The Aberystwith Observer

GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE. CONSERVATORY. Bulbs as they go out of flower should he taken to a cool-house to finish the growth, and when the weather gets more settled plant out in groups in the borders. They will not be of much use for forcing again, but will produce flowers that will be useful for cutting. Forced hardy shrubs, such as rhododendrons, deutzias, Japanese and Belgian azaleas, &c., must be taken care of after flowering, and the growth encouraged under glass till the season is more advanced. Roses are now coming into blossom in fair condition, and if grown in pots should be grouped in light positions. It is never wise to take forced flowers direct from the forcing-house if strong heat is kept up in it to the conservatory if it can be avoided, as the flowers will last longer if the plants are halted for a few days in an intermediate temperature. If it is not con- venient tc do this it will be better not to push the plants on too hard. Camellias planted out are now at their best, and will be benefited by weak liquid- manure; weak soot-water is suitable. Chrysanthe- mums are now pretty well over for the present, and tnay all be taken out of the house. The early-rooted cuttings will now all be in single pots growing freely. L young plants must be sheltered from frost, but otherwise they will be better in a low temperature. Cuttings put in now will make useful decorative plants for producing cut flowers, and also to grow into bushes for the conservatory. Insects, especially green-fly, must be kept down in some way, either by fumigation with tobacco, or syringing or dipping in some insecticide. The last plan answers well with plants of moderate size. Roses, lilies, especially lilium Harrisi, and pelargoniums must be kept free from green-fly, or the flowers will be ruined. Shift calceolarias of the herbaceous type into the flowering- pots. Good specimens may be grown in 7-inch pots; must be grown cool and in a shady position. They will do very well in a north house from this onwards. Cinerarias are very bright just now, as are also cyclamens and primulas. The worst feature c the cineraria is its tendency to get infested with green-fly, especially in warm houses. The only frnmmnHrii im 'n S°°d condition is to fumigate Z !L IU th«6 flowera open, and see that the cvc?amens coof%rirom of let them gradually go t^r^0 & C00l-h/?USe' an^ riinks if kent in « f Clove carnations and C:,pfloPw f0 "m 80<m In some plants I hare lately now visible. These plants «LnM f flower-buds are a stage near the glass will b. ,nd °? Selves, or more water to cacti and other K5 Tf1 ^Give plants which require repotting may now" hkvTatteS t«>n; the compost mustbe made7sufficientlyporous by adding old plaster or broken charcoal and course sand. These plants should not be overpotted. Cut- t ngs will root now. Let the cuttings lie exposed some time before inserting them to dry up the wounds T have had them lying on a shelf for days as the growth will not wither at this season. Pot on a few lobelias of the speciosa type to form edgings to groups on the border or stage. Plants in baskets will now require more water. GREENHOUSE. and other roses will now be starting o growth. Use insecticides to keep down insects. y pruning required should have been finished wisft to In cold-houses it is not always in„ «°wn the plants every season after flower- erowtVi t^e P^anfcs break late very often, the astliAv r>Pen, and the flowers are not so fine Y should be, nor yet EO numerous. The prun- ing when the plants are not headed back will be chiefly confined to spurring back all weakly shoots and shortening the longer growths to well-ripened wood. These and other roses may be grown well in tubs, and if well supported with top-dressings and liquid- manure they will go on improving for years. The tubs may or may not be partly sunk in the floor. Of course, when a good border can be formed they are better planted out. The best soil for roses under glass is turfy loam, two-thirds, and one-third of old mellow manure. FERNS UNDER GLASS. The work of repotting should have prompt atten- tion now. Specimen plants which have reached their allotted size may have the balls reduced and be placed again in the same sized pots. It is sometimes advisable to get rid of a few of the large old speci- mens to make room for young plants coming on, as with the exception. of some of the tree ferns, which require more time, a small plant of most of the best decorative ferns may be grown into a large one in one season, and the young specimen is better and more effective than the old one. Any cultivator who clings to his old plants too long rarely has a first-class lot. The old plants when they get large might be made to do duty in the conservatory for a time, and when shabby in appearance should be thrown on the rub- bish heap. Of course, with scarce ferns, the old plants can be divided and utilised for stock purposes; but any that produce fertile fronds freely are better raised from seeds than by division. Use a good deal of loam in the compost for all strong-growing species, and with more heat and less loam for the delicate kinds. OUTDOOR GARDEN. Another spell of winterly weather has for the time being put a check upon outdoor work, but it is not likely to be of long duration, and as soon as the change comes IVY on walls may be cut in close with the shears. Ivy is sometimes used to form edgings round large beds, and when well kept a dark-green band between the grass or gravel and the flowers has a very good effect. It is a good plan to pass the shears over now or shortly, cutting away all old foliage, as the old leaves if left will have a weather- beaten appearance in comparison with the young foliage. New edgings of ivy may be planted any time during spring, and if pegged down close the plants soon get established. The present is a good time to trim neglected shrubs. Such things as laurels may be cut down within a foot or 18 inches of the ground. Yews, evergreen oaks, rhododendrons, and other evergreens-conifers excepted—may be cut pretty hard back without injury. Conifers of all kinds had better wait a bit, and for the most part these will not require much pruning, except it may -be to remove a rival leader. Where many roses are required for cutting it is an advantage to prune a part of the plants earlier than others, so as to get an early bloom. All the early-flowering roses, including the provence and moss, may be pruned now, and some of the perpetuals also if they occupy a sheltered situation, and as roses are so much sought after for cutting, it is a good plan to have part of a south border planted specially for early blooming. All wall roses, teas and noisettes included, not yet thinned out may have the weakly shoots that will be of no use to produce blossoms cut away, and the long, strong young wood properly nailed or tied in. The general collection of roses will not, of course, be pruned yet-for another three weeks or possibly-longer, and the teas in beds will be left till the beginning of April. Lawns intended to he; seeded down should be cleaned and cultivated, and, if necessary, manured it is a mistake to sup- pose that any kind of land will grow grass. To obtain a good turf quickly the land must be well done by. Frosty drying winds will crumble down the surface and fit it for seeding in March or April. VEGETABLE GARDEN. Cucumbers just started in hot-beds have had rather a rough time lately, and will require a good deal of attention in making up the bed round the sides of the frames and in the use of warm coverings over the glass. There should always be surplus cucumber and melon-plants in case a plant goes wrong. If a warm lining should be required it may be built up against the back without interfering with the bed. In windy districts the frame ground should be sheltered, or the wind will interfere with the regular heating of the bed. A fence made of faggots or bundles of pea-sticks may be set in the ground within a short distance of the hot-bed to break the wind they can be taken down bv-and-bye when the cold winds have left us and used for the peas. The main crop of onions may be sown any time during March, but in most places the earlier in the month they are got in the better, as onions require a long season of growth. There is yet time to sow a few seeds of any special kind in heat for transplant- ing but all things raised in heat require careful handling, so that the young plants receive no unneces- sary check and are not drawn up weakly. If the seeds are started in a warm-house or hot-bed lift the pots or pans out of the plunging-bed when the young plants are one inch high, and place in a light posi- tion, and remove to cooler quarters, such as the greenhouse shelf, before the plants get drawn. To grow large onions the land must be in good.condition, and the plants must have plenty of room, and in dry weather they must be helped with stimulants and the soil kept fairly moist. The Spanish gardener makes little channels among his onions and irri- gates his beds. Plant early potatoes in warm, sunny spots when the weather and land are suit- able, but covers will be required to shelter the growth by-and-bye. Do not plant with a dibble, but draw drills 16 inches deep. Scatter some rich compost along the bottom, and press the potato sets in the compost, crown upwards. All seed potatoes, of early varieties especially, should be in a light position now to get the crown-eyes strong. The main crop of celery may be sown about the middle of March. Where much celery is grown it is a good plan to make up a small hot-bed specially for it. Sow the seeds thinly and cover lightly. Mat up the frame for a time till the seeds germinate. If only a few hundreds of plants are wanted sow in boxes and place in a very warm-house or frame, and cover the soil with paper till the seeds grow. Sow basil and sweet marjoram for early use. Plenty of green mint and tarragon will be required (now. Sow parsley and chervil.- E. Hobday, in Gardening Illustrated.

THE Fenian movement has broken out again. A Philadelphia perfumer has just put upon the market a new kind of pomade, which is said to be the strongest head-scenter that has yet been brought out. ONE of the sweetest things about a young and bud- ding love is the way in which she will smooth the hair so gently off your brow, and then smile tenderly in your face, and show that about four of her back teeth are gone. STRANGE FeoD.—" Do you like novels?" said a Miss Languish to her up-country lover. "I can't say," answered he, for I never ate any; but I can tell you what, I am tremendous at a young 'possum." THE Silver Question-Head or tails. Josii BILLINGS says of Mark Twain: He put an enemy in his mouth to steal away his brains, but. the enemy, after a thorough search, returned without anything."

GAZALAND. Gazaland, which has a square mileage equal to that of the United Kingdom, stretches from the Indian Ocean in the east, to Mashonaland and Matabele- land on the west, while the Zambesi and the Limpopo Rivers form its northern and southern boundaries. Its inhabitants are descendants of that faction of Zulu warriors that seceded from the great Chaka in 1830 and raided their way, under Soshongaul, into the coveted country. Anyone with the most elemen- tary knowledge of geography will at once (says Black and Wkite) recognise the vast importance of Gaza- land's happy position, since it is self-evident that all supplies required for the development of Matabeleland, Mashonaland, and the auriferous Manica plateau must of necessity proceed through Gazaland, thereby obviat- ing that interminable journey by ox-waggon from the Cape. The importance of the highway as a direct means of tapping the interior has been pressed on the attention of England in books of travel, in newspapers, and from the public platform, yet the ceaseless reiteration of its value has fallen unheeded on official ears at Whitehall. The loss to England, however, of Gaza- land must not be gauged by its geographical position alone; its boundless wealth has been the theme of every traveller who has been permitted, since the ac- cession of its first supreme chief, Soshongaul, the grandfather of the present ruler, to pass through the country. It is an established fact that all gold-bear- ing reefs in South Africa run from the south-west to the north-east, and in this connection we can well understand the anxiety manifested by the British South Africa Chartered Company to penetrate into Gazaland during their recent expedition into Mashonaland. Portuguese enterprise is, at the present period, conspicuous by its absence, and it is therefore sad to see this rich gold-bearing resion un- wooed and consequently unwon. In addition to its gold-producing qualities, Gazaland has the reputation of being rich in other minerals. She manufactures from her stores of iron the deadly assegai to sell to the neighbouring tribes who travel many miles to cross her borders in quest of them. Many Gazaland women adorn their ankles and wrists with silver bangles of native'workmanship, and there is on all sides abundant evidences of metalliferous wealth. On the point of climate, it must be admitted that, so far as its coast line is concerned, Gazaland has, with its neighbours even still further south of the equator, gained an unenviable notoriety; but this has been mainly due to the ignorance of the new comer, who has not the experience which will lead him to take proper precautions for the prevention of the scourge of these parts-malarial fever. As civilisation advances this scourge dies out, which fact has been most unmistakably demon- strated in the case of Delagoa Bay, whose rate of mortality during last year was not a third of what it was in 1887. As to agriculture, almost any- thing will grow in Gazaland, from a sweet potato to a cocoanut; the valleys could be made to teem with verdant fields of rice, while the plateaus could gladden the eyes of the energetic farmer with unbroken stretches of waving wheat. For sportsmen this country is full of excitement and hard work, and to a really keen hunter the most enchanting place in the world, since its pastures and forests form a natural cover for every kind of four-footed cieature which is to be met with south of the Zambesi, and include the elephant, lion, leopard, giraffe, buffalo, hippopo- tamus, the eland, and other big game. The British South Africa Company see the necessity of at once opening up railway communication with the East Coast. The Transvaal Government by delaying-nay, even hindering-railway connection with the Cape and Natal, have caused many mines in the above areas to be shut down which should now be crushing away merrily, and helping to swell the three tons of gold which are already being turned out there each month. The expense of- transport, and nothing but that, has caused many a mine to be ruthlessly strangled in its infancy. Without communication with the East Coast, the British South Africa Com- pany would have to pay the killing rate of £70 per ton for transport to their present capital of Fort Salis- bury; with a railway from Pungwe Bay to Massikessi this will be reduced to E10 per ton, and the above company will connect this terminus of the Mozambique Com- pany's section with its mining centres at Mazor Hartley and elsewhere. It has been decided to throw out a pier from the south bank of the Pungwe river at a point opposite Jobo, to discharge alongside right into the railway trucks awaiting them and this pier will be connected by rail with Jobo, which has been selected as the most suitable and healthy spot for a township. From Jobo the line will run through a very easy country until it ascends the Quiteve Plateau, and thus on to Mas- sikessi, no engineering difficulties presenting themselves, as all the rivers will be crossed near their sources, and only culverts or very light bridges will be necessary. It is satisfactory to learn that the British South Africa Company and the Mozambique Company are now working very amicably together for their mutual benefit. Both their territories will have to be exploited by Englishmen, as the Portu- guese, the hardy adventurers of four centuries ago, are now of all civilised nations the least able to colonise their sun has set, and it is melancholy to compare their past with their present.

FUN FROM THE WEST. THE following advertisement lately appeared in a Cincinnati paper: Personal—Wanted.—The under- signed, a healthy young man, unable to procure em- ployment at which he can make an honest living, de- sires to inform_professors of medicine and surgery that he will submit himself to experimental opera- tions of almost any description for reasonable com- pensation.—Address, Vivisection. SOME Indians use scalping knives of tortoise-shell, probably on account of the old fable in which the tortoise was alleged to have got away with the hare. AN American traveller reproved an Irish car driver for belabouring his horse so constantly with the lash. Pat was very good-natured about the matter. "Why," said the gentleman, we don't employ whips at all now-a-days in America." So I've heard," rejoined the driver ye use revolvers." AN experienced boy says he regards hunger and the schoolmaster's rattan as about the same thing, as they both make him holler. A NEW YORK jury has given a verdict against the Hudson River Railroad Company, awarding a widow 4000 dols. for the killing of her husband and 175 dols. for the horse and waggon that were smashed up with him. At this rate how many yoke of oxen are equal to one woman ? RED CLOUD wants the pockets of his tribe to have a silver lining. THE man who said he had just got out of a tight place had been seen a few minutes before wiping his mouth in a drinking saloon. MARK TWAIN says that he was once employed as a secretary to a member of Congress. Some of the member's constituents wrote to him to say that they wanted a post office. Mark was instructed to write, and this is what he said Gentlemen,-What the mischief do you want with a post office at Baldwin's Ranch ? It would not do you any good. If any letters came there you couldn't read them, yon know, and, besides, such letters as ought to pass through with money in them for other localities would not be with money in them for other localities would not be likely to get through, and that would make trouble for us all. No, don't bother about a post office in your camp. I have your best interests at heart, and would feel that it would only be an ornamental folly. What you want is a nice gaol, you know, a nice substantial gaol and a free school. These will be last- ing benefits to you. These will make you contented and happy. I will move in the matter at once,- V ery truly," &c. THE most accommodating man we ever saw was he who was captain of a steamship which plied between New York and Port Royal during the war. One day a soldier lost his cap overboard, and went to the cap- tain about it. The old gentleman said it was impos- sible to stop the vessel to recover it, but he kindly offered to make a mark on the rail where it went over- board, and get it when they came back. WOMEN'S eyes are very small things, but it takes good-sized men to fill them. IF you want to enjoy yourself the wrong way, just get an ulcerated sore throat. MARK TWAIN, on hearing that eternal spring can be found only in a rubber factory, went to a sham- pooing bath and found what he wanted. JOSH BILLINGS in his Weakly Philosophy column says, Thackeray tells us to take a small bit of paper and make a list of real gentlemen whom we know. I don't know of but one, and as I have plenty of visit- ing cards, there is no need of writing the name." THE title of the novel, Kismet," is a puzzle to everyone. But take off the last letter and it suits the young ladies to a t." AT a late trial somewhere in Texas, the defendant who was not familiar with the multitude of words which the law employs to make a very trifling charge, after listening awhile to the reading of the indict- ment, jumped up and said, Them 'ere allegations is false, and that 'ere alligator knows it." SOME years ago an old sign-painter, who was very gruff and a little deaf, was engaged to paint the Ten Commandments on some tablets in a church not five miles from Buffalo. He worked two days at them, and at the end of the second day the pastor came to see how the work progressed. The old man stood by, smoking a short pipe, as the reverend gentleman ran his eyes over the tablets. Eh cried the pastor, as his eyes detected something wrong in the working of the precepts; why, you careless old man, vou have left a part of one of the Commandments entirely out! Don't you see ?" No—no such thing," said the old man, putting on his spectacles no—nothing left out-where f" Why, there persisted the pastor look at it in the Bible you have left some of that Commandment out." Well, what if I have ?" demanded Old Obstinacy, as he ran his eye complacently over his work what if I haye ? There's more there now than you'll keep A mora correct artist was employed forthwith. A NEW YORK paper says that a man in the morn- ing, after he has been drunk with wine, feels as though he had the rheumatism in every hair of his head. AN American editor says he has given 20,000 dols. for a race-horse in order that he may catch default- ing subscribers. Another, having heard that drown- ing men remember every event of their lives, advises their subscribers to bathe in deep water A NEW ORLEANS jury declared a man to have come to his death by an unknown cart." About on a par with this is the Philadelphia verdict, respecting a man who had been crushed to death in a mill, when the jury remarked, No blame can be attached to the machinery."