168 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



mates the least appearance, effect a 

 change of air, if only for an hour, 

 without lowering materially the tem- 

 perature of the house, that is to say, 

 below the point at which plants will 

 prosper and flowers continue to ex- 

 pand, for the cultivator will of course 

 wish to have flowers in winter of such 

 things as flower at that season, and 

 the temperature necessary for this 

 should be obtained as much as pos- 

 sible from the sun, and can be done 

 consistently with proper airing, if the 

 house is opened early and closed 

 early ; this should be his motto 

 throughout the season, excepting 

 from July to September, when it will 

 not he necessary to close the house 

 at all, excepting in boisterous wea- 

 ther; but in frosty and foggy weather, 

 fires must be used to secure a tempe- 

 rature between 32" and 35° by night, 

 and a degree of two more by day, and 

 when it can be done by the agency 

 of the sun-heat, from 10° to 15° more 

 may be indulged in, as the season 

 advances, and with uarmth we can 

 likewise get a corresponding amount 

 of light, the temperature may ad- 

 ance to 40° or 45° by night, and from 

 50 1 to 65° on bright days, or I should 

 rather say the afternoon of bright 

 days ; for I would always reduce the 

 air in time, so that the sun would 

 raise the temperature 5° or 10° after 

 the house is closed. In September 

 and October, when plants that have 

 been placed out of doors will be 

 brought in, lest they should be over- 

 taken by autumnal frosts, and others 

 that have not been so exposed, will 

 need hardening, in order that they 

 may bear the vicissitudes of winter ; 

 consequently, all the air possible may 

 be given, only guarding against frost. 

 In the autumn season, mildew may 

 probably show itself in white spots 

 upon the stems and foliage of some 

 plants ; these should have an airy 

 situation, and have a little sulphur 

 dusted over them. 



Cuttings. — Those who have the 

 convenience of a Waltonian case, or 

 hot-bed, may strike cuttings at vari- 

 ous seasons; but those who have not 

 such conveniences, may strike most 

 common greenhouse plants under 

 bell-glasses placed upon the floor of 



the greenhouse at a distance from the 

 light, during the months of July and 

 August, and may raise seeds upon 

 such a shelf as will be hereafter 

 described, by placing a piece of win- 

 dow-glass over the mouth of the 

 seed-pot, and shading with paper 

 until the seedlings are fairly above 

 ground, after which time both the 

 paper and glass must be removed, 

 in the evenings, and be replaced 

 during the hottest part of the day, 

 until they have gained sufficient 

 strength to dispense with them en- 

 tirely. In July and August the 

 shoots of mo3t plants will be found 

 in the most favourable state for cut- 

 tings, that is about half ripened, the 

 air also sufficiently warm without 

 artificial means to cause them to 

 strike root, and by placing them 

 under bell-glasses or hand-lights, at 

 a distance from the glass, the light is 

 so modified that they do not shrivel 

 and dry up. Having filled the cut- 

 ting-pots very firmly with sifted soil, 

 in which an extra portion of silver- 

 sand should be mixed, water tho- 

 roughly, and whilst the pots are 

 draining prepare the cuttings, prick 

 them round the sides of the pots with 

 a small pointed stick, and close the 

 soil about them by giving another 

 slight watering, place upon the floor 

 of the greenhouse with the bell- 

 glasses over them, but remove the 

 latter during mild nights, which will 

 tend to prevent leaves rotting, and 

 the cuttings damping off; but if the 

 nights are windy, only remove the 

 glasses for a short time ; water may 

 not be required for several days, but 

 this must be watched for, and when 

 required, sufficient given to tho- 

 roughly moisten the soil. As they 

 are found to have struck root, they 

 may be brought near the light, and 

 the bell-glasses gradually withdrawn 

 entirely from them, and those that 

 are well struck previous to the end 

 of September, potted singly ; but it 

 will generally be best to leave those 

 that are not struck by that time until 

 the turn of the winter, otherwise 

 they would not get sufficiently esta- 

 blished before winter. Those who 

 have no other convenience, should 

 provide a shelf very near the glass ; 



