspect. Ca 
plunting cittings of ruses or anything else cut 
straight through, the shortest way, below « bude 
